US2074653A - Wheel chair - Google Patents

Description

-'March 23, 1937. i J LARsEN v 2,074,553

WHEEL CHAIR Filed May 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l .1. LARSEN WHEEL CHAIR March 23, 1937.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 25, 1955 lnvenlor A Home};

Patented Mar. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in wheel chairs and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a device of this character embodying a novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts through the medium of which a patient may be transferred from a-bed thereonto and vice versa without discomfort and with a minimum of labor.

Another very important object of the inventionis to provide a wheel chair of the aforementioned character which may be conveniently adjusted vertically to the level of beds of different heights.

Still another very important object of the invention is to provide a wheel chair of the type including adjustable back and leg rests, together with novel means connecting said back and leg rests through the medium of which they may be adjusted in unison or independently, as desired. Other objects of the invention are to provide awheel chair of the character described which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, highly efiicient and reliable in use, compact, light in weight, attractive in appearance, comfortable and which may be manu-. factured at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:-

Figure 1 is a view in side elevat1on of a wheel chair constructed in accordance with the pres ent invention. I

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view, taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1.'

Figure 3 is a. top plan view of the vertically adjustable frame.

Figure 4 is a detail view in :vertical section, taken through a rear portion of the invention.

Figure 5 is a detail view in vertical transverse section, taken substantially on the line 5'-5' of Figure 2. I

Figure 6 is a view-in vertical longitudinalsection through a rear,portion of the device, showing one of the elevating screws.

Figure '7 is a .detail view in front elevation of the bolster.

Referring now to the drawings iii detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises'a stationary frame I having mounted beneath its forward end portion a bolster designated generally by are provided with operating wheels I0. Mounted on the screws 9 for vertical adjustment is a frame which is designated generally by the reference numeral l I, said frame 'I I including side members l2 having. series of notches 13 in the rear end portions thereof. Adjacent each of the notches. I3 in one of the side members l2 are eye screws I4, the purpose of which will be presently set,

forth.

Mounted on the forwardportion of the frame II is a seat l5 to the rear end of which a back I I6 is hingedly. connected, as at H. A substantially U-shaped support I8 is provided for.re-

"leasably securing the back lGin adjusted position, said support being hingedly connected, at its ends, to an intermediate portion of said back l6, as at IS. The support I8 is selectively engageable in the notches I3 and mounted on said support is ahook 20 engageable in the eye screws l4 for preventing disengagement of said support from said notches. which are engaged in the notches l3 are recessed, as at 2|, (see Figure 4).

The reference numeral 22 designates leg rests which are hingedly mounted, as at 23, on the forward end of the frame I I. Braces 24 are hingedly mounted, as at 25, on the leg rests 22 for support-' ing said leg rests in adjusted position. The braces 24 extend across the lowermost member 4 ofthe bolster 2 and'have mounted therein pins 26 en gageable with said lowermost member 4; for supporting the leg rests 22. The pins 26 are selectively engageable in openings 21 (see Figure 2) which are providedtherefor in the braces 24.

The portions of the support Mounted on the lower end portions of the leg rests 22 are interchangeable and invertible foot rests 28. Rigidly secured to the ends of thefoot rests 28 areangular brackets 29 which are adapted to embrace the leg rests 22 *therebetween. The brackets-29 are provided with openings forfthe reception of spring projectedpins 30 which are slidably mounted in the leg rests'22 for removably mounting the foot rests '28 thereon.

The reference numeral 3| designates am'i'rests 32, on the back l6. Theforward endsof the'arm rests 3| are hingedly connected, as at 33, to the which are hingedly mounted at one end, as at upper ends of supports-34. Hinges 35 connect thesupports 34 to the upper ends of the leg rests 22 and it will be observed that said hinges 35 are secured to the upper sides of said leg rests 22. 5 Coil springs 36 extend between the arm rests 3i and the supports 34 in a manner to assist in raising the back l6.

Hingedly mounted beneath the frame i is a substantially U-shaped support 31 which is adl jacent the swivelled rear wheel].Resilient latches 38 depend from the frame i for engagement with the support 31 for releasably securing said support 31 in raised or inoperative position. The support 31 is of a length to partially support the 15 rear end of the chair in a manner to prevent lateral or swinging movement of said rear end when transferring a patient. In addition, the member 31 provides a more stable support for the rear end of the chair than would be possible with 20 the single wheel 1.

Briefly, the operation of the chair is as follows:-

To transfer a patient from a bed to the chair, the back i 6, arm rests 3i, supports 38, and theleg 25 rests 22 are swung to a horizontal position on the frame I I, the support iii, of course, being disengaged from the notches I3 to permit this. The chair is then-rolled to a position closely adjacent one side of the bed and the screws 9 are actuated 30 to secure the desired vertical adjustment. The patient may then be maneuvered from the bed on to the chair without discomfort.

Of course, after the patient has been placed on the chair the back rest i6 may be raised to the desired inclination where it will be supported by the member i8. When the back i8 is swung upwardly the arm rests 3i arealso raised. This operation also swings thesupports 33 upwardly and forwardly in a manner to lower the leg rests aomsos 22. However, should it be desired to retain either or both of the leg rests 22in horizontal or raised position, this may be accomplished by simply inserting thepins 23 in the desired openings 21 for engagement with the lowermost cross member 4 of the bolster 2. It willbe observed that the hinges 35 will permit swinging movement of themembers 22 and 34 independently of each other. Should it be desired to raise the foot rests 28 on the leg rests 22, the spring actuatedpins 30 are pushed inwardly to permit said foot rests to be removed and replaced on said leg rests 22 in inverted position. It may be well to here state that thepins 30 will engage in the openings provided therefor in theangular brackets 23 when the foot rests 23 are in either of the aforementioned positions on the leg rests 22. It will be understood, of course, that when the chair is being rolled from place to place, the support 31 is in raised position.

It is believed that the many advantages of a wheel chair constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood, and although a preferred embodiment of the invention is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:-

A wheel chair comprising a frame, a back hingedly mounted on the frame, said back having ofiset longitudinal side edge extensions to provide shoulders intermediate its upper and lower edges, arm rests hingedly connected to said shoulders at the forward side of the back and an adjustable brace for the back hingedly attached at one end to the edge of said shoulder at the rear of said back.

JAMES LARSEN.

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