A SUPPORT POLE WITH PIVOTING AND LOCKING HANDRAIL FOR ELDERLY AND DISABLED PERSONS

TIGE DE SOUTIEN AVEC MAIN COURANTE PIVOTANTE ET VERROUILLABLE POUR PERSONNES AGEES ET PERSONNES HANDICAPEES

English Abstract

A support pole for elderly and disabled persons having a pivoting and locking horizontal handrail. It comprises a telescopic pole adapted to be vertically fixed between the floor and ceiling of a room and a horizontal handrail pivotally mounted thereon. A castellated collar and an engaging pin which is actuated by the handrail to move about the pole in small safe increments. The device is to be used by elderly or disabled persons to move from one position to another independent of any assistance.

French Abstract

Un poteau de soutien pour personnes âgées et handicapées, muni d'une main courante horizontale pivotante et bloquante. Il se compose d'un poteau télescopique adapté pour être fixé verticalement entre le plancher et le plafond de la pièce, d'une main courante horizontale montée par pivotement sur celui-ci, d'un collier crénelé et d'une goupille d'engagement actionnée par la main courante pour se déplacer autour du poteau par mouvements incrémentiels limités et surs. Ce dispositif est conçu pour permettre à des personnes âgées et handicapées de se déplacer d'une position à une autre sans nécessiter aucune assistance.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or
privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
We claim:
1. A support pole with a pivoting and locking handrail unit
comprising a pole member having means at its upper end and at its
lower end to support said pole member in a vertical operating
position wherein said pole member has a pivotally mounted handrail
thereon.
2. A support pole with pivoting and locking handrail unit as
claimed in claim 1 wherein said handrail unit has vertical
adjustment means.
3. A support pole with pivoting and locking handrail unit as
claimed in claim 2 wherein said handrail unit comprises a
cylindrical member having a tubular handrail member radially
mounted thereon.
4. A support pole with pivoting and locking handrail unit as
claimed in claim 3 wherein said tubular handrail member has a grip
surface thereon.
5. A support pole with pivoting and locking handrail unit as
claimed in claim 4 wherein said cylindrical member has cylindrical
bearing members at its upper end and at its lower end, said bearing
members movably engageable with said pole member on their inner
surface, and removably and fixedly attached to the said cylindrical
member on their outer surface.

6. A support pole with pivoting and locking handrail unit as
claimed in claim 5 wherein said pole member has a cylindrical
collar adjustably mounted thereon, said cylindrical collar is
located between the said cylindrical bearing members, said
cylindrical collar having castellations on one end and having means
to fixably and adjustably attach it to the said pole member.
7. A support pole with pivoting and locking handrail unit as
claimed in claim 6 wherein said cylindrical member has a pin
extending radially inward, the said pin is adapted to engage and
co-act with said cylindrical collar.
8. A support pole with pivoting and locking handrail unit as
claimed in claim 1 wherein said means at the upper end comprises a
bridge plate member of c-shaped cross section, having a fixed
collar thereon wherein said fixed collar has an aperture therein to
provide means to anchor said pole member by pin means.
9. A support pole with pivoting and locking handrail unit as
claimed in claim 8 wherein said channel plate member has resilient
material fixed thereon.
10. A support pole with pivoting and locking handrail unit as
claimed in claim 1 wherein said means at the lower end comprises
matching threading members, and a base plate member.
11. A support pole with pivoting and locking handrail unit as
claimed in claim 3 wherein said cylindrical member has an
additional handrail mounted radially thereon.
12. A support pole with pivoting and locking handrail unit as
claimed in claim 3 wherein said tubular handrail member has a grip

handle detachably mounted thereon.
13. A support pole with pivoting and locking handrail unit as
claimed in claim 3 wherein said tubular handrail member has a tray
member detachably mounted thereon.
14. A support pole with pivoting and locking handrail unit as
claimed in claim 1 wherein said pole member has a cylindrical
resilient grip member mounted thereon.
15. A support pole with pivoting and locking handrail unit as
claimed in claim 1 wherein said pole member has a c-shaped handle
pivotally mounted thereon.
16. A device for assisting elderly and disabled persons comprising
a support pole anchored in vertical operating position between the
ceiling and floor of a room said support pole having a cylindrical
collar fastened thereto and a handrail unit pivotally mounted
thereon said handrail unit cornprises a cylinder having cylindrical
bearings at its upper end and at its lower end and a tubular hand
grip radially mounted on the outer surface and a pin mounted
radially on its inner surface, said pin slidably engaging said
cylindrical collar
17. A device as defined in claim 16 wherein said cylindrical
collar is castellated on one end.
11

Description

2~8~1
.
A Support Pole with a Pivoting and T~k; ng Handrail for
Elderly and Pi~hl~d Persons
Background of the Invention
This invention relates to a support pole with a pivoting and
locking h;3n~1~; 1 for assisting disabled or elderly persons to move
from one position to another independent of any assistance.
Elderly and disabled persons often require support surfaces such as
hand rails to pull themselves up from a chair or wheelchair,
support their weight while walking, lower themselves safely onto a
toilet or bed, or most importantly, to have a secure grip surface
on which to support themselves in the event of a sudden loss of
balance, and thereby preventing a fall, which in more senior
individuals, can result in a serious injury such as a broken hip.
Prior art devices for these purposes include wall mounted grab
bars, mobile wheeled walkers, and floor to ceiling poles. However,
each of these devices has its disadvantages: Wall mounted grab
bars cannot pr~7vide support in the middle of a room, mobile wheeled
walkers can slip, and occupy substantial space making them awkward
to use in smaller areas of the home such as bathrooms. Ceiling to
floor poles provide o~ly a vertical surface, which by nature is
difficult for a person's hand to grip with sufficient strength to
bear a vertical load.
Typically, disabled and elderly persons require support during
transfers frc~n one position to another, such as from a ~ed to a

2148~
wheelchair, ~AThL~ h~i r to a toilet seat, or wheelchair to a
favourite sitting chair. The ease and safety of these transfers
are limited by the design features of the support device that is
used. i.e. a floor to ceiling pole prL~vides the person with the
ability to only perform a pivot transfer adjacent to the pole.
Clearly, no ideal support device exists in the prior art to cover
the optimal re(3uirements of: a device that provides support over
the typical 3 to 5 foot range of travel during transfers, a device
that provides a horizorltal surface for easy grip by weak hands, a
device which moves and locks at safe small ii~r~lLL~LlLs, while
minim'~ing occupieLl space.

2148~1
Su~nary of the Invention
The device comprises a pole adapted to be vertically fixed between
the floor and ceiling of a room and a horizontal h~ndrail unit
pivotally mounted thereon to assist elderly and (l; q~hl .-~ persons to
move from one position to another independent of any assistance.
The handrail unit consists of a horizontal tubular member fixed to
a cylindrical member which rotates about the vertical axis of the
fixed pole. When not in use, the handrail unit is in a locked
position. As the u~qer moves, the h~n~ ; 1 may be unlocked by
simply lifting up on the h~n~r~; 1, and moved in safe small
increments .
Locking of the hand rail is est~3hl; qh~-l by a pin co-operating with
a cast~ t~1 collar which is fixed to the pole by allen screws,
~uch that the cylindrical member slides aver the castf~ t~-l collar
with clearance. The pin protrudes radially into the cavity of the
cylindrical member to ~Lgage into any one of the grooves of the
cast,=11 ~t~l collar thereby locking the pivotal LI~VtLlL~Ll~ of the hand
rail. The height of the h~n~lr~i 1 is adjustable, arLd est;3hl; qhL-~ by
ti~ht~n;n~ the allen screws at the desired height.
Advanta~eously, the hand rail may operate with incremental locking
positions when the pin e~Lgages the grooves of the cast,~ t~(l
collar, or freely pivL~ting when the cast~ t~ collar is irIverted
and t~Le pin ,~.nt~( tq the smooth end.

21~2 l
Brief Description of Drawings
Figure 1 is an isometric view of one ertlbodiment of the invention.
Figure 2 is a cutaway view of the h~Ndrail unit from line II-II-II-
II .
Figure 3 i8 a view of the castellated collar of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a cutaway view of the base from lines IV-IV-IV-IV of
Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a section of the line V-V of Figure 1.
Figures 6a through 6e iIlustrate other embodiments of the
invention.
Figure ~ is a view of an additional enlbodiment of the invention
adapted for a bathtub.

21@~
Detailed De~cription of the Preferred ~mho-l;m~nt
This invention relates to a device for assisting elderly or
handicapped individuals to move iml~r"on~ ntly from one position to
another. D~tl~rmin~t;--n for the preferred location of the device
would be based on routine daily transfer requirements, for exarr~le
from a bed to a walker or wh~ h~i r, or from the walker or
wheelchair to a toilet.
Figure 1 shows the g~neral ~L~ nL-~ of the invention. Support
pole 1 is anchored to the ceiling by the upp~er support beam 4 which
has apertures 25 for fastening to ceiling merlbers.
Base 3 has a screw jack dr rd-ly~"~ to compress pole 1 between the
floor and ceiling of a room.
The handrail unit 2 i8 pivotally mounted on pole 1 which allows the
user to mave the handrail unit about the pole in safe small steps.
Figure 2 illustrates the components of the hand rail unit 2.
Cylindrical member 9 has pin 6 protruding inward and handrail
merlber 5 protruding radially outward. Plastic bearings 7, 8 are
anchored to the upper and lower ends of cylinder 9 by means of
fasteners 13 . Bearings 7, 8 allow ease of pivotal IlWV~:LLL~Ll~ for
h~n~r~ i 1 unit 2 about pole 1. Collar 10 is cast-~l 1 Ati'L~ and the
gro-~ves 12 serve to engage pin 6 thereby allowing the user to mave
handrail member 5 from groove to groave in small safe increments.
Allen screws 11 are used to anchor collar 10 to pole 1 and also
serve to pravide height adjustment for h~n~r~il unit 2. Vertical
adjustment is achieved by removing screw 13 fram bearing 7 thereby
allowing cylinder 9 to be moved up on pole 1 thereby exposing
~ llar 10 so thdt ~ ~llen screws 11 ccn ~e loosened to adjust the

2~8~1
collar 10 to the desired height for h;~nrlr~i 1 unit 2.
Figure 3 shows an unobstructed view of the collar 10 showing pin 6
in locked position with one of the grooves 12.
Figure 4 details the, ~ r~ r~l of the base 3. Bottom end of pole
1 rests on the shoulder 14a of female thread member 14. Male
thread menlber 15 rests on base plate 19 which has a rF~ nt
underpad 20. Hole 21 allows the jack pipe tool (not shown) to be
inserted therein to rotate male threaded men~ber 15 to expand pole
1 and compress it between the floor and ceiling of a room.
Cover member 16 can be moved up on pole 1 with its mounting bushing
18 to permit access to member 15 and in the closed position the
bottom of cover merlber 16 engages bushing 17.
Figure 5 provides the construction of the upper support beam 4.
Pole 1 fits into bushing 40, and slot 23 engages pin 22. Bushing
40 is welded to the upper support beam member 41 which has a
resilient pad 24 on it and apertures 25 in it to permit mounting to
ceiling members.
Figure 6a illustrates an additional embodiment of the in~ention.
A short handrail member 31 is mounted on the opposite side of
handrail member 5. A short hiln(lr~il member 31 will provide greater
security for individuals that may prefer a handrail on either side
of the pole 1.
As found in Figure 6b a vertical grip handle 32 is r~ hly
secured to handrail member 5 and may be preferred by some users.
Figure 6c has a vertically adjustable rr~ nt cylindrical
handgrip 30 located above handrail unit 2 on pole 1 which may be
advantageous to certain individuals.

2~ 21
~igure 6d displays the use of a c-shaped pivoted handle 34 on pole
1. ~le 34 i~ vertically adjustable by means o~ allen screws 35.
Figure 6e has a ~ t~hi~hl ~- tray 33 coupled on handrail me~ber 5 to
provide useful surface for people that have limited mobility.
Figure 7 illustrates the unit mounted on the bathtub. I~e base is
in the form of a inverted u-shaped member 26 with a collar 27 to
hold pole 1. Jacking tf~c:~~npic member 29 is near the top of pole
1 and a r~.¢i 1 if ~nt covered mernber 28 serves to abut ~he ceiling.

Representative Drawing