Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
2096681
SAFETY RAIL ATTACHMENT
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a safety rail attachment which can be
attached to a bed of the type which can be used by elderly or infirm patients
to assist in rising from the bed.
Many persons as they become older or become infirm have
difficulty in alone entering and leaving the bed due to difficulties in moving
from the sitting to the standing position and vice versa. Devices have been
previously proposed for attachment to a bed to provide a rail adjacent the
10 side of the bed to assist the occupant. Examples are shown in various
published brochures. However the previous designs are generally
unsatisfactory for attachment to bed frame arrangements of the type readily
available in the United States and Canada and are generally unsatisfactory
for providing a stable and readily adjustable support for the patient.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the present invention, therefore, to provide
an improved safety rail attachment of a type which includes a generally
horizontal rail portion which can be rotated about a vertical axis of a support
post and latched in two or more different positions generally at right angles
20 to each other.
According to a first aspect of the invention, therefore there is
provided a safety rail attachment comprising a vertical post, a rail member
including a post portion and a rail portion extending outwardly from the post
portion to one side thereof, the post portion being arranged for mounting in
the post to be supported thereby in vertical orientation with the rail portion
extending therefrom in substantially horizontal orientation, the post portion
being rotatable about a vertical axis of the post to move the rail portion
between a first position and a second position at right angles to the first
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position, and latching means for latching the post portion in said first and
second positions, said latching means comprising a horizontal pin, means
mounting the pin in the post and arranged for location of the pin at different
heights within the post, a lowermost surface of the post portion which is
arranged for cooperation with the pin, the lowermost surface having two
horizontal transverse notches thereacross arranged mutually at right angles
such that a selected one of the notches can be engaged on the pin by
downward vertical movement of the post portion, and means for limiting
upward movement of the post portion relative to the post, the distance of
10 upward movement being sufficient to allow release of the pin from the
notches, each notch being shaped in cross-section to define a first U-shaped
portion having parallel sides shaped to engage over and receive the pin
therein and a second mouth portion having diverging sides communicating
with said parallel sides such that the mouth portion guides the pin into the
notch to cause movement of the post portion to the required orientation.
According to a second aspect of the invention, therefore there
is provided a safety rail attachment comprising a vertical post, a rail member
including a post portion and a rail portion extending outwardly from the post
portion to one side thereof, the post portion being arranged for mounting in
20 the post to be supported thereby in vertical orientation with the rail portion
extending therefrom in substantially horizontal orientation, the post portion
being rotatable about a vertical axis of the post to move the horizontal rail
portion between a first position and a second position at right angles to the
first position, and latching means for latching the post portion in said first
and second positions, said latching means comprising a horizontal pin,
means mounting the pin in the post and arranged for location of the pin at
different heights within the post, a lowermost surface of the post portion
which is arranged for cooperation with the pin, the lowermost surface
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having two horizontal transverse notches thereacross arranged mutually at
right angles such that a selected one of the notches can be engaged on the
pin by downward vertical movement of the post portion, and means for
limiting upward movement of the post portion relative to the post, the
distance of upward movement being sufficient to allow release of the pin
from the notches, each notch being shaped in cross section to define a first
U-shaped portion having parallel sides shaped to engage over and receive
the pin therein and a second mouth portion having diverging sides
communicating with said parallel sides such that the mouth portion guides
10 the pin into the notch to cause movement of the post portion to the required
orientation, said means for limiting upward movement comprising a spring
hook member engageable under the pin, the spring hook member being
shaped so as to deflectable to pass over the pin when inserted into the post.
According to a third aspect of the invention, therefore there is
provided a safety rail attachment comprising a vertical post, a rail member
including a post portion and a rail portion extending outwardly from the post
portion to one side thereof, the post portion being arranged for mounting in
the post to be supported thereby in vertical orientation with the rail portion
extending therefrom in substantially horizontal orientation, the post portion
20 being rotatable about a vertical axis of the post to move the horizontal railportion between a first position and a second position at right angles to the
first position, and latching means for latching the post portion in said first
and second positions, said latching means comprising a horizontal pin,
means mounting the pin in the post and arranged for location of the pin at
different height within the post, a lowermost surface of the post portion
which is arranged for cooperation with the pin such that the lowermost
surface can be engaged on the pin by downward vertical movement of the
post portion, and means for limiting upward movement of the post portion
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relative to the post, the distance of upward movement being sufficient to
allow release of the pin from the lowermost surface, said means for limiting
upward movement comprising a spring hook member including a leg portion
extending along the post portion and a U-shaped hook portion at a lower
end of the leg portion, the U-shaped hook portion being rotatable relative to
the post portion and shaped so as to be, when inserted into the post,
deflectable to pass over the pin and rotated by contact with the pin to a
position in which the U-shaped hook portion thereof lies transverse to the
pin and engages under the pin in a hooking action.
One or more embodiments of the invention will now be
described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a security rail attachment
according to the present invention attached to a bed.
Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken at the lines 2-2.
Figure 3 is a view of the lower end of the post showing the
attachment to the bed frame on a enlarged scale.
Figure 4 is a cross sectional view similar to that of Figure 2
showing a modified arrangement.
Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the lines 5-5 of
Figure 4 and showing only the latching spring.
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In the drawings like characters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A conventional bed of the type generally used in
North America comprises a mattress 10 mounted on a box spring
11 and carried upon an angle iron frame including side angle
iron rails 12 and 13. The base frame includes the side rail 12
and 13 together with cross rails (not shown) and vertical legs
which support the angle iron frame at a position a few inches
above the ground. Each angle iron includes a horizontal flange
14 and a vertical flange 15 so that the box spring fits on the
horizontal flange and is confined by the vertical flange.
The security rail attachment is generally
indicated at 16 and is arranged for attachment to the bed frame
and to provide a rail member 17 which the infirm occupant can
hold while entering the bed and while lying or sitting in the
bed.
The attachment comprises a post 18 which
comprises a hollow tubular member best shown in Figure 2, a
lower end of which is closed by a transverse plate 19. The
transverse plate 19 has a central threaded hole for receiving a
shaft 21 of a foot 20 providing a foot pad for engaging the
ground surface adjacent the side of the bed. The height of the
foot pad can thus be adjusted by actuating the screw to raise
and lower the foot pad relative to the end plate 19.
At a position spaced a few inches from the bottom
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end of the post is provided an attachment member 22 in the form
of an elongate rail for extending across the underside of the
bed. One end of the rail 22 is welded to the side of the post.
The rail includes an adjustment portion 23 in the form of a
tube of smaller cross section which can slide longitudinally of
the first portion 24 of the rail and inside a second portion 25
of the rail to be fastened in place by screw clamps 26. The
length of the rail 22 can therefore be adjusted by increasing
or decreasing the amount of the central tube 23 which is
exposed.
At each end of he attachment rail 22 is provided
a clamping mechanism for clamping the side angle iron 12, 13 of
the bed frame. The clamping mechanism is shown in enlarged
scale in Figure 3 and includes a vertical end plate 27 which
lies alongside the flange 15. An upper edge of the plate 27 is
turned over at 28 to define an inverted channel 29 for
receiving a top edge of the vertical flange 15. The end of the
rail 22 includes a vertical threaded hole through which a bolt
30 extends so as to clamp the horizontal flange 14 and to force
that horizontal flange upwardly thus engaging the upper edge of
the vertical flanse 15 within the channel 29. The attachment
can thus be mounted on the bed frame very simply by
longitudinal adjustment of the length of the transverse rail 22
and by the clamping action of the clamping assemblies onto each
of the angle irons of the side of the bed frame.
The rail portion 17 includes a vertical post
2Q!~6681
portion 33, a first horizontal element 34, a second horizontal
element 35 and curved into connecting portions 36 and 37. The
horizontal element 34 and the post 33 are formed integrally by
bending and similarly bends are formed to interconnect the
horizontal elements 34 and 35. An innermost end of the element
35 is welded at 38 to the post portion at a position just above
the top of the post 18. The rail element 17 is thus again
formed from a tubular member so that the tubular portion of the
post portion 33 is visible in Figure 2. The diameter is
selected that it is a sliding fit inside the post 18. To
assist the sliding action, a plastics bearing collar 39 is
provided on the inside surface of the post 18 at the top edge
thereof and received within a rebated section inside the
tubular post 18.
An end plug 40 is inserted into the end of the
tubular post portion 33 and is fixed in place as a friction fit
or by welding or other suitable technique so that its position
is fixed relative to an end surface 41 of the post portion 33.
The end plug is generally cylindrical in shape but includes an
outwardly extending peripheral collar 42 surrounding the end
plug at a position spaced from the end surface 41. This
spacing provides a lost motion connection the limits of which
are controlled by a set screw 43 projecting into the area
between the collar 42 and the end surface 41.
Below the collar 42, the end plug is shaped to
form two transverse notches 44 and 45. The notch 44 is visible
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in elevation in Figure 2. The notch 45 is not directly visible
but is shaped identically to the notch 44. The notches
cooperate with a transverse pin 46 extending across and
attached to the tubular post 18. The pin 46 thus includes an
end head 47, a wider portion which extends across the full
width of the tube as a cylindrical body across the tube 18 and
a threaded narrower section 48 which projects through a smaller
hole in the tube 18 and cooperates with an end nut 49 on the
outside surf~ce of the tube 18.
As illustrated in Figure 2, therefore, the notch
45 is sitting astride the pin 46. The shape of the notch is
such that it has a diameter at a base of the notch matching or
equal to the diameter of the pin 46. The notch then includes
vertical side walls which extend to a sufficient height to
receive and contain the pin within the notch. Beyond the
vertical side walls the side walls diverge outwardly to provide
a mouth 44A for guiding the pin into the notch. The shape of
the mouth includes curved surfaces which diverge outwardly from
the end of the U-shaped notch. This allows the pin to be
misaligned with the notch when the post portion is moved
vertically downwardly and there is thus a self-centering
action.
Thus the post portion 33 can slide upwardly
through the lost motion connection provided between the collar
42 and the surface 41 to a height sufficient to allow it to be
rotated through 9O causing the notch 44 to be aligned with the
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pin 46 and the notch 45 turned to the position facing the
reader in Figure 2. In this position the post portion 33 can
be lowered. The pin and the notches thus act as a latch
arrangement to hold the post portion 33 at four positions
arranged at 9O around the axis of the post 18, allowing the
post portion thus to rotate through those four separate
positions around the axis of the post 18. Thus the rail
portion 17 can be adjusted from a first position shown in
Figure 1 in which it projects outwardly from the side of the
bed at right angles thereto to a second position in which it
lies alongside the bed projecting away from the bed head toward
the foot of the bed. Two further positions are also possible
in which the rail portion projects across the bed to assist the
occupant to rise from a lying position to a seated position and
also the rail portion can be moved to a position alongside the
bed but facing the bed head.
In practice the attachment is mounted on the bed
at a position approximating the waist of the occupant when
lying so that the occupant can move to a seated position and
then swivel about a vertical axis generally through the
buttocks to move the legs out to the side of the bed. With the
rail portion then projecting outwardly from the side of the
bed, the person can stand with their hand resting upon the
horizontal rail element 34 and can pull themselves forwardly to
a full standing position.
The height of the rail element 34 can be adjusted
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to one of three selected positions by placing the pin 46
through aligned holes 50, 51, or 52 with the end 48 of the pin
projecting through an aligned hole on the opposed side of the
post. Similarly the set screw 43 can be located in selected
ones of holes 53, 54 or 55.
Turning now to Figures 4 and 5 there is shown an
alternative arrangement of the latching system for the post
portion 33 within the post 18. At the base of the post member
33 is inserted a plug 60 which is inserted into the end of the
post portion so as to form a lower end face 61 of the post
portion. The plug 60 includes a hollow central bore 62 along
the full length of the plug breaking out at an upper end face
64 and extending through the lower end surface 61 at which the
transverse notches 44 are defined as previously set forth.
Within the bore 62 is provided a spring 65. The
spring 65 includes a coil portion 66 which has an outside
diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of the bore
62 so as to fit as a sliding fit therein. At the top end of
the coil portion 66 is defined a loop 67 through which is
inserted a pin 68 extending across the inside surface of the
post portion and able to engage the upper surface 64 of the
plug 60. At the lower end of the coil portion 66 is defined a
spring leg 69 which extends longitudinally of the bore to the
lower end of the bore. At the end of the leg portion 69 is
provided a counted loop 70. The loop 70 includes a first
portion 71 turned at right angles to the leg 69 followed by a
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second portion longitudinal of the post as indicated at 72. At
the end of the portion 72 is formed a U-shaped section 73
which, as best shown in Figure 5 is inclined at an angle of the
order of 45 to the longitudinal direction of the post with the
U-shape lying in a common inclined plane.
The lower surface 61 including the notches 44
cooperates with the pin indicated at 47A. In this arrangement
the pin is a simple pin with a handle at one end which can be
inserted through two common holes aligned diametrically of the
post as a simple sliding fit, the pin remaining in place by the
frictional engagement of the pin with the notch.
As shown in Figure 4, when inserted into place,
the U-shaped hook portion 73 engages under the pin to limit the
amount of upward movement which is allowed of the post portion
relative to the post. When the pin 47A is however removed, the
post portion can be lifted clear from the post. When the pin
is reinserted into a second opening at a different height in
the post, the post portion can be reinserted into the post and
the angle of the loop portion of the spring will cause it to
engage the pin as shown in Figure 5 and to be turned by the
engagement with the pin to take up the position shown in Figure
4. Thus, regardless of the orientation of the post portion
when it is inserted, the spring is turned inside the plug to
take up the required orientation to hold the post portion in
place.
Since various modifications can be made in my
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invention as hereinabove described, and many apparently widely
different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope
of the claims without departing from such spirit and scope, it
is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying
specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not
in a limiting sense.
