GB2264280A - Bed hoist. - Google Patents

Abstract

A bed hoist or raiser (1) which finds particular use in hospitals, and nursing homes comprises a base (2) with stabiliser feet (6) supporting a pair of jack devices (9) in turn carrying a bed support bar (13) which extends substantially across the width of the bed. The jack devices (9) are operable by a common actuating mechanism (11, 12) while a holding device such as a strap (16) serves to retain 2 bed (B) on the hoist. Therefore, the hoist can be raised by a single operation to lift a bed without sideways tilting and two spaced hoists can be used to enable the bed to be level when raised. The hoist can be relatively light to facilitate transfer of the hoist between beds. <IMAGE>

Description

Bed Hoist The present invention relates to a bed hoist which finds particular use in hospitals, nursing homes and the like.

Previously it has been the practice to raise beds by placing blocks under the legs of the bed. The positioning of these blocks is awkward and there has been a loss of manoeuvrability as the usually present bed castors are immobilised. It is an object of the present invention to provide an economic bed hoist of versatile application enabling beds to be raised conveniently.

According to the present invention a bed hoist comprises a base, bed support means providing support for a bed at transversely spaced positions, and jack means carried by the base for raising of the bed support means, said jack means including single operating means whereby the bed support means can be raised in a single operation to raise a bed without the bed tilting about a fore-and-aft axis.

Preferably holding means are provided to hold the bed on the bed support means, and preferably these holding means comprise a strap.

Preferably the jack means comprise two separate spaced jacks operated simultaneously by said single operating means, and preferably the jacks comprise mechanical jacks. Thus the jacks can be of concertina type each having a nut engaging a common threaded spindle defining the operating means.

Preferably the bed support means comprises an elongate bar carrying said bed holding means. The bed support means can be adjustable to cater for beds of different width, and this adjustability can be achieved conveniently by providing the elongate bar with an extendable telescopic portion.

The base may also comprise an elongate bar and can include transverse members providing stability. Castors wheels can be provided on the base to assist manoeuvring of the hoist, and at least one of these castors may be lockable for positive location of a bed raised by the hoist. The transverse members may be of bent wire form.

Thus, to raise a bed, two of the above bed hoists can be easily located under the bed transversely and spaced apart, operation of the single operating means of the jack means of each hoist then enabling the bed to be raised to the desired height. A fore-and-aft tilt can be applied to the bed using only one hoist.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein.

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 - show front elevation, plan and side elevation views respectively of a bed hoist in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 4A shows a side elevation of a pair of the bed hoist of Figs. 1 to 3 supporting a bed, while Figs 4B and 4C show a plan view and a front elevation of Fig. 4A, respectively; and Figs Sa to Sc - show schematically the use of the hoist in raising a bed.

Referring to the drawings, a bed hoist 1 comprises a base 2, a bed support member 3, and a jack system 4 between the base 2 and the support member 3 for raising the member 3.

The base 2 is formed by an elongate metal tube 5, e.g. of square section with tranverse members or feet 6, 7 of bent hoop form secured e.ge by welding to the ends of the tube 5.

The jack system 4 comprises spaced aligned concertina jacks 9 pinned to flange plates 10 on the tube 5, opposed arms 9a and 9b of each jack being movable towards or away from each other (for jack raising or lowering) by means of nuts on the jacks engaging appropriately on a threaded spindle 11 common to both jacks. Rotation of the common spindle 11, for example by means of a handle 12A (Fig. 4A) applied at spindle eye 12, causes simultaneous raising (or lowering) of the two jacks 9.

The bed support member 3 comprises a main tubular member 13 (conveniently of similar material and form as the tube 5) to which top members 14 of the jacks 9 are welded, and a further members 15 telescope with the member 13 to provide the hoist 1 with a variable width facility to cater for different bed widths. The member 3 therefore can support the bed at spaced edge portions, and a transverse strap 16 is provided to hold a bed on the hoist 1, the strap 16 having its ends secured to eyes 17 on the members 15 and including a buckle 16B for strap length adjustment and tightening. The member 13 could carry protective support pads for the bed frame.

Figs. 4A to 4C show a pair of hoists 1 in use supporting a bed B with the strap 16 of each hoist 1 tightened around the bed mattress to hold the bed B securely on the hoist 1.

Fig. Sa shows a pair of hoists 1 positioned under a bed B in readiness to lift the bed B to the raised position shown in Fig. 5b. As the bed B is supported substantially across its width by the support 3, the bed is restrained from any tendency to tilt about the fore-and-aft axis F-F (Fig. 4B) when raised by a hoist 1. Also, a bed B can be tilted in a fore-and-aft direction using only a single hoist 1 as shown in Fig. 5c, with the bed B supported at one end on its legs 18.

Thus, the hoist 1 provides economic and convenient apparatus for raising beds. The hoist 1 should be especially useful in hospitals, nursing homes etc. where the hoist can be transferred from one bed to another as the need arises.

Modifications of course are possible. Thus, economies could be provided, for example by having the eyes 17 not laterally adjustable. For ease of manoeuvrability the base 2 could be provided with castor wheels, at least one of which may be lockable to enable a bed raised by the hoist 1 to be safely located in position. Again a mechanical jack system could be varied from that shown, and it would be possible to dispense with the strap and instead, for example adapt the eyes 17 as side grippers to hold the sides of the bed mattress.

Claims (14)

1. A bed hoist comprising a base, bed support means providing support for a bed at transversely spaced positions, and jack means carried by the base for raising of the bed support means, said jack means including single operating means whereby the bed support means can be raised in a single operation to raise a bed without the bed tilting about a foreand-aft axis.

2. A bed hoist as claimed in claim 1, wherein holding means are provided to hold the bed on the bed support means.

3. A bed hoist as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the jack means comprise two separate spaced jacks operated simultaneously by said single operating means.

4. A bed hoist as claimed in claim 3, wherein the jacks comprise mechanical jacks.

5. A bed hoist as claimed in claim a, wherein the mechanical jacks are of concertina type each having a nut engaging a common threaded spindle defining the operating means.

6. A bed hoist as claimed in claim 2, wherein the bed support means comprises an elongate bar carrying said bed holding means.

7. A bed hoist as claimed in claim 2 or 6, wherein the bed holding means comprises a strap.

8. A bed hoist as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bed support means includes width adjustment means to cater for beds of different width.

9. A bed hoist as claimed in claim 8, wherein said width adjustment means comprises an extendable telescopic portion in the bed support means.

10. A bed hoist as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base comprises an elongate bar and transverse members providing stability.

11. A bed hoist as claimed in claim 10, wherein the transverse members are of bent-wire form.

12. A bed hoist as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein castor wheels are provided on the base to assist manoeuvring of the hoist.

13. A bed hoist as claimed in claim 2, wherein the holding means comprises gripper members at the ends of the support means.

14. A bed hoist substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.