US2593678A - Orthopedic mattress - Google Patents

Description

April 22, 1952 R. JOHNSN 2,593,678

ORTHOPEDIC MATTRESS Filed Aug. 14, 1948 Patented pr. 223, .1952

ORTHOPEDIC MATTRESS Roy Johnson, Chicago, Ill., assignor to American Hospital Supply Corporation, Evanston, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Z Claims.

This invention relates to an orthopedic mattress. The mattress is particularly useful in connection with hospital beds equipped with segmental spring sections which are adjustable with relation to each other.

An object of the invention is to provide a mattress which may be eiifectively employed for the treatment of patients for whom a more or less rigid bed support is desired. A further object is to provide a mattress structure which is adjustable in diverging planes to accommodate it to the shape of a segmental spring frame. Yet another object is to provide a mattress having embodied therein slats or boards arranged in edge to edge relation or in spaced relation in a single plane to provide a relatively rigid support for a patient, etc. A still further object is to provide a mattress equipped with reinforcing boards or slats and with padding on opposite sides of the slats providing a mattress which is more resilient on one side than on the other. Still another object is to provide a mattress equipped with a spring core and having reinforcing boards or slats on one side of the spring core and with padding material about the springs and said boards. Still another object is to provide a mattress structure in which there is embedded a plurality of slats or boards flexibly held together in edge to edge relation by webbing, etc. Other specic objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is illustrated, in a specific embodiment, by the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side View in elevation of a mattress embodying my invention, the mattress being supported by an adjustable spring frame carried by a hospital bed; Fig. 2, an enlarged broken sectional view of the mattress; and Fig. 3, a broken top plan View of slats flexibly held together by webbing straps.

In the illustration given, IU designates a mattress cover. Within the mattress is supported a spring core II and the springs thereof may, if desired, be enclosed within fabric pockets or Within a fabric envelope. Above the spring core is a relatively .deep layer I2 of padding material such as cotton felt, etc. The mattress may also be provided on its inside with a border pad I3 encircling the spring core and the remainder of the inner body portion of the mattress.

Below the spring core l I are a plurality of slats or boards I4 which are slightly spaced apart and flexibly secured together by the webbing straps I5, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3. It will be understood that the boards i4 may be widely Application August 14, 1948, serial No. 44,371

spaced or closely spaced as .desired and any suitable means for maintaining the boards in sub- Stantially a single plane may be employed. `The webbing straps I 5 of canvas or other suitable material are particularly effective in that they flexibly connect the slats while at the same time dampen noise and permit edgewise Contact of the slats. Further, the web connections are effective in giving great transverse flexibility to the slat structure.

The boards I4 may be formed of wood, plastic or other suitable material and may be rigid or slightly resilient, as desired. I prefer to use relatively narrow boards in the form of slats because the slats permit a high degree of transverse flexibility of the mattress while at the same time providing a, relatively rigid supporting structure within the mattress.

In Fig. 1 a hospital bed is indicated by the numeral I6 and upon the bed is supported a segmental frame structure Il. Means operated by the handle I8 and other structures are provided for moving the segmental bed frame I1 into various angular positions. By employing relatively narrow slats I4, as illustrated, the mattress readily follows the angularly adjusted segments of the spring frame, as shown more clearly in Fig. 1. At the same time, the slats I4 provide the desired rigidity or rm support.

Below the slat layer Ill is provided a relatively thin padding layer I9 formed of cotton felt, etc. By having a relatively thin layer of padding material on one side of the slats and a spring core and relatively thick layer I2 of padding material on the other side, the mattress may be used in reverse positions to give either an extremely rigid or rm support or a firm but less rigid support. When the mattress is used as illustrated in Fig. 1, the patient has the benet of the padding layer I2 and the spring core I l in cushioning the effect of the relatively rigid slats I4. When the mattress is reversed from the position shown in Fig. 2, the patient would have the benefit of a rm support in which only the layer I9 is interposed between the mattress cover and the slats I4. The entire series of slats I4, however, would be supported resiliently upon the spring core II.

The individual slats I Il are found to provide an excellent support for the individual spring core of the mattress while at the same time, the connecting web members I5 permit a ilexing or shifting of position of the slats to accommodate themselves to the individual springs bearing against them. The slats I4 may be secured together obviously by other means and, if desired,

may be simply supported in spaced relation within the confined area between the springs and the padding body I9. I prefer, however, to connect the slats with the webbing members illustrated for the special advantages owing therefrom as above set out. The slats are kept in spaced relation and prevented from striking each other while at the same time a slight turning or adjustment of each slat is made possible with respect to the springs and other members bearing against them. Further, in bending the mattress into different shapes upon the hospital spring bed frame, this structure permits accurate flexing of the slats while retaining them in the desired and effective spaced relation.

While in the foregoing specification, I have set forth a specific structure in considerable detail for the purpose of illustrating one embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that such details of structure may be varied Widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention,

I claim:-

1. A mattress comprising a seriesl of relatively 4 narrow slats arranged in edge to edge relation, webbing straps interlaced between said slats to unite the same in spaced apart relation, a mattress body about said slats, and a cover enclosing said body.

2. A mattress comprising a series of slats, webbing straps interlaced with the end portions of the slats to exibly unite them in edge to edge relation, a spring core upon said slats, padding about said spring core and said slats, and a mattress cover enclosing said core, slats and padding.

ROY JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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