US2972505A - Arm rest for surgical tables - Google Patents

Description

E. R. WEICKGENANNT 2,972,505

ARM REST FOR SURGICAL TABLES Feb. 21, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed SeptEIG, 1

IN V EN TOR. EGON R. WE/GKGENANNT mm mm mm (4 Y ATTORNEYS 1961 E. R. WEICKGENANNT 2,972,505

ARM REST FOR SURGICAL TABLES Filed Sept. 16, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT0R. EGON R. WE/OKGENANNT A TTOENEYS ARM REST FOR SURGICAL TABLES Egon R. Weickgenannt, Rochester, N.Y., assignor to Ritter Company, Inc., Rochester, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 840,351

8 Claims. (Cl. 311-) My invention relates to apparatus which can be attached to tables and more particularly to an arm board assembly for attachment to a surgical table.

tes Patent The invention will be described primarily as an arm board assembly to be attached to a surgical table, but with possible adaptations and modifications the same may be used in conjunction with any table, or, for example, a bed upon which there are brackets for attaching the assembly of this invention.

An object of my invention is to provide a detachable arm rest which can be attached to a bracket on a surgical table and pivoted in an arc in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis on a pivot, said pivot being part of the arm rest and capable of being releasably locked in any desired position of said are of swing.

Another object of my invention is to provide a fiat surface which may be used as a table for any of a multitude of purposes, said invention may be attached bymeans of a bracket to any other movable or stationary object and rotated in an arc of, for example, 180 degrees about a pivot means which has a releasable locking mechanism by which the said flat surface can be locked in any ,desired position of said are of movement. i

Another object of my invention is to provide an arm past which has an inboard end where there is a bracket upon which the said arm rest is attached and at which end there is a pivot means which may be releasably locked in any given desired position into which the said arm rest may be rotated on said pivot, said releasable locking means including a release lever beneath the arm rest extending from the said pivot means toward the outboard end or the end where the circumference'ot the arc of rotation of the release lever is the greatest distance so that an individual standing at said outboard end may, by means of the said lever, release the said pivot means and rotate the said arm rest into any desired position and lock the same in that desired position with a minimum of effort or difliculty.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be particularly set forth in the claims and will'be apparent from the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: i

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my invention shown in connection or use with a surgical table, the dotted line outlines of the arm board serving to indicate thatthe arm board may be rotated in a horizontal plane; 7

Fig. 2 is a view of a portion of Fig. l but somewhat enlarged showing the arm board per se and serving to illustrate that the invention has other uses than with a surgical table;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of my invention showing the arm rest in connection with the means for attaching it to a table or other object, the exterior of the pivotal means for rotating the arm rest and the leverfor releasably locking the arm rest in any desired position within an arc of 180 degrees; a

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of a surgical table to view of my invention;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on lin 55 of Fig. 2 in the direction indicated by the arrows;

and

Fig. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the arm rest showing the pivot means for rotating the said arm rest, the means for attaching the same to a table or other object and the releasable locking means which is assembled with relation to the pivot means.

Referring to Fig. 2, an arm rest or arm board 10 is attached to a support, generally indicated by the numeral 22, by four bolts 33'. Support 22, an adapter 14 for the arm board and other parts, more fully described hereinafter with reference to Fig. 6, serve as the pivot means by which the arm rest or arm board 10 may be rotated; A safety catch 15 is attached to the adapter 14 by means of two pins 34. The safety catch 15 in combination with the adapter 14 is the means for locking the arm board assembly to a bracket 17 (see Fig. 3) attached to a. surgical table. The bracket 17 extends longitudinally of the table on both sides thereof so that upon releasing the safety catch 15, the arm board may be removed and positioned along the table as desired.

An arm 13 for the arm board lock lever is welded 'to a handle 11 and welded to a cylindrical ring 18 -(see Fig. 3), the combination serving as an arm board lock lever and the means by which an individual standing at the outboard end of the arm board or arm rest 10 may release a locking means to be described to enable the arm board or arm rest 10 to be swung in an arc of 180 degrees in a horizontal plane. The locked and unlocked positions of the arm and handle are shown respectively at 13 and 11 (Fig. 2) and at 13 and 11. As the said arm 13 and handle 11 are rotated to the left by an individual standing at the outboard end of the arm rest looking toward the inboard end, the locking means is released so that the arm board 10 is free to be rotated at the inboard end of the arm board.

A spacer 16, U-shaped in cross-sectlon (Fig. 5), made of nylon or any suitable materialwhich will not mar or scratch'other metals or materials on which it may rub,

straddles the arm 13. The spacer 16 is afiixed to the arm 13 by a screw or bolt (not shown). This spacer slides on a retainer 12 bolted to the arm board 10 by means of two'bolts 35. The position 16' (Fig. 2)

, merely shows the spacer when the arm-13' is located in an unlocked position.

Welded or soldered to the safety catch 15' is a stop 20. The stop 20 is welded to the outboard edge of the safety catch 15 at the position shown in Fig. 3 so that it touches the adapter 14 when the safety catch 15 is in a locked position. .Referring now to Fig. 6, the safety catch 15 is shown in a released position by the dotted lines designated 15'. I

The arm board support '22 comprises three preferably integral parts; the top support 'plate 38 to which the arm board is bolted; a tapered cylindrical or conical part 23; and a threaded bottom part 24. The conical part 23 of the support 22 is fitted in and mates with a reversely tapered insert washer or wear plate 25. The exterior wall of the insert washer is cylindrical and is enclosed by the walls of an opening 26 formed in the adapter 14. A screw 27 is threaded into a threaded opening. which is common to the insert washer 25 and the adapter 14. Thus the adapter and the insert washer or wear plate 25 may be treated as integral. An annular spring or wave washer 28 is interposed between the top support plate and the insert washer 25 and forces the support 22 in an upward direction and awayfrom the adapter 14 and the insert. washer 25 when the locking means is released by actuating the lever arm 13 as will presently appear. It will now be understood that the tightening of the conical part 23 of the support 22 against the inverse tapering wall of the insert washer 25 creates friction between these parts which locks the arm board in any desired position within the arc of rotation.

7 As previously mentioned, the threaded bottom part 24 is an integral unit with the other portions of the support 22. The threaded bottom part 24 fits into a nut 21 the exterior of which is cylindrical and fits inside of the cylindrical ring 18. The nut 21 is locked with respect to the cylindrical ring 18 by, in this case, three set screws 29. A cover plate 19 is fastened to the ring 18 by means of two screws 30. There is a small space 36 between the threaded bottom part 24 of the support 22 and the trim or cover plate 19 which space is adequate to allow the threaded bottom part 24 of the support 22 to thread downward into the nut 21 as the lever arm 13 is turned -to the right. This downward threading creates the friction between the conical parts 23 and 25.

A washer or wall plate 31 is made of steel or any suitable material and rests on needle bearings 32. The needle bearings 32 are fitted into the nut 21 and ride'between a wall of the nut and the wall plate 31. The needle bearings 32 allow the arm board to roll in the arc of rotation when the conical locking members 23 and 25 are in an unlocked position. The cylindrical ring 18, the cover plate 19 and nut 21, which are all screwed together into one unit, rotate with the arm 13 which, as previously mentioned, is welded to the cylindrical ring 18. When the arm 13 is rotated to the right by a person standing at the outboard end of the arm rest 10, the unit, comprising the ring 18, cover plate 19 and nut 21, is threaded upward on the threaded part 24 of the support 22 causing the tapered cylindrical part 23 of the support 22 to tighten and lock against the inversely tapered wall of the insert washer 25; thus the arm board 10 may be locked into any desired position within an arc of rotation of 180 degrees in a horizontal plane.

The amount of friction created between the locking members 23 and 25 relative to the movement of the arm 13 may be varied by an adjustment of the nut 21 when the said locking members 23 and 25 are in an unlocked position. This adjustment of the friction is accomplished by loosening the three set screws 29 and threading the nut 21 up on the bottom threaded portion 24 of the support 22 in order to increase the friction created between the locking members 23 and 25 when said locking members are in a locked position, and threading the nut 21 downward on the support 22 will decrease said friction.

After the desired adjustment is made, the three set screws 28 are tightened against the nut 21.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the arm board of my invention is adapted for use with a surgical table, a bed or other fixed or movable object; is capable of being locked in any desired position of adjustment; and is capable of quickand easy adjustment to any desired position so that a patient lying on a bed or table may have his arm on the table and the surgeon can adjust the position of the arm'to suit the convenience of the patient or to enable surgical operations to be performed thereon. The lock may be conveniently adjusted to allow for wear and all the parts thereof are hidden from view but still are in convenient location for a nurse or other attendant who may be assisting the surgeon.

It is apparent that various modifications, changes and adaptations in the invention may be made herein, particularly with regard to the form and relation of the parts and the materials of which they are constituted without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An arm rest adapted to be attached to the side of a surgical table for supporting the arm of a patient re: clining on the table comprising, in combination, an arm rest, a bracket attached to the table by which said arm rest is carried, pivot means between said arm rest and said bracket enabling the arm rest to be swung in an are about said pivot and locking means connected to said pivot and mounted to be pivoted with said arm rest for releasably locking the arm rest in any desired position of said are.

2. An arm rest in accordance with claim 1 in which the arm board has an inboard end adjacent which said pivot means is located and an outboard end, said releasable locking means including a release lever extending beneath the arm rest from said pivot means toward said outboard end, said release lever being pivotally mounted to said arm rest in a manner limiting the relative movement between said arm rest and said lever.

3. An arm rest in accordance with claim 1 in which the table has a side rail and the bracket has a member adapted to fit over said side rail and be releasably attached thereto.

4. An arm rest in accordance with claim 1 in which the table has a side rail substantially rectangular in crosssection and said bracket has a member partly rectangular in cross-section adapted to fit over said rail to support the arm rest, said bracket having a pivoted latch adapted to swing automatically by gravity into latching relation with the under side of said side rail.

5. An arm rest adapted to be attached to the side of a surgical table for supporting the arm of a patient reclining on the table comprising, in combination, an arm rest having an inboard end and an outboard end, a bracket attached to the table by which said arm rest is carried, pivot means between said arm rest and said bracket adjacent the inboard end of the arm rest, said pivot means comprising a pair of tapered relatively rotatable looking members, one of said members having a threaded end, a nut applicable to said threaded end, and means for rotating said nut to apply pressure between said tapered locking members.

6. An arm rest in accordance with claim 5 in which the means for rotating the nut comprises a lever extending beneath the arm rest from the inboard end of the arm rest toward the outboard end thereof whereby the locking members may be released or locked by an attendarrt standing at a distance from the table adjacent the outboard end of the arm rest.

7. An arm rest in accordance with claim '5 in which means are provided for adjusting the resistance to retation of said arm rest about said pivot means when said locking members are released.

8. An arm rest adapted to be attached to the side of a surgical table for supporting the arm of a patient reclining on the table comprising, in combination, an arm rest having an inboard end, a bracket attached to said table for supporting said arm rest, pivot means between said bracket and said arm rest at substantially said inboard end of said arm rest for enabling said arm rest to be swung in an are about said pivot, a retainer memb-er mounted on said arm rest and locking means connected to said pivot means for releasably locking said arm rest in any desired position of said are including a lever slidably mounted in said retainer member to be moved with said arm rest when pivoted, said retainer member limiting the relative sliding movement between said arm rest and said lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 541,863 Loomis July 2, 1895 884,361 Broga Apr. 14, 1908 2,459,033 Kraus Ian. ll, 1949 2,642,250 Kasnovich June 16, 1953

Images