US3769638A

US3769638A - Combination wheel chair and commode chair

Info

Publication number: US3769638A
Application number: US00210030A
Authority: US
Inventors: W Clanan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-12-20
Filing date: 1971-12-20
Publication date: 1973-11-06
Anticipated expiration: 1990-11-06

Abstract

A rectangular chair frame equipped with casters upon the lower ends of its legs is provided with a platform seat containing an elongated central commode opening normally closed by a closure mounted upon a transverse pivot shaft secured to one of the elongated sides of the closure and equipped with a hand lever for swinging the closure from its closed position (FIGS. 1 and 2) to its open position (FIG. 3). Thereupon the patient, without being removed from the chair, when the need arises, can be moved to a position over a conventional toilet bowl. Thereafter, the closure is closed by swinging the pivot shaft hand lever 180* in the reverse direction to consequently swing the closure into closing relationship with the opening. The closure is releasably locked in its closed position by a swinging latch lever pivoted to the underside of the seat platform on either side or on the back (as shown). The chair has L-shaped side arms pivotally mounted upon the upper extensions of the rear legs and having forward ends provided with locking collars movable downward and upward into and out of locking relationship respectively with keeper blocks on the upper ends of the forward legs, whereupon either side arm can be swung sidewise in order to slide the patient off the seat platform onto his bed or vice versa. The seat platform may optionally be provided with raising and lowering mechanism (not shown) beyond the scope of the present invention to bring it upward to the level of the bed mattress. One such arrangement is shown in my co-pending application Ser. No. 823,534, filed May 5, 1969 for Invalid Lift-Transfer Chair which on Apr. 11, 1972 was issued as U. S. Pat. No. 3,654,643.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Clanan 1 Nov. 6, 1973 COMBINATION WHEEL CHAIR AND COMMODE CHAIR [76] Inventor: Wayne N. Clanan, 1458 Burns Ave.,

Detroit, Mich. 48214 [22] Filed: Dec. 20, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 210,030

[52] U .S. Cl 4/134, 297/118, 297/348 [51] Int. C1,... A47k 11/04, A47k 11/06, A61g 7/04 {58] Field of Search 4/134, 113; 297/118, 297/116, 348, 411, 412,115, 417, 420, 421, 422

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,061,368 10/1962 Matthews 297/118 3,062,582 11/1962 Baldwin 297/118 1,691,620 1l/1928 Wilson 4/134 2,869,614 1/1959 Wamsley..... 4/134 UX 2,880,783 4/1959 Schwinn 4/134 3,215,469 11/1965 Wamsley.. 297/348 3,611,449 10/1971 Barry 4/134 Primary Examinerl-lenry K. Artis Att0meyWillis Bugbee [57] ABSTRACT A rectangular chair frame equipped with casters upon the lower ends of its legs is provided with a platform seat containing an elongated central commode opening I normally closed by a closure mounted upon a transverse pivot shaft secured to one of the elongated sides of the closure and equipped with a hand lever for swinging the closure from its closed position (FIGS. 1 and 2') to its open position (FIG. 3). Thereupon the patient, without being removed from the chair, when the need arises, can be moved to a position over a conventional toilet bowl. Thereafter, the closure is closed by swinging the pivot shaft hand lever 180 in the reverse direction to consequently swing the closure into closing relationship with the opening. The closure is releasably locked in its closed position by a swinging latch lever pivoted to the underside of the seat platform on either side or on the back (as shown). The chair has L-shaped side arms pivotally mounted upon the upper extensions of the rear legs and having forward ends provided with locking collars movable downward and upward into and out of locking relationship respectively with keeper blocks on the upper ends of the forward legs, whereupon either side arm can be swung sidewise in order to slide the patient off the seat platform onto his bed or vice versa. The seat platform may optionally be provided with raising and lowering mechanism (not shown) beyond the scope of the present invention to bring it upward to the level of the bed mattress. One such arrangement is shown in my co-pending application Ser. No. 823,534, filed May 5, 1969 for lnvalid Lift-Transfer Chair which on Apr. 1 1, 1972 was issued as U. S. Pat. No. 3,654,643.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1 COMBINATION WHEEL CHAIR AND'COMMODE' CHAIR SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The combination wheel chair and commode chair of the present invention solves a serious problem in the care of invalids and crippled persons, in that it not only serves fully as an ordinary wheel chair but also, without disturbing the occupant in any way can be moved into the bathroom and, with a simple manipulation of a hand lever and latch, converted into a commode chair by having its central closure swung into its open position and the chair pushed over the toilet bowl after the cover and seat thereof have been raised. After such use has been completed, the chair, with the occupant still sitting in it, is pushed forward away from the toilet bowl and the closure then swung into its closed position relatively to the central commode opening, whereupon the occupant, without leaving the chair, can be transported elsewhere and can sit inthe chair and read or otherwise occupy himself. If he wishes to return to his bed, it is a very simple operation to transfer him from this chair to his bed and vice versa, without disturbing the patient..

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a combination wheel chair and commode chair, according to one form of the invention, with one armlocking collar raised to its released position preparatory to swinging that arm sidewise into the dotted line position shown therein;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section through the chair of FIG. 1, looking upward in the direction of the arrows 2-2 toward the bottom of the seat platform, showing the closure latch locking the closure in its closed position;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section similar to FIG. 2 but showing the closure unlatched and swung 180 to its open position with the seat platform commode opening ready for use;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged central vertical section taken along the line 4'-4 in FIG. 2,'with the open position of the closure indicated in dotted lines; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary rear elevation of the back of the seat platform and its supporting legs, with the closure-operating hand lever in its releasably locked closure-closing position.

Referring to the drawing in detail, FIG. 1 shows a combination wheel chair and commode chair, generally designated 10, according to one form of the invention as provided with a rectangular seat platform structure, generally designated 12, supported by a pair of tubular forward legs 14 and a pair of tubular rearward legs 16 at its forward and rearward corners respectively. Each forward leg 14 is connected to its respective rearward leg 16 by a cross bar 18 a short distance above the lower ends 20 of the

legs

14 and 16. Mounted at the lower ends 20 are conventional casters 22 provided with caster wheels 24 by which the chair 10 may be moved from place to place. The casters 22 are conventional and ordinarily are provided with shanks extendingupward into their

respective legs

14 and 16 and journaled in ball bearings by which they are easily swung from side to side, in order to enble the chair 10 to be steered by the attendant.

The rearward legs 16 above the seat platform structure are provided with elongated extensions 26 terminating in right-angled bent handles 28 by which an attendant can push the chair l0 and its occupant from place to place. Pivotally mounted upon'the rearward leg extensions 26 are sleeve bearings 30 welded or otherwise secured to the rearward ends of L-shaped side arms 32. Slidably mounted upon the downwardly-bent forward ends 34 of the side arms 32 are locking collars 36 to the peripheries of which are welded or otherwise secured parallel locking pins 38, the lower ends of which project downward below the lower ends of the collars 36 into registry with locking bores 40 in keeper blocks 42. I

The keeper blocks 42 are welded or otherwise secured to the seat platform structure 12 at the forward corners thereof and are of approximately elongated oval cross-section, the long axes of which extend fore and aft of the seat platform structure 12. The latter is composed of four angle bars 44 welded to one another at their obliquely cut ends 45 (FIGS. 2 and 3) and at their forward corners their side flanges are also welded to the keeper blocks 42. Welded or otherwise secured to the upper flanges of the angle bars 44 is aseat panel 46 0f steel or other suitable material provided with an elongated central commode opening or aperture 48 which is elongated in afront-and-rear direction in the seat panel 46. Movable upward and downward into closing and opening relationship respectively with the opening 48 is the correspondingly configured and elongated panel 50 of a closure, generally designated 52. The closure 52 includes a pair of cross bars 54 (FIG. 2) and a keeper pad 55 welded or otherwise secured to the underside of the closurepanel 50.

One end of each cross bar 54 is welded or otherwise secured to a pivot shaft 56 disposed adjacent one of the longer sides of the elongated closure panel 50 and parallel to the side bars 54 of the seat platform structure 12. The inner end of the pivot shaft 56 is joumaled in a bearing block 58 welded or otherwise secured to the vertical flange of the forward angle bar 44, whereas its outer portion just inside the vertical flange of the rearward angle bar 44 drilled transversely to receive a cotter pin 60 which retains the inner end of the pivot shaft 56 in the bearing block58. The-rearward angle bar 44 is drilled for the passage of the pivot shaft 56 and is extended therebeyond to receive an enlarged head 62 welded or otherwise secured thereto. Pivotally mounted by a pivot pin 64 on the parallel upper and lower sides of the head 62 is a clevis 66 to which is secured the inner end of a closure operating lever 68.

Secured as by welding in spaced parallel relationship to one another and to the angle bars 44 are two longitudinal bars 70 (FIGS. 2 and 3), to one of which is secured a pivot bolt 72 a short distance rearwardly from the rearward edge of the commode opening 48. Pivotally mounted upon the pivot bolt 72 is a closure latch lever 74, the inner end 76 of which is adapted to be swung toward and away from the edge of the commode opening 48 into and out of engagement with the keeper pad 55 in order to latch the closure 52 in its closed position (FIG. 2) or to release the closure 52 for downward and sideward swinging into the open position shown in in FIG. 3. From the outer end 78 of the latch lever 74 there projects an operating handle 80. The vertical flange of the rearward angle bar 44 of the seat platform structure 12 is slotted longitudinally at 82 for the passage of the operating handle in its motion to and fro between the locking and unlocking positions of the latch lever 74 (FIGS. 2 and 3). A detent hook 84 (FIG. having its elongated base 86 welded, riveted or otherwise secured to the vertical flange of the rearward angle bar 44 yieldingly grasps and releasably hold the operating lever 68 in its closed position. It will be understood that the seat platform structure 12 and closure 52 are ordinarily provided with

padded upholstery

88 and 90 respectively (shown dotted in FIG. 4) for the comfort of the occupant. This padded

upholstery

88 and 90 is conveniently made of the synthetic leather known commercially under the trademark Naugahyde or other suitable material. This has been omitted from the drawing to avoid concealing the underlying structure.

In the operation of the combination wheel chair and commode chair 10, let it be assumed that the moving parts are in the, positons shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5 wherein the closure 52 is closlng the commode opening 48 and that a patient has been seated in the chair for transport to the bathroom. By means of the handles 28, the hospital attendant pushes the chair 10 with ward the toilet bowl, the cover and seat of which havebeen previously raised. The attendant then swings the handle 80 ,of the latch lever 74 from its locking position (FIG. 2) to its unlocking position (FIG. 3), then grasps the operating handle 68, pushes it downward out of engagement with the hook 84 and pulls it toward himself. He then swings'it downward 180, correspondingly rotating the pivot shaft 56 and swinging the closure 52 from its closed position of FIG. 2 into its open position of FIG 3, whereupon the chair is ready for use as a commode. Without disturbing the occupant, the attendant pushes the chair backward over the toilet bowl.

When the use of the chair 10 as a commode has been completed, the attendant moves the chair 10 away from the toilet bowl and swings the operating handle 68 in the reverse direction, consequently swinging the closure 52 from its open position of FIG. 3 back to its closed position of FIG. 2. The operator then swings the operating lever 68 horizontally around the pivot pin 64 of its clevis 62 into its locked position beneath the detent hook 84 (FIG. 2). He then swings the handle 80 of the latch lever 74 from its unlocked position of FIG. 3 to its locking position of FIG. 2, whereupon the closure 52 is thus locked 1n its closed position (FIG. 2).

The occupant of the chair 10 on being transported in the chair 10 back to his bed may be removed from the chair 10 by sliding the arm locking collar 36 of the appropriate arm'32 upward to withdraw the locking pin 38 from the locking bore 40 of the keeper block 42. The arm 32 may then be swung rearward around its respective sleeve bearing 30. With the chair 10 positioned alongside the bed (not shown), the seat 12 of the chair 10, which is provided with seat-lift mechanism (not shown), isthereby raised to a level with the mattress (also notshown). The occupant 'of the chair 10 may then be slid sidewise onto the bed, completing his,

transfer. Alternatively, it will thus be evident that the patient may remain in the chair 10 asl long as he likes, using it in the manner of an ordinary wheel chair.

In the drawing, the proportionate widths of the closure 52 and the adjacent portions of the seat panel 46 in actual installations may vary from those shown in the drawing. For example, the standard width of the opening in the toiletseat is 8% inches which would leave panel widths of 5% inches on each side of such an opening 48 in the seat panel 46. With a corresponding 8% width of the closure 52, the latter in its retracted position (FIG. 4) would actually be inclined slightly downward wth its outer edge projecting beneath and beyond the adjacent angle bar 44.

In actual use, of the invention, it has been found valuable not only as a commode chair and as an arm chair but also as a wheel chair which can be rolled beneath the shower head in a shower stall.

I claim:

1. A combination wheel chair and commode chair comprising a chair seat structure having a commode aperture therethrough which is elongated in a front-and-rear direction thereof,

a wheeled chair leg structure connected to said seat structure in supporting relationship thereto,

a closure configured to fit said aperture,

and mechanism operatively connected to said closure for moving said closure between an apertureclosing position and an aperture-opening position thereof, whereby the patient is not lifted or moved in any way while converting the wheel chair to a commode chair, and vice versa, said closure-moving mechanism including a closure-actuating shaft rotatably mounted on said seat structure on a fixed axis of rotation in a front-and-rear direction adjacent one of the longer sides of said aperture and operatively connected to one of the longer sides of said closure, and also includes a manually actuated element operatively connected to said shaft for rotating said closure-actuating shaft between said aperture-closing position and said aperture-opening position. I

2. A combination wheel chair and commode chair, according to claim 1, wherein said manually operated element includes a hand lever operatively connected to one end of said shaft. A combination wheel chair and commode chair, according to claim 1, wherein said hand lever is pivotally connected to said shaft.

4. A combinatlon wheel chair and commode chair, according to claim 1, wherein a latch device is movable on said seat structure for travel between a closurelocking position and a closure-releasing position, said latch device including a closure-latching member pivotally mounted on said seat structure and movable to and fro beneath said closure into and out of latching engagement with the bottom portion of said closure while said closure is in its aperture-closing position.

.5. A combination wheel chair and commode chair, according to claim 1, wherein said leg structure includes a pair of laterally spaced substantially vertical front legs and a pair of laterally spaced substantially vertical rear legs having upper portions extending upward above said seat structure and above said front legs, and chair arms extending from said upper portions to said front legs, at least one of said chair arms being pivotally connected to one of said upper portions of one of said rear legs and releasably engaging one of said front legs for horizontal swinging motion relatively to said one front leg around its pivotal connection to its respective upper portion.

6. A combination wheel chair and coomode chair, according to claim 5, wherein an arm locking arrangement is disposed between said one front leg and the end of said one chair arm remote from its pivotal connection to said upper portion of said one rear leg in releasable locking engagement therebetween.

* a; w n

Claims

1. A combination wheel chair and commode chair comprising a chair seat structure having a commode aperture therethrough which is elongated in a front-and-rear direction thereof, a wheeled chair leg structure connected to said seat structure in supporting relationship thereto, a closure configured to fit said aperture, and mechanism operatively connected to said closure for moving said closure between an aperture-closing position and an aperture-opening position thereof, whereby the patient is not lifted or moved in any way while converting the wheel chair to a commode chair, and vice versa, said closure-moving mechanism including a closure-actuating shaft rotatably mounted on said seat structure on a fixed axis of rotation in a front-and-rear direction adjacent one of the longer sides of said aperture and operatively connected to one of the longer sides of said closure, and also includes a manually actuated element operatively connected to said shaft for rotating said closure-actuating shaft between said aperture-closing position and said aperture-opening position.

2. A combination wheel chair and commode chair, according to claim 1, wherein said manually operated element includes a hand lever operatively connected to one end of said shaft.

3. A combination wheel chair and commode chair, according to claim 1, wherein said hand lever is pivotally connected to said shaft.

4. A combinat1on wheel chair and commode chair, according to claim 1, wherein a latch device is movable on said seat structure for travel between a closure-locking position and a closure-releasing position, said latch device including a closure-latching member pivotally mounted on said seat structure and movable to and fro beneath said closure into and out of latching engagement with the bottom portion of said closure while said closure is in its aperture-closing position.

5. A combination wheel chair and commode chair, according to claim 1, wherein said leg structure includes a pair of laterally spaced substantially vertical front legs and a pair of laterally spaced substantially vertical rear legs having upper portions extending upward above said seat structure and above said front legs, and chair arms extending from said upper portions to said front legs, at least one of said chair arms being pivotally connected to one of said upper portions of one of said rear legs and releasably engaging one of said front legs for horizontal swinging motion relatively to said one front leg around its pivotal connection to its respective upper portion.