Title: Tactical stretcher
Abstract: A tactical stretcher used to transport accident victims, in particular, to stretcher type devices used to transport victims who have been exposed to hazardous materials is disclosed. The tactical stretcher comprises a foldable tubular frame having spreader assemblies attached thereto for securing the stretcher in a folded or unfolded position, the folded position having reduced width. The frame is coated with chemical resistant paint, and includes integral handles swedged into the ends of the frame. Each integral swedged handle has alternate grooves and ridges to provide a firm grip, and reduce hand and arm fatigue for a user wearing heavy rubber gloves. A bed spans the frame for carrying the accident victim thereon.
Patent Number: 6,907,632 Issued on 06/21/2005 to Bourgraf, Jr.
| Inventors:
|
Bourgraf, Jr.; Elroy Edwin (Mainville, OH)
|
| Assignee:
|
Ferno-Washington, Inc. (Wilmington, OH)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
446633 |
| Filed:
|
May 28, 2003 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
5/627; 5/625; 16/430 |
| Intern'l Class: |
A61G 001/01.3; A61G001/04.8 |
| Field of Search: |
5/625-628
16/430,114.1
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
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| 2226306 | Dec., 1940 | Ettinger.
| |
| 2276265 | Mar., 1942 | Sturtz.
| |
| 2327919 | Aug., 1943 | Montgomery.
| |
| 2355140 | Aug., 1944 | Bludworth.
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| 2360371 | Oct., 1944 | Schwichtenberg.
| |
| 2394245 | Feb., 1946 | Koller.
| |
| 3110912 | Nov., 1963 | Propst.
| |
| 3797051 | Mar., 1974 | Evans.
| |
| 3859677 | Jan., 1975 | Nordwig.
| |
| 3886606 | Jun., 1975 | Bradford.
| |
| 3956781 | May., 1976 | Reemelin.
| |
| 4403052 | Sep., 1983 | Largman et al.
| |
| 4670921 | Jun., 1987 | Avni et al.
| |
| 4783862 | Nov., 1988 | Murphy.
| |
| D301021 | May., 1989 | Dommerud.
| |
| D309589 | Jul., 1990 | Hare et al.
| |
| 4947418 | Aug., 1990 | Barr et al.
| |
| 5154487 | Oct., 1992 | Warburton.
| |
| 5317770 | Jun., 1994 | Sakurai.
| |
| 5598592 | Feb., 1997 | Castellani.
| |
Primary Examiner: Grosz; Alexander
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Dinsmore & Shohl LLP
Claims
1. A folding stretcher comprising:
a frame constructed of a pair of tubular poles, spreader assemblies connected
between said poles for securing the stretcher in a folded or unfolded position,
the folded position having reduced width;
a pair of hinges adapted to reduce the length of said frame, each said hinges
having complimentary jaws-shaped members with meshing teeth, thereby adding strength
and rigidity to the stretcher when in said unfolded position;
crimped handles integrally formed at ends of said poles, thereby reducing the
number of joining points at which contaminates may reside and enter inside said
frame; and
a bed attached to said poles by a sleeve at each side of said bed.
2. The folding stretcher as recited by claim 1, wherein said hinges are adapted
to reduce the length of the frame by half.
3. The folding stretcher as recited by claim 1, further comprising stirrups provided
to said poles.
4. The folding stretcher as recited by claim 1, further comprising the frame
having a chemical resistant finish.
5. The folding stretcher as recited by claim 1, wherein said handles have alternate
grooves and ridges.
6. The folding stretcher as recited by claim 1, wherein said bed comprises a
fabric woven of flame retardant and UV protected mono filament polypropylene.
7. The folding stretcher as recited by claim 1, wherein said poles are a strong,
light metal.
8. The folding stretcher as recited by claim 1, wherein the stretcher further
comprises restraint straps provided to the bed.
9. The folding stretcher as recited by claim 1, wherein said bed comprises a
material selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyester, polyamides,
and a blend of polyester and polyamide.
10. The folding stretcher as recited by claim 1, wherein said handles seal the
ends of said poles.
11. A folding stretcher comprising:
a frame constructed of a pair of tubular poles and having a chemical resistant
finish;
collapsible spreader assemblies connected between said poles for securing the
stretcher in a folded or unfolded position, the folded position having reduced
width;
stirrups provided to said poles;
a pair of hinges provided to said tubular poles, said hinges are adapted to reduce
the length of the frame by half, each said hinges having complimentary jaws-shaped
members with meshing teeth, thereby adding strength and rigidity to the stretcher
when in said unfolded position;
crimped handles integrally formed at ends of said tubular poles, thereby reducing
the number of joining points at which contaminates may reside and enter inside
said frame; and
a bed having restraint straps, said bed is attached to said poles by a sleeve
at each side of said bed.
12. The folded stretcher as recited by claim 11, wherein said spreader assemblies
are removably attached to said stirrups.
13. The folded stretcher as recited by claim 11, wherein said spreader assemblies
are attached to said stirrups, and said stirrups are removably attached to said poles.
14. The folding stretcher as recited by claim 11, wherein said chemical resistant
finish is a chemical resistant paint selected from the group consisting of polyurethane,
epoxy, polyester, and combinations thereof.
15. The folding stretcher as recited by claim 11, wherein said restraint straps
include buckles and are comprised of polypropylene.
16. The folding stretcher as recited by claim 11, wherein said poles are a metal
selected from the group consisting of aluminum, titanium, steel, copper, and alloys
of these metals.
17. The folded stretcher as recited by claim 11, wherein said stirrups are removably
and rotatably attached to said poles.
18. The folding stretcher as recited by claim 11, wherein said complimentary
jaws-shaped members each having a pole insert portion mounted to a respective pole.
19. The folding stretcher as recited by claim 18, wherein said meshing teeth
are horizontally orientated parallel to each other when situated together.
20. A folding stretcher comprising:
a frame constructed of a pair of tubular metal poles and having a chemical resistant
finish;
collapsible spreader assemblies connected between said poles for securing the
stretcher in a folded or unfolded position, the folded position having reduced
width;
stirrups provided to said poles;
a pair of hinges provided to said tubular poles, said hinges are adapted to reduce
the length of the frame by half;
crimped handles integrally formed at ends of said poles, said handles seal the
ends of said poles and have alternate grooves and ridges, thereby reducing the
number of joining points at which contaminates may reside and enter inside said
frame; and
a bed having restraint straps, said bed is attached to said poles by a sleeve
at each side of said bed.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to stretcher type devices used to transport accident
victims, in particular, to stretcher type devices used to transport injured victims
who have been exposed to hazardous materials.
The transportation of injured victims exposed to hazardous materials poses unique
challenges for emergency service personnel. The victim must be removed safely and
quickly from the area of the hazardous material. Then, the victim must be decontaminated.
The purpose of decontamination is to remove the hazardous material from the exposed
victim and to dilute the chemical to the point where it no longer poses threat
of injury or harm to an individual. Finally, the victim must be transported to
appropriate medical treatment facilities by ambulance, helicopter, or other appropriate means.
Current procedures require that an exposed, injured victim be moved from
the location of exposure to a decontamination point using a stretcher type device.
At the decontamination point, the victim may be transferred to a decontamination
table. Following decontamination, the victim is transferred to a second uncontaminated
stretcher type device.
Although attempts have been made to decontaminate an injured victim without
the necessity of transferring the victim to a decontamination table and/or a second
uncontaminated stretcher type device thereafter to reduce further injury, further
improvements in prior art stretcher designs are still needed to meet this desire.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The stretcher of the present invention meets this need. It eliminates the need
to transfer a patient from a first stretcher to a decontamination table and/or
a second uncontaminated stretcher type device. The stretcher of the present invention
is made of materials which do not react with hazardous materials and which may
be easily decontaminated when the patient is decontaminated. Additionally, the
stretcher of the present invention has fewer parts than similar prior art stretchers,
thereby reducing the number of unions or joining points at which contaminates may
reside and/or enter into the interior of the stretcher's frame. Having fewer joining
points therefore reduces the difficulty of decontaminating the stretcher. Furthermore,
reducing the number of parts increasing manufacturing efficiency by reducing cost
and the amount of assembly required.
In one embodiment of the invention provided is a folding stretcher comprising
a frame constructed of a pair of tubular poles, spreader assemblies connected between
the poles for securing the stretcher in a folded or unfolded position, the folded
position having reduced width. Swedged handles are integrally formed at ends of
the poles. A bed is attached to the poles by a sleeve at each side of the bed.
In another embodiment of the invention provided is a folding stretcher comprising
a frame constructed of a pair of tubular poles and having a chemical resistant
finish. Spreader assemblies are connected between the poles for securing the stretcher
in a folded or unfolded position, the folded position having reduced width. Stirrups
are provided to the poles. Hinges are provided at the middle of each pole's length.
The hinges are adapted to reduce the length of the frame by half. Swedged handles
are integrally formed at ends of the poles. A bed having restraint straps is attached
to the poles by a sleeve at each side of the bed.
In still another embodiment of the invention, a process of decontaminating an
injured person contaminated by exposure to a hazardous material at a contaminated
site is provided. The method comprises placing the contaminated person on a stretcher
having a frame constructed of a pair of tubular poles, spreader assemblies connected
between the poles for securing the stretcher in a folded or unfolded position,
the folded position having reduced width. The stretcher further includes swedged
handles integrally formed at ends of the poles, and a bed attached to the poles
by a sleeve at each side of the bed. The method further comprises transporting
the contaminated person to an area away from the contaminated site and free of
hazardous material, and decontaminating the contaminated person with water or other
decontaminating solvents appropriate to the specific hazardous material while the
contaminated person is on the stretcher.
These and other features and objects of the present invention will be apparent
in light of the description of the invention embodied herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention
can be best understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, where
like structure is indicated with like reference numerals and in which:
FIG. 1 is a top view of one embodiment of a stretcher frame according to the
present invention in a substantially unfolded position.
FIGS. 2
a and 2
b are exterior and interior side views,
respectively, of one embodiment of a stretcher frame according to the present invention
in an unfolded position.
FIG. 3 is an end view of one embodiment of a stretcher frame according to the
present invention in an unfolded position.
FIG. 4 is a view of a portion of one of the poles of a stretcher frame according
to the present invention showing a swedged handle.
FIG. 5 is a bottom view of one embodiment of a stretcher according to the present
invention in a fully unfolded position.
FIGS. 6
a and 6
b are top and side views, respectively,
showing half of a hinge according to the present invention for the stretcher poles.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
It is noted that the drawings of the invention are not to scale. The drawings
are intended to depict only typical embodiments of the invention, and therefore
should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention.
By "hazardous materials" we mean materials such as hazardous, dangerous, or unsafe
chemicals, radioactive or poisonous elements, human body fluids, chemicals constituting
a fire hazard, when appropriate, chemicals used to decontaminate victims, such
as a weak acid wash used to decontaminate victims contaminated with an alkaline
solution, and the like.
FIG. 1 shows the top of one embodiment of a folding stretcher frame
10
in a substantially unfolded position. FIG. 1 shows two pairs of tubular poles
15
with integral handles
20. Each pair of poles
15 is connected with
hinges
25, such that they may be folded in half to make the stretcher frame
more compact for transporting and storage. The pairs of poles
15 are connected
to each other with spreader assemblies
30. The spreader assemblies
30
include spreader bars
35 pivotally attached at one end to poles
15
and pivotally attached at the other end to coupler
40. The spreader assemblies
30 are positionable in either a folded compact position that situates poles
15 substantially together or an extended position that spreads poles
15
apart and holds the stretcher frame
10 in a fully unfolded position (FIG.
5).
FIGS. 2
a and
2b show outside and inside side views, respectively,
of the stretcher frame
10 of FIG.
1. The poles
15 are connected
by hinge assembly
25. Each pole
15 has an integral handle
20.
There are stirrups
45 attached to each tubular pole
15 between the
hinges
25 and the integral handle
20. It is to be appreciated that
the stirrups
45 act as feet which support the stretcher frame
10
above a surface when the stretcher is placed on the surface. The stirrups
45
are rotatably attached to the poles
15, via pins
29, such that when
the stretcher frame is not used in the illustrated fully extended position, the
poles
15 may be turned inward such as illustrated by FIG. 3, positioning
pins
105 of hinges
25 substantially downwards, thereby permitting
the stretcher frame to fold in half for storage.
In the embodiment illustrated by FIG. 2
b, the stirrups
45 are attached
to poles
15 via bolts
27. Bolting the stirrups
45 to poles
15 permits the stirrups
45 to be unbolted and removed, thereby conveniently
facilitating the slipping off the poles
15 a stretcher bed
60 (FIG.
5) when worn or damaged, and also the slipping on the poles
15 a replacement
bed. A more detailed discussion regarding the stretcher bed
60 is provided
in a later section in reference to FIG.
5.
In an alternative embodiment, the stirrups
45 are made fast to the poles
15, such as by welding, and the spreader assemblies
30 are removably
attached thereto, such as via bolting. In this embodiment, the bed
60 may
also be conveniently slipped off the poles
15 and replaced by removing the
spreader assemblies
30, and folding the stirrups
45 compactly against
the poles
15.
FIG. 3 shows the end of the stretcher frame
10. Each spreader assembly
30 includes spreader bars
35 that are pivotally attached at one of
their ends to poles
15. The other ends of the spreader bars
35 are
pivotally attached to a coupler
40. This pivotal attachment of each spreader
assembly
30 allows the stretcher frame
10 to be collapsed width-wise
so that the poles
15 are next to each other in the collapsed position.
FIG. 4 shows a portion of one of the poles
15 with the integral handle
20. Integral handle
20 is formed by swedging, or crimping, the end
of pole
15. Swedging forms alternating grooves
50 and ridges
55
of the integral handle
20. The grooves and ridges allow a person who is
lifting the stretcher while wearing heavy rubber gloves to obtain a secure grip.
In one embodiment, each handle
20 is formed in such a manner which leaves
an opening at the end of the pole
15. This opening is then sealed with an
end plug (not shown). In another embodiment, the end of the pole
15 is fully
sealed by the forming process, thereby eliminating the need for an end plug. In
order to make a swedged fitting, the terminal end of the tube is squeezed between
two swedging members to form the desired shape.
Because the handle is formed from the end of the pole, no fasteners are needed
to attach each handle
20 to its respective pole
15. Therefore, the
integral handle
20 of the present invention cannot fall off. With handles
attached using fasteners, such as with conventional stretchers, if the fasteners
fail, the handle could fall off, and the stretcher could be dropped, injuring the
patient. In addition, fewer parts are necessary to make the stretcher with swedged
handles
20, thereby reducing the complexity and cost of manufacture. Furthermore,
without having a handle to attach to the ends of the tubular members, decontamination
is less extensive as there is no seam with the swedged handle
20 at the
grip and pole interface as there is in other prior art tactical stretchers.
FIG. 5 shows a bottom view of a stretcher
58 comprising the stretcher
frame
10 in the unfolded position with the stretcher bed
60 attached.
The stretcher bed
60 is made of fabric woven in the form of large honeycomb
net. Fabric suitable for decontamination typically has about 40% of the surface
area open to allow liquid to pass through; however, materials with 10% to 90% of
the surface area open to allow liquid to pass through are also suitable for use.
The bed material is made of strong, flexible, flame-retardant, and UV protected
monofilament polypropylene fibers which are resistant to hazardous materials, fire,
and UV light. Flame retardant properties may be obtained by including in the monofilament
polyopylene fibers 13% PT Conc.33, from Mammoth Plastics. UV light protection may
be obtained from the inclusion of carbon black in the monofilament polypropylene.
The bed fiber preferably is continuous monofilament polypropylene which is woven
into a honeycomb and 3/3 broken twill. Polypropylene monofilament is suitable for
use in stretcher beds because it is resistant to hazardous materials, fire, and
UV light. Other bed fibers that may be suitable to a greater or lesser degree include,
but are not limited to, polyester, polyamides, and a blend of polyester and polyamide.
Loops
65 are formed along the length of the stretcher bed
60
on each side and are used to receive the tubular poles
15. Each loop
65
is form by a hem
70 running along the length of each side of the stretcher
bed
60. The hem may be formed by cuffing or rolling the sides of the bed
material through out the length of the stretcher bed
60. The stitching is
typically double needle locking with polyester thread. Other threads may be used,
such as polyamides, or blends of polyester and polyamides. The hem may be reinforced
with a reinforcing ribbon sewn into the hem using stitching. Using the reinforcing
ribbon with the hem makes it possible to use the honeycomb mesh throughout the
width of the stretcher bed. Hemming without a reinforcing ribbon may result in
a hem without adequate strength to support patients. Using a hem with a reinforcing
ribbon allows a more open stretcher bed, which aids the decontamination process.
The alternative reinforcing ribbon and the straps are made of the same materials
as the fibers of the bed material. The reinforcing ribbon may differ from the bed
material in that it is closely woven as opposed to being woven in a honeycomb net
or mesh. A suitable material for the reinforcing ribbon is monofilament polypropylene
in a 3/3 broken twill weave or a trampoline style weave. Alternatively, the reinforcing
ribbon may be a non-woven solid webbing of monofilament polypropylene or other
materials suitable for the bed. Use of the reinforcing ribbon when desired provides
additional strength to the hemming of the honeycomb net or mesh stretcher bed.
There are two restraining straps
75 for retaining the patient on the
stretcher. The straps
75 may be attached to the stretcher bed
60.
Alternatively, the straps could be attached to the tubular poles
15 by a
fastener. The straps
75 may be made of suitable strong, hazardous material-,
fire-, and UV light-resistant materials, such as 3/3 broken twill monofilament
polypropylene and materials suitable for the bed.
When a patient is on the stretcher
58, the ends of the straps
75
are connected by buckles
80, thereby securing the patient to the stretcher.
The buckles
80 can be side release buckles, which allow easy use with heavy
gloves. Other types of closures may be used, including, but not limited to hook
and loop closures, and other buckle arrangements. Each buckle
80 can be
made of polypropylene which is resistant to hazardous materials. Other materials
may be used such as metals coated with chemical resistant paint, chemical resistant
metals, polyamide, polyester, high-density polyethylene, and acrylic.
As shown by FIG. 5, the stretcher bed
60 further has a cutout
85
surrounding each hinge
25 to allow operation of the hinges
25 without
interference from the stretcher bed
60. A similar cutout
86 is also
provided around each stirrup
45 for the same purpose. With regards to each
hinge, FIGS. 6
a and
6b show half of hinge
25 which
can be used in the present invention. The hinge
25 includes a pole insert
portion
90 and complimentary jaws-shaped members
95. The pole insert
90 is inserted into pole
15 shown in dotted lines. The pole insert
90 can be attached to pole
15 by any suitable means, such as threads,
crimping, welding, or using a sealing material. The complimentary jaws-shaped members
95, which are best shown by FIG. 1, are pivotally attached together by pin
105. The hinge
25 only folds in one direction, thereby allowing the
stretcher to be collapsed, reducing the length by approximately one half to facilitate
storage and transportation of the folded stretcher
58. It is to be appreciated
that hinge
25 opens outwardly and that teeth
110 (FIGS. 6
a and
6b) of each jaws-shaped member
95 mesh with their counterpart
member
95 when the hinge is closed. As best illustrated by FIG. 2
a,
the teeth
110 of the hinge
25 are horizontally orientated parallel
to each other when situated together, thereby adding strength and rigidity of the
tubular pole
15 when the stretcher
58 is used to support or carry
a person. To unlock the hinges
25, the spreader bars
35 are first
partially folded as illustrated in FIG. 1, then the stretcher poles
15 are
both rotated 90° as shown in FIG.
3. The rotation turns the hinges
25 to a position where they can open, allowing the stretcher
10 to
then fold in half, which is indicated by the arrows shown in FIG. 2
a.
The tubular poles
15 and other elements of the stretcher frame
10
may be constructed of a strong, light metal, including, but not limited to aluminum,
titanium, steel, copper, and alloys of these metals. The stretcher frame
10
may be coated with a chemical resistant paint to protect it from hazardous materials
and weathering. A typical chemical resistant paint is polyurethane. Other chemical
resistant paints may be used, including, but not limited to, epoxy, hybrid, or
polyester paints.
The decontaminatable stretchers of this invention may be used as any conventional
folding or folding and collapsible stretcher. The stretcher
58 of the present
invention may be used to transport a contaminated patient from a contaminated environment,
the patient may be decontaminated while on the stretcher, and the stretcher may
be used to transport the patient from the contaminated environment to a medical
facility. The decontamination process used to decontaminate the patient is spraying,
washing, or blotting the patient with water, detergent solution in water, or other
required chemical decontaminate solutions. This also serves to decontaminate the
stretcher
58.
Use of the present stretcher
58 has the advantage of eliminating the current
need to transfer the patient from the first contaminated stretcher to a decontamination
table and/or a second stretcher type device or backboard at the decontamination
site. This reduces the chance of additional injury or aggravation of previous injuries
to the patient while also reducing the time required for the decontamination process.
In addition, the present stretcher
58 with fewer joined parts reduces the
risk of hazardous materials remaining with the stretcher after decontamination.
Use of the present stretcher
58 therefore avoids the delay and potential
injury associated with the decontamination process and transferring a patient from
one support to another, and avoids the cost of additional stretchers or backboards.
While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for purposes
of illustrating the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art
that various changes in the compositions and methods disclosed herein may be made
without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the appended claims.
*
