Portable traction system

Claim 1

A portable traction system for maintaining a patient in uninterrupted traction therapy during his transfer between a hospital and another location, and also during his entire recovery period whether in the hospital, at home, or elsewhere, comprising in combination: 1. a hand-transportable stretcher-like traction frame for hand carrying a patient while in traction therapy, said frame including horizontally disposed side and end elements interconnected to establish a peripheral base structure for a patient-supportive mattress and traction-exerting equipment, said frame positionable on and freely removable from a hospital bed, home bed, hospital gurney, or other suitable foundation without interruption of traction therapy; 2. an adjustable back rest mounted on the base structure for supporting a mattress and a patient in a plurality of positions between prone and full sitting; 3. a mattress residing on the base structure and adjustable back rest; 4. a traction superstructure including elongated traction bars secured in an upright attitude to the base structure for providing a traction-force supporT for spring-type tractionexerting equipment; and 5. spring-type traction exerting means secured to the traction superstructure for safely exerting traction on a patient both while being moved from one location to another and also while stationary at any location; whereby said traction system provides the combined functions of a stretcher, a bed, and a traction apparatus in a unitary structure that is freely movable from one location to another while providing continuous traction therapy on a patient.