Transfer bench

Claim 1

A transfer bench to facilitate the movement of an infirm person or invalid from outside of a bathtub to a position at least partially within the bathtub, said bathtub being defined by a transverse floor and a wall extending upwardly from said floor to terminate in a rim, said transfer bench comprising: A. a pair of parallel bar members spaced from each other, each of said bar members including a horizontal support section, having (i) a first end portion to be disposed transversely upon the rim of the tub side wall and to extend outside of the tub and downwardly and back to terminate in abutment against the outside of the tub side wall, the horizontal support section adjacent said first end portion of one of said bar members being held in spaced parallel relationship with the corresponding horizontal support section of the other bar member by a rigid cushioning element secured to and extending over both said horizontal support sections; and (ii) a second opposite end portion curved downwardly and extending vertically as a leg to terminate upon the transverse floor of the tub, the last said end portion of each of said bar members being secured in spaced relation to the corresponding end portion of the other bar member by a frame securable to and extending upwardly from each of said second end portions, said frame being spaced from said rigid cushion element by at least the width of a seat; B. clamping means whereby the bench may be clamped to said tub side wall, said means comprising an element adjustably securable to, and extending downwardly from, the horizontal support section of each of said parallel bar members in proximity to its first end portion, the lower end of said adjustably securable element carrying a threaded member extending through said lower end with a first end directed toward the terminus of the first end portion of the bar member which abuts the outside of said tub side wall, said threaded member having knob means on its other end to enable the said first end of the threaded member to be adjustably moved toward or away from the inside of the tub side wall, and means disposed on said first end to distribute force, applied by the torquing of said threaded element by the knob means, over a broad area of the inner wall of the tub when said tub wall is clamped between the said means disposed on the first end of the threaded member and the terminus of the first end portion of horizontal support section of the parallel bar member, in abutment with the outside of the tub wall; and C. cushioned seating means, the last said means extending across and fixedly secured to the horizontal support section of each of said parallel bar members intermediate said frame and said rigid cushioning element.