Heart resuscitation apparatus with means for quickly adjusting to the size of the patient

Claim 1

IN A PNEUMATIC HEART REUSCITATOR UNIT, A FRAME, A RECIPROCABLE CHEST-COMPRISING MEMBER CONSTRUCTED FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CHEST OF A HEART ARREST VICTIM TO APPLY A RHYTHMIC DOWNWARD FORCE ON THE BREASTBONE FOR CAUSING PUMPING OF THE VICTIM''S HEART, A RECIPROCABLE FLUID PRESSURE ACTUATOR INCLUDING AN ELONGATED ACTUATOR HOUSING AND A MOVABLE ABUTMENT THERIEN OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID CHEST-COMPRISING MEMBER HAVING A STROKE SUFFICIENT FOR CHEST-DEFLECTION MOVEMENT BUT LESS THAN THAT REQUIRED FOR INITIAL ORIENTATION MOVEMENT TO SUIT VARIOUS SIZES OF VICTIMS, MEANS SECURED TO SAID FRAME FOR GUIDING CONSTRAINT OF SAID ACTUATOR HOUSING, SPRING-BIASED ONE WAY LOCKING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID FRAME AND CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED IN COOPERATION WITH SAID ACTUATOR HOUSING TO PERMIT RAPID VICTIN-DIRECTION-ADVANCING MOVEMENT OF SAID HOUSING WITHIN SAID GUIDING CONSTRAINT WHILE AUTOMATICALLY LOCKING SAID HOUSNG AGAINST MOVEMENT IN THE REVERSE DIRECTION, THEREBY ALLOWING THE RECEPROCABLE CHEST-COMPRESSING MEMBER TO BE BROUGHT RAPIDLY INTO INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE VICTIM''S CHEST WHILE ASSURING THAT THE ACTUATOR HOUSING WILL BE LOCKED AGAINST REACTIONARY MOVEMENT DURING EXERTION OF FORCE BY SUCH MEMBER AGAINST THE VICTIM''S CHEST, AND MEANS FOR UNLOCKING SAID ONE-WAY LOCKING MEANS TO PERMIT RETRACTION OF SAID ACTUATOR HOUSING TO A REPOSE POSITION.