Patent ID: 6240579
Filing Date: 2001-06-05
Classification: A61G

Abstract:
A wheeled carriage for supporting a patient in a substantially horizontal position, comprising:a rectangular patient support having head and foot ends and a pair of lateral sides intermediate said head and foot ends and a wheeled base supported on at least four floor surface engaging and castered wheels spaced from one another at locations defining corners of a theoretical polygon;an auxiliary wheel and support means for suspendedly mounting said auxiliary wheel to said wheeled base, said auxiliary wheel being oriented inside a boundary of the theoretical polygon and including an axle about which said wheel rotates, said axle being mounted to said support means and uncastered; andcontrol means for effecting a movement of said support means and said auxiliary wheel between a first position whereat said auxiliary wheel is engaged with a floor surface and a second position whereat said auxiliary wheel is out of engagement with said floor surface, said control means including a first control element oriented on an axis parallel to a longitudinal axis of said rectangular patient support and having a first manually manipulatable member connected to said first control element, said first manually manipulatable member being oriented adjacent at least one of said head and foot ends, a second control element oriented on an axis transverse to said longitudinal axis of said rectangular patient support and having a second manually manipulatable member connected to said second control element and oriented adjacent at least one of said pair of lateral sides, and means for effecting, when one of said first and second manually manipulatable members is manually operated, a simultaneous operation of the other of said first and second manually manipulatable members whereby an attendant can operate a selected one of said first and second manually manipulatable members from said at least one of said head and foot ends or from said at least one of said lateral sides to effect a movement of said auxiliary wheel and said support means therefor.