Patent ID: 6071228
Filing Date: 2000-06-06
Classification: A61G

Abstract:
A patient-support apparatus comprisinga base,apatient-support assembly supported above the base, the patient-support assembly including a patient-support deck having longitudinally spaced-apart ends and an elevation mechanism for moving one of the ends of the patient-support deck relative to the other of the ends and relative to the base, the elevation mechanism including a transversely-extending threaded shaft, a pair of blocks threadedly coupled to the shaft, and a linkage coupled to the pair of blocks and extending upwardly therefrom to support the end of the patient support deck to be moved by the elevation mechanism, the pair of blocks moving transversely in response to rotation of the threaded shaft, and the linkage being configured to move the end of the patient-support deck relative to the base in response to transverse movement of the blocks,wherein a first portion of the threaded shaft is formed to include a right-handed thread, a second portion of the threaded shaft is formed to include a left-handed thread, one of the pair of blocks is coupled to the first portion of the threaded shaft, and the other of the pair of blocks is coupled to the second portion of the threaded shaft, andwherein each of the blocks of the pair of blocks includes a drive block portion and a nut plate formed to include a first aperture having a right-handed thread and a second aperture having a left-handed thread and the nut plates are coupled to the respective drive block portions to properly mate to the first and second portions of the threaded shaft.