Patent ID: 8646124

Claim:
A transport apparatus comprising: a base; a sling, said sling forming a seat portion and a back portion, said seat portion being directly connected to said back portion, and said seat portion and said back portion being reconfigurable between an unfolded, generally planar configuration wherein said sling can lie generally flat on a support surface and a folded configuration wherein a person can be supported in a sitting position; a support frame mounted to said base, said support frame extending over said base and being configured to move from a first position spaced above said base at a first height, said support frame including a pair of arms for engaging said seat portion, wherein when said support frame is extended over and proximate a support surface, said arms are extendible to engage said sling when placed on the support surface; and a plurality of couplers directly connecting said back portion to said support frame when said arms of said support frame are engaged with said seat section and said sling is moved to its folded configuration, and said frame being movable to a second position spaced above a second height greater than said first height once engaged with said sling wherein said sling is raised above the support surface, and said support frame providing lateral support to said seat portion of said sling when engaged with said sling, wherein when said support frame and said sling are raised to said second position said sling is raised above the support surface so that a person supported on said sling may be lifted off the support surface with said sling and said frame supporting the person in a stabilized sitting position so that the person can be moved away from the support surface by said base.