Patent ID: 8214943

Claim:
A steering mechanism for a transfer device, comprising: a horizontal chassis; a plurality of casters attached to said chassis defining a floor plane; two wheels located along a longitudinal centerline of said chassis, generally symmetrically opposite a transverse centerline of said chassis; means for counter-rotating said wheels about vertical axes in synchronized motion to at least three positions including a straight position, a turning position and a lateral position, wherein said wheels are generally aligned with each other and with the longitudinal centerline of said chassis in the straight position, said wheels are counter-rotated from the straight position by an acute angle in the turning position, and said wheels are generally orthogonal to the longitudinal centerline of the chassis in the lateral position; and means for raising said wheels above the floor plane in a stow position to allow the transfer device to be freely steered in any direction, said raising means including a first bracket which rotates about one of the vertical axes, a second bracket supporting one of said wheels which is pivotally attached to said first bracket to pivot in a vertical plane, a cam follower attached to an upper edge of said second bracket, and a stationary cam plate which gradually engages said cam follower as said first bracket rotates.