Patent ID: 8011707

Claim:
A hand-operable coupling assembly for rolling a series of wheeled chairs along a ground surface, said hand-operable coupling assembly comprising: a primary coupling including a handle section and an elongated strap attached thereto, said primary coupling further including a primary clamp attached to a distal end of said strap; and a plurality of auxiliary couplings each including a strap and a pair of axially opposed auxiliary clamps mated with said strap associated therewith respectively; wherein said primary and auxiliary couplings are adapted to be engaged to the series of wheeled chairs during transport procedures; wherein each of said primary and auxiliary clamps comprises a first C-shaped region rigidly mated to said strap and maintaining a fixed spatial relationship therewith, said first C-shaped region including a cavity formed therein and further having a socket slidably interfitted within said cavity; and a second C-shaped region pivotally mated to said first C-shaped region and being selectively biased along an arcuate path defined adjacent to a corresponding one of said straps, said second C-shaped region having a male finger protruding outwardly from a distal tip thereof, said male finger being provided with a ball bearing disposed at a distal end thereof, said male finger bending along a curvilinear path extending from a circumferential arc of said second C-shaped region; wherein said ball bearing penetrates into said socket and becomes interlocked therewith when said male finger is introduced into said cavity, said first and second C-shaped regions remaining at a closed position when said ball bearing is interlocked with said socket and thereby bias said primary and auxiliary clamps to respective closed positions.