Patent ID: 8397846

Claim:
A patient support apparatus for transporting a patient along a floor, the patient support apparatus comprising a frame, a plurality of casters coupled to the frame, a wheel supported with respect to the frame and movable between a lowered position engaging the floor and a raised position spaced from the floor, a drive assembly, the drive assembly having a first mode of operation coupled to the wheel and operable to drive the wheel to propel the patient support apparatus along the floor, the drive assembly having a second mode of operation decoupled from the wheel so that the wheel is free to rotate when the wheel is in the lowered position and the patient support apparatus is moved along the floor, a first user input to move the wheel between the raised and lowered positions, and a second user input to signal the drive assembly to drive the wheel when the drive assembly is in the first mode of operation and the wheel is in the lowered position, wherein the drive assembly is disabled from driving the wheel when the casters are braked.