Patent ID: 7458113

Claim:
A winch for moving a patient laying on a pad, comprising: an enclosure comprising a bottom wall, a top wall, and at least one side wall, the walls defining an internal space within the enclosure; a winching mechanism fixed within the enclosure and including a power means, a motor, a gearing means, a power switching means and a spool means; a winching strap connected at one end thereof to the spool means, the winching strap traversing an aperture in the at least one side wall of the enclosure, a distal end of the winching strap terminating in a pad clamping means; a bedrail hook attached to the at least one side wall, the hook comprising at least one rigid U-shaped member, and a stability strap attached at one end thereof to the enclosure and attached at the other end to a hook, whereby the hook may engage the U-shaped member to secure the U-shaped member around the bedrail; whereby with the pad clamping means of the winching strap clamped firmly to the pad, and with the enclosure secured to a bedrail of a bed, the winching mechanism may be activated by applying power thereto to retract the winching strap around the spool means, thereby moving the patient.