Patient transport apparatus with controlled auxiliary wheel speed

A patient transport apparatus comprising:

• a support structure;
• a support wheel coupled to the support structure;
• an auxiliary driver coupled to the support structure to influence motion of the patient transport apparatus over a floor surface, the auxiliary driver being movable between a deployed position engaging the floor surface and a retracted position spaced from the floor surface;
• a drive system including a motor to drive the auxiliary driver, and a motor control circuit for transmitting power signals from a power source to the motor;
• a user interface for receiving user commands from a user to operate the drive system;
• and
• a control system coupled to the user interface and the drive system for operating the drive system based on user commands received via the user interface, the control system including a processor programmed to, upon determining the auxiliary driver is in a stop position, operate the drive system in one of:
• a free wheel mode with the auxiliary driver in the deployed position engaging the floor surface, and
• a drag mode with the auxiliary driver in the deployed position engaging the floor surface;
• wherein the drive system operates the motor control circuit to enable the auxiliary driver to move in each of the free wheel mode and the drag mode and to move with less resistance in the free wheel mode than the drag mode, and operates the motor control circuit to resist movement of the auxiliary driver in the drag mode.