Transport apparatus for a person and method

An apparatus for transporting a person from a horizontal and longitudinal orientation lying on the ground onto said apparatus generally in the same horizontal and longitudinal orientation, said apparatus comprising

• a board assembly upon which the person is positioned including
• a belt housing for first and second endless belts with the first belt beneath the second belt,
• a drive system for rotating the first and second endless belts in opposite directions simultaneously and including a motor having a motor coupling,
• said first belt upon actuation of the motor advancing the apparatus towards said person on the ground with a portion of said first belt engaging the ground, and
• said second belt having a portion engaging the person and moving the person onto said second belt upon actuation of the motor, and
• a hand-held, portable, external, detachable controller including a controller housing retaining an external battery,
• a cable extending outward from said controller housing,
• said cable terminating in a cable coupling configured to be manually connected and disconnected to the motor coupling,
• wherein the battery powered motor is electrically connected to the external battery retained in the controller housing via the cable when the cable coupling in the controller is connected to the motor coupling in the board assembly,
• a belt tensioning mechanism within the belt housing that is mechanically coupled to the belts, and
• a safety device that prevents operation of the apparatus until the safety device is disabled, where the safety device includes a plurality of switches in an electrical series connection, wherein each of the plurality of switches in the electrical series connection comprises a D-ring, wherein a D-ring being in a down position continues the electrical series connection and the D-ring being in an up position breaks the electrical series connection, wherein the D-ring is in the up position when a strap holding the person to the board loops through the D-ring.

An apparatus for transporting a person from a horizontal and longitudinal orientation lying on the ground onto said apparatus generally in the same horizontal and longitudinal orientation, said apparatus comprising

• a board assembly upon which the person is positioned including
• a belt housing for first and second endless belts with the first belt beneath the second belt,
• a drive system for rotating the first and second endless belts in opposite directions simultaneously and including a motor having a motor coupling,
• said first belt upon actuation of the motor advancing the apparatus towards said person on the ground with a portion of said first belt engaging the ground, and
• said second belt having a portion engaging the person and moving the person onto said second belt upon actuation of the motor, and
• a hand-held, portable, external, detachable controller including a controller housing retaining an external battery,
• a cable extending outward from said controller housing,
• said cable terminating in a cable coupling configured to be manually connected and disconnected to the motor coupling,
• wherein the battery powered motor is electrically connected to the external battery retained in the controller housing via the cable when the cable coupling in the controller is connected to the motor coupling in the board assembly,
• a belt tracking mechanism within the belt housing that is mechanically coupled to the belts, and
• a safety device that prevents operation of the apparatus until the safety device is disabled, where the safety device includes a plurality of switches in an electrical series connection, wherein each of the plurality of switches in the electrical series connection comprises a D-ring, wherein a D-ring being in a down position continues the electrical series connection and the D-ring being in an up position breaks the electrical series connection, wherein the D-ring is in the up position when a strap holding the person to the board loops through the D-ring.

An apparatus for transporting a person from a horizontal and longitudinal orientation lying on the ground onto said apparatus generally in the same horizontal and longitudinal orientation, said apparatus comprising

• a board assembly upon which the person is positioned in said horizontal and longitudinal orientation and a hand-held, portable, external controller,
• said board assembly having a housing supporting a drive belt assembly comprising a drive system for rotating at least one endless belt that moves over an exterior support surface of the housing to support said person being moved onto said apparatus,
• an adjustable alignment mechanism that is mechanically coupled to said endless belt, and a safety device that prevents operation of the apparatus until the safety device is disabled,
• said board assembly and controller configured to be connected together and disconnected via a cable extending outward from the controller, said cable terminating in a cable coupling that is configured to be manually connected to a motor coupling in said board assembly, to electrically couple and decouple a battery within the controller to a drive motor for the drive system,
• wherein the apparatus further comprises a safety device that prevents operation of the apparatus until the safety device is disabled, where the safety device includes a plurality of switches in an electrical series connection, wherein each of the plurality of switches in the electrical series connection comprises a D-ring, wherein a D-ring being in a down position continues the electrical series connection and the D-ring being in an up position breaks the electrical series connection, wherein the D-ring is in the up position when a strap holding the person to the board loops through the D-ring.

An apparatus for transporting a person from a horizontal and longitudinal orientation lying on the ground onto said apparatus generally in the same horizontal and longitudinal orientation, said apparatus comprising

• (i) a board assembly upon which the person is positioned in said horizontal and longitudinal orientation and (ii) a hand-held, portable, external controller configured to be attached and detached to the board assembly,
• said board assembly and controller configured to be connected together and disconnected via a cable extending outward from the controller, said cable terminating in a cable coupling that is configured to be manually connected to a motor coupling in said board assembly, to electrically couple and decouple a battery within the controller to a drive motor for a drive system for the apparatus,
• said board assembly having a housing containing at least one endless belt mounted to advance along a predetermined endless path, said drive system for advancing the endless belt along said path, and an adjustable alignment mechanism that maintains the belt on the path as said belt advances along said path,
• said belt having a portion continuously moving over an exterior surface of the housing to support a person being carried by the belt as said belt advances along said path, and said apparatus having a forward end configured to support the person as he/she is being moved from the ground onto said portion of the endless belt moving over said exterior support surface,
• wherein the apparatus further comprises a safety device that prevents operation of the apparatus until the safety device is disabled, where the safety device includes a plurality of switches in an electrical series connection, wherein each of the plurality of switches in the electrical series connection comprises a D-ring, wherein a D-ring being in a down position continues the electrical series connection and the D-ring being in an up position breaks the electrical series connection, wherein the D-ring is in the up position when a strap holding the person to the board loops through the D-ring.

A method of transporting a person from a position on the ground onto an apparatus generally in a horizontal orientation, said apparatus including a drive system for first and second endless belts,

• said method comprising the steps of
• (a) aligning the apparatus lengthwise with a person to be transported lying lengthwise on the ground in a generally horizontal orientation,
• (b) placing an end of the apparatus adjacent to the head or feet of said person,
• (c) providing a hand-held, portable, external, detachable controller including a battery that powers a motor for a belt drive system that upon actuation of the motor moves the person from the ground onto the apparatus,
• (d) placing each of a plurality of D-rings in a down position to continue an electrical series connection between each of the plurality of D-rings,
• (e) manually coupling the battery to the motor by coupling a cable coupling on a cable extending outwardly from the controller with a motor coupling in the apparatus and manually actuating the controller to operate the motor, advancing the apparatus towards said person and moving said person onto the apparatus,
• (f) discontinuing actuation of the controller to stop the operation of the motor when the person is on the apparatus in a generally horizontal orientation, and
• (g) looping a strap holding the person to the board loops through each of the plurality of D-rings to place each of the plurality of D-rings in an up position to break the electrical series connection between each of the plurality of D-rings to act as a safety device.