Patient transport apparatus with base stabilizers for loading and unloading removable litters

A patient transport apparatus for supporting a patient, the patient transport apparatus comprising:

• a base having a head end and a foot end, the base including:
• a base frame supporting a plurality of wheels arranged for movement about a floor surface at respective contact points,
• an intermediate frame having a trolley configured to translate between a plurality of trolley positions including a trolley forward position where the trolley is arranged at the head end of the base and a trolley docking position where the at trolley is arranged at the foot end of the base, and
• a base lift device to move the intermediate frame relative to the base frame between a plurality of vertical configurations including a maximum raised configuration and a maximum lowered configuration;
• a litter configured to be docked to and undocked from the trolley of the intermediate frame such that, when docked to the trolley, the litter is configured to slidably translate relative to the intermediate frame between a plurality of litter positions including a litter forward position where the trolley is in the trolley forward position and a cantilevered position where the trolley is in the trolley docking position such that the litter is cantilevered off the foot end of the base to facilitate docking and undocking the litter from the trolley;
• and
• a stabilizer operatively attached to the foot end of the intermediate frame and configured for movement between:
• a retracted configuration where the stabilizer is spaced from the floor surface, and
• a deployed configuration where the stabilizer engages the floor surface to brace the base at an additional point of contact with the floor surface to stabilize the base in the cantilevered position.