Hydraulic stretcher device

A hydraulic stretcher device comprising:

• a rectangular top support assembly;
• a wheel mounted, rectangular bottom frame assembly;
• two, independently operating, pairs of hydraulic positioning cylinders having floating piston rods associated therewith, and
• piston stabilizing bars, said positioning cylinders adjustably connecting said bottom frame and top support assemblies, and said piston stabilizing bars connecting the piston rods of paired cylinders together, wherein one pair of said cylinders is located adjacent to the head end of the stretcher, one cylinder on each side thereof, while another pair of said cylinders is located adjacent to the foot end of the stretcher, one cylinder on each side thereof, the cylinders in each such pair being hydraulically interconnected and operable in tandem with each other, and wherein each pair of said paired cylinders is connected to a separate pump-powered hydraulic system that includes a two-way valve that can be operated to direct hydraulic fluid to said pair, or to release said fluid therefrom, said system also including a pressure relief valve that prevents the pressure of said fluid within said system from exceeding a predetermined amount, the pumps powering the two systems being operated by a single foot pumping lever, and wherein further, said two-way valves can be operated by controls mounted on said stretcher remote from said valves.

A hydraulic stretcher device comprising:

• a rectangular top support assembly;
• a bottom frame assembly;
• two independently operable pairs of hydraulic positioning cylinders, said positioning cylinders adjustably connecting said bottom frame assembly and said top support assembly;
• wherein one pair of said cylinders is located adjacent to the head end of the stretcher, one cylinder on each side thereof, while another pair of said cylinders is located adjacent the foot end of the stretcher, one cylinder on each side thereof, each of said cylinders having a free-floating piston and a piston rod associated therewith, each of said piston rods being operatively connected to said top support assembly;
• separate pump powered hydraulic systems for each of said pairs of cylinders, one pair of said cylinders being connected to one of said hydraulic systems and the other hydraulic system being connected to the other pair of said cylinders, each hydraulic system including a pump, a two-way valve that can be operated to direct hydraulic fluid to said pairs, or to direct said fluid therefrom, and a pressure relief valve that prevents the pressure of said fluid within said system from exceeding a predetermined amount;
• the cylinders in each such pair being hydraulically connected and operating in tandem with each other;
• a pair of piston stabilizing bars, each of said piston stabilizing bars connecting the piston rods of paired cylinders together;
• said rectangular top support assembly including an X-ray permeable patient support structure fabricated from a lamination configured in a box structure which includes a core having an upper horizontal surface and a lower horizontal surface, each of said surfaces being covered with a surface skin wherein said core layer is formed from a foamed plastic material, or from balsa wood, and wherein a first surface skin covering one horizontal surface is made of a material selected from the group consisting of a mat layer comprising carbon graphite filamentary material encapsulated in a plastic resin, and a matrix of filamentary high molecular weight polyethylene encapsulated in a plastic resin, and a second skin covering the other of said horizontal surfaces is a layer of fiberglass in a plastic resin or filamentary high molecular weight polyethylene encapsulated in a plastic resin, said core being from about 0.19 inch to 2.00 inches thick, while each of said surface skins is from about 0.01 inch to 0.08 inch thick.