Hospital stretcher having patient transfer device and side rails with handle portions

An apparatus comprising:

• a vehicle having an upwardly facing surface;
• a support member having thereon a support surface;
• and support means supporting said support member on said vehicle for movement between a retracted position in which said support member is disposed below said surface on said vehicle and an operational position in which said support member is disposed in the region of an edge portion of said surface on said vehicle and is oriented so that said support surface thereon is facing upwardly and is at approximately the same vertical level as said surface on said vehicle, said support surface including a portion which is disposed horizontally outwardly beyond said edge portion of said surface on said vehicle;
• and wherein said support means includes means for substantially counterbalancing the weight of said support member.

An apparatus comprising:

• a vehicle having an upwardly facing surface;
• a support member having thereon a support surface;
• and support means supporting said support member on said vehicle for movement between a retracted position in which said support member is disposed below said surface on said vehicle and an operational position in which said support member is disposed in the region of an edge portion of said surface on said vehicle and is oriented so that said support surface thereon is facing upwardly and is at approximately the same vertical level as said surface on said vehicle, said support surface including a portion which is disposed outwardly in a horizontal direction beyond said edge portion of said surface on said vehicle;
• wherein said support means includes two separate support arms which each have a first end supported on said vehicle for pivotal movement about a respective pivot axis and which each have a second end pivotally coupled to said support member.

An apparatus comprising:

• a vehicle having an upwardly facing surface;
• a support member having thereon a support surface;
• and support means supporting said support member on said vehicle for movement between a retracted position in which said support member is disposed below said surface on said vehicle and an operational position in which said support member is disposed in the region of an edge portion of said surface on said vehicle and is oriented so that said support surface thereon is facing upwardly and is at approximately the same vertical level as said surface on said vehicle, said support surface including a portion which is disposed horizontally outwardly beyond said edge portion of said surface on said vehicle, wherein as said support member moves from said retracted position to said operational position said support means causes said support member to move upwardly adjacent said edge portion of said surface on said vehicle with said support member oriented so that said support surface thereon extends approximately vertically;
• wherein said support means includes two support arms which each have one end pivotally supported on said vehicle and have an opposite end pivotally coupled to said support member;
• and including a link which extends between and is pivotally coupled to each of said support arms at locations spaced radially from the pivot axes of said support arms, said link forcing said support arms to pivot synchronously.

An apparatus comprising:

• a vehicle having an upwardly facing surface thereon;
• a support member having a support surface thereon;
• and support means cooperable with an edge portion of said support member for facilitating movement of said support member between a retracted position in which said support member is disposed vertically lower than said surface on said vehicle and an operational position in which said edge portion of said support member is adjacent an edge portion of said surface on said vehicle and in which said support surface on said support member is substantially horizontal, faces upwardly and extends from said edge portion of said support member horizontally outwardly away from said edge portion of said surface on said vehicle;
• wherein said support means includes means supporting said support member for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis located in the region of said edge portion of said support member;
• and wherein said support means includes a side rail on said vehicle which engages an underside of said edge portion of said support member when said support member is in said operational position, said pivot axis being disposed between said side rail and said edge portion of said surface on said vehicle when said support member is in said operational position.