Claims
- 1. A hospital bed for supporting a patient in a substantially horizontal position, comprising:a base; a patient support oriented above said base; at least first and second hydraulic jacks interconnecting said base and said patient support for raising and lowering said patient support relative to said base; a manually operable pump for pumping hydraulic fluid simultaneously to said first and second hydraulic jacks to effect a uniform raising of said patient support relative to said base, and means for effecting a manual operation of said pump; a first manually operable member for effecting, when operated, a removal of hydraulic fluid from said first hydraulic jack to cause a lowering thereof independent of said second hydraulic jack; a second manually operable member spaced and separate from said first manually operable member for effecting, when operated, a removal of hydraulic fluid from said second hydraulic jack to cause a lowering thereof independent of said first hydraulic jack; a unitary third manually operable pedal having three manually engageable positions thereon and means connecting said unitary third manually operable pedal to said first and second manually operable members, a first position of said three manually engageable positions including first means for facilitating an operation of said first manually operable member independent of said second manually operable member, a second position of said three manually engageable positions including second means for facilitating an operation of said second manually operable member independent of said first manually operable member, and a third position of said three manually engageable positions including third means for facilitating a simultaneous operation of said first and second manually operable members to cause a simultaneous lowering of said first and second jacks.
- 2. The hospital bed according to claim 1, wherein said third position is oriented intermediate said first and second positions.
- 3. The hospital bed according to claim 1, wherein said unitary third manually operable pedal is adapted to be engaged and operated by a foot of an attendant.
- 4. The hospital bed according to claim 3, wherein said first means includes a guide for said first manually operable member accommodating a change in spacing between said first and second manually operable members when one of said first and second manually operable members is operated independent of the other.
- 5. A hospital bed for supporting a patient in a substantially horizontal position, comprising:a base; a patient support oriented above said base; at least first and second hydraulic jacks interconnecting said base and said patient support for raising and lowering said patient support relative to said base; a pump for pumping hydraulic fluid to said first and second hydraulic jacks to raise said patient support relative to said base; a first manually operable member for effecting, when operated, a removal of hydraulic fluid from said first hydraulic jack to cause a lowering thereof independent of said second hydraulic jack; a second manually operable member spaced and separate from said first manually operable member for effecting, when operated, a removal of hydraulic fluid from said second hydraulic jack to cause a lowering thereof independent of said first hydraulic jack; and a unitary manually operable pedal connected to said first and second manually operable members and having three manually engageable positions thereon, said unitary third manually operable pedal having a first position operating said first manually operable member independent of said second manually operable member, a second position operating said second manually operable member independent of said first manually operable member, and a third position simultaneously operating said first and second manually operable members to lower said first and second jacks.
- 6. The hospital bed according to claim 5, wherein said third position is oriented intermediate said first and second positions.
- 7. The hospital bed according to claim 5, wherein said unitary manually operable pedal is adapted to be engaged and operated by a foot of an attendant.
- 8. A hospital bed for supporting a patient in a substantially horizontal position, comprising:a base including first and second frame members; a patient support oriented above said base; at least first and second hydraulic jacks interconnecting said base and said patient support for raising and lowering said patient support relative to said base; a manually operable pump for pumping hydraulic fluid simultaneously to said first and second hydraulic jacks to effect a uniform raising of said patient support relative to said base, and means for effecting a manual operation of said pump; a first release valve for releasing hydraulic fluid from said first hydraulic jack; a first rotatable member for effecting, when rotated in a first direction, operation of said first release valve and removal of hydraulic fluid from said first hydraulic jack causing a lowering thereof; a second release valve for releasing hydraulic fluid from said second hydraulic jack; a second rotatable member spaced and separate from said first rotatable member for effecting, when rotated in the first direction, operation of said second release valve and removal of hydraulic fluid from said second hydraulic jack causing a lowering thereof; and a unitary third manually operable pedal having three manually engageable positions thereon and connecting to said first and second rotatable members, a first position of said three manually engageable positions rotating said first rotatable member in the first direction and not rotating said second rotatable member, a second position of said three manually engageable positions rotating said second rotatable member in the first direction and not rotating said first rotatable member, and a third position of said three manually engageable positions rotating said first and second manually operable members in the first direction to cause a simultaneous lowering of said first and second jacks.
- 9. The hospital bed according to claim 8, wherein said third position is oriented intermediate said first and second positions.
- 10. The hospital bed according to claim 8, wherein said unitary manually operable pedal is adapted to be engaged and operated by a foot of an attendant.
- 11. The hospital bed according to claim 8, wherein said first and second rotatable members comprise respective first and second rods received by said frame members.
- 12. The hospital bed according to claim 11, wherein said unitary manually operated pedal includes sockets which receive first ends of said first and second rods.
- 13. The hospital bed according to claim 12, wherein said first and second rods extend through said frame members and a second unitary manually operated pedal including sockets receives second ends of said first and second rods.
- 14. A hospital bed according to claim 13, wherein said first and second unitary manually operable pedals are positioned on opposing sides of said hospital bed.
Parent Case Info
This is a division of Ser. No. 09/003,777, filed Jan. 7, 1998.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (2)
Entry |
Stryker, “Advantage Strefchers”, May 1994, 6 pages. |
Hausted, Inc., “The Gemini Series” Oct. 1993, 4 pages. |