TRANSFER APPARATUS FOR THE TRANSFER OF RECUMBENT PATIENTS, PARTICULARLY IN HOSPITALS

摘要

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREA device for transferring recumbent hospital patientsfrom one location to another is constructed with a platformassembly mounted on a support member to be moveable within ahorizontal transfer plane between two end positions equidistantlylocated on opposite sides of the support member. The platformassembly includes a pair of superposed rectangular separatorplates each having a conveyor apron trained thereabout. Drivemeans are provided for shifting the platform assembly betweenits end positions within the horizontal transfer plane and alsofor selectively driving the conveyor aprons. The separatorplates have attached thereto lateral cheek members extendingalong the sides of the platform assembly in directions parallelto the directions of movement of the assembly. Guide devicesare mounted on opposite sides of the support member and arrangedin engagement with the lateral cheek members of the platformassembly in order to guide the assembly for shifting movementwithin the horizontal transfer plane. The guide members and thelateral cheek members are constructed to enable movement of theplatform assembly within the horizontal transfer plane betweenthe two opposed end positions of movement which are locatedgenerally equidistantly on opposite sides of the main supportmember so that the horizontal transfer plane is defined toextend generally symmetrically relative to the support member.The support member is formed with a width dimension taken paral-lel to the direction of movement of the platform assembly whichis less than one-half, and preferably within the range betweenone-third and one-sixth, of the width dimension of the platformassembly taken in the direction parallel to the direction ofmovement of the assembly.