Stryker Corporation

Geary A North

Richard J Bartow

Richard L McDaniel

James R Hanson

Martin W Stryker

Curtis A Buiskool

Donald W Gardiner

A wheeled carriage for supporting a patient in a substantially horizontal position, which wheeled carriage has thereon a patient support having head and foot regions and a pair of lateral side regions and a wheeled base supported at least by three floor surface engaging and castered wheels spaced from one another at locations defining corners of a theoretical polygon. An auxiliary wheel and a support structure therefor are suspendedly mounting the auxiliary wheel to the wheeled base. The auxiliary wheel is oriented inside a boundary of the theoretical polygon and includes an axle about which the wheel rotates. A control structure includes a first manually manipulatable member at at least one of the pair of lateral side regions and a second manually manipulatable member at at least one of the head end and the foot end so that an attendant can operate a selected one of the manually manipulatable members to effect a movement of the auxiliary wheel and the support structure therefor. In the alternative, the control structure can selectively activate the brakes for the wheeled carriage. A unitary pedal is provided for controlling the height of the patient support.

Brake for castered wheels

Unitary pedal control of brake and fifth wheel deployment via side and end articulation with additional unitary pedal control of height of patient support

A patient support stretcher which includes a base and a main frame portion coupled to the base through at least one pair of crossbars forming an X-shaped configuration. The crossbars are pivotally connected to one another and are pivotally connected to the base and the main frame portion. A back support or a fowler section is hinged to the main frame portion and a strut interconnects the back support to the main frame to provide the requisite balanced leverage for effecting the simultaneous lift of the main frame and the fowler section.

Balanced fowler design

Growing community of inventors

Kalamazoo, MI, United States of America

Geary A North