| Emergency stretcher with X-frame support | | | | adequate for their intended purposes, they have |
| An emergency stretcher for emergency vehicles | | | | not been satisfactory in all respects. |
| includes an X-frame litter support mechanism that | | | | For example, it is sometimes possible to |
| vertically movably supports a patient litter on a | | | | disengage the releasable locking mechanism when |
| wheeled base. Each of the legs of the litter | | | | the patient litter is not fully supported by manual |
| support mechanism have the capability to expand | | | | lifting, resulting in a rapid drop of the patient litter |
| and contract in length, and a fixed-length link | | | | with an abrupt stop in its lowermost position, |
| member extends between the base and one of | | | | which can result in patient injury. Also, prior |
| the legs. A releasable locking arrangement can | | | | stretchers may have a pivotally-supported upper |
| releasably lock the patient litter in a selected | | | | body support section which can be maintained in a |
| vertical position, and can be released only when | | | | desired position by a selectively actuatable gas |
| the patient litter is manually lifted. A gas cylinder | | | | cylinder, but the vertical thickness of the patient |
| which controls the angular position of a pivotally | | | | litter must usually be increased beyond a desirable |
| supported upper body support member can | | | | amount in order to provide clearance for |
| move into a recess in a cross member of the | | | | movement of the gas cylinder with respect to |
| patient litter. | | | | transversely-extending cross members that |
| Specialized ambulance stretchers are used with | | | | rigidify the frame. |
| emergency vehicles such as ambulances, in part | | | | Although particular preferred embodiments of the |
| to permit the medical beds to be easily loaded | | | | emergency stretcher have been disclosed in detail |
| into different ambulances having different internal | | | | for illustrative purposes, it will be recognized that |
| floor heights. Examples of such prior stretchers | | | | variations or modifications of the disclosed |
| are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,097,941, | | | | embodiments, including the rearrangement of |
| 4,767,148, 4,037,871 and 3,644,944. Although | | | | parts, lie within the scope of the present invention. |
| these pre-existing stretchers have been generally | | | | |