Foldable frame structure for an ambulance for supporting a plurality of stretchers

Claim 1

A STRETCHER SUPPORT UNIT FOR AMBULANCES COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A FRAME HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED UPRIGHT SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL FRAME MEMBERS CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER AND BEING ADAPTED TO BE PLACED ON THE FLOOR OF AN AMBULANCE; AN UPPER STRETCHER SUPPORT EXTENDING IN LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION BETWEEN SAID UPRIGHT FRAME MEMBERS; MEANS MOUNTING SAID UPPER STRETCHER SUPPORT ON SAID UPRIGHT FRAME MEMBERS TURNABLE ABOUT A FIRST HORIZONTAL AXIS BETWEEN AN ACTIVE POSITION IN WHICH SAID UPPER STRETCHER SUPPORT EXTENDS SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO AND IN TRANSVERSE DIRECTION TO ONE SIDE OF SAID FRAME AND A FOLDED POSITION TURNED DOWNWARDLY ABOUT SAID AXIS INTO SAID FRAME; A LOWER STRETCHER SUPPORT EXTENDING IN LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION BETWEEN SAID UPRIGHT FRAME MEMBERS; MEANS MOUNTING SAID LOWER STRETCHER SUPPORT ON SAID UPRIGHT FRAME MEMBERS TURNABLY ABOUT A SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS BETWEEN AN ACTIVE POSITION IN WHICH SAID LOWER STRETCHER SUPPORT EXTENDS SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO AND IN TRANSVERSE DIRECTION TO SAID ONE SIDE OF SAID FRAME AND A FOLDED POSITION TURNED UPWARDLY ABOUT SAID SECOND AXIS INTO SAID FRAME, SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND AXIS BEING SPACED IN VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL DIRECTION FROM EACH OTHER SO THAT SAID UPPER AND LOWER STRETCHER SUPPORTS OVERLAP EACH OTHER IN SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP IN SAID FOLDED POSITION THEREOF; UPPER AND LOWER SUPPORT MEANS CONNECTED TO AND COOPERATING WITH SAID UPPER END LOWER STRETCHER SUPPORTS, RESPECTIVELY, FOR SUPPORTING THE LATTER IN SAID ACTIVE POSITION, SAID UPPER AND LOWER SUPPORT MEANS BEING FOLDABLE INTO SAID FRAME WHEN NOT SUPPORTING SAID STRETCHER SUPPORTS; AND A PAIR OF BRACER MEANS RESPECTIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID UPRIGHT FRAME MEMBERS BENEATH SAID LOWER STRETCHER SUPPORT, EACH PIVOTALLY MOVABLE ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS BETWEEN A SUPPORTING POSITION IN WHICH SAID BRACER MEANS EXTENDS IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO SAID FRAME AND ENGAGES WITH AN END PORTION THEREOF DISTANT FROM SAID VERTICAL AXIS SAID FLOOR FOR THUS HOLDING SAID FRAME IN UPRIGHT POSITION, AND A FOLDED POSITION TURNED INTO SAID FRAME.