Body supporting apparatus

Claim 1

A BODY SUPPORTING APPARATUS ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED ON A SUPPORTING SURFACE AND COMPRISING, A BASE MEMBER FORMED OF ROD STOCK HAVING LATERALLY SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL SIDE BARS FIXEDLY CONNECTED AT THEIR FRONT ENDS BY A CROSSPIECE ALIGNED THEREWITH, A REAR CROSSPIECE FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID SIDE BARS ADJACENT TO BUT IN FORWARDLY SPACED RELATION TO THEIR REAR ENDS, THE SIDE BARS AT THE REAR OF SAID CROSSPIECE HAVING A PLURALITY OF UPWARDLY FACING NOTCH LIKE KEEPERS, AN ADJUSTABLE BODY SUPPORT MEMBER FORMED OF ROD STOCK AND COMPRISING A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED AND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL SIDE BARS CONNECTED AT THEIR REAR ENDS BY A CROSSPIECE SAID SUPPORT MEMBER SIDE BARS HAVING EYES AT THEIR FRONT ENDS PIVOTALLY ENGAGING SAID CROSSPIECE AT THE FRONT ENDS SAID BASE MEMBER, SAID SUPPORT MEMBER SIDE BARS BEING OF A LENGTH SUBSTANTIALLY EXCEEDING THE LENGTH OF SAID BASE MEMBER SIDE BARS AND HAVING OFFSETS THEREIN SPACED FORWARDLY FROM SAID HANDLE, AN UPWARDLY FACING U-SHAPED SUPPORTING STRUT FOR SAID BODY SUPPORT MEMBER, THE ARMS OF WHICH TERMINATE IN EYES HINGEDLY ENGAGED WITH SAID OFFSETS OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER SIDE BARS, ITS BIGHT PORTION BEING INWARDLY OFFSET AND BEING SELECTIVELY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID KEEPERS ON SAID BASE MEMBER SIDE BARS WHEN THE SUPPORT MEMBER IS IN ERECTED POSITION, SAID STRUCT BEING ADJUSTABLE TO ERECTED AND TO A COLLAPSED POSITION IN WHICH IT IS MAINLY DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID BASE MEMBER AND SAID SUPPORT MEMBER, AND A USER SUPPORTING PANEL SUPPORTEDLY AND DETACHABLY MOUNTED ON SAID BODY SUPPORT MEMBER SIDE BARS WITH PORTIONS THEREOF PROJECTING LATERALLY THEREFROM, SAID SUPPORTING PANEL TERMINATING AT ITS REAR END IN FORWARDLY SPACED RELATION TO SAID STRUT AND HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM ITS REAR END, AND HAVING MEANS FACILITATING THE POSITIONING OF A BEDPAN RELATIVE TO SAID OPENING.