Stretchers

Claim 2

A stretcher comprising a frame having at least two parallel upper guides located on the front and rear sides thereof, respectively, a first belt portion movably carried over said guides for supporting thereon a human body, at least two parallel lower guides carried by said frame and located on the front and rear sides, respectively, a second belt portion movably carried over said lower guides and arranged for contacting the ground, said first and second belt portions moving in the same direction relative to the frame when in operation, said first and second belt portions forming part of the finite belt coupled at one end thereof to a first belt drum and at its other end to a second belt drum, said finite belt being guided from the first belt drum over the two upper guides and then over the two lower guides so that said first and second belt portions between the two upper and the two lower guides move in the same direction relative to the frame, and a driving mechanism carried on said frame for rotating at least that belt drum onto which the belt is wound.

Claim 3

The stretcher as claimed in claim 1, further comprising supporting the belt portion between said two upper guides.

Claim 4

A stretcher for supporting thereon injured persons comprised a pair of side frames, first and second belt drums rotatably mounted between said frames, a finite belt extending between and carried by said drums, upper guide means mounted between said side frames for guiding a portion of said belt movably along the upper part of said frame so as to expose said portion of said belt for support of a human body, lower guide means mounted between said side frames for guiding a portion of said belt along the lower part of said frame so as to expose said portion thereof for contact with the ground, intermediate guide means mounted between said side frames fOr guiding said belt between said upper and lower guide means, and means for causing rotation of at least one of said belt drums for winding said belt thereabout, whereby said belt is guided from said first belt drum over said upper guide means and then via said intermediate guide means over said lower guide means and onto said second belt drum so that when said belt drum is caused to rotate said belt portion guided over said upper guide means for support of a human body and said belt portion guided over said lower guide means for contact with the ground will be moved in the same direction relative to the frame, said frame thereby being caused to move along the ground in the opposite direction.

Claim 5

A stretcher for supporting thereon injured persons comprised a pair of side frames, first and second belt drums rotatably mounted between said frames, a finite belt extending between and carried by said drums, upper guide means mounted between said side frames for guiding a portion of said belt movably along the upper part of said frame so as to expose said portion of said belt for support of a human body, lower guide means mounted between said side frames for guiding a portion of said belt along the lower part of said frame so as to expose said portion thereof for contact with the ground, intermediate guide means mounted between said side frames fOr guiding said belt between said upper and lower guide means, and means for causing rotation of at least one of said belt drums for winding said belt thereabout, whereby said belt is guided from said first belt drum over said upper guide means and then via said intermediate guide means over said lower guide means and onto said second belt drum so that when said belt drum is caused to rotate said belt portion guided over said upper guide means for support of a human body and said belt portion guided over said lower guide means for contact with the ground will be moved in the same direction relative to the frame, said frame thereby being caused to move along the ground in the opposite direction.

Claim 6

The stretcher according to claim 3 wherein said upper guide means comprises at least two guide rollers arranged in parallel relationship to each other, one of said rollers being located at the forward end of said frame and the other being located at the rear end of said frame, and wherein said lower guide means comprises at least a pair of rollers being parallel to each other and located at the forward and rear ends respectively of said frame.

Claim 7

The stretcher according to claim 4 further comprising a backing plate secured between said side frames below the portion of said belt being guided over said upper guide means for supporting a human body carried by said belt portion.

Claim 8

The stretcher according to claim 5 wherein the guide roller of said upper guide means located at the forward end of said frame being in a lower position relative to the ground than the upper guide roller at the rear end so that the belt portion travelling over said upper guide means slopes downward in the direction of forward travel of the stretcher for automatically lifting patients off the ground as the stretcher travels forward.

Claim 9

A stretcher for automatically lifting patients comprising a frame, a pair of rotatably mounted drums carried by said frame, a belt of finite length having each of its ends attached to one of said drums so as to be carried therebetween, a pair of upper guide rollers located in parallel relationship on the forward and rear ends of said frame for guiding a portion of said belt over said rollers so as to make said portion available for supporting a person, said upper guide roller at the front end of said frame being in a lower position relative to the ground than the upper guide roller at the rear end of said frame so that said belt portion travelling over said upper guide rollers extends in a forward sloping downward direction, a plurality of lower guide rollers located along the lower portion of said frame for guiding thereabout a portion of said belt which is movable over said rollers and arranged for contact with the ground so that as said belt moves over said lower rollers said frame will be propelled along the ground in an opposite direction to the direction in which said belt is travelling over said rollers, guide means for guiding said belt between said upper and lower guide rollers so that when said belt is caused to move over the rollers, said belt portion which is guided over said upper rollers for supporting a person and said belt portion which is guided over said lower rollers for contact with the ground will be moving in the same direction relative to the frame, a first sprocket wheel rotatably mounted in said frame, a second sprocket wheel in fixed cooperation with one of said belt drums, a third sprocket wheel in fixed cooperation with the other of said belt drums, means for causing said first sprocket wheel to be in operative engagement with either said second or third sprocket wheels, and means for causing rotation of said first sprocket wheel so that said sprocket wheel is rotated, the sprocket wheel in engagement therewith will also cause rotation of the belt drum with which it is in cooperative fixed engagement thereby causing said belt to be wound about said belt drum and moved over said guide rollers in such a manner that the portion of the belt fOr supporting the person and the portion of the belt in contact with the ground will bemoved in the same direction and said frame will be moved in the opposite direction so that when said stretcher is in such movement and comes in contact with a person on the ground, it will automatically lift the person onto the portion of the belt carried by said upper guide rollers.

Claim 10

A stretcher for automatically lifting patients comprising a frame, a pair of rotatably mounted drums carried by said frame, a belt of finite length having each of its ends attached to one of said drums so as to be carried therebetween, a pair of upper guide rollers located in parallel relationship on the forward and rear ends of said frame for guiding a portion of said belt over said rollers so as to make said portion available for supporting a person, said upper guide roller at the front end of said frame being in a lower position relative to the ground than the upper guide roller at the rear end of said frame so that said belt portion travelling over said upper guide rollers extends in a forward sloping downward direction, a plurality of lower guide rollers located along the lower portion of said frame for guiding thereabout a portion of said belt which is movable over said rollers and arranged for contact with the ground so that as said belt moves over said lower rollers said frame will be propelled along the ground in an opposite direction to the direction in which said belt is travelling over said rollers, guide means for guiding said belt between said upper and lower guide rollers so that when said belt is caused to move over the rollers, said belt portion which is guided over said upper rollers for supporting a person and said belt portion which is guided over said lower rollers for contact with the ground will be moving in the same direction relative to the frame, a first sprocket wheel rotatably mounted in said frame, a second sprocket wheel in fixed cooperation with one of said belt drums, a third sprocket wheel in fixed cooperation with the other of said belt drums, means for causing said first sprocket wheel to be in operative engagement with either said second or third sprocket wheels, and means for causing rotation of said first sprocket wheel so that said sprocket wheel is rotated, the sprocket wheel in engagement therewith will also cause rotation of the belt drum with which it is in cooperative fixed engagement thereby causing said belt to be wound about said belt drum and moved over said guide rollers in such a manner that the portion of the belt fOr supporting the person and the portion of the belt in contact with the ground will bemoved in the same direction and said frame will be moved in the opposite direction so that when said stretcher is in such movement and comes in contact with a person on the ground, it will automatically lift the person onto the portion of the belt carried by said upper guide rollers.