Transportable overbed table

Claim 1

A transportable overbed table comprising a wheeled base, an inner tubular column secured to and projecting vertically upwardly from said base, said base presenting a portion which projects forwardly and radially from the column and is designed for disposition in the vicinity of a bed frame, an outer tubular carriage disposed in coaxial telescopic relationship with respect to and slidable on said column, a table unit having its proximate and mounted on said carriage and projecting radially outwardly therefrom and overlying the projecting portion of the base, a nut disposed within and fixedly secured to said column in the upper region of the latter, a vertically shiftable rotatable elevation screw threadedly received through said nut, disposed within the confines of the tubular carriage and column and effective upon rotation thereof in opposite directions to raise and lower the carriage, and consequently the table unit, a hand wheel fixedly secured to the upper end of the elevation screw above the level of the carriage and below the level of the table unit for rotation of the elevation screw, and counterbalancing means for said carriage and effective to prevent gravitational run-out of the elevation screw incident to the weight of the carriage and table supported thereby, said counterbalancing means comprising an involute coil spring having its inner end secured to said elevation screw and having its outer end slidably confined by means of a vertical guideway provided within the column and along which said outer end of the coil spring travels vertically.