Hospital bed step

Claim 1

A hospital bed step, comprising in combination: (a) an adjustable step support rod which has a multiplicity of diametrically opposed holes placed at different heights along said support rod; (b) a rail clamp which is attached to said adjustable step support rod, for securement to a top rail on a hospital bed which has three sides which are perpendicular to each other, wherein when said rail clamp is placed upon said top rail the top of said top rail and the front and back of said top rail are in direct contact with said rail clamp; (c) means for locking said rail clamp to, said top rail on said hospital bed, which is a pair of threaded thumbscrews with mating thumbscrew bushings mounted to one side of said rail clamp wherein said thumbscrews force said top rail and said rail clamp together. (d) a step upon which a patient may step in order to climb into said hospital bed; (e) a step support bracket rigidly welded to said step; (f) a step support clamp which is a length of tubing with at least one pair of diametrically opposed holes rigidly welded to said step support bracket; (g) means for locking said step clamp with associated attached said step support bracket and said step, to said adjustable step support rod such that said step is rigidly fixed when a patient steps upon said step, which comprises a locking bar which passes through both said diametrically opposed holes in said step support clamp and through said diametrically opposed holes in said adjustable step support rod, an end stop on one end of said locking bar and a latch and pivot on the opposing end wherein once said locking bar has been inserted through said diametrically opposed holes, said latch which is shaped to pass through said holes may be rotated by ninety degrees thereby preventing the removal of said locking bar without first rotating said latch another ninety degrees; and (h) means for storing said step under said hospital bed without removing said rail clamp from said top rail of said hospital bed.