US 7,571,498 B2
	Patient transfer device
William Jewell, 2240 Shelter Island Dr., Slip A202, San Diego, Calif. 92106 (US); Robert G. Godette, 607 Bent Oak Trail, Greenwood, Ark. 72936 (US); and Vincent L. Ramik, 4966 Sabra La., Annandale, Va. 22003 (US)
Filed on Jan. 14, 2008, as Appl. No. 12/7,614.
Prior Publication US 2009/0178193 A1, Jul. 16, 2009
Int. Cl. A61G 7/08 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 5—81.1HS  [5/81.1  R]

15 Claims

1. A transfer device adapted to transfer an individual from a bed to an adjacent support surface or vice versa comprising a mobile unit defined by a base having a forward end and a rear end and an upstanding structure having lower and upper end portions respectively adjacent to and remote from said base rear end, means for movably supporting said base with said base forward end beneath a bed and an adjacent floor, a lower drive pulley and an upper idler pulley respectively substantially adjacent to and remote from said base rear end, said upper idler pulley being located at a height corresponding substantially to an upper surface of a bed from which an individual is to be transferred, means for rotating said lower drive pulley to wind thereupon an elongated flexible element at least partially entrained upon said upper idler pulley with a terminal end portion of said elongated element being disposed substantially horizontally above said base, a second lower drive pulley and a second upper idler pulley respectively substantially adjacent to and remote from said base rear end, a second flexible elongated element at least partially entrained upon said second upper idler pulley and being windable upon said second lower drive pulley upon the operation of said rotating means, said second elongated element having a terminal end portion disposed substantially horizontally above said base and in substantially side-by-side relationship to said first-mentioned terminal end portion, and means for releasably connecting said first-mentioned and second elongated element terminal end portions to a slide interposed between an individual and a bed or an adjacent support surface upon which an individual is reposed whereby upon operation of said rotating means the slide with an individual thereon is pulled substantially horizontally by both said first-mentioned and second elongated elements in a substantially horizontal direction from a bed to an associated adjacent support surface or vice versa.