Abstract: A patient support apparatus includes a patient support frame for supporting a patient support deck, the patient support frame having two sides extending between a head end and a foot end, and a support assembly for supporting the patient support frame and moving it relative to a floor surface. The support assembly comprises two leg assemblies pivotally coupled at their first upper end portions to the patient support frame and coupled at their lower end portion to floor engaging means. The sides of the patient support frame each comprise inverted substantially U-shaped channel elements having a substantially continuous upper surface, two substantially continuous side surfaces connected at their top edges to the upper surface, and a downward facing opening between the bottom edges of the two side surfaces.

Abstract: The adjusting drive for an adjustable part of a piece of furniture such as a hospital bed or nursing bed includes a housing, and a gear transmission arranged in the housing. The drive includes a rotatable drive element, a driven element, and a motor having a drive shaft for rotationally driving said drive element. The adjusting drive is further provided with a displacement sensor for detecting the position of said driven element. The drive element is arranged between two substantially opposite gears which are mechanically contacted by the drive element. The first gears is coupled to the driven element, and the second gear is coupled to said displacement sensor.