Abstract: A bed having a base, a pedestal mounted on the base and a patient supporting member mounted on the pedestal. The pedestal is generally centrally oriented relative to the base and to the patient supporting member and includes a mechanism for effecting an elevating of the patient supporting member relative to the base. A stabilizing mechanism is provided for enabling the pedestal to accommodate differing elevations between the base and the patient supporting member and yet facilitate a maintaining of longitudinal axis congruency between the relatively movable components of the pedestal so that an orientation of the patient supporting member will remain relatively fixed with respect to the base independent of a height of the patient supporting member relative to the base.

Abstract: A wheeled carriage for supporting a patient in a substantially horizontal position, which wheeled carriage has thereon a patient support having head and foot regions and a pair of lateral side regions and a wheeled base supported at least by three floor surface engaging and castered wheels spaced from one another at locations defining corners of a theoretical polygon. An auxiliary wheel and a support structure therefor are suspendedly mounting the auxiliary wheel to the wheeled base. The auxiliary wheel is oriented inside a boundary of the theoretical polygon and includes an axle about which the wheel rotates. A control structure includes a first manually manipulatable member at at least one of the pair of lateral side regions and a second manually manipulatable member at at least one of the head end and the foot end so that an attendant can operate a selected one of the manually manipulatable members to effect a movement of the auxiliary wheel and the support structure therefor.

Abstract: A wheeled carriage for supporting a patient in a substantially horizontal position, the wheeled carriage has thereon a patient support having head and foot ends and a wheeled base supported by castered wheels. An auxiliary wheel and a wheel support structure therefor suspendedly mount the auxiliary wheel at its axis to the wheeled base at a distance L in a horizontal direction from the center of gravity of the wheeled carriage along the length of the wheeled base when the auxiliary wheel is engaged with the floor surface. A moment Mmass is defined by the distance L multiplied by a force Fmass, the force Fmass being defined by the mass of the carriage or carriage and patient at the center of gravity. The moment Mmass is greater at all times than a moment Mforce to prevent teetering of the wheeled carriage, where moment Mforce is defined by multiplying the height H by a force Fmax. The force Fmax is the force required to move the wheeled carriage.

Abstract: A side rail assembly for a wheeled carriage includes side rail posts secured by a support structure including bushings having inner flat sides that expand outwardly to adjust for variations in the tolerance of the side rail posts and snugly secure the side rail posts to the support structure. Such variations can be caused by a finished surface applied to the entire outer circumference of the side rail posts and the support structure to improve the appearance thereof. The support structure enables curved side rail posts to rotate about their axis at lower ends thereof.

Abstract: A wheeled carriage for supporting a patient in a substantially horizontal position, which wheeled carriage has thereon a patient support having head and foot regions and a pair of lateral side regions and a wheeled base supported at least by three floor surface engaging and castered wheels spaced from one another at locations defining corners of a theoretical polygon. An auxiliary wheel and a support structure therefor are suspendedly mounting the auxiliary wheel to the wheeled base. The auxiliary wheel is oriented inside a boundary of the theoretical polygon and includes an axle about which the wheel rotates. A control structure includes a first manually manipulatable member at at least one of the pair of lateral side regions and a second manually manipulatable member at at least one of the head end and the foot end so that an attendant can operate a selected one of the manually manipulatable members to effect a movement of the auxiliary wheel and the support structure therefor.

Abstract: Compatibility agents were developed for improving the compatibility and stability of mixtures of liquid fertilizers and liquid or wettable powdered pesticides. These compatibility agents contain water, a low alkanol and an alkylaryl polyoxyethylene glycol phosphate ester. The compatibility agent is used at a preferred concentration range of 0.1 to 0.4% of the fertilizer solution. The preferred compatibility agent not only improves the compatibility of liquid fertilizer-pesticide mixtures, but also results in uniform and stable mixtures ensuring accurate pesticide applications. The preferred compatibility agent is a mixture containing about 16% water, about 20% methanol and about 64% of an octylphenol polyoxyethylene glycol phosphate ester.