Abstract: A wheeled carriage for supporting a patient in a substantially horizontal position includes a patient support having head and foot ends and a wheeled base supported by castered wheels. Auxiliary wheels are suspendably mounted on a wheel support structure with the axis of the auxiliary wheels spaced from a midpoint of the wheeled base. A control apparatus controls the wheel support structure to move the auxiliary wheels between a first deployed position whereat castered wheels at one end of the carriage are elevated from a floor surface, and a second stored position with the auxiliary wheels out of engagement with the floor surface. The wheeled carriage includes a drive motor for powering the auxiliary wheels. A drive member applies force to a load cell on the wheeled carriage. The load cell outputs a drive signal to drive the auxiliary wheels.

Abstract: A wheeled carriage for supporting a patient in a substantially horizontal position includes a patient support having head and foot ends and a wheeled base supported by castered wheels. Auxiliary wheels are suspendably mounted on a wheel support structure with the axis of the auxiliary wheels spaced from a midpoint of the wheeled base. A control apparatus controls the wheel support structure to move the auxiliary wheels between a first deployed position whereat castered wheels at one end of the carriage are elevated from a floor surface, and a second stored position with the auxiliary wheels out of engagement with the floor surface. The wheeled carriage includes a drive motor for powering the auxiliary wheels. A drive member applies force to a load cell on the wheeled carriage. The load cell outputs a drive signal to drive the auxiliary wheels.

Abstract: A self-locking retainer, actuated by pushing a piece to be retained into the retainer, includes opposed molded parts hinged together, one pair of parts, on opposite sides of a hinged portion, movable together to form a base and a retention plug with integral locking dogs, and a second pair of parts mounted on the base of the first pair formed as hinged jaws with opposed recesses to clamp a piece to be retained. Detent means on the jaws and the base of the first pair of parts interlock to hold the jaws together when pushed together by a part to be retained.