Importance

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Abstract

Different hospital bed functions or adjustments (such as high-low, back and knee adjustments) may be made by employing a single reversible motor to drive selected ones of a series of adjusting mechanisms. The adjusting mechanisms may be clutched, individually or simultaneously, to the motor drive in a transmission and the motor may be run in a selected direction in order to position the hospital bed as desired. Momentarily reversing the direction of motor rotation ensures that all of the clutches in the transmission will be disengaged except those that have been actuated. The motor is momentarily reversed upon the initial operation of any function or functions, and is again momentarily reversed upon the reactivation of any function while other functions continue to operate. With this arrangement, if any deactuated clutch has locked or latched into an engaged position, it will be quickly released or unlocked so only the desired bed functions will operate.

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First Claim