Inventors:
Angela Milam - Macon GA, US
International Classification:
B66D 1/14
Abstract:
A winch for moving a patient laying on a pad is disclosed. The winch includes an enclosure that has a winching mechanism fixed within the enclosure, a power means, a motor, a gearing means, a power switching means, and a spool means. Preferably the winch further includes a bedrail hook attached to the front wall, the hook comprising at least one rigid U-shaped member. As such, the enclosure may be fixed to a bedrail of a bed to move the patient laying on the pad on the bed. A winching strap is connected at one end thereof to the spool means. The winching strap traverses an aperture in the at least one side wall of the enclosure, and a distal end of the winching strap terminates in a pad clamping means. The pad clamping means is preferably a clamping bar having at least two clamps, such that when the winching mechanism pulls the clamps towards the enclosure the clamps are further tightened upon the pad. In use, the pad clamping means is clamped firmly to the pad, and with the enclosure secured to a non-movable object, the winching mechanism may be activated by applying power thereto to retract the winching strap around the spool means to move the patient.