In various situations it is sometimes desirable to lift or support a load above a surface using a free-standing support structure having lower lateral support members that can be positioned underneath low lying obstacles. For example, in a manufacturing setting, it might be desirable to use a lift to assist in maneuvering the component parts of a machine into position where the clearance under the machine is minimal. Likewise, medical imaging devices are often rolled into position suspended over a patient lying in a bed or on a table that may extend close to floor. Considering still other examples, it might be advantageous for certain drill presses, milling machines, radiant heat dryers for curing inks or dyes, large magnifying glasses, and some types of tables to be suspended above a structure with a very low clearance above the floor without interfering with it. In these situations, it might be preferable for the laterally extending support members to maintain a low profile to allow them to be positioned beneath other structures thereby allowing for better positioning of the load being supported above.
One example of where such a structure might be used in the healthcare field concerns patient lifts. It is often desirable to assist a patient to a standing or suspended position in cases where, for example, the patient is infirm or disabled and lacks the strength or coordination to stand without aid. It is common in such situations for a caregiver to assist a patient using a patient lift.
Two types of patient lifts are commonly used and examples of each are disclosed below. One type helps raise the patient from a sitting position to a generally standing position. The patient is supported by either holding onto support bars, or by wrapping a strap-type sling behind the patient's back and under the patient's arms. The sling or support bars are attached to a support arm which is raised and lowered by a lifting mechanism. In this way, a caregiver can assist in supporting the patient as the patient moves from a seated position to a generally erect position.
The second type of patient lift requires the patient to be placed in a sling or stretcher on a bed or chair. The sling or stretcher is then connected to a support arm which is raised and lowered by a lifting mechanism actuated by the caregiver. With this type of lift, the patient is completely supported from an overhead position, and has no active role in supporting themselves or assisting in being raised. Such a lift can temporarily raise a patient or transport them with minimal discomfort.
With both types of patient lifts, as with other examples cited above, it is often the case that the lift or stand has corresponding laterally extending support members at the lower extremity of the lift which support the lift structure and the load. It is often preferable that during use of a patient lift or similarly supported device that the lower supporting members extend laterally beneath whatever structure the load (in this case a patient) is resting on (like a hospital bed or chair). Because some of the structures the load is resting on extend close to the floor, it is often the case that those structures interfere with the positioning of the laterally extending support members on the lift or stand.