Abstract

A bed and a stretcher for permitting transferring of a patient from a stretcher over to a bed, or visa versa. The bed has a plurality of supporting ledges arranged in parallel with a uniform spacing and set in place on the main bed frame in a horizontal manner. A vertically traveling frame that has a plurality of uniformily spaced supporting ledges arranged in parallel in a horizontal manner is so set in place as to be movable in a vertical direction relative to the main bed frame, whereby the supporting ledges of the traveling frame are caused to be inserted into or pass through the spaces between the supporting ledges of the bed frame. The stretcher has a pair of spaced supporting bars and a supporting member for supporting a patient. One of the supporting bars is fixed on one end of the supporting member, and the other supporting bar is arranged to be connected with, and separated from, the other end of the supporting member. The stretcher and bed are combined with each other in such a manner that the supporting member of the stretcher is inserted into the spaces formed between respective adjoining supporting ledges of the vertically traveling frame.