A hospital bed includes a frame including connected first and second sections, a head plate connected to the first section of the frame, a tail plate connected to the second section of the frame, a first lifting unit for lifting and lowering the first section of the frame relative to the head plate, a second lifting unit for lifting and lowering the second section of the frame relative to the tail plate, an axle connected to the first lifting unit, a crank connected to the second lifting unit, a hanger for hanging the axle to the floor, and a gear assembly for connecting the axle to the crank so that the crank is operable to spin the axle to actuate the first and second lifting units.