Apparatus for gaining access to lift vehicles

A telescopic handler comprising an apparatus (1) for gaining access to a driver's cab of the telescopic handler, the apparatus (1) comprising a ladder (10) in turn comprising at least two movable parts (11, 12), the two movable parts being a first part (11) and a second part (12), both of which are able to oscillate with rotation movements;

• wherein the apparatus (1) comprises an automatic device (3) for moving said movable parts (11,12);
• wherein said second part (12) is slidable with respect to the first part (11);
• wherein the ladder (10) includes a first step (21) and a second step (22);
• wherein an upper support element (25) of the ladder (10) is provided, at which the first part (11) is hinged;
• wherein the first part (11) of the ladder (10) comprises a first articulated parallelogram (111, 112) and a second articulated parallelogram (113, 114), the first and second articulated parallelograms being arranged on parallel planes, the first articulated parallelogram having a first front side (111) and a first rear long side (112), the second articulated parallelogram having a second front side (113) and a second rear long side (114);
• the first front side (111) and the first rear long side (112) being transversely joined to the second front side (113) and the second rear long side (114) by said first and second steps (21, 22) of the ladder (10);
• wherein said articulated parallelograms define opposite sides of the first part (11) and being both hinged to the upper support element (25), which joins the articulated parallelograms superiorly, so as to allow oscillating movements of the ladder (10);
• wherein the second part (12) comprises two bars (121, 122) slidingly coupled to respective corresponding first and second rear long sides (112, 114) and joined inferiorly by a third step (23), defining a U-shaped structure;
• and
• wherein said automatic device (3) comprises a linear actuator (31) and a push rod (32) to which the linear actuator (31) is connected, the push rod (32) being hinged to the second part (12) so that when the telescopic handler is on a ground surface and when the automatic device (3) actuates from a retracted position to an extended position, the push rod (32) (a) causes a bottom of the first part (11) to rotate in a curved direction upwardly and away from the linear actuator (31) and away from the ground surface and (b) simultaneously acts directly on the second part (12) and forces the second part (12) to slide with respect to the first part (11) in a direction away from the upper support element (25).