Specialized mobile equipment handling lift system

A cargo handling assembly for a mobile vehicle having a cargo carrying region and a floor, the cargo handling assembly comprising:

• a base frame having a pair of parallel spaced rail members mounted on the floor of the vehicle which define a length for the base frame;
• a carriage assembly having a pair of spaced parallel extension arms each with an inner extent and an outer extent;
• an opposing wheel arrangement mounted on each extension arm, each opposing wheel arrangement creating a opening for receiving a length of each parallel spaced rail member, whereby the carriage assembly is horizontally translatable along the length of the base frame by movement of the opposing wheels along the spaced rail members;
• a load cage for receiving and transporting cargo, the load cage having side elements and a base plate which together define an enclosed cage space for protecting cargo being transported;
• an actuator mechanism operatively connected between the carriage assembly and the load cage for rotating the load cage in an elliptical path about a rotational axis which is substantially perpendicular to each outer extent of each extension arm between a first position, where the cage is disposed in a substantially horizontal position and lies in nested relation relative to the base frame, and a second position, in which the cage is disposed in a substantially vertical position with respect to a surrounding support surface;
• wherein the load cage has a pair of spaced vertical upright elements and wherein each extension arm is connected to a selected one of the vertical upright elements by a first and second rigid linkage bars, the first and second linkage bars forming a pair of pivot points on the outer extent of each extension arm as the load cage moves in the elliptical path about the rotational axis which is substantially perpendicular to each outer extent of each extension arm.