Wheelchair lift for public transportation vehicle
AssigneeCounty of Santa Clara, State of California
InventorsJordan A. Kinkead, James T. Pott, Roger M. Sherman, Eugene F. Sullivan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lift for use in a public conveyance such as a bus, train, et cetera, such that a wheelchair can be rolled onto the lift platform at ground level and be transported into the vehicle. The lift platform moves vertically in a well in the vehicle to the passenger level and then rotates into the bus as the doors are closed. Exit from the vehicle is accomplished in the reverse manner.
Claims17
A lift for transporting passengers between ground level and passenger level and into and out of the vehicle, said vehicle having a well therein communicating with an opening in one wall to form an entrance into the vehicle, said well being defined by an opening in the floor of said vehicle, said lift comprising, in combination:
- a platform having a horizontal top surface on which a passenger can ride and also being large enough to support a conventional wheel chair, said platform being of larger size than said well;
- a support for said platform;
- means fixing said platform to said support for pivoting movement of said platform about a pivot and between a first position situated completely within the vehicle and covering said well and a second position turned substantially normal to said first position in which said platform occupies the space in the well and extends through and beyond said wall opening of the vehicle;
- first actuating means for rotating said platform between the first and second positions;
- and
- second actuating means for moving said support vertically between the passenger level and the ground level positions whereby the platform can be lowered below said floor when in said second position and raised above the floor and pivoted to said first position within the vehicle.
A lift for transporting passengers between ground level and passenger level and into and out of a vehicle, said vehicle having a well therein communicating with an opening in one side wall to form an entrance into the vehicle, said well being defined by an opening in the floor of said vehicle, said lift comprising, in combination:
- a platform having a horizontal top surface on which a passenger can ride;
- a support for said platform;
- means fixing said platform to said support for pivoting movement of said platform about a pivot and between a first position situated completely within the vehicle and a second position turned to partially extend from said well out through the side wall opening in said vehicle;
- first actuating means for rotating said platform between the first and second position;
- and
- second acutating means for moving said support vertically between the passenger level and the ground level, a pivoted ramp connected to the outermost edge of said platform in the second position and a flap which forms a truncated corner of said ramp pivoted to said ramp, said flap being folded up on said ramp in order to clear any obstruction or part of the vehicle near one corner of the well as said platform is pivoted from the first position to the second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.