Automatic lift assembly

Abstract

This invention relates to an automatic lift device for use in association with doorway openings of buildings or of vehicles such as buses and vans so as to facilitate the loading and unloading of handicapped persons into and out of such buildings and/or vehicles. More specifically, the invention relates to an automatic lift device which consists of a lift carriage that is mounted within the doorway opening so as to be vertically movable therein. Movable step and riser elements are provided within the lift carriage so as to form normal upper and lower entrance steps in their retracted normal use position. The lift carriage is selectively movable to a lowered ground level position and a raised interior floor level position while the upper step and riser remain in their retracted normal step position within the lift carriage. The upper step and riser pivotally connected thereto are selectively extendable outwardly and downwardly so as to form a continuous horizontal loading platform in association with the fixed lower step formed by the base of the lift carriage. Thus formed, the horizontal loading platform can be selectively lowered to the ground or curb level or to any level intermediate thereto. It can be also selectively raised to the interior vehicle floor level thereby enabling a handicapped person, on crutches or in a wheelchair, to easily board or disembark from such vehicles at will. The riser element which is pivotally connected to the movable upper step can be selectively raised to form a ramp extension of the loading platform. The riser is pivotally movable from its ramp extension position so as to automatically compensate for uneven ground so as to facilitate movement of a wheelchair onto the loading platform. After a wheelchair has been moved onto the loading platform, the riser can be selectively pivotally moved to a position above the horizontal so as to act as a guard against inadvertent movement of the wheelchair from the platform while the platform is being raised to the level of the vehicle inside floor.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.