Wheelchair carrier and loading device

A carrier for external attachment to a vehicle for facilitating the loading by an individual of a wheelchair having wheels and arms from the ground onto the vehicle for carrying the wheelchair external of a vehicle comprising:

• a fixed support member attached externally of the vehicle and extending from the vehicle in a first direction;
• a pivot member being pivotally mounted to said fixed support member and rotatable for arcuate movement through an arc about an axis extending through said pivot member in a second direction, said arc of rotation being between a vertical carrying position and a receiving position at the end of the arc and wherein said second direction is perpendicular to said first direction;
• carrying means attached to said pivot member for carrying the wheelchair, such that said carrying means receives the arms of the wheelchair in said pivot member receiving position to frictionally engage the arms of the wheelchair as the wheelchair rests on the ground, movement of the pivot member to the vertical carrying position lifting the wheelchair off the ground for carrying the wheelchair in said pivot member vertical carrying position;
• and
• a locking assembly for positively locking the pivot member in said pivot member vertical carrying position and said receiving position, including:
• at least one locking pin mounted on said pivot member for movement between locking and release positions, the fixed support member having at least one first locking detent to receive the pin to lock the pivot member in the receiving position and at least one second locking detent to receive the pin to lock the pivot member in the vertical carrying position;
• spring means for urging said pin into said first and second locking detents;
• and
• a lever operatively connected to said pin for moving the pin between the release and locking positions against the force of said spring means to permit the individual to move the pin to the release position to pivot the pivot member between the vertical carrying position and receiving position.

A wheelchair carrier for external attachment to a vehicle for lifting from the ground and carrying wheelchairs having wheels and arms externally of the vehicle, the carrier being operated by an individual, and wherein the vehicle has a central longitudinal axis extending from the front to the back of a vehicle comprising:

• a fixed support member attached externally of the vehicle and having two side walls extending rearwardly from the vehicle, each of said side walls having first and second detents formed therein;
• a pivot member being pivotally mounted to said fixed support member between said two side walls and rotatable for arcuate movement through an arc about an axis extending through said pivot member, said arc of rotation being between a pivot member vertical carrying position and a receiving position rearward of the vehicle at the end of the arc and wherein said axis is perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the vehicle, said pivot member having a handle thereon spaced from the pivotal mount for the individual to pivot the pivot member;
• support means interconnected to said pivot member and extending rearwardly of the vehicle for receiving the arms of the wheelchair as it rests on the ground with the pivot member in the receiving position, the wheelchair carrier lifting the wheelchair off the ground as the pivot member pivots to the vertical carrying position;
• clamp means interconnected to said pivot member and disposed adjacent said support means for frictionally engaging at least one arm of the wheelchair, such that at least one arm of the wheelchair is maintained between said clamp means and said support means in said pivot member vertical carrying position;
• said support means in said pivot member receiving position being positionable to be placed under the arms of the wheelchair, such that as said pivot member rotates to said pivot member vertical carrying position, at least one of the arms of the wheelchair slidably engages said clamp means thereby loading the wheelchair to the wheelchair carrier with minimal effort by the user;
• and
• a locking assembly for positively locking the pivot member to the fixed support member in the carrying and receiving positions, including:
• a shaft mounted on said pivot member for limited motion along its length;
• two pins mounted at one end of said shaft, each pin adjacent one of the side walls of the fixed support member;
• a spring interconnected between said pivot member and said shaft to urge the shaft and pins toward the fixed support member so that the pins enter the first detents in the side walls of the fixed support member to positively lock the pivot member in the receiving position and the pins enter the second detents in the side walls of the fixed support member in the vertical carrying position to lock the pivot member in the carrying position;
• and
• a lever connected to the end of the shaft opposite the pins and proximate the handle on the pivot member so that the individual operating the wheelchair carrier can grasp the lever as he grasps the handle to move the shaft and pins from the detents for pivoting the pivot arm member between the receiving and vertical carrying positions.