Rotary wheelchair lift

An improved wheelchair rotary lift assembly adapted to lift wheelchair users into a vehicle through a door opening in a side wall after a corresponding side door of said vehicle is opened, said vehicle having a floor for receiving said wheelchair, comprising in operative combination:

• (a) a vertically reciprocable lifting mechamism assembly which includes:
• (i) a vertically oriented elongated load supporting member having an upper end and a lower end, and
• (ii) a housing for said load-supporting member adapted to receive said load supporting member in vertically reciprocable sliding engagement;
• (b) a horizontally oriented platform support arm disposed connected to the lower end of said load-supporting member;
• (c) a generally planar platform assembly adapted to receive a wheelchair thereon mounted on said platform support arm, said platform assembly having a longitudinal axis, a front edge and a back edge transverse to said axis, a front safety barrier member pivotally attached to said front edge, and a rear entry ramp member pivotaly attached to said back edge;
• (d) a mounting bracket assembly adapted to be secured to the interior of said vehicle independent of said door to permit said vehicle side door to be opened without affecting a first inside retracted position of said lifting mechanism for access through said vehicle side door opening by an able-bodied person;
• (i) said lifting mechanism being mounted on said bracket assembly;
• and
• (ii) said bracket assembly including means for permitting rotation of said lifting mechanism assembly into and out of said vehicle through said door opening in said vehicle side wall around a vertical axis while maintaining said platform generally parallel to said floor of said vehicle;
• (e) means for rotating said lifting mechanism approximately 90 degrees around said bracket assembly vertical axis from said first position retracted inside said vehicle in a position for immediately receiving a wheelchair, to a second position outside said vehicle,
• (f) an elongated, horizontally oriented safety handrail assembly disposed transversely to the longitudinal axis of said platform assembly,
• (i) said handrail assembly including a handrail member having an inner and an outer end disposed above said wheelchair platform a distance sufficient to provide clearance for said wheelchair and permit grasping by a wheelchair user, and
• (ii) said handrail member being disposed secured to and adjacent the upper end of said load-supporting member and adapted to move vertically while maintaining said clearance above said platform;
• and
• (g) said handrail assembly having means for permitting said handrail member to pivot down generally parallel to said vertically oriented elongated load support member to permit unrestricted access by an able-bodied person through the vehicle door opening when said platform is located in the inside retracted position.