Lifting apparatus

A lifting apparatus which comprises:

• a base provided with a first side;
• a platform provided with a first side and a second side;
• thrust means positioned between said first side of said base and said first side of said platform to lift said platform relative to said base;
• platform stabilizing means enclosed within said thrust means and maintaining said base and said platform n parallel relation to one another, said stabilizing means being provided with a first extensible linkage means having first end portions and second end portions, with said first end portions being pivotably connected to said first side of said platform about a first common axis fixed in relation to said platform, and said stabilizing means also being provided with a lower extensible linkage means having first end portions and second end portions, with said second end portions of said second linkage means being pivotably connected to said first side of said base about a second common axis fixed in relation to said base and being parallel with and in vertical alignment with said first common axis;
• said stabilizing means also being provided with connecting means positioned between said second end portions of said first linkage means and said first end portions of said second linkage means, with said connecting means constraining said first and said second linkage means so that said linkage means move in unison;
• each of said first and second linkage means comprising a first inner rigid member pivotably secured between two second outer rigid members by a median pivot means whereby said second outer members are held in spaced apart relationship for constrained arcuate movement about a common median axis, with said first and said second rigid members having end portions;
• said connecting means further comprising a plurality of intermediate axes, with each of said axes passing through one of said end portions of said first inner rigid member of one of said linkage means and through one of said end portions of said second outer rigid members of the other of said linkage means in such a way as to confine these second outer rigid members to arcuate movement relative to said first inner rigid member;
• said first inner rigid members of said linkage means locate said median and said intermediate axes parallel with said common axes;
• said platform being provided with side edges, and an elongate headed protuberance being joined to said platform by means of a neck provided on said protuberance;
• and said lifting assembly further comprises a first relatively rigid part having an elongate recess shaped to receive said protuberance, a second relatively rigid part secured to said flank panel, and a thin flexible elongate intermediate part joining said first and said second rigid parts;
• and in which said flank panel further includes a hinge provided on said rigid parts, and said hinge being a co-extrusion of rigid and flexible plastics material.