Lifting apparatus

A lifting apparatus comprising:

• (a) thrust means located between a first side of a base means and a first side of a platform means to move the platform means with respect to the base means,
• (b) platform stabilizing linkage assembly for maintaining the base means and the platform means in fixed relationship with respect to one another,
• (c) the platform stabilizing linkage assembly being enclosed within the thrust means and including a single, unitary, rigid inner link member and two outer rigid link members each disposed on opposed sides of said inner link member which extends across the width of the linkage assembly,
• (d) said inner and outer link members being pivotally mounted around an intermediate, common pivotal axis extending through the inner and outer link members to form a scissors linkage mechanism.

A lifting apparatus comprising:

• (a) pneumatic thrust means located between a first side of a base means and a first side of a platform means to move the platform means with respect to the base means,
• (b) platform stabilizing means for maintaining the base means and the platform means in fixed parallel relationship with respect to one another,
• (c) the platform stabilizing means being separate from and enclosed within the thrust means while being wholly devoid of lifting forces,
• (d) said pneumatic thrust means includes inlet means to allow a gaseous material to inflate the thrust means for applying lifting forces to the platform means independently of the platform stabilizing means,
• (e) said thrust means including first means to sealingly connect one end of the thrust means to the first side of the base means and second means to sealingly connect the other end of the thrust means to the first side of the platform means to contain the gaseous material within the pneumatic thrust means,
• (f) the stabilizing means including a stabilizing linkage assembly having first pivot means extending along a first common pivotal axis at one end thereof, said first common pivotal axis being fixed with respect to the platform means and second pivot means extending along a second common pivotal axis at the other end thereof, said second common pivotal axis being fixed with respect to the base means,
• (g) a first pair of mutually opposed guide means disposed on the platform means and a second pair of mutually opposed guide means disposed on the base means with each said guide means being located outside said linkage assembly to prevent horizontal and vertical movement of the linkage assembly with respect to the guide means,
• (h) said linkage assembly including third pivot means extending along a third common pivotal axis at said one end thereof, said third pivot means being slidably mounted in said first pair of guide means on the platform means and fourth pivot means extending along a fourth common pivotal axis at said other end thereof, said fourth pivot means being slidably mounted in said second pair of guide means on the base means,
• (i) said first and second pair of guide means including abutment means to stop movement of the slidably mounted third and fourth pivot means within the guide means.