Mobile elevating apparatus

Claim 1

AN ELEVATING APPARATUS COMPRISNG A MOBILE CHASSIS; A GUIDEWAY RIGIDLY MOUNTED ON SAID CHASSIS AT A FIXED INCLINATION TO THE VERTICAL; A CARRIAGE ARRANGED ABOVE THE GUIDEWAY AND COMPRISING GUIDE MEANS COOPERATING WITH THE GUIDEWAY WHEREBY THE CARRIAGE IS SUPPORTED AND GUIDED ON THE LATTER FOR MOVEMENT THEREALONG, A LOWER HORIZONTAL MAIN PLATFORM EXTENDING REARWARDLY FROM THE GUIDE MEANS IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE GUIDEWAY FOR CARRYING AN OPERATIVE, AND AN UPPER HORIZONTAL AUXILIARY PLATFORM WHICH EXTENDS ABOVE THE GUIDE MEANS FORWARDLY TOWARDS THE GUIDEWAY FOR CARRYING GOODS; MEANS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING THE CARRIAGE, AND FOR ARRESTING IT AT REQUIRED POSITIONS, ALONG THE GUIDEWAY; AND MEANS ON SAID CARRIAGE FOR OPERATING THE MEANS FOR RAISING, LOWERING AND ARRESTING THE LATTER, SAID CHASSIS HAVING WHEELS AT ONE END AND FEET AT THE OTHER END OF WHICH THE CHASSIS RESTS WHEN THE CARRIAGE IS RAISED FROM ITS LOWERMOST POSITION, AT LEAST ONE ARM PIVOTED AT ONE END ON THE CHASSIS; RETRACTIBLE CASTORS ARRANGED ADJACENT THE FEET AND RIGIDLY SECURED TO THE ARM AND MOVABLE THEREWITH, THE OTHER END OF SAID ARM BEING DISPOSED IN THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE CARRIAGE UPON THE GUIDEWAY, WHEREBY WHEN THE CARRIAGE IS MOVED TO ITS LOWERMOST POSITION THE ARM IS ENGAGED BY THE CARRIAGE AND THEREBY PIVOTED DOWNWARDLY SO THAT THE CASTORS ARE AUTOMATICALLY LOWERED TO TAKE UP THE SUPPORT OF THE CHASSIS FROM THE FEET AND MOBILIZE THE APPARATUS.