Tilt apparatus

Abstract

Abstract A TILTABLE PLATFORM UNIT SUPPORTED ON A BASE UNIT IS TAUGHT. BOTH THE PLATFORM UNIT AND BASE UNIT ARE EQUIPPED WITH LINEAR STYLE TRACKS. A TRACK FOLLOWER IS GUIDED IN A PREDETERMINED PATH BY THE TRACK ON ONE OF THE UNITS AND ACTS COOPERATIVELY WITH THE TRACK ON THE OTHER UNIT TO CAUSE THE TILTING ACTION. THE TILTABLE PLATFORM UNIT IS CAPABLE OF MOVEMENT IN A HORIZONTAL DIRECTION WITHOUT TILTING DURING A PORTION OF THE MOVEMENT OF THE TRACK FOLLOWER. THE COMBINATION OF BOTH HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT AND A TILTING CAPABILITY FOR THE PLATFORM UNIT IS ACCOMPLISHED BY EMPLOYING A SPECIAL PIVOT ASSEMBLY BETWEEN THE PLATFORM AND BASE UNITS. THE PIVOT ASSEMBLY INCLUDES A GUIDE PART, AND A GUIDE FOLLOWER PART COOPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE GUIDE PART. THE GUIDE PART IS FIXED TO ONE OF THE UNITS (THE BASE UNIT), AND THE GUIDE FOLLOWER PART IS FIXED TO THE OTHER UNIT (THE PLATFORM UNIT). THE APPARATUS ALSO INCLUDES A FOOTBOARD ASSEMBLY WHICH IS COLLAPSIBLE UNDERNEATH THE PLATFORM UNIT BUT MOVABLE INTO A FOOT SUPPORT POSITION AT ONE END OF THE PLATFORM UNIT PRIOR TO TILTING THE PLATFORM FROM THE HORIZONTAL TO AN APPROXIMATELY UPRIGHT OR VERTICAL POSITION. THE FOOTBOARD ASSEMBLY IS PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO THE AXIS OF THE MAJOR PIVOT BETWEEN THE PLATFORM UNIT AND BASE UNIT. AN ACTUATING MEMBER FIXED TO THE TILTABLE PLATFORM UNIT COOPERATES WITH AN ACTUATING TRACK ON THE FOOTBOARD ASSEMBLY FOR MOVEMENT OF THE FOOTBOARD TO THE FOOT SUPPORT POSITION AND FOR WITHDRAWAL OF IT AFTER TILTABLE PLATFORM UNIT IS RETURNED TO THE HORIZONTAL FORM A TILTED POSITION.

Inventors

• 👤 Carl W Oja
• 👤 Richard L Scheuerman

Bibliographic Details