Lift device

Claim 2

A lift device comprising a pair of generally vertically extending spaced-apart support posts, slide means slidably carried by each of said support posts, first power means for sliding said slide means vertically along the support posts, a pair of elongated lift arms, each of said lift arms having a generally horizontally extending portion slidably secured to one of said slide means for sliding movement generally perpendicularly to the support posts and a downwardly extending portion, second power means for sliding the support arms generally perpendicularly to the support posts, a generally rectangular platform carried between said lift arms and pivotally secured thereto adjacent the lower ends of the downwardly extending portions thereof, said platform being pivotable between a lowered generally horizontal position and a raised generally vertical position, strap means extending from each of said lift arms to said platform for supporting the platform in the lowered position, and cable wind-up means mounted on one of the slide means, a cable secured to the platform and extending from the platform to the wind-up means whereby the wind-up means can move the platform between the raised and lowered positions.

Claim 3

The lift device of claIm 1 in which said slide means includes a housing slidably carried by each of the support posts, said power means including a cylinder and piston assembly for raising and lowering at least one of the slide housings along the associated support post.

Claim 4

The lift device of claim 2 in which said power means includes cable means extending between said one slide housing and the other slide housing for raising and lowering the other slide housing as said one slide housing is raised and lowered by said cylinder and piston assembly.

Claim 5

A lift device adapted for lifting objects into a vehicle comprising a pair of generally vertically extending spaced-apart support posts adapted to be mounted on the vehicle, a slide housing slidably carried by each of said support posts for generally vertical movement therealong, a pair of generally L-shaped lift arms, each of said lift arms having a generally horizontally extending portion and generally vertically downwardly extending portion, the horizontally extending portion of each lift arm being slidably secured to one of the slide housings for sliding movement generally perpendicularly to the support posts, a generally rectangular platform carried between said lift arms and being pivotally secured thereto adjacent the lower ends of the vertically extending portions of the lift arms, said platform being pivotable between a lowered position in which the platform extends generally horizontally and a raised position in which the platform extends generally vertically, strap means extending between each of the lift arms and the platform for supporting the platform in the lowered position, power lift means operatively connected to at least one of said slide housings for raising and lowering said one slide housing whereby the platform may be raised and lowered, power slide means mounted on at least one of the slide housings and operatively connected to the associated lift arm for moving the lift arms generally horizontally whereby the vertically extending portions of the lift arms can be moved into and out of the interior of the vehicle, pulley means rotatably mounted on one of the slide housings, power means for rotating the pulley means, and a cable extending between the platform and the pulley means and secured thereto whereby the platform can be moved between the raised and lowered positions.

Claim 6

A lift device adapted for lifting objects into a vehicle comprising a pair of generally vertically extending spaced-apart support posts adapted to be mounted on the vehicle, a slide housing slidably carried by each of said support posts for generally vertical movement therealong, a pair of generally L-shaped lift arms, each of said lift arms having a generally horizontally extending portion and generally vertically downwardly extending portion, the horizontally extending portion of each lift arm being slidably secured to one of the slide housings for sliding movement generally perpendicularly to the support posts, a generally rectangular platform carried between said lift arms and being pivotally secured thereto adjacent the lower ends of the vertically extending portions of the lift arms, said platform being pivotable between a lowered position in which the platform extends generally horizontally and a raised position in which the platform extends generally vertically, strap means extending between each of the lift arms and the platform for supporting the platform in the lowered position, power lift means operatively connected to at least one of said slide housings for raising and lowering said one slide housing whereby the platform may be raised and lowered, power slide means mounted on at least one of the slide housings and operatively connected to the associated lift arm for moving the lift arms generally horizontally whereby the vertically extending portions of the lift arms can be moved into and out of the interior of the vehicle, pulley means rotatably mounted on one of the slide housings, power means for rotating the pulley means, and a cable extending between the platform and the pulley means and secured thereto whereby the platform can be moved between the raised and lowered positions.

Claim 7

The lift device of claim 4 including cable means extending between said one slide housing to which the power lift means is attached and the other slide housing for raising and lowering the other slide housing as the one slide housing is raised and lowered by the power lift means.

Claim 8

The lift device of claim 4 in which said power lift means includes a generally vertically extensible hydraulic motor adjacent one of the support posts, first roller means carried by the upper end of the hydraulic motor, first cable means having one end connected to the slide housing on said one support post, said first cable means extending over said roller means and having the other end thereof secured against movement, second cable means having one end thereof connected to the slide housing associated with said one support post, said second cable means extending downwardly from the slide housing and extending about second roller means rotatably mounted on the lift device, said second cable means extending upwardly from said second roller means and passing over third roller means rotatably carried adjacent the upper end of said one support post and fourth roller means rotatably carried adjacent the upper end of the other support post, said second cable means extending downwardly from said fourth roller means and having the other end thereof connected to the slide housing on said other support post whereby said first cable means pulls the slide housing on said one support post upwardly as said hydraulic motor extends upwardly and said second cable means pulls the slide housing on said other support post upwardly as the slide housing on said one support post moves upwardly.

Claim 9

The lift device of claim 4 including an elongated generally tubular sleeve secured to each of the slide housings with the axis of the sleeve extending generally horizontally, the horizontally extending portion of each of the lift arms being telescopically received in one of the sleeves.

Claim 10

The lift device of claim 4 in which the power slide means comprise a horizontally extensible hydraulic motor, one end of the hydraulic motor being secured to the slide housing and the other end being secured to the associated lift arm.

Claim 11

A vehicle having a doorway in combination with a lift device adapted for lifting objects into said vehicle, comprising a pair of generally vertically extending spaced-apart support posts mounted on the vehicle at opposite sides and immediately adjacent of the doorway, slide means slidably carried by each of said support posts, a pair of elongated lift arms extending from the support posts in one direction, the vehicle having a floor storage area extending from the support posts in the opposite direction, each of said lift arms having a generally horizontally extending portion slidably secured to one of said slide means for sliding movement generally perpendicularly to the support posts and a downwardly extending portion, power means for sliding the support arms generally perpendicularly to the support post, a generally rectangular platform carried between said lift arms and pivotally secured thereto adjacent the lower ends of the downwardly extending portions thereof, said platform being pivotable between a generally horizontal position and a generally vertical position, strap mean extending from each of said lift arms to said platform for supporting the platform in the position, and power lift means operatively connected to at least one of the slide means for raising and lowering said one slide means whereby the platform may be moved between raised and lowered positions and objects may be moved from the platform through the doorway of the vehicle and between the support posts and onto said storage floor area when the platform is in the raised position.

Claim 12

A vehicle having a doorway in combination with a lift device adapted for lifting objects into said vehicle, comprising a pair of generally vertically extending spaced-apart support posts mounted on the vehicle at opposite sides and immediately adjacent of the doorway, slide means slidably carried by each of said support posts, a pair of elongated lift arms extending from the support posts in one direction, the vehicle having a floor storage area extending from the support posts in the opposite direction, each of said lift arms having a generally horizontally extending portion slidably secured to one of said slide means for sliding movement generally perpendicularly to the support posts and a downwardly extending portion, power means for sliding the support arms generally perpendicularly to the support post, a generally rectangular platform carried between said lift arms and pivotally secured thereto adjacent the lower ends of the downwardly extending portions thereof, said platform being pivotable between a generally horizontal position and a generally vertical position, strap mean extending from each of said lift arms to said platform for supporting the platform in the position, and power lift means operatively connected to at least one of the slide means for raising and lowering said one slide means whereby the platform may be moved between raised and lowered positions and objects may be moved from the platform through the doorway of the vehicle and between the support posts and onto said storage floor area when the platform is in the raised position.