Portable ramp for wheel chairs and the like

Claim 2

A portable ramp comprising: a number of longitudinal ramp members disposed side by side, each including a number of separate ramp sections disposed end to end, said ramp having a generally planar configuration of use wherein said ramp members are disposed side by side and said ramp sections of each ramp members are disposed end to end substantially in a common plane, longitudinal hinge means joining the laterally adjacent ramp sections along their sides for folding of said ramp sections laterally of said ramp to a partially folded ramp configuration wherein each pair of longitudinally adjacent ramp sections of each ramp member are disposed in confronting face to face relation with a pair of longitudinally adjacent ramp sections on the laterally adjacent ramp member to form a set of confronting ramp sections, and said ramp is foldable lengthwise about said lateral hinge means from said partially folded configuration to a relatively compact fully folded configuration, wherein longitudinally adjacent ramp sections of each ramp member are disposed in confronting face to face relation to facilitate storage and transportation of said ramp.

Claim 3

A ramp according to claim 1 wherein: said ramp comprises a center ramp member and two outer ramp members at opposite sides of said center ramp member, and said ramp is transformed from said configuration of use to said compact fully folded configuration by initial lateral folding of said outer ramp members toward one another about said longitudinal hinge means to positions wherein said outer ramp members are disposed in face to face relation with said center ramp member, and subsequent endwise folding of the ends of said ramp about said lateral hinge means to place the several sections of said ramp in face to face relation.

Claim 4

A portable ramp according to claim 2 wherein: each ramp member has a center ramp section and two outer ramp sections, and said outer ramp sections are folded inwardly over and into face to face relation with said center ramp sections during final folding of said ramp from said partially folded configuration to said compact fully folded configuration.

Claim 5

A portable ramp according to claim 1 wherein: said ramp comprises a pair of said ramp members disposed side by side, and said ramp is transformed from said configuration of use to said compact fully folded configuration by initial lateral folding of one ramp member about said longitudinal hinge means to a position on top of the other ramp member, and subsequent longitudinal folding of said ramp about said lateral hinge means to place the several ramp sections in face to face relation.

Claim 6

A portable ramp according to claim 4 wherein: each ramp member has a central ramp section and two outer ramp sections, and said outer ramp sections are folded inwardly into face to face relation with said inner ramp sections.

Claim 7

A portable ramp according to claim 1 wherein: said ramp is a wheel chair ramp having upwardly opening channels defining tracks for the wheels of a wheel chair and a walk-way between said tracks.

Claim 8

A portable wheel chair ramp comprising: three longitudinal ramp members disposed side by side and each including three ramp sections disposed end to end, longitudinal hinge means joining the adjacent ramp members along their sides, lateral hinge means joining the adjacent ramp sections of the outer ramp members along their ends, said ramp having a generally planar normal configuration of use wherein said ramp members and sections are disposed substantially in a common plane, said ramp being foldable to a compact configuration for convenience of storage and transportation by initial lateral foLding of the outer ramp members inwardly toward and into face to face relation with the center ramp member, and subsequent endwise folding of the outer ramp sections about said lateral hinge means inwardly toward and into face to face relation with the center ramp sections, and said outer ramp members comprising channels which define longitudinal tracks for receiving the wheels of a wheel chair when said ramp occupies said configuration of use.

Claim 9

A portable wheel chair ramp comprising: three longitudinal ramp members disposed side by side and each including three ramp sections disposed end to end, longitudinal hinge means joining the adjacent ramp members along their sides, lateral hinge means joining the adjacent ramp sections of the outer ramp members along their ends, said ramp having a generally planar normal configuration of use wherein said ramp members and sections are disposed substantially in a common plane, said ramp being foldable to a compact configuration for convenience of storage and transportation by initial lateral foLding of the outer ramp members inwardly toward and into face to face relation with the center ramp member, and subsequent endwise folding of the outer ramp sections about said lateral hinge means inwardly toward and into face to face relation with the center ramp sections, and said outer ramp members comprising channels which define longitudinal tracks for receiving the wheels of a wheel chair when said ramp occupies said configuration of use.

Claim 10

A wheel chair ramp according to claim 7 including: supporting legs hinged to the underside of said ramp so as to be foldable against said underside prior to folding of said ramp from said configuration of use to said compact configuration.

Claim 11

A portable wheel chair ramp comprising: a pair of longitudinal ramp members disposed side by side and each including three ramp sections arranged end to end, longitudinal hinge means joining said ramp members along their adjacent sides, lateral hinge means joining two adjacent ramp sections only of one ramp member and the diagonally opposite adjacent pair of ramp sections only of the other ramp member along the ends of the adjacent sections, said ramp having a normally generally planar configuration of use wherein said ramp members and sections are disposed substantially in a common plane, said ramp being foldable to a compact configuration by initial lateral folding of one ramp member about said longitudinal hinge means inwardly toward and into overlying face to face relation with the other ramp member and subsequent longitudinal folding of the outer ramp sections at one end of said ramp about the respective lateral hinge means inwardly toward and into overlying face to face relation with one side of the center ramp sections and longitudinal folding of the ramp sections at the opposite end of said ramp about the respective lateral hinge means inwardly toward and into overlying face to face relation with the opposite side of said center ramp sections.

Claim 12

A portable wheel chair ramp comprising: a pair of longitudinal ramp members disposed side by side and each including three ramp sections arranged end to end, longitudinal hinge means joining said ramp members along their adjacent sides, lateral hinge means joining two adjacent ramp sections only of one ramp member and the diagonally opposite adjacent pair of ramp sections only of the other ramp member along the ends of the adjacent sections, said ramp having a normally generally planar configuration of use wherein said ramp members and sections are disposed substantially in a common plane, said ramp being foldable to a compact configuration by initial lateral folding of one ramp member about said longitudinal hinge means inwardly toward and into overlying face to face relation with the other ramp member and subsequent longitudinal folding of the outer ramp sections at one end of said ramp about the respective lateral hinge means inwardly toward and into overlying face to face relation with one side of the center ramp sections and longitudinal folding of the ramp sections at the opposite end of said ramp about the respective lateral hinge means inwardly toward and into overlying face to face relation with the opposite side of said center ramp sections.

Claim 13

A portable ramp according to claim 9 including: releasable latch means joining the remaining adjacent ramp sections of each ramp member along their ends.