Vehicle wheelchair lift

Claim 2

In a vehicle having a door opening and a floor, a lift for loading and unloading said vehicle, said lift comprising: a pair of stanchion tubes disposed on each side of the opening of the vehicle, means attaching the lower portion of said tubes to said floor; a pair of hydraulic cylinder housings, means pivotally attaching the top of said housings to the top of said stanchion tubes; hydraulic cylinder means mounted inside each of said hydraulic cylinder housings; telescoping channel means slidably mounted in said hydraulic cylinder housings and attached to the ends of said hydraulic cylinder means; a horizontally disposed base channel, said channel attached to the ends of said telescoping channel means; a platform having one end pivotally attached to said channel; pivot means attached to one of said hydraulic cylinder housings for selectively engaging, pivoting and releasing said platform and to pivot said platform between a vertical and a horizontal position; means attached to one of said hydraulic cylinder housings and said pivot means to actuate said pivot means; and means on said platform engageable by said pivot means when said platform is in a predetermined position.

Claim 3

The lift as described in claim 1 wherein said means attached to one of said hydraulic cylinder housings and said pivot means is an electrically operated screw.

Claim 4

The lift as described in claim 2 wherein said pivot means attached to one of said hydraulic cylinder housings is a fold-up cam.

Claim 5

The lift as described in claim 3 wherein said means on said platform engageable by said pivot means is a fold-up pin mounted on the side of said platform, said fold-up cam engaging said fold-up pin and lowering said platform outwardly from a vertical position in the opening of the vehicle to a horizontal position for loading thereon, said fold-up cam releasing said fold-up pin when said platform is in a horizontal position thereby allowing said hydraulic cylinder means to lower said platform downwardly to the ground surface below the vehicle.

Claim 6

The lift as described in claim 3 further including a platform cam pivotally attached to one of said hydraulic cylinder housings and a bridge plate, said bridge plate hingedly attached to the floor of the vehicle, said platform cam releasably engaging a bridge pin mounted on the side of said platform, said platform cam co-acting with said fold-up cam to pivot said hydraulic cylinder housings outwardly from the vehicle and lowering said bridge plate.

Claim 7

In a vehicle having a door opening and a floor, a lift for loading and unloading said vehicle, said lift comprising: a pair of stanchion tubes disposed on each side of the opening in the vehicle, means attaching the lower portion of said tubes to the floor of the vehicle; a pair of hydraulic cylinder housings, means pivotally attaching the top of said housings to the top of said stanchion tubes; hydraulic cylinder means mounted inside each of said hydraulic cylinder housings; telescoping channel means mounted in said hydraulic cylinder housings and attached to the ends of said hydraulic cylinder means; a horizontally disposed base channel, said channel attached to the ends of said telescoping channel means; a platform having one end pivotally attached to said channel; a fold-up cam attached to one of said hydraulic cylinder housings, said fold-up cam selectively engaging, pivoting and releasing said platform for pivoting said platform between a vertical and horizontal position; an electrically operated screw pivotally attached to one of said hydraulic cylinder housings and to said fold-up cam, said screw pivoting said fold-up cam for engaging, pivoting and releasing said platform; and a fold-up pin mounted on the side of said platform, when said screw is actuated said fold-up cam engaging said fold-up pin and lowering said platform outwardly from a vertical position in the opening of the vehicle to a horizontal position for loading thereon, said fold-up cam releasing said fold-up pin when said platform is in a horizontal position thereby allowing said hydraulic cylinder means to lower said platform downwardly to the ground surface below the vehicle.

Claim 8

In a vehicle having a door opening and a floor, a lift for loading and unloading said vehicle, said lift comprising: a pair of stanchion tubes disposed on each side of the opening in the vehicle, means attaching the lower portion of said tubes to the floor of the vehicle; a pair of hydraulic cylinder housings, means pivotally attaching the top of said housings to the top of said stanchion tubes; hydraulic cylinder means mounted inside each of said hydraulic cylinder housings; telescoping channel means mounted in said hydraulic cylinder housings and attached to the ends of said hydraulic cylinder means; a horizontally disposed base channel, said channel attached to the ends of said telescoping channel means; a platform having one end pivotally attached to said channel; a fold-up cam attached to one of said hydraulic cylinder housings, said fold-up cam selectively engaging, pivoting and releasing said platform for pivoting said platform between a vertical and horizontal position; an electrically operated screw pivotally attached to one of said hydraulic cylinder housings and to said fold-up cam, said screw pivoting said fold-up cam for engaging, pivoting and releasing said platform; and a fold-up pin mounted on the side of said platform, when said screw is actuated said fold-up cam engaging said fold-up pin and lowering said platform outwardly from a vertical position in the opening of the vehicle to a horizontal position for loading thereon, said fold-up cam releasing said fold-up pin when said platform is in a horizontal position thereby allowing said hydraulic cylinder means to lower said platform downwardly to the ground surface below the vehicle.