Wheelchair lift device

Claim 2

In combination with a wheelchair lift device having front and rear hinged sections that are foldable through a support linkage to form steps located entirely within the stepwell of a vehicle for use by able-bodied persons and are extendible relative to the stepwell so as to align the hinged sections along a horizontal plane to form a platform for supporting the wheelchair, means connected to said hinged sections for moving the latter vertically when formed as a platform so the wheelchair may leave and enter the vehicle, a ramp carried by said front section for facilitating movement of the wheelchair to and from said front and rear sections when the latter are formed into said platform and are located at ground level, a mechanism including a pair of non-parallel links pivotally connected to said ramp and to said front section for controlling orbital movement of the latter about said front section from a first position wherein said ramp is stored beneath and adjacent to said front section to a second position wherein said ramp is located in substantial horizontal alignment with said front section to facilitate said movement of the wheelchair to and from the platform and to a third position wherein the ramp is disposed forwardly of and at an elevation above the front section and in a plane that is inclined relative to the plane of said front section so as to prevent the wheelchair from rolling off the platform, and power-operated means connected to one of said links for moving said ramp from said first position to said second and third positions.

Claim 3

In combination with a wheelchair lift device having front and rear hinged sections that are foldable through a support linkage to form steps located entirely within the stepwell of a vehicle for use by able-bodied persons and are extendible relative to the stepwell so as to align the hinged sections along a horizontal plane to form a platform for supporting the wheelchair, means connected to said hinged sections for moving the latter vertically when formed as a platform so the wheelchair may leave and enter the vehicle, a ramp carried by said front section for facilitating movement of the wheelchair to and from said front and rear sections when the latter are formed into said platform and are located at ground level, a mechanism carried by said front section and including a pair of links pivotally connected to said ramp for controlling orbital movement of the latter about said front section from a first position wherein said ramp is stored beneath and adjacent to said front section to a second position wherein said ramp is located in substantial horizontal alignment with said front section to facilitate said movement of the wheelchair to and from the platform and to a third position wherein the ramp is disposed forwardly of and at an elevation above the front section and in a plane that is inclined relative to the plane of said front section so as to prevent the wheelchair from rolling off the platform, and a power-operated cylinder pivotally connected at one end to said front section and having the other end pivotally connected to one of said links for moving said ramp from said first position to said second and third positions.

Claim 4

In combination with a wheelchair lift device having front and rear hinged sections that are foldable through a support linkage to form steps located entirely within the stepwell of a vehicle for use by able-bodied persons and are extendible relative to the stepwell so as to align the hinged sections along a horizontal plane to form a platform for supporting the wheelchair, means connected to said hinged sections for moving the latter vertically when formed as a platform so the wheelchair may leave and enter the vehicle, a ramp carried by said front section for facilitating movement of the wheelchair to and from said front and rear sections when the latter are formed into said platform and are located at ground level, a mechanism carried by said front section and including a pair of links pivotally connected to said ramp for controlling orbital movement of the latter about said front section from a first position wherein said ramp is stored beneath and adjacent to said front section to a second position wherein said ramp is located in substantial horizontal alignment with said front section to facilitate said movement of the wheelchair to and from the platform and to a third position wherein the ramp is disposed forwardly of and at an elevation above the front section and in a plane that is inclined relative to the plane of said front section so as to prevent the wheelchair from rolling off the platform, and a power-operated cylinder pivotally connected at one end to said front section and having the other end pivotally connected to one of said links for moving said ramp from said first position to said second and third positions.

Claim 5

In combination with a wheelchair lift device having front and rear hinged sections that are foldable through a support linkage to form steps within the stepwell of a vehicle for use by able-bodied persons and are extendible relative to the stepwell so as to align the hinged sections along a horizontal plane to form a platform for supporting the wheelchair, a ramp carried by said front section for facilitating movement of the wheelchair to and from said front and rear sections when the latter are formed into said platform, a mechanism carried by the front section for controlling orbital movement of the ramp about said front section from a first position wherein said ramp is stored beneath said front section to a second position wherein said ramp is located in substantial horizontal alignment with said front section to facilitate said movement of the wheelchair to and from the platform and to a third position wherein the ramp is disposed forwardly of the front section and in a plane that is inclined relative to the plane of said front section so as to prevent the wheelchair from rolling off the platform, said mechanism including a bracket rigid with said front section, first and second links respectively supported at one end on said bracket by first and second pivot connections, the other end of said first and second links being respectively connected to said ramp by third and fourth pivot connections, the arrangement of said pivot connections being such that a straight line extending through the centers of said first and third pivot connections and a straight line extending through the centers of said second and fourth pivot connections intersect at a point below said front section when the ramp is in said stored position and intersect at a point above said front section when the ramp is in the aligned and restraining positions, and power-operated extensible means supported at one end by the front section and at the other end connected to one of said links for moving said ramp from said first position to said second and third positions.

Claim 6

In combination with a wheelchair lift device having front and rear hinged sections that are foldable through a support linkage to form steps within the stepwell of a vehicle for use by able-bodied persons and are extendible relative to the stepwell so as to align the hinged sections along a horizontal plane to form a platform for supporting the wheelchair, a ramp carried by said front section for facilitating movement of the wheelchair to and from said front and rear sections when the latter are formed into said platform, a mechanism carried by the front section for controlling orbital movement of the ramp about said front section from a first position wherein said ramp is stored beneath said front section to a second position wherein said ramp is located in substantial horizontal alignment with said front section to facilitate said movement of the wheelchair to and from the platform and to a third position wherein the ramp is disposed forwardly of the front section and in a plane that is inclined relative to the plane of said front section so as to prevent the wheelchair from rolling off the platform, said mechanism including a bracket rigid with said front section, first and second links respectively supported at one end on said bracket by first and second pivot connections, the other end of said first and second links being respectively connected to said ramp by third and fourth pivot connections, the arrangement of said pivot connections being such that a straight line extending through the centers of said first and third pivot connections and a straight line extending through the centers of said second and fourth pivot connections intersect at a point below said front section when the ramp is in said stored position and intersect at a point above said front section when the ramp is in the aligned and restraining positions, and power-operated extensible means supported at one end by the front section and at the other end connected to one of said links for moving said ramp from said first position to said second and third positions.