Vehicle assist for disabled

Claim 1

A device for assisting a disabled person in the lifting and loading of objects between a trunk of an automobile and a point of use wherein the trunk is defined in part by a sheet metal floor, and which automobile has a chassis member in part underlying and spaced below the sheet metal floor, said device including a mounting plate assembly adapted to be positioned in the trunk above the sheet metal floor and juxtaposed to the underlying chassis member, means for directly affixing said mounting plate assembly to the underlying chassis member comprising substantially rigid spacer members adapted to extend through the sheet metal floor of the trunk and between said plate assembly and the underlying chassis member for vertically supporting said mounting plate assembly upon the underlying chassis member, bolt means extending from the upper side of said plate assembly through said spacer members and adapted to be engaged with the underlying chassis member for retaining said spacer members in supporting relationship between said mounting plate assembly and the underlying chassis member, said mounting plate assembly having affixed thereto an upstanding shaft extending upwardly and within the trunk, a turntable journaled upon said shaft, first power means interposed between said turntable and said mounting plate assembly for rotating said turntable about said shaft, an object engaging member, a supporting member for supporting said object engaging member for movement relative to said turntable, second power means operatively interconnected between said turntable and said supporting member for moving said object engaging member in a generally vertical direction relative to said turntable, and third power means operatively connected between said turntable and said supporting member for moving said object engaging member in a generally horizontal direction, said first, second and third power means being capable, when actuated, of moving said object engaging member into a storage position within the trunk wherein the suppporting member is totally confined within the trunk and for moving said object engaging member to an extended position wherein an object may be moved between the trunk and a location outside of the automobile.

Claim 2

A device for assisting a disabled person in the lifting and loading of objects between a trunk of an automobile and a point of use wherein the trunk is defined in part by a sheet metal floor, and which automobile has a chassis member in part underlying and spaced below the sheet metal floor, said device including a mounting plate assembly adapted to be positioned in the trunk above the sheet metal floor and juxtaposed to the underlying chassis member, means for directly affixing said mounting plate assembly to the underlying chassis member comprising substantially rigid spacer members adapted to extend through the sheet metal floor of the trunk and between said plate assembly and the underlying chassis member for vertically supporting said mounting plate assembly upon the underlying chassis member, bolt means extending from the upper side of said plate assembly through said spacer members and adapted to be engaged with the underlying chassis member for retaining said spacer members in supporting relationship between said mounting plate assembly and the underlying chassis member, said mounting plate assembly having affixed thereto an upstanding shaft extending upwardly and within the trunk, a turntable journaled upon said shaft, first power means interposed between said turntable and said mounting plate assembly for rotating said turntable about said shaft, an object engaging member, a supporting member for supporting said object engaging member for movement relative to said turntable, second power means operatively interconnected between said turntable and said supporting member for moving said object engaging member in a generally vertical direction relative to said turntable, and third power means operatively connected between said turntable and said supporting member for moving said object engaging member in a generally horizontal direction, said first, second and third power means being capable, when actuated, of moving said object engaging member into a storage position within the trunk wherein the suppporting member is totally confined within the trunk and for moving said object engaging member to an extended position wherein an object may be moved between the trunk and a location outside of the automobile.