Reb Manufacturing Inc.

William D Sherman

Raymond L Smalley

Melvin G Risner

The disclosure concerns steps interchangeable into a platform lift, such as for wheelchairs for vehicles. Such a convertible step lift comprises a frame mounted in a rectangular notched-out floor section, which frame comprises corner posts which also act as guides for up and down movement of the platform lift. The movable platform comprises three sections foldable into a lower step, a riser, and an upper step, which sections are pivoted on shafts along their adjacent edges. The pivot shaft for upper step section and riser also is connected to reciprocating motor means for raising and lowering the platform. Lever extensions are fixedly attached to the ends of the riser, which are pivotally connected to other reciprocating motor means which unfolds the riser from an acute angle under the upper step section into a position coplanar with the upper step and at the same time moves the lower step section horizontally outwardly and upwardly into the same coplane to form the platform. At the outer edge of the lower step section is another shaft to which a barrier plate and a ramp are pivoted and normally urged into their operative positions when the step sections are in platform position. The barrier is folded down by levers and links when the platform engages the ground. An additional lever connected to an end of the riser folds the ramp and the barrier into their inoperative positions when the sections are in their step position.

Step convertible platform lift

A wheelchair lift such as for vehicles, comprising a stationary outer rectangular frame across the top of which swings an inner rectangular telescopic frame, the lower telescoping end of which has a foldable platform for the wheelchair. The inner frame swings out to clear the side of the vehicle, which swinging movement is limited by a pair of toggles that support a bridging platform between the lift platform and the floor of the vehicle. An electric motor-driven hydraulic pump, valve, and accumulator assembly provides the power for lifting the platform by telescoping the inner frame parts, and a valve in the hydraulic system damps the lowering of the platform. The folding of the platform from a vertical to a horizontal position and swinging of the inner frame may be done manually or by a separate reciprocating motor mounted on the upper telescopic frame.

Optional manual gravity wheelchair lift

A platform lift with a ramp corresponding to the platform's thickness along one edge thereof, at least a part of which ramp is hinged along said edge and normally urged and locked in an upward barrier position to prevent objects from sliding or rolling off the platform when the platform is away from the ground. A single lever attached to the hinged ramp part depends below the platform and automatically releases the latch for maintaining the ramp as a barrier and then engages and moves the ramp part into its ramp-employing position as the lever contacts the ground. This lift platform and ramp part barrier mechanism is particularly adapted for wheelchair lifts on vehicles.

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Upper Sandusky, OH, United States of America

William D Sherman