GB2348868A

GB2348868A - Lifting device/rack

Info

Publication number: GB2348868A
Application number: GB9908666A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bryan Ware
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-04-15
Filing date: 1999-04-15
Publication date: 2000-10-18
Also published as: GB9908666D0

Abstract

A lifting and carrying device 10,18 is disclosed which can be secured to the rear end of a motor vehicle (Fig 1) for lifting, transporting and lowering a lightweight self-propelled vehicle such as an invalid buggy. The device comprises a first member 12, 16, adapted to be fixed to the body or chassis of the motor vehicle, a platform 23 for receiving and supporting the lightweight vehicle and jacks 22 for supporting the platform 23 from the first member 12, 16, and for moving the platform 23 between a lowered position in which the lightweight vehicle can be driven from ground level onto the platform 23 and a raised position in which the platform 23 and the lightweight vehicle thereon is raised clear of the ground to allow the motor vehicle to be driven. The platform 23 can have hinged gates 19 forming ramps.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION Title:"Lifting Device/Rack" THE PRESENT INVENTION relates to a lifting device adapted to be fitted to a motor vehicle, such as a private motor car and is particularly concerned with a device intended to lift an auxiliary vehicle, such as an electrically powered vehicle or buggy for a disabled person and for supporting such auxiliary vehicle and retaining it reliably on the motor vehicle for transport thereby.

In recent years there have become available lightweight self-powered vehicles, (herein, for convenience, referred to as"buggies") by means of which disabled persons who would otherwise be unable to do so are able to move around areas, such as the interiors of shops or stores, or pedestrian precincts, to which there is normally no access for normal motor vehicles. Whilst such buggies afford a greater range of mobility, both as regards distance and as regards versatility, than conventional wheelchairs, they are necessarily somewhat heavier than the latter and do not generally have the same facility for being folded compactly for stowage and transport. Consequently, many disabled persons who possess such self-propelled buggies as well as motor cars are unable to use their buggies in areas which are too far from their homes to be conveniently reached except by motor car, because they lack facilities for transporting their buggies. Whilst motor vehicles are available which are specially constructed or adapted for operation by disabled persons and which incorporate facilities which would permit a disabled person to load and unload such a self-propelled buggy, such motor vehicles are very expensive and generally quite beyond the means of most disabled people.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a lifting and transporting means which is capable of alleviating this difficulty.

According to the invention there is provided a lifting and carrying device suitable for securing to a motor vehicle for lifting, transporting and lowering a lightweight self-propelled vehicle or other equipment, the device comprising a first member adapted to be fixed to the body or chassis of such motor vehicle, a supporting member comprising a platform or track for receiving and supporting such lightweight self-propelled vehicle or other equipment and means for supporting said supporting member from said first member and for moving said supporting member when the first member is appropriately secured to a motor vehicle, between a lowered position in which such lightweight vehicle or other equipment can be driven from ground level onto said platform or track and a raised position in which such platform or track, and consequently any such lightweight vehicle or other equipment thereon, is raised clear of the ground to allow such motor vehicle to be driven.

An embodiment of the invention is described below, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a schematic side elevation view showing the rear end of a motor car and a device in accordance with the invention secured thereto, FIGURE 2 is an end elevation view of the device of Figure 1, (the motor car being omitted for ease of illustration), and FIGURE 3 is a partly exploded perspective view of the device.

Referring to the drawings, one embodiment of the device according to the invention comprises a base frame 10 adapted to be fixed to the rear of a motor car. In the arrangement illustrated, the base frame 10 is illustrated as comprising an angle section girder 12 extending horizontally transversely of the vehicle and generally L-shaped limbs 14 secured, for example by welding, to the beam 12 and extending downwardly and forwardly under the rear of the car body shell where it is secured to the mounting points customarily provided for fixing conventional towing brackets. In the arrangement illustrated, as best shown in Figures 1 and 3, a vertical flange of the angle section girder 12 is arranged to lie just rearwardly of the rear bumper of the car, with the other flange extending horizontally rearwardly from the lower end of the vertical flange.

In the arrangement illustrated, to facilitate dismounting of the bulkiest portion of the device, the remainder of the device to be described is arranged to be quickly securable to and detachable from the beam 12, whilst being at the same time securely retained when fixed. To this end, the remainder of the device engages the beam 12 via a further horizontal beam, illustrated, for simplicity, as a further angle section beam 16, which is arranged to fit snugly within the angle of the beam 12. Thus, the beam 16 is shown as comprising a vertical flange 16a which, in the assembled condition, lies against the rear face of the vertical flange of beam 12 and a horizontal flange 16b which, in the assembled condition, lies on top of the horizontal flange of the beam 12 and projects rearwardly from the vertical flange 16a. The means used for detachably securing beam 12 to beam 16 may comprise, for example, bolts, or quickrelease fasteners (not shown). The beam 16 supports, with provision for vertical translational movement, a platform 18 for supporting, in turn, a motorised invalid buggy. In the arrangement illustrated, the platform 18 comprises two parallel horizontal beams 20,21 extending parallel with the beams 12 and 16 and spaced apart transversely of one another and further comprises a flat supporting deck 23, of minimal vertical depth consistent with appropriate strength, extending between and secured to the beams 21 and 20.

At each end of the platform 18 is provided a hinged ramp 19 hingedly connected with the deck 20 for pivoting about a horizontal axis, extending parallel with the fore-and-aft axis of the vehicle, said axis lying in the plane of the deck 23. Each ramp 19 is thus pivotable between a raised position shown at the far end of the structure in Figure 3, in which it extends substantially vertically and provides an end wall upstanding from the deck 23, and a lowered position, shown at the near end in Figure 3, in which it extends generally horizontally or at a slight downward slope to engage the surface of the ground at its free end, so as to provide a ramp via which an invalid buggy can be driven onto the deck 23, after which the ramp can be pivoted to its vertical position and secured in that position (by means not shown), to retain the buggy in place.

As noted above, the platform 18 is guided for vertical translational movement relative to the beam 16. In the arrangement illustrated in the drawings, such guidance is provided by guide rods 22 fixed to and extending upwardly from the beam 21 and passing slidably through guides provided in the beam 16, whereby the platform 18 can be slid upwardly and downwardly but is restrained against pivotal movement about horizontal or vertical axes. It will be understood that the form of the beam 16 shown is for purposes of illustration only. In practice it may well be necessary for the beam 16 to provide, for each guide rod 22, vertically spaced upper and lower guides fixed to the beam 16. To this end, of course, it may be convenient for the beam 16 to have some other cross-sectional shape from that illustrated, for example, to be of box section, or for such lower guides to be secured to the flange 16b of the beam 16 whilst the vertically spaced upper guides are supported in brackets welded to the beam.

Appropriate means is provided for raising and lowering the platform 18 relative to the beam 16. By way of illustration, Figure 3 shows such means as comprising a vertical screw 26 fixed to the beam 21. This screw 26 may pass, via an appropriate aperture in the beam horizontal flange 16b, through a complementary screw-threaded nut 28 (see Figure 2) arranged to be rotated, for example through appropriate reduction gearing, for example by a worm and pinion arrangement, by rotational driving means such as an electric motor 30.

The mechanical advantage afforded by me screw and nut and reduction gearing arrangement referred to would allow an electric motor of relatively modest power to raise, albeit slowly, a relatively heavy load.

In use of the device, once the buggy has been driven onto the platform and the disabled person has dismounted therefrom, the ramps 19 are moved to their raised positions and locked in place, then the motor driving nut 28 is activated, for example by a switch in the vehicle, until the platform 18 and the buggy thereon have adequate clearance from the road surface, after which the vehicle may be driven until the buggy is required again or at least until it is to be removed from the vehicle.

It will be understood that if desired, for example to minimise cost, the mechanism for raising and lowering the platform may be operated manually, for example by an appropriate crank connected by a shaft to the jack mechanism.

It will also be understood that the manner of mounting the platform 18 for vertical movement may be varied, within the scope of the invention, significantly from the arrangement illustrated. For example, whilst a vertical sliding movement is illustrated, it may in practice be preferable to connect the platform with the beam 16 or corresponding fixed structure by way of an appropriate arrangement of pivoted links, for example by a parallelogram linkage or a quasi-parallelogram linkage which may, for example, be arranged to tilt the platform and the buggy thereon slightly towards the car as it is raised, in the interests of security and compactness. Likewise, the manner in which the force is generated for lifting and lowering the buggy may be varied widely.

Thus, for example, instead of a screw jack arrangement, as illustrated, hydraulic or pneumatic actuators may be utilised.

Whilst the invention has been described in terms of a device for lifting and transporting invalid buggies, a device in accordance with the invention may be provided for lifting and transporting other items, such as motorcycles, ski-jets or other items not readily lifted into a car boot, for example.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A lifting and carrying device suitable for securing to a motor vehicle for lifting, transporting and lowering a lightweight self-propelled vehicle or other equipment, the device comprising a first member adapted to be fixed to the body or chassis of such motor vehicle, a supporting member comprising a platform or track for receiving and supporting such lightweight self-propelled vehicle or other equipment and means for supporting said supporting member from said first member and for moving said supporting member when the first member is appropriately secured to a motor vehicle, between a lowered position in which such lightweight vehicle or other equipment can be driven from ground level onto said platform or track and a raised position in which such platform or track, and consequently any such lightweight vehicle or other equipment thereon, is raised clear of the ground to allow such motor vehicle to be driven.
2. A device according to claim I wherein said first member includes structure adapted to be extended below the body shell of a motor car and to be secured to tow bar mountings of the motor car.
3. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said first member includes a horizontally extending beam adapted to extend across a rear end of such motor vehicle and said platform is mounted for vertical translational movement relative to said beam.