VEHICLE WITH TELESCOPABLE ENTRY LADDER

A vehicle which can be accessed in a comfortable manner includes an entry door and an entry ladder which is disposed on the vehicle below the entry door and which can be elongated, extended or lengthened at the side of the ladder facing away from the entry door. This is achieved by a drive which converts the entry ladder from a retracted position into an extended position.

The invention relates to a vehicle with an entry door and an entry ladder disposed below the entry door on the vehicle which is able to be extended on its side facing away from the entry door.

Vehicles with extendable ladders are already known from the prior art. Thus for example fire extinguishing appliances of the fire service generally have an extendable ladder which is equipped with a drive to extend the ladder to its maximum length.

In railway technology locomotives are usually equipped with entry ladders which are not extendable and are attached permanently to the side wall of the locomotive. The entry ladder makes it possible for the train driver to get into the driver's cabin even if the locomotive is parked in the open and not at a platform. The disadvantage of extendable entry ladders has proved to be that said ladders can only be extended manually with difficulty and subsequently moved back into their original position again.

The object of the invention is to provide a vehicle of the type described at the start which can be conveniently accessed, wherein the danger of accidents is minimized.

In accordance with the invention it is therefore proposed that a drive be provided, which transfers the entry ladder from a retracted position into an extended position.

Within the framework of the invention the entry ladder no longer has to be moved to and fro manually between the different positions. Instead it is possible within the framework of the invention to use a drive for this purpose, wherein the drive can be put into action for example via a suitable remote control. A user can thus cause the entry ladder to extend even in impassable terrain or with large differences in height between the ground level of the terrain and the lowest rung of the entry ladder.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention spring means are provided for holding the entry ladder in a retracted position, wherein the drive extends the entry ladder against the spring force of the spring means and wherein the spring means, in the absence of the drive, transfers the entry ladder into its retracted position. Such an embodiment of the invention has proved especially advantageous in the area of rail traffic. The background is that a so-called loading gauge profile is defined for rail traffic. The rail vehicle should not have any components which extend beyond the loading gauge profile, since otherwise accidents would be the inevitable result. In accordance with the invention the entry ladder is disposed in its retracted position within the loading gauge profile. However in the extended position the entry ladder projects beyond the loading gauge profile. In order to avoid accidents spring means are provided in accordance with the invention which are fastened in or on the entry ladder and/or the rail vehicle so that the entry ladder is transferred in the absence of the drive into its retracted position and/or is held in said position. The drive actually makes it possible to extend the entry ladder downwards. In such cases the drive must create a drive force however which overcomes the spring forces acting in opposition. The spring forces here are dimensioned so that the entry ladder can be moved between the retracted and the maximum extended position by the drive without any damage to the spring means occurring, such as for example irreversible deformations of said means or the like. Within the framework of the invention the spring means includes one or more springs.

Within the framework of the invention all expedient springs basically come into consideration as spring means. The spring means can have one or two individual springs. In such cases the spring means comprise at least one mechanical spring for example, e.g. a coil spring.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment the spring means comprise at least one gas spring. Preferably two gas springs are provided, which are disposed for example within the hollow side rails of the entry ladder.

Within the framework of the invention there can basically also be any drive. Thus the drive is an electric drive for example.

Preferably however the drive is a hydraulic and preferably a pneumatic drive. A pneumatic drive is especially advantageous in conjunction with vehicles which, as a result of the compressed air supply present in any event to the brakes of the vehicle, do not need any additional motors or the like. The invention is thus especially cost-effective if the vehicle is a rail vehicle or a truck.

Advantageously the entry ladder is a telescopable entry ladder. A telescopable entry ladder is especially space-saving. This too has also proved especially advantageous in the field of rail traffic, since the installation space, especially of locomotives, is greatly restricted.

In accordance with a further development in this context, the entry ladder has two hollow side rails lying next to one another and rungs running between the side rails, wherein at least one ladder section is provided which has two hollow profiles lying next to one another which are connected via a rung to one another in a U shape, wherein the free ends of the hollow profiles extend in each case into the assigned side rail or into the assigned hollow profile. To avoid the section falling out of the side rails or out of the other ladder sections, expedient stop shoulders and thrust bearings are embodied in the side rails and/or the hollow profiles.

FIG. 1shows a part view of an exemplary embodiment of the inventive vehicle1, which involves a rail vehicle. The rail vehicle1has a vehicle body of which only a part of its side wall2is visible. An entry door3is visible in the side wall2which leads to an inner space, here a driver's cab of a locomotive. Disposed below the vehicle door3is an entry ladder4which makes it possible for the vehicle driver, even in terrain where there is no platform, to comfortably reach the driver's cab. The entry ladder4is extendable and has two side rails5lying next to one another, with which the entry ladder4is fastened to the side wall2. Rungs6extend between the side rails5, essentially at right angles. Also visible is a telescopable ladder section7, which has two hollow profiles8lying next to one another. The hollow profiles8are also connected to one another by a rung9. The hollow profiles8extend with their free end, i.e. facing away from the rung9, into one of the hollow side rails5in each case. The ladder section7is thus embodied in a U shape. Stop shoulders and thrust bearings not shown in the figure prevent the two hollow profiles8falling out of the side rails5.

FIG. 2shows the entry ladder4in a sectional view from the front. The entry ladder4is in its retracted position inFIG. 2, in which the hollow profiles8are arranged almost completely within the hollow side rails5. It can further be seen that the entry ladder4is equipped with spring means10and also with a drive11. The spring means10comprise two gas springs10which are each partly disposed in a pneumatic cylinder11of the drive. In this case the gas spring10is connected in its upper end shown inFIG. 2with the respectively assigned side rail5, wherein the other end of the gas spring10is permanently connected with the likewise permanently assigned hollow profile8of the ladder section4. The pneumatic cylinder11is connected via a controllable drive valve to the main air container of the locomotive not shown in the figure.

InFIG. 3the entry ladder4is shown in its extended position. For this the pneumatic cylinder11has had compressed air applied to it from the main air container, through which the gas spring10is extended against its spring force. Thus a pneumatic drive is provided for transferring the entry ladder4from the retracted position into its extended position. If the air is withdrawn from the pneumatic cylinder by means of the drive valve not shown, the gas spring10provides a resetting force, through which the ladder section7is transferred into the retracted position shown inFIG. 2.

InFIG. 4a loading gauge profile12of the rail vehicle1is indicated by a bold line. It can be seen that the ladder section7, in the extended position, protrudes beyond the loading gauge profile12.

FIG. 4shows the entry ladder4in accordance withFIG. 3in a view from the side. Here too the loading gauge profile12is illustrated by a bold line. In accordance with the invention it is insured that, in the absence of the drive, the loading gauge profile12will not be exceeded by the extended entry ladder. Thus accidents are avoided within the framework of the invention.