A RAILSYSTEM FOR A CHAIR LIFT OR THE LIKE, WHICH IS MOUNTED ON OR ALONG A FLIGHT OF STAIRS

Abstract: A rail system (2) for a chair lift (1) or the like to be mounted along a flight of stairs (4) and comprising a rail (5, 6) having a direction of displacement with a horizontal and a vertical component and having an end portion (6) which, with respect to a lower end of a rail portion (5) to be mounted in a fixed position, is adapted to swivel between a position wherein said end portion (6) in the direction of displacement blends with said rail portion (5) and a position wherein said end portion (6) is swivelled upwards into a vertical position abutting against the lower end of said rail portion (5).

Description: A railsystem for a chair lift or the like, which is • mounted on or along a flight of stairs This invention relates to a rail system for a chair lift or the like, said system being mountable on or along a flight of stairs and comprising a rail having a direction of displacement with a horizontal and a vertical component and having an end portion which, relatively to a lower end of a rail section to be mounted in a fixed position, can swivel between a position wherein said end portion in the direction of displacement blends with said rail portion and a position wherein said end portion lies substantially in a vertical plane enclosing a substantially right angle with the horizon¬ tal component of the direction of displacement defined by the lower end of the rail portion to be mounted in a fixed position. Mounting the end portion so that it can be swung aside has the purpose to minimize obstruction by the rail at the bottom of the staircase. The fact is that, for a chair lift t be guided to the level of the floor before the staircase in the desired and required manner, the rail should extend some distance beyond the end of the staircase. If the staircase, as is often the case, terminates in a hall or corridor extending transversely to the staircase, then the rail portion extending beyond the end of the staircase forms an inconvenient obstacle. By constructing the projecting rail portion as a swing-aside end portion, the hindrance encountered can be reduced. In the design of such a swivelling construction, a numbe of points have to be taken into account. The rail has a guiding function, which should not be disturbed. This implies that the guide surfaces should remain free from hinge projec- tions and hinge attachment portions. Furthermore, it will be necessary that forces and moments are transmitted between the fixed rail portion and the end portion without this having an material effect on the smooth transition from the rail portio to the end portion. In known rail systems of the above described type, for that purpose the end portions are constructed designed to be swivelled to the left or to the right with respect to the fixedly mounted rail portion. The hinge shaft then extending substantially vertically presents good starting point for the guide surface transition and the transmission of forces to take place in the desired manner. However, the swinging or swivelling to the left or to th right of the end portion can also be very annoying. Depending on whether the rail system is mounted on the left or on the right hand side of the staircase, swivelling to the right or to the left of the end portion means that this impedes or eve prevents the normal use of the stairs. Such an arrangement will preferably not be chosen but will be necessary in certai cases, e.g. because swivelling away from the staircase is precluded by a wall or a door. It is an object of the present invention to construct th end portion in such a manner that in the swung-aside or swivelled-aside position, it hardly impedes the normal use of the staircase and the swivelling or swinging movement cannot be obstructed by doors or walls which may be present, and so that a proper transmission of forces and a smooth guide surface transition is preserved. The objects set are achieved, according to the present invention, because of the fact, that the end portion is adapted to swivel from the position blending with the rail portion to be mounted in a fixed position in upward direction and in the direction of said rail portion into a vertical position abutting against the lower end of said rail portion. These features allow the end portion to be placed with a tilting/swivelling movement upright against the fixed rail portion. No obstructions are expected in that direction, as this is the space through which the lift chair has to move fo reaching the floor level before the staircase. Furthermore, the tilting/swivelling movement effects that when the end portion swivels downwards, this can come into abutment agains the fixed end portion, whereby the desired transmission of forces and smooth guide surface transition can be realized. An additional advantage of the features according to the present invention is that the construction has become more universal, i.e. swivelling movements to the one or to the other side need not be taken into account, as is the case in the prior art, and moreover like structural members can be used, no matter whether the rail system is mounted on the lef or on the right hand side of the staircase. This makes for cheaper and simpler manufacture and storage of parts . The tilting/swivelling movement can be realized in a relatively simple manner when, in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, in the position in which the end portion blends with the fixed rail portion, said end portion is provided at a point spaced from the lower end of said fixed portion with at least one hinge shaft to which, through control and displacement means, is imparted a movemen which brings the end portion in its desired vertical position. The end of the fixed rail portion can then serve as a second bearing or supporting surface for the end portion. Preferably however, there are provided two hinge shafts spaced apart longitudinally of the end portion, to at least one of which hinge shafts the desired movement can be imparted by the control and displacement means . It can thus be ensured in a simple manner that the end portion is displaced in an accurately controlled manner throughout its entire movement. One or both hinge shafts may consist of pins or journals guided in a cam track groove. However, it is preferred that the hinge shafts are each connected to the end of a swivel lever and the other ends of said swivel levers are connected through hinge shafts to two spaced fixed points and at least one of the swivel levers forms part of the control and displacement means. Thus the up-and-down swivelling movement of the end portion can be realized in a simple manner by rotationally driving one of the hinge shafts on the other end of the swivel levers, e.g. through an electric motor, which can be energized from the staircase ends or from the chair lift. Naturally the up-and-down swivelling motion of the end portion may be effected manually, or manually or with a motor at the user's choice. According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, one of the hinge shafts is provided near the lower end of the end portion and the swivel lever coactin with the other hinge shaft on the end portion is drivable rotationally by a motor at its articulation with the fixed points. The drive unit can then be arranged on the staircase and substantially underneath the fixed rail portion, while th end portion, in its swung-down or swivelled-down position, ca be supported optimally at its two ends. It is further preferred that, for effecting the tilting/swivelling motion o the end portion from the inclined position to the substan- tially vertical position and vice versa, the swivel lever coacting with the hinge shaft provided near the lower end of •the end portion extends substantially horizontally when the end portion is in the position blending with said rail portio and the swivel lever coacting with the other hinge shaft in that position of the end portion encloses an acuter angle therewith than the swivel lever coacting with the hinge shaft disposed near the lower end of the end portion, and in its other extreme position said swivel lever extends substantially vertically. Owing to these features the in both extreme positions the end portion can be moved into a stable horizon¬ tal or vertical position that is maintained by gravity, while the other lever, which is not parallel to the subjacent lever, provides for the tilting movement during swivelling. The stabilization of the swivel lever connected to the lower end of the end portion can be maximized when, according to a still further embodiment of the present invention, the hinge shaft at the lower end of the end portion is coplanar with the hinge shafts of the other swivel lever when the end portion is in the position blending with said rail portion. Thus the swivel lever connected to the lower end of the end portion cannot swivel further downwards and the lowermost position of the end portion is accurately . defined. When, according to a still further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a spring which stabilize the end portion in at least one of its end positions, and als promotes at least the end portion's swivelling upwards and in the direction of said rail portion, there is obtained a construction by means of which both the retention in both end positions can be promoted, and the tilting/swivelling motion can be balanced. One possibility is e.g. a spring attached at its one end to the swivel lever coacting with the hinge shaft provided near the lower end of the end portion, i.e. about half-way the two hinge shafts at the ends of said lever, with the other end of the spring connected to the other lever near its hinge shaft connected to the fixed point. Thus a construc tion can be realized wherein the spring pulls the end portion into its two end positions, while after the end portion's being moved out of its swung-down end position, the spring supports the upwardly swivelling movement of the end portion and damps its downward movement, which, too, has its advan¬ tages if a hand-operated embodiment is chosen. In accordance with still another preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the position wherein the end portio and the rail portion blend with one another, the boundary fac between the two extends substantially vertically. Owing to th inclined position of the rail, the substantially vertical boundary face means that the end portion is supported on the fixed rail portion, which optimizes the transmission of forces. Likewise, a tilting/swivelling displacement can then be initiated and terminated without any problem, while in the swung-up or swivelled-up position, the then substantially vertical end portion can rest against a likewise vertical supporting surface. Besides, it may further be arranged for the end portion to be lockable in its two extreme positions, which locking can be realized practically automatically as a result of the tilting/swivelling displacement of the end portion towards the end of said displacement, e.g. by using hook-shaped webs. One embodiment of the rail system according to the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a top view of a chair lift with rail system according to the invention, wherein rail system portions located underneath the chair lift are shown in solid lines; Fig. 2 is a front view of Fig. 1, wherein again rails system portions now located behind the chair lift, more in particular of the swing-up or swivel-up end portion, are show in solid lines; Fig. 3 is a top view of the rail system with the end portion in swung-up or swivelled-up position; and Fig. 4 is a front view of Fig. 3. Figs . 1 and 2 diagrammatically show a chair lift 1 movable along a rail system 2. The manner of guiding and driving chair lift 1 is not further shown and will not be discussed, as this is not relevant to the subject matter of the present invention. The rail system 2 comprises a rail portion 5 connected fixedly to a wall 3 and/or a staircase 4, said rail portion 5 linking up with a swing-up or swivel-up end portion 6 shown i Figs. 1 and 2 in its swung-down or swiveiled-down end position, where end portion 6 is co-extensive with the fixed rail portion 5 and blends therewith. End portion 6 extends substantially down to a floor 7 before staircase 4, so that a user of chair lift 1 can step out of the chair without any problem. As best shown in Fig. 1, in the swung-down position of end portion 6, a door 8 cannot be opened when this swivels in the manner shown in Fig. 3, which swivelling direction is conventional when door 8 is a front door. If end portion 6 swivels away about a vertical shaft in the direction of door 8, this offers no solution in the present case, because no sufficient room is available- for the purpose. In situations i which there is sufficient room though, mostly a door is present beside the staircase 4, leading to another room, such as a toilet or a storage or meter cupboard or the like. Swivelling away in the other direction brings the end portion 6 in transverse position before staircase 4 and obstructs its normal use. According to the present invention, it is there¬ fore proposed to swivel end portion 6 backwards and upwards, as shown in Figs . " 3 and 4. To that end, end portion 6 is hingedly connected to both a swivel lever 9 and to a swivel lever 10, each composed of two lever arms arranged on either side of the rail. One end of swivel lever 9 is coupled through a hinge shaft 11 with the lower end of the end portion 6, and the other end of swivel lever 9 is connected through a hinge shaft 12 to a supporting construction 13 fixedly connected to staircase 4. Swivel lever 10 is coupled at one end through a hinge shaft 14 to support¬ ing construction 13 and at its other end through a hinge shaft 15 to end portion 6. In order not to influence the guide surfaces of end portion 6, hinge shafts 11 and 15 are not mounted directly in end portion 6 but in portions 16, 17 fixedly connected thereto. The relative positions of the hinge shafts are so chosen that in the swung-down position of end portion 6, as shown in Fig. 2, hinge shafts 11, 14 and 15 are substantially aligned, which implies that swivel lever 9 cannot swivel further downwards than the position shown in Fig. 2, or that a highly stable lift guiding and supporting position for end portion 6 is realized. This stable position is further promoted by giving boundary face 18, between fixed rail portion 5 and end portio 6, a substantially vertical position, so that end portion 6, when being loaded by lift chair 1, at the location of boundar face 18, is supported against fixed rail portion 5. It is observed that boundary face 18 continues into portion 17 connected fixedly to end portion 6 and fixed rail portion 5. A motor 19 is provided for swivelling end portion 6 upwards from the position shown in Fig. 2 into the position shown in Fig. 4, or vice versa, which motor 19 is adapted to rotate hinge shaft 14. The activation of motor 19 can be arranged in such manner that this is controllable from the staircase ends or from the chair lift 1. The swung-up or swivelled-up position of end portion 6 i shown in Figs. 3 and 4. As clearly shown in Fig. 3, the door in this position can swing open unimpededly, while the normal use of staircase 4 is practically not hindered. It will also be clear that in the presence of a door beside the staircase, this door is not blocked by end portion 6 in its swung-up position. In the position shown in Fig. 4, end portion 6 rests against the lower end of the fixed rail portion 5, which provides a stable location. As the end portion, during its displacement, executes both a swivelling and a tilting movement, a lock can be realized, i.e. through this movement, in a relatively simple manner by means of hook-shaped webs, not shown, on the end portion and a fixed portion, which webs at the end of the tilting/swivelling motion, automatically come into contact with one another. Such a lock can naturally also be realized in the swung-down or swivelled-down position In the embodiment shown, the rail system - as viewed in upward direction of staircase 4 - is provided on the left thereof. It will be clear from the drawings, and in particula from the top views, that the rail system 2 could just as well have been disposed on the right of staircase 4; only the moto 19 should then have been placed on the other side, which is possible by simple constructive means . The stabilization in the two end positions can be improved by stretching a diagrammatically shown extension spring 21 between an attachment point 22 on swivel lever 10 ' near hinge shaft 14 and an attachment point 23 on swivel leve 9. In the swung-down position shown in Fig. 2, spring 21 has no influence due to the alignment of shafts 11, 14 and 15 and the fact that spring 21 has been displaced past its furthest extended position. When spring 21 is brought out of that position, it is extended slightly further, after which it will contract, thereby supporting the swing-up motion. In the swung-up end position, shown in Fig. 4, spring 21 is in its most contracted position, so that this swung-up position is stable as well. Furthermore, during the downward movement of end portion 6, spring 21 damps the swivelling motion rein¬ forced through gravity. Thus extension spring 21 stabilizes end portion 6 in its two end position and its movement balances during the displacement between the two end positions, which is advantageous both in the case of hand and motor operation. A motor-operated embodiment has been described herein¬ before. The end portion 6, instead of by a motor, can also be brought into its swung-up position manually, the more so as with a lift as the present one, in the event of breakdown, e.g. a mains supply failure, a safety mechanism is actuated which arrests the lift, after which the lift can be further displaced manually along its guide. The end portion 6 should then be brought manually into its swung-down or swivelled-dow position. With manual operation, the end portion can be gripped directly to prevent the hand from being fouled, e.g. with a lubricant, a hand grip or handle may be provided, e.g. on portion 17 in the vicinity of the boundary face between th fixed rail portion 5 and end portion 6. It is observed that many modifications and variants are conceivable within the scope of the present invention. For instance, the fulcrum 12 can be placed on the first step of the staircase 4, so that the swung-up end portion can be brought entirely within the bounding plane of the staircase, i.e. - as viewed in Fig. 3 - to the right behind the line 20. During the swivelling/tilting motion, hinge shafts 11 and 15 describe a given path. Instead of by swivel levers 9 and 10, these paths, or one of them, can be defined by sliding or rotating the hinge shafts, or one of them, in a guide groove. As end portion 6, in the position shown in Fig. 2 , can bear against the fixed rail portion 5, one swivel lever would in principle suffice be it that in such case a lock should alway be provided near the boundary face 18 if a guide support of the chair lift 1 can move beyond the hinge shaft on the end portion. For stability considerations, consequently, at least a double engagement with end portion 6 is preferred. Instead of extension spring 21, a torsion spring or a gas spring may be provided for promoting the stability in the end positions and facilitating the tilting/swivelling displacement.

Claims: ■CLAIMS 1. A rail system for a chair lift or the like, said system being mountable on or along a flight of stairs and comprising a rail having a direction of displacement with a horizontal and a vertical component and having an end portion which, relatively to a lower end of a rail section to be " mounted in a fixed position, can swivel between a position wherein said en portion in the direction of displacement blends with said rail portion and a position wherein said end portion lies substan¬ tially in a vertical plane enclosing a substantially right angle with the horizontal component of the direction of displacement defined by the lower end of the rail portion to be mounted in fixed position, characterized in that the end portion (6) is adapted to swivel from the position blending with the rail portion (5) to be mounted in fixed position in upward direction and in the direction of said rail portion (5) into a vertical position abutting against the lower end of said rail portion (5) . 2. A rail portion as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the end portion (6) , in the position in which it blends with said rail portion (5), at a point spaced apart from the lower end of said rail portion (5) , is provided with at least one hinge shaft (11;15) to which, through control and displacement means (10,14,19), can be imparted a movement tha brings the end portion (6) in its desired vertical position. 3. A rail system as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that there are provided two hinge shafts (11,15) spaced apart longitudinally of the end portion (6), to at least one of which the desired movement can be imparted by the control and displacement means (10,14,19) . 4. A rail system as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the hinge shafts (11,15) are each connected to the end o a swivel lever (9,10) and the other ends of said swivel lever are connected through hinge shafts (12,14) to two spaced fixe points and at least one of the swivel levers (10) forms part of the control and displacement means (10,14,19) . 5. A rail system as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that one of the hinge shafts (12) is provided near the lower end of the end portion (6) and the swivel lever (10) coacting with the other hinge shaft (15) on the end portion (6) is drivable rotationally by a motor (19) at its articulation with the fixed points . 6. A rail system as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the swivel lever (9) coacting with the hinge shaft (11) disposed near the lower end of the end portion (6) extends substantially horizontally when the end portion (6) is in the position blending with said rail portion (5) and the swivel lever (10) coacting with the other hinge shaft (15) in that position of the end portion (6), encloses an acuter angle therewith than the swivel lever (9) coacting with the hinge shaft (11) disposed near the lower end of the end portion (6), and in its other extreme position said swivel lever (9) extends substantially vertically. 7. A rail system as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the hinge shaft (11) at the lower end of the end portion (6) is coplanar with the hinge shafts (14,15) of the other swivel lever (10) when the end portion (6) is in the position blending with said rail portion (6) . 8. A rail system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that there is provided a spring (21) which stabilizes the end portion (6) in at least one of its end positions, and also promotes at least the swivelling of the end portion (6) in upward direction and in the direction of said rail portion (5) . 9. A rail system as claimed in claim 7 and 8, characterized in that the spring (21) is attached at its one end to the swivel lever (9) coacting with the hinge shaft (11) provided near the lower end of the end portion (6), i.e. about half-way the two hinge shafts (11,12) at the ends of said lever (9), with the other end of the spring (21) connected to the other lever (10) near its hinge shaft (14) connected to the fixed point. 10. A rail system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the position wherein the end portion (6) and the rail portion (5) blend with one another, the boundary face (18) between the two extends substantially vertically. 11. A rail system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the two extreme positions the end portion (6) is in a stable position maintained through gravity. 12. A rail system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the end portion (6) is lockable in its two extreme positions.

Inventors: VAN DER HEIDEN ARNOLDUS THEODO, VAN DER HEIDEN, ARNOLDUS, THEODORUS
Applicants: THYSSEN DE REUS BV, THYSSEN DE REUS B.V.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B66B9
IPC codes: B66B7, B66B9