Abstract:
A seat platform is driven up and down a foldable track by a trolley connected to electro-mechanical means to allow passengers to embark and to disembark from an aircraft. No stairs are used. The seat platform can be rotated to enable easy access onto and exiting by a person. The seat platform is adapted to fit a person, with or without disabilities, or accommodate a relatively large or heavy package, or luggage for transfer of the person or package from the tarmac of an airfield to the inside a plane and vice versa. The seat platform is adapted to ride on a set of tracks of sufficient strength to prevent twisting and inadvertent removal of the trolley from the track. The invention further includes positive break apparatus to prevent a runaway seating platform from occurring. After the embarking is completed, the lift apparatus can be dissembled, the track folded upon itself and all of the disassembled components can be securely stored on the aircraft. Upon arriving at the flight destination, the stored lift apparatus can be reassembled to allow passengers to exit safely from the plane and thereby providing passengers with the advantage of entering and exiting a plane without the use of stairs.

Description:
Applicant and inventor Les Weaver, under 35 U.S.C. 119f claims the benefit of his earlier provisional application filed on Jun. 16, 2014, Ser. No. 61/997,988 entitled Lift Apparatus and Methods 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates in general to the field of lifting apparatus and in particular to the field of lifting a person, thing, baggage or any weighted item from the ground to a door of an airplane by using electro-mechanical apparatus. 
     Problem Existing in the Prior Art 
     There exists a problem in the prior art with airplanes where the entrance door is a substantial distance above the ground but not sufficiently high enough to be able to utilize a loading ramp. A typical large plane loading ramp connects between a door of the terminal and the door of an aircraft such that a relatively level passageway is provided from the airport terminal to the door of an aircraft. The latter device is generally used with large commercial airplanes, for example a 727, an air bus, etc. 
     There are a group of smaller planes such as a G650 Gulfstream, an Embraer Legacy to name just a few, which have stairs that are built within or mounted onto the door structure such that the stairs unfold when the aircraft door is opened. Such stairs extend from the aircraft door to the tarmac thereby allowing passengers to embark or disembark from the aircraft. For safety sake there is a usually a railing on both side of the stairwell. Between the railings and the stairs themselves, a person carrying a carry on suitcase or even a briefcase up the stairs can have a difficult time in negotiating the stairs. For example, the baggage can bump into the stairs and or the railings making going up or down the stairs a difficult maneuver. 
     However, stairs that are built within a door of a plane is a clever method of providing means that are carried within a plane so that passengers can embark the plane at its origin and disembark at its destination; that is, provided that the passenger is physically able to negotiate a set of stairs and is not carrying baggage. Then too not all large planes have such built in stairs most probably because the tarmac is too great of a distance to the plane&#39;s door and it is desired to exit on the tarmac. In such a situation potable stairs that can be rolled up to the aircraft is the prior art alternative. However, portable stairs have the same disadvantages as an aircraft&#39;s stairs built within the door of the aircraft. 
     Passengers with physical disabilities, who are wheel chair bound simply cannot use an aircraft&#39;s built in stairs. So too passengers with other disabilities or heart conditions or aged persons who don&#39;t have the strength to negotiate stairs is a serious problem in the prior art. Physically carrying a disabled person up the stairs and onto the plane is not a feasible solution. 
     Disembarking from an aircraft at its destination point involves essentially the same passenger problems as at the origination airport, and perhaps even more so. For example, a physically able passenger carrying a carryon or even a small package will have more difficulty going down the stairs and preventing himself from tripping or falling down the stairs. Any baggage will usually be held in front of the passenger thereby blocking his view of the stairs which can lead to an unfortunate accident 
     What is needed is apparatus to lift passengers, whether disabled or not, and or cargo safely into and out of a plane; further, the lift apparatus should be portable and be able to be disassembled and stored on the plane for use both at its origination and at its destination. The present invention accomplishes these goals and overcomes deficiencies in the prior art and more by providing apparatus and a method to safely and conveniently enable persons with or without disabilities to board a plane from the tarmac to a plane&#39;s door which is above the tarmac. Also, the apparatus of the present invention is portable and can be stored on the plane. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention comprises portable lift apparatus for use with an aircraft which can be rapidly and easily assembled and dissembled and when dissembled can and stored on a plane during flight. The inventive apparatus does not require any changes to the door or the stairs built within the door of the aircraft. Other important aspects of the present invention is that the aircraft does not need to modified, that the invention does not interfere with the plane&#39;s air worthiness, or require approval and or inspection by an overseeing governmental agency. 
     In general, the invention herein comprises a seat platform which is driven up and down a foldable track by a trolley connected to electro-mechanical means. No stairs are used. The seat platform can be rotated to enable easy access onto and exiting by a passenger. The seat platform can be adapted to fit a person, with or without disabilities, or accommodate a relatively large or heavy package, or luggage for transfer of the person or package from the tarmac to inside the plane and vice versa. The invention herein further includes safety apparatus to prevent a runaway platform from occurring. The seat platform is adapted to ride on a set of tracks of sufficient strength to prevent twisting and inadvertent removal of the trolley from the track. After the embarking is completed and any and all cargo is loaded on the aircraft, the lift apparatus can be dissembled, the track folded upon itself and all of the disassembled components can be securely stored on the aircraft. Upon arriving at the flight destination, the stored lift apparatus can be reassembled to allow passengers to exit safely from the plane and thereby providing passengers with the advantage of entering and exiting a plane without the use of stairs. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  depicts the major components of the invention as they are connected to each other when the lift apparatus is positioned for operation. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a typical chair assembly that can be used with the track apparatus of the invention which provides for a passenger to sit thereon when boarding or disembarking from an aircraft. 
         FIG. 3  shows the inventive tracking that is used with the present invention. In this figure, the component parts of the track are shown separately to illustrate the hinges that give the track the ability to fold upon itself for storage aboard the aircraft. 
         FIG. 4  shows a typical cross section of the track. 
         FIGS. 5 and 6  illustrate the trolley assembly that connects the chair to the track and further illustrates the over the center cam locking brake and the teeth thereon. 
         FIG. 7  shows the power assembly that is used in the invention to drive the chair apparatus up and down the track assembly when the invention is adapted to fit to a door opening on an aircraft for boarding and disembarking passengers onto and off an aircraft. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting; but rather, to provide an understandable description operation, and advantages of the invention. 
     Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  depicts a two dimensional composite view of the assembled major components of the inventive lift apparatus as it is assembled for operation. The unique hinges connecting the individual track portions are clearly shown in this figure. 
     A complete arrangement of the invention  10  includes: seating apparatus  20 , including foot support apparatus; trolley apparatus  60 ; track apparatus  50 ; and, power apparatus  80 . One important object of the invention is compactness in that all of the invention&#39;s components can be assembled at the location of the plane, then after boarding is finished they can be dissembled and stored on the plane. Upon arrival at the destination of the aircraft, the lift apparatus can be removed from the plane and reassembled for passenger disembarking. Other important objects are is that no structural modifications of the aircraft are required nor does the invention affect the plane&#39;s air worthiness. 
     The lift apparatus  10  only makes contact with the plane&#39;s interior deck  61  by the power apparatus  60  so as not to touch or damage the plane&#39;s door frame (not shown). If the aircraft is fitted with stairs that unfold when the door is opened, the same does not hinder the assembly or the operation of the lift apparatus or the use of the built in stairs when the inventive lift apparatus is not used. 
     The seating apparatus  20 , shown more clearly in  FIG. 2 , can comprise a frame  24  that can consist of an elongated metal strip bent at approximately 90 degrees such that the horizontal portion forms a seat support  25  and the vertical portion  26  forms a support for a padded or unpadded backrest  27 . The seat support  25  can include a seat pad or cushion  28  for passenger comfort. An unpadded cushion will equally be satisfactory. The seat pad  28  and the back rest  27  can be removably attached to the seat frame  24 . The back of the backrest  27  and the bottom of the seat pad  28  can include relatively stiff backing for firm attachment to the backrest support  26 , and seat support  25 , respectively. It is preferable that the backrest support  26  include hinge apparatus  29  so that it can be folded against the seat support  25  or against the seat cushion  28  for compactness. A flat seat platform  31  having the approximate size of the seat pad  28  can be interposed between the seat support  25  and the seat cushion or pad  28 . In this manner removal of the seat pad  28  provides a flat platform. 
     The seat assembly includes a pair of arm rests  32  which can extend up from the bottom of the seat frame  25  or can extend around the backrest and then forward toward the seat cushion. The upwardly extending arm rests can be positionable upward or downward and be removed from the seat cushion, or if arm rests that extend around the back pad are used, they can be rotated to a vertical position in alignment with the vertical sides of the back rest. In either event compactness is obtained when the backrest  26  is folded down. 
     Again for passenger comfort and safety, a foot rest  33  extending down from the seat support  25  can be provided. The foot rest  33  can rotated to a flat position up against the supporting arm  34  that extends downward from the seat support  25 . 
     In addition to compactness, the advantages of folding down the backrest  26  include using the seat assembly  20  as a cargo and or baggage lift. For example the cargo may consist of luggage or sundry packages of regular or irregular sizes consistent with the size of the seat assembly  20  and not being interfered with by a vertical backrest. The relatively level platform created by the seat apparatus  20  allows for ease of strapping the cargo down. 
     Since one of the main objects of the invention is to be able to store the lift apparatus  10  on the plane when not in use so that it can be setup and used wherever the plane is located, i.e. at its originating location or its destination location. In the present invention the seat assembly  20 , including the foot rest  33 , is made rotatable and removable by use of a substantial supporting shaft  35  that fits within a substantially vertical pedestal  36 . 
     And of course the seating apparatus can be plush or minimal as desired, and since the seating apparatus  20  is removable, a multitude of equivalent seat configurations can be provided. For example the seat can include a lumbar curved back, side thigh pads, form fitting shoulder pads and other like features. Another desirable feature comprises the variable height of the back rest and its position relative to a passenger. A longer and higher back rest provides additional stability to the passenger. A rack and pinion or a simple lockable slip joint can be used to either raise or lower the backrest. 
     To prevent a passenger from falling off the lift when it is in operation, seat belts  36  of various varieties can be used to securely hold the passenger on the seat. A simple three way auto seat belt is satisfactory, as are air plane lap seat belts. The belts can be anchored to the bottom of the seat frame. However, an auto racer type of seat belt would be most useful when the passenger is incapacitated or otherwise unable to have complete control over his body. 
     The bottom  31  of the seat support  25  includes an extending shaft  34  that is attached to the seat bottom  31  such as by bolts or welding. A foot rest  33  is pivotally attached to the free end of the shaft  34  so that it can be pivoted up against the extending shaft. The foot rest can take many shapes from a flat platform to a bar horizontally attached to the extending shaft. The pivoting aspect provides for compactness when the lift apparatus is stored within the plane. A simple spring loaded stop lug or spring or other well-known apparatus can be employed to maintain the foot rest in the down or up position. 
     In the embodiment shown, the extending shaft  34  allows the foot rest  33  to be positioned ahead of the seat support  25  and cushion  28  thereby allowing the passenger to assume his or her natural seating posture with the passenger&#39;s feet placed out in front of his or her body. The shaft  34  and the foot rest  33  are positioned along the axial center of the seat assembly  20  and do not interfere with a passenger&#39;s legs. The foot rest can include side flanges to help keep the passenger&#39;s feet within the confines of the foot rests. A rubberized covering on the foot rest further helps maintain the passenger&#39;s feet in place 
     As an alternative to the curved extending shaft, a straight box beam, or the like, connected at an appropriate angle to the seat support  25  can be used. Other structural designs can also be used. Compactness is a primary object of the design of the seat&#39;s extending member and foot rest. Pivoting of the foot rest  33  in an up position allows a person using the lift apparatus to effortlessly climb onto the seat and when climbing off the seat. Basically, the pivoting feature in addition, to the afore described compactness, prevents a person from being interfered by the foot rest when the person is trying to negotiate onto and off the seat. 
     If the lift apparatus  10  is to be used as a cargo lift, the cargo can be simply placed on the seat platform  31 , or the cushion  28 , or on the backrest support  26  when it is rotated in the down position. The lift apparatus  10  can then be lifted to the plane&#39;s door where an attendant removes the cargo. For this procedure, the foot rest is preferably in the upward position. Since the seat cushion (if provided) is removable various structural combinations of cages or boxes or ropes can be used with the seat platform  31  to prevent the cargo from falling off the platform when the cargo is being lifted. 
     The apparatus that provides for the up and down travel of the seat includes a track arrangement  40 , a trolley  60 , and a portable power unit  80 . See  FIGS. 1, 4, 5 , and  6 . The trolley apparatus  60  is interposed between the seat assembly  20  and the track arrangement  40 . The portable power unit  80  can be removably attached to the track arrangement  40 , while the trolley  60  is configured to ride up and down the track arrangement  40 . The trolley  60  is removably attached to the seat assembly  20  and the track arrangement  40  but is prevented from unintentional disengagement. A belt (see  FIG. 5 ) is attached to the trolley  60  and to a pulley or a spool connected to the power unit  80 . The power unit&#39;s directional motion can be engaged in a forward and a reverse direction that allows the seat assembly, and the passenger, to move up and down the track arrangement  40  while either embarking or disembarking the passenger. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3  there is shown therein the details of the track arrangement  40 . Since the track itself ill is relatively long, i.e. long enough to reach from the tarmac to the aircraft door, the track assembly  40  as shown comprises three individual portions or components  41 A,  41 B, and  41 C. In  FIG. 3  the track portions are shown separately with phantom lines indicating how and where each track portion of the track assembly is to be joined to an adjacent track portion when the lift apparatus is put in use. While  FIG. 3  shows three track portions, the invention is not to be limited thereby. One or more track portions can be used. If only one track portion is to be used, the aircraft must accommodate storage of the one track component. 
     When two or more track components or portions are to be used, the two components must be provided with means to join the two and it is preferable that the joinder allow for the two or more components to fold against each other while being at least partially attached. 
     Since it is preferable that when the track components are joined together for use, the joinder is to be stable and provide a minimum of flexing. Excessive flexing will instill fear in the passenger as he or she travels up or down the lift. And it can adversely affect the movement of the trolley  60  as it attempts to travel over the joint. 
     A simple hinge or two of the common variety (such as a door hinge), even if made with precision, will not provide the necessary stiffness of the track joints to minimize bending of the track when the flight lift is in operation.  FIG. 3  shows one satisfactory design of the hinged tracks. Interlocking hinges  42  ( FIG. 1 ) are used on the ends at the bottom of the tracks and on the ends at the top and bottom sides respectively, of the tracks. Each half of the interlocking hinges  42  comprises two components  43 A and  43 B (attached on the underside of the track); while, the two components  44 A and  44 B are attached to the upper side of the track. This arrangement allows for four (4) interlocking hinged when two adjoining tracks are attached to each other at the adjoining end of each track section. 
     Each hinge component  43 A,  43 B,  44 A, and  44 B includes a plurality of plate like members  45  having spaces  46  there between which are in line with the longitudinal axis of the tracks. When the two hinge halves, e.g.  43 A AND  43 A at the adjoining ands of a connected track, are axially joined, the plate like members  45  of one hinge half fit within the spaces  46  of the other hinge half, then the two hinge halves are locked together by a bolts and nuts that fit within aligned openings  47  in each hinge half. When all of the interlocking hinge halves of one track are interlocked and bolted to the interlocking hinge halves of an adjoining track, virtually no bending or flexing of joint occurs. It is to be noted that the bolt and nut at the bottom hinges  43 A and  44 A can comprise a through bolt  48  having a nut at each end. 
     However the top bolts  49  only go through the width of each of the top interlocking hinges  43 B and  44 B leaving a space  55  between the upper flanges  56 . Such space  56  allows the trolley  60  to pass adjoining joints of the By removing the locking bolts  49  from the interlocking hinges on the top of each track, the adjoining tracks can be rotated 180 degrees so as to fold one track against the other, thereby minimizing the axial length needed to store the track on the plane. In this configuration, track  41 C will form one outside and track  41 A will form the opposite outside of the folded over tracks. 
     Track  41 C which is arbitrarily designated as the track that is to rest on the tarmac, includes an upper pair of hinge halves  43 B.  48 track  41 C. A through bolt or shaft  48  is fitted across the track and through an aligned opening  47  in hinge halves  44 B members  50 . As more fully explained below this feature prevents the trolley  60  from disengaging from the track at the tarmac end thereof. 
     Also at the tarmac end of designated track  41 C, a support member comprising an elongated bar or a round rod  53  is provided on the underside of track  41 C. Support member  53  is oriented transverse to track  41 C and is intended to but not limited to: spread the load applied to the tarmac; to stabilize the track assembly  40  when the lift apparatus  10  is in use; and, to vary the height, if necessary, of the end of track  41 C by use of removable members  52 . 
     The top end of what is arbitrarily designated as the upper track  41 A is provided with a rod or pin  53  that allows the trolley  60  to be connected to the track assembly  40 . The trolley  60  which as explained in part in the description of  FIG. 1  serves to move the seating apparatus  20  up and down the tracks  40  by a strap connected at one end to the power module and at its other end to the trolley. Another rod  54  is provided close to the top at the underside of track  41 A to allow the removable attachment to the power module  80  also described in part  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of the track  41 B and is typical of all track sections or portions. The hinge halves  44 B are shown along the sides of the track; while hinge halves  44 A are seen at the bottom of the track. The through bolt  48  is seen at the bottom of the track. The top bolts  49  only go through the width of the top hinge halves in order to leave an opening  55  between the inwardly extending flanges  56  and the track itself. The purpose of the opening  55  and the flanges  56  are to the fit the trolley therein and prevent the wheels of the trolley (shown in phantom) from inadvertently disengaging from the track. The cross section of the track must have a significant moment of inertia to prevent the track from twisting when the lift apparatus is in use with a passenger on the seat. The correct or sufficient moment of inertia can be determined by well-known testing and or calculation techniques. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates the trolley assembly that is used to move the chair ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) up and down the track assembly  40 . A pair of plates  61  having an arbitrarily triangular shape are spaced apart consistent with the opening  55  in track  40 . Wheels  62  are provided at the bottom ends of plates  61 . Wheels  62  fit within and ride along the opening  55  in track  40 . The inwardly extending flanges  62  of track  40  prevent the wheels  62  of the trolley  60  from inadvertently disengaging from the track  41 . 
     A rod or pin  63  removably fits within opposite openings  64  in plates  61 . Rod  63  is removably connected to a strap  65  at one end thereof. Strap  65  is connected at its other end to the power module  80  for movement up and down track  40 . Another rod or shaft  66  provides for the removable attachment of chair assembly  20  to the trolley apparatus  60  via the pedestal  67 . It is to be noted that chair assembly  20  can rotate within pedestal  67  and then locked in the rotated position by the detent  36  ( FIG. 2 ) which also serves to remove the chair assembly  20  from the trolley pedestal  67 . 
       FIG. 6  shows the unique arrangement used to prevent a runaway chair with a passenger on board. The reason for the runaway is immaterial to the invention but the prevention of the same is material. The trolley mechanism securing the strap  65  to the trolley  60  includes over the center rotatable apparatus  68 . The rotatable apparatus comprises two discs  68 , each having sharp teeth  69  along the bottom of the discs. The discs  68  are separated from each other by the width of strap  65  but fit within the plates  61  and are essentially parallel to the plates  61 . The rod holding the strap  65  is positioned behind the rotatable center of discs  68 . Should the strap  65  break or otherwise come loose from rod  63 , or from power module assembly  80 , the discs  68  will rotate about shaft  70  causing the teeth  69  which now protrude from the openings  71  in the bottom of the trolley  60  and dig into the track  40 . The more the trolley tries to move downward, the more the teeth  69  dig into the track  40  and thereby positively stop any further unwanted downward motion of the trolley and the chair connected thereto. Normal upward motion of the trolley and the seat and the controlled downward motion of the same do not cause the teeth to engage the track  40 . If there is no tension applied by the strap such as when the trolley is at the bottom of the track a small spring prevents the discs from engaging the track  41 . 
       FIG. 7  is a composite drawing of the power module  80  of the lift apparatus  10 . The power module can be battery powered or powered by an electrical cord connected to a voltage supply on the aircraft or on the terminal. The power module comprises an electric motor  81  connected to a pulley  82  and to a gear reduction  83  to reduce the speed of rotation. Gear reduction  83  is in turn connected to a spool  84  around which a strap  85  is wound. Strap  85  pulls the chair assembly with or without a passenger, up the track  40 , and when the rotational direction of spool  84  is reversed, the strap  85  allows the chair assembly to move down the track  40  for disembarking a passenger. The free end of strap  85  is connected to the shaft  63  of the trolley assembly  60  ( FIG. 6 ) 
     A cover  86  for the electro mechanical apparatus of power module is also shown in  FIG. 7 . Two slots  87  are provided in the top portion of cover  86 . Slots  87  allow connection plates  88  to extend up through slots  87  and rise above the top surface of cover  86 . A cam locking apparatus  89  comprising a bar  54  is connected to a pair of spaced locking cams  91  that operate in conjunction with the vertical openings  92  in extending plates  88 . The cam locking apparatus  98  is connected to extending plates  88  after the cover  86  is placed over the electro mechanical devices within the power module  80 . When the cam locking device  89  is rotated to unobstruct the openings  92 , the cam locking shaft  54  ( FIG. 3 ) is inserted within openings  92  and the bar  90  is rotated to allow the locking cams  91  to also rotate and lock the locking shaft  54  thereto. At this point, the track  41  is lockingly attached to the power module  80 . Rotating the bar  90  in the opposite direction releases the power module  80  from the rack  41 . The power module  80  is intended to be placed inside of the aircraft&#39;s door and on the floor thereof. Such position allows the seat to be rotated to allow a passenger to embark onto the aircraft and vice versa. Placing the power module  80  under the upper portion of track  41  prevents the power module  80  from being an obstacle to the passenger and to the operation of the lift apparatus  10 . 
     Method of Operation 
     In accordance with the above description and drawings, the method of operation of the invention is as follows: 
     One or more persons desiring to board an air craft such as a G650 Gulfstream must use stairs to reach the passenger door. In the prior art, the stairs were built into the passenger door which unfolded as the door was opened. The prior art stairs are not conducive to a disabled passenger. The present invention overcomes this disadvantage by providing portable stairs that includes a seat that is powered up a track and onto the aircraft. A disabled person can use such apparatus. Thus, the passenger sits in the seat which is at the level of the tarmac, rides up the track and leaves the seat when the seat is at the location of the passenger door. 
     The apparatus includes a seat, a track, a power device and a trolley that is connected to the seat by a strap. Each component is removable from the component to which it is operationally attached during use. When not in use each component is detached from each other. The track is specially hinged so that it can be folded upon itself to reduce its length. Then the disconnected components are stored on the aircraft so that it again be used when the aircraft reaches its destination. Then the reverse of the above is accomplished so that the passengers are able to disembark from the aircraft by descending the seat and passenger down the track. 
     While the invention has been described, disclosed, illustrated and shown in certain terms or certain embodiments or modifications which it has assumed in practice, the scope of the invention is not intended to be nor should it be deemed to be limited thereby and such other modifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teachings herein are particularly reserved especially as they fall within the breadth and scope of the description of the invention and the drawings here appended.