Patent ID: 6939031

Claim:
A load bearing assembly for supporting a load on a transport system, the load being moveable between a stowed position and an operating position, the load bearing assembly comprising: a. a support frame mounted on the transport system, the support frame having both a horizontal and a vertical span; b. one or more slide rails mounted within the frame and positioned to span the vertical span of the support frame; c. one or more slides mounted, one on each slide rail, and moveable in a substantially vertical path along the slide rails; d. one or more moveable platforms mounted, one on each slide, and moveable therewith within the support frame for substantially vertical linear movement within the frame between a stowed position and an operating position, the one or more moveable platforms for supporting a load; e. a drive system for moving the one or more platforms, load and one or more slides between the stowed position and the operating position; and f. a transfer device spanning the space between the spaced slide rails and engaging the slides wherein the drive system is connected directly to the transfer device the transfer device being slip mounted to the slide rails, permitting relative movement between the slide rails and the transfer device.