Patent ID: 7128186

Claim:
An aircraft people lift system for use in combination with a movable elevated passenger walkway/bridge having attached to said movable elevated passenger walkway/bridge an auxiliary access stairway extending downwardly on an incline from the movable elevated passenger walkway/bridge to the ground surface, the auxiliary access stairway having a landing platform at its upper end for facilitating access for airline service employees to and from the elevated passenger walkway/bridge from and to the ground surface, the system comprising: a lifting portion comprising a generally collapsible V-shaped frame, the V-shaped frame having a longitudinal base portion and a longitudinal elevating portion from which a personnel carrier platform is pivotally attached to a distal end of said longitudinal elevating portion, the lifting portion being in a generally side-by-side relationship with the auxiliary access stairway; the longitudinal base portion being attached at its approximate distal end to a bogie wheel carriage frame structure of the passenger walkway/bridge to facilitate the movement of the lifting portion along a ground surface in unison with the passenger walkway/bridge as the passenger walkway/bridge is positioned to service an aircraft; the lifting portion having means for raising and lowering the personnel carrier platform such that the personnel carrier platform maintains a generally perpendicular relationship with the ground surface beneath the landing platform as it is being raised and lowered to and from the ground surface from and to an upper portion landing platform of the auxiliary access stairway; means for elevating the longitudinal elevating portion of the V-shaped frame, including the pivotally attached personnel carrier platform; ground bearing mobility means for moving the lifting portion in unison with the passenger walkway/bridge and for facilitating the generally perpendicular relationship of the personnel carrier platform with the ground surface beneath the landing platform as it is being raised and lowered to and from the ground surface from and to the upper portion landing platform of the auxiliary access stairway; means for access to/from the personnel carrier platform from/to the ground surface; and means for access to/from the personnel carrier platform from/to the upper portion landing platform.