Elevator – industrial lift truck – or stationary lift for vehicle – Stairway assist for individual or minor barrier lift for... – Mounted adjacent stairway for travel parallel thereto
Patent
1998-10-19
2000-07-04
Olszewski, Robert P.
Elevator, industrial lift truck, or stationary lift for vehicle
Stairway assist for individual or minor barrier lift for...
Mounted adjacent stairway for travel parallel thereto
187200, 105149, B66B 908
Patent
active
060824964
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to stairlifts and more particularly to a skate for supporting a chair assembly on and guiding it along a stairlift rail.
Stairlifts comprise a rail mounted along a flight of stairs, and a motorised chair assembly for travelling along that rail. The chair assembly is supported on the rail by means of a carriage or skate mounted to the chair assembly, and typically comprising two spaced-apart sets of rollers. A known stairlift comprises a flat rail on which the rollers run, and each set of rollers is able to turn to follow variations in the inclination of the rail and also to follow curves formed in the rail according to changes in direction of the stairway.
However, a preferred form of rail is a tubular rail of circular cross-section, which is stronger than a similarly-dimensioned flat rail and can be formed to a smaller bend radius.
We have now devised a skate for the chair assembly of a stairlift, in which a tubular support rail is used, the skate being able to follow curves in that rail.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a skate for a stairlift chair assembly, the skate comprising two spaced-apart pairs of rollers, the two rollers of each pair being arranged to run respectively above and below a circular-section support rail of the stairlift, the two rollers of each pair being rotatable about respective axes transverse of the skate, and each roller being able to turn about a further axis which intersects and is orthogonal to the rotary axes of the pair of rollers, but being constrained so that its rotary axis remains substantially in a plane to which said further axis is perpendicular.
In use of this skate, each pair of rollers is able to turn, about said further axis or axis of turning, to follow curves in the support rail. However, the rotary axes of the rollers remain substantially in respective planes, so that one roller of each pair continues to run on the upper side of the rail, and the other roller of that pair runs on the lower side of the rail: this ensures a firm support for the chair assembly at all times. In particular, it will be appreciated that the rotary axes of the two rollers of each pair remain in respective planes which are parallel to each other, said axis of turning being perpendicular to those planes: in other words, the rollers do not displace around the longitudinal axis of the main rail.
Each roller may have bearing elements at its opposite ends (e.g. ball bearings engaged in respective depressions at its opposite ends), these bearing elements being engaged in arcuate slots of opposed bearing supports. These bearing elements thus provide for the roller to rotate on its rotary axis, and the bearing elements can slide within their respective arcuate slots for the roller to turn on said axis of turning.
In an alternative arrangement, each roller is rotatably mounted on an axle, the opposite ends of which are fitted with cross-pieces having arcuate outer end surfaces, these cross-pieces being engaged in arcuate slots of opposed bearing supports.
Preferably the two pairs of rollers are mounted to respective roller housings, and the roller housings are mounted for turning about respective parallel, horizontal axes spaced apart longitudinally of the skate. Each roller housing is thus able to turn and follow the support rail, as the inclination of the support rail changes.
Also in the embodiments to be described herein, the axis of one of the roller housings is fixed, and the other roller housing is mounted on a support which is able to turn about the axis of the one roller housing: the skate is therefore able to follow variations in the inclination of the support rail whilst maintaining the chair assembly upright.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of examples only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a chair assembly of a stairlift, shown mounted on its support rails;
FIG. 2 is a view of a skate mounted to the chair assembly;
FIG. 3 is a sectional
REFERENCES:
patent: 4335805 (1982-06-01), Grass
patent: 5119734 (1992-06-01), Schwarzkopf
patent: 5572930 (1996-11-01), Hein
patent: 5709154 (1998-01-01), Schott
patent: 5967265 (1999-10-01), Bruno et al.
Bovis John Edric
Szentistvany Andreas Csaba
Olszewski Robert P.
Schindler Edwin D.
Tran Thuy V.
LandOfFree
Stairlift skate does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Stairlift skate, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Stairlift skate will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1477993