Apparatus for lifting and loading a load into and out of a vehicle or the like

Claim 1

An apparatus which can be installed or included in a motor vehicle so as to provide for means for lifting and lowering a load into and out of the vehicle through an opening through a side or end wall thereof, said apparatus comprising: a support member which can be installed in an overhead position within the vehicle so as to extend from a position proximate to an opening formed through a wall of the vehicle to a position located over an interior floor area of the vehicle, an elongated boom assembly carried by said support member so as to be movable back and forth along the length of said support member, said boom assembly having means for suspending a load from one end thereof, sAid load carrying end being spaced from said support member, guide track means carried by said support member for guiding back and forth movements of said boom assembly relative to said support member and for defining a path of travel for a load carrying end of said boom assembly which includes (a) a generally horizontal path of travel for traversing a load over a floor area of said vehicle, (b) a first inclined path of travel which extends from an end of said horizontal path of travel nearest the opening through which the load is to be moved to a position outside of the vehicle which is lower than said horizontal path, so that a load can be received or deposited at an outside area and at a level lower than the floor level of the vehicle and (c) a second inclined path of travel extending from an opposite end of said horizontal path of travel to a position which provides for a lowering and lifting of a load to and from the floor area of the vehicle relative to said horizontal path, said guide track means including a generally upwardly facing guiding surface and a generally downwardly facing guiding surface, said downwardly facing guiding surface being vertically spaced from and above said upwardly facing guiding surface and said guiding surface extending along the length of the guide track means to define said paths of travel, including said upwardly facing guiding surface defining a path of travel which includes said generally horizontal path and said first inclined path and said downwardly facing guiding surface defining a path of travel which includes said generally horizontal path and said second inclined path, for said boom assembly, first and second follower elements carried by said boom assembly and spaced along the length of said boom assembly, said first follower element being closer to said load carrying end of said boom assembly than said second follower element, said first follower element being biased into engagement with said generally upwardly facing guiding surface and said second follower element being biased into engagement with said generally downwardly facing guiding surface and said follower elements lying in generally the same horizontal plane when being guided in said generally horizontal path of travel, and driving means for moving said boom assembly back and forth along said guide track means.

Claim 2

An apparatus which can be installed or included in a motor vehicle so as to provide for means for lifting and lowering a load into and out of the vehicle through an opening through a side or end wall thereof, said apparatus comprising: a support member which can be installed in an overhead position within the vehicle so as to extend from a position proximate to an opening formed through a wall of the vehicle to a position located over an interior floor area of the vehicle, an elongated boom assembly carried by said support member so as to be movable back and forth along the length of said support member, said boom assembly having means for suspending a load from one end thereof, sAid load carrying end being spaced from said support member, guide track means carried by said support member for guiding back and forth movements of said boom assembly relative to said support member and for defining a path of travel for a load carrying end of said boom assembly which includes (a) a generally horizontal path of travel for traversing a load over a floor area of said vehicle, (b) a first inclined path of travel which extends from an end of said horizontal path of travel nearest the opening through which the load is to be moved to a position outside of the vehicle which is lower than said horizontal path, so that a load can be received or deposited at an outside area and at a level lower than the floor level of the vehicle and (c) a second inclined path of travel extending from an opposite end of said horizontal path of travel to a position which provides for a lowering and lifting of a load to and from the floor area of the vehicle relative to said horizontal path, said guide track means including a generally upwardly facing guiding surface and a generally downwardly facing guiding surface, said downwardly facing guiding surface being vertically spaced from and above said upwardly facing guiding surface and said guiding surface extending along the length of the guide track means to define said paths of travel, including said upwardly facing guiding surface defining a path of travel which includes said generally horizontal path and said first inclined path and said downwardly facing guiding surface defining a path of travel which includes said generally horizontal path and said second inclined path, for said boom assembly, first and second follower elements carried by said boom assembly and spaced along the length of said boom assembly, said first follower element being closer to said load carrying end of said boom assembly than said second follower element, said first follower element being biased into engagement with said generally upwardly facing guiding surface and said second follower element being biased into engagement with said generally downwardly facing guiding surface and said follower elements lying in generally the same horizontal plane when being guided in said generally horizontal path of travel, and driving means for moving said boom assembly back and forth along said guide track means.

Claim 8

An apparatus for lifting and lowering a load through a path of travel which includes both vertical and horizontal vectors of movement, comprising: an overhead support member positioned above the path of travel of the load to be moved by the apparatus, an elongated boom assembly carried by said overhead support member so as to be movable relative to the overhead support member, said boom assembly having means for suspending a load therefrom at one end thereof, said load carrying end being spaced from said support member, track engaging elements carried by said boom assembly comprising first and second followers spaced along the length of said boom assembly, said first follower being located closer to said load carrying end of said boom assembly than said second follower, guiding track means connected to said overhead support member for guiding the movement of said boom assembly relative to the overhead support member and for defining a path of travel for said track engaging elements carried by said boom assembly, said track means being arranged to define (a) a generally horizontal path of travel for a load carried by said boom assembly, said followers lying in generally the same horizontal plane when guided in said generally horizontal path of travel, (b) a first inclined path of travel for lifting and lowering the load relative its horizontal path of travel, and (c) a second inclined path of travel for lifting and lowering the load at the other end, and said track means comprising a generally upwardly facing guiding surface and a generally downwardly facing guiding surface, said downwardly facing guiding surface being vertically spaced from and above said upwardly facing guiding surface, and said upwardly facing guiding surface defining a path of travel which includes said generally horizontal path and said first inclined path and said downwardly facing guiding surface defining a path of travel which includes said generally horizontal path and said second inclined path, said first follower being biased into engagement with said generally upwardly facing guiding surface and said second follower being biased into engagement with said generally downwardly facing guiding surface, and driving means for moving said boom assembly back and forth along said track means for lifting, lowering and traversing a load through said paths of travel.

Claim 9

An apparatus for lifting and lowering a load through a path of travel which includes both vertical and horizontal vectors of movement, comprising: an overhead support member positioned above the path of travel of the load to be moved by the apparatus, an elongated boom assembly carried by said overhead support member so as to be movable relative to the overhead support member, said boom assembly having means for suspending a load therefrom at one end thereof, said load carrying end being spaced from said support member, track engaging elements carried by said boom assembly comprising first and second followers spaced along the length of said boom assembly, said first follower being located closer to said load carrying end of said boom assembly than said second follower, guiding track means connected to said overhead support member for guiding the movement of said boom assembly relative to the overhead support member and for defining a path of travel for said track engaging elements carried by said boom assembly, said track means being arranged to define (a) a generally horizontal path of travel for a load carried by said boom assembly, said followers lying in generally the same horizontal plane when guided in said generally horizontal path of travel, (b) a first inclined path of travel for lifting and lowering the load relative its horizontal path of travel, and (c) a second inclined path of travel for lifting and lowering the load at the other end, and said track means comprising a generally upwardly facing guiding surface and a generally downwardly facing guiding surface, said downwardly facing guiding surface being vertically spaced from and above said upwardly facing guiding surface, and said upwardly facing guiding surface defining a path of travel which includes said generally horizontal path and said first inclined path and said downwardly facing guiding surface defining a path of travel which includes said generally horizontal path and said second inclined path, said first follower being biased into engagement with said generally upwardly facing guiding surface and said second follower being biased into engagement with said generally downwardly facing guiding surface, and driving means for moving said boom assembly back and forth along said track means for lifting, lowering and traversing a load through said paths of travel.