Selectively-retractable elevated walkway extension
First Claim
1. In an elevated walkway assembly, a planar walkway and means for selectively extending said walkway comprising a planar ramp, means mounting said ramp for movement between a retracted position beneath said walkway and an extended position a pair of handrail gates pivotally mounted on said ramp-mounting means at spaced positions adjacent to opposite side edges of said ramp, guide means on said ramp coupled to said handrail gates for pivoting said handrail gates to an open position as said ramp extends from said ramp-mounting means and to a closed position as said ramp is retracted into said ramp-mounting means, and means for selectively extending said ramp from said mounting means and retracting said ramp into said mounting means;
- characterized in the said handrail gates overlap each other in said closed position, and in that said guide means on said ramp comprises assymetric guide means for pivoting one said handrail gate to said closed position prior to the other of said handrail gates to prevent interference of said handrail gates with each other.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A selectively positionable extension for an elevated walkway includes a planar ramp mounted by rollers to a frame and coupled to the frame by a selectively extensible hydraulic ram. The frame itself is supported by a second ramp for controlled vertical positioning. A pair of handrail gates are pivotally mounted on the ramp frame at opposed lateral sides thereof, and engage guide channels in the ramp side edges for automatically opening and closing the handrail gates as the ramp is extended from and retracted into the frame. The guide channels are so constructed that the handrail gates open and close from overlapping positions without interference. The entire extension is provided as a modular assembly which may be readily incorporated into existing or new walkway constructions.
-
Citations
14 Claims
-
1. In an elevated walkway assembly, a planar walkway and means for selectively extending said walkway comprising a planar ramp, means mounting said ramp for movement between a retracted position beneath said walkway and an extended position a pair of handrail gates pivotally mounted on said ramp-mounting means at spaced positions adjacent to opposite side edges of said ramp, guide means on said ramp coupled to said handrail gates for pivoting said handrail gates to an open position as said ramp extends from said ramp-mounting means and to a closed position as said ramp is retracted into said ramp-mounting means, and means for selectively extending said ramp from said mounting means and retracting said ramp into said mounting means;
characterized in the said handrail gates overlap each other in said closed position, and in that said guide means on said ramp comprises assymetric guide means for pivoting one said handrail gate to said closed position prior to the other of said handrail gates to prevent interference of said handrail gates with each other. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- 10. In an elevated walkway assembly, a planar walkway and means for selectively extending said walkway comprising a planar ramp, means mounting said ramp for movement between a retracted position beneath said walkway and an extended position, a pair of handrail gates pivotally mounted on said ramp-mounting means at spaced positions adjacent to opposite side edges of said ramp, guide means on said ramp coupled to said handrail gates for pivoting said handrail gates to an open position as said ramp extends from said ramp-mounting means and to a closed position as said ramp is retracted into said ramp-mounting means, means for selectively extending said ramp from said mounting means and retracting said ramp into said mounting means, and support means mounting said ramp-mounting means for vertical motion with respect to said planar walkway.
Specification