Loading ramp apparatus

• US 6,854,147 B1
• Filed: 04/05/2002
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: George E. Ahlsten
• Original Assignee: George E. Ahlsten
• Inventors: Ahlsten, George E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzuto, Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pechhold, Alexandra K.
• Application Number:
  US10/117,966
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 296/20, 14/695, 14/711, 14/713, 14/715, 414/398, 414/430, 414/495, 414/529, 414/522, 414/595
• US Class Current: 14/69.5
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2011/0092 Arrangements for mounting stretchers in aircraft cabins
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 9/00 Equipment for handling freight; Equipment for facilitating passenger embarkation or the like emergency equipment B64D17/00, B64D19/00, B64D25/00; structures integral with fuselage to facilitate loading, fuselage floors specially adapted for freight, steps mounted on and retractable within aircraft B64C; ground installations B64F
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/315 Mobile stairs

Abstract

A loading ramp having an elongated frame with guideways along its length on opposite side thereof. A moving panel having rollers at its front and rear adapted to roll along die guideways of the ramp to roll the panel along the length of the elongated frame. A table mounted at one end to the moving panel and support means to support the table at its other end out away from the panel. A loading bracket for mounting in the doorway of an aircraft and adapted to receive the upper end of the elongated frame to provide a ramp from the ground to the doorway of the aircraft. A power mechanism for powering the panel and connecting table upward and downward along the frame from adjacent the ground to the doorway of the aircraft. The supporting members of the table acting to support the outer end of the table approximately away from the ramp and approximately horizontal as the power mechanism powers the table and panel upward and downward on the ramp to enable a stretcher to be placed on the table and raised from the ground into the doorway of the aircraft while approximately horizontal to the ground.

Claims

1. An inclined loading ramp apparatus for loading a stretcher onto an aircraft while the aircraft is located on the ground and wherein the aircraft fuselage has an opening in its side forming a doorway spaced above the ground for receiving a stretcher with the doorway having a top and bottom edge with opposing side edges defining the doorway;

said apparatus comprising a first lower and second upper elongated channel member each having upper and lower ends with the upper end of the first lower channel member pivotally mounted to the lower end of the second upper channel member, and with the channels adapted to be pivoted to end to end straight line relationship for use and foldable about said pivot to substantially parallelism for storage;

a loading frame having a cross brace member a pair of elongated bar members pivotally mounted at their lower ends to the cross brace member, the bar members having upper outward projecting pins at their upper ends and with a lower telescoping pin means spring urged to extend outward in the cross brace member, with the upper and lower pins adapted to engage the side edges of the doorway;

each of said elongated bar members of the loading frame having receiving slots, said upper channel member of the ramp apparatus having lugs on opposite sides for slidably mounting in the slots of the loading frame with the upper channel member of the ramp apparatus between the elongated bar members of the loading frame and with the pins of the bars of the loading frame mounted in the doorway, with the upper and lower channels of the ramp apparatus adapted to incline downward in a straight line end to end relation and with the lower end of the first lower channel member having means engaging the ground;

a stretcher table adapted to be placed to horizontal position and moved upward and downward along the length of the inclined channel members for supporting a stretcher thereon and to move the stretcher thereon upward and downward along the length of the channel members in an inclined straight line, with said stretcher table maintaining its horizontal relation to the ground, while being elevated up in the inclined path along the length of the channels into the doorway;

motorized hydraulic screw means mounted to the lower channel member and motorized with a cable pulley connection providing a mechanical advantage to engage and move said stretcher table upward from the first lower channel member onto and along the second upper channel member into the open doorway of said aircraft between the bar members while the bar members are engaging the side edges of the doorway.

2. An inclined stretcher loading ramp apparatus for loading a stretcher onto an aircraft while the aircraft is located on the ground and wherein the aircraft fuselage has an opening in its side forming a doorway with top and bottom edges and opposing side edges with said open doorway spaced above the ground for receiving a stretcher;

said ramp apparatus comprising a first lower and second upper channel member each having upper and lower ends with said upper end of said first lower channel member pivotally mounted to the lower end of said second upper channel member and adapted to be pivoted to straight line end to end relation for use and foldable about said pivot to substantial parallelism for storage;

a loading frame having a pair of elongated bar members with upper outward projecting pins at their upper ends with the bar members expandable outward to cause the projecting pins to engage the side edges of the doorway;

each of said elongated bar members of the loading frame and said upper channel member of the ramp apparatus having cooperating slots and lugs for slidably mounting the upper channel member of the ramp apparatus to the loading frame between the elongated bar members of the loading frame and with the bars of the loading frame mounted in the doorway, with the upper and lower channels of the ramp apparatus adapted to incline downward in a straight line end to end relation and with the lower end of the first lower channel member having means engaging the ground;

a stretcher table adapted to be moved along the channel members upward along the length of the channel members, while in end to end relation, from the first lower channel member to the second upper channel member to move a stretcher thereon upward and downward along said channel member in an inclined path with means to maintain said stretcher table in substantially horizontal relation while moving along the inclined path;

motorized means on said first lower channel member and motorized with means having a mechanical advantage to extend upward from said first lower channel member to said second upper channel member to engage and move said stretcher table upward from said first lower channel member upward along said second channel member to the upper end of the second upper channel member to the open doorway of said aircraft and between the arms while the arms are mounted to the side edges of the open doorway.

3. An inclined stretcher loading ramp apparatus for loading a stretcher onto an aircraft onto one side of the aircraft while the aircraft is located on the ground and wherein the aircraft has an opening in said one side of the aircraft forming a doorway having top and bottom edges and spaced opposite side edges and with the doorway spaced above the ground;

said ramp apparatus comprising a first lower and second upper channel member each having upper and lower ends with upper end of the first lower channel member pivotally mounted to the lower end of the second upper channel member and adapted to be pivoted to straight line end to end relation for use and pivoted to substantial parallelism for storage;

a loading frame having a pair of elongated bar members with upper outward projecting means at their upper ends with the bar members expandable outward to cause the projecting means to engage the side edges of the doorway;

each of said elongated bar members of the loading frame and said upper channel member of the ramp apparatus having cooperating slots and lugs for slidably mounting the upper channel member of the ramp apparatus to the loading frame between the elongated bar members of the loading frame and with the bars of the loading frame mounted in the doorway, with the upper and lower channels of the ramp apparatus adapted to incline downward in a straight line end to end relation and with the lower end of the first lower channel member having means engaging the ground;

a stretcher table movably mounted for movement upward to the open doorway between the pair of elongated bar members of the loading frame while the bar members are attached to the sides of the doorway and downward along the length of the inclined channel members for supporting a stretcher thereon, means to move said stretcher table outward into substantial horizontal relation and maintain horizontal while moving along the channel members in its inclined path;

motorized means on one of said channel members to move said stretcher table upward from said first lower channel member to the upper end of said second lower channel member at said open doorway of the aircraft with said stretcher thereon and with said stretcher table maintaining said horizontal relation to the ground while being moved upward into the doorway.