Lift and baggage ramp

• US 6,676,359 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2002
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey Ganiere
• Original Assignee: Florida Manufacturing Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Ganiere, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Brahan, Thomas J.
• Application Number:
  US10/152,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20030219329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 414/398, 414/399, 414/538, 414/571, 14/715, 14/725, 14/711
• US Class Current: 414/391
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/3055 with hinged head interface between aircraft and passenger bridge
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/324 Luggage loaders specially adapted for loading individual luggage items into or out of the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/368 Arrangements or installations for routing, distributing or loading baggage

Abstract

The specification and drawings describe and show one embodiment of the present invention in the form of an inclined ramp in combination with a lifting device for lifting and lowering articles to and from the tarmac from and to the upper loading area at the top of a service stairway next to a passenger terminal bridge/walkway.

Claims

1. A lift and baggage ramp for 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 tarmac, the auxiliary access stairway having an upper portion landing platform for facilitating access for airline service employees to and from the elevated passenger walkway/bridge from and to the tarmac, the lift and baggage ramp comprising:

elevator means for lowering and lifting an article, the elevator means including a frame from which a loading end of an inclined ramp is pivotally attached to a portion of said frame, the frame of said elevator means further having cantilevered attachment and support means for fixing said frame of said elevator means to a movable elevated passenger walkway/bridge, the cantilevered attachment and support means extending from said elevated passenger walkway/bridge adjacent an underneath side of an auxiliary access stairway'"'"'s upper portion landing platform to said frame;

the elevator means including a generally planar platform for loading the article, wherein the planar platform is capable of being lifted from the tarmac to a level which approximately coincides with the upper portion landing platform of the auxiliary access stairway and wherein the planar platform is capable of being lowered from the level which approximately coincides with the upper portion landing platform of the auxiliary access stairway down to the tarmac;

the inclined ramp including an unloading end resting on a tarmac surface with a generally planar conveyance surface extending between the unloading end and the loading end for the sliding conveyance of another article from said loading end to said unloading end;

the inclined ramp being disposed near and generally parallel to the auxiliary access stairway; and

the inclined ramp further including upstanding side walls generally along each edge of the generally planar conveyance surface, the upstanding side walls being means for preventing the sliding article from falling off the generally planar conveyance surface.

2. The lift and baggage ramp according to claim 1, wherein the generally planar platform further comprises:

a raised edge along a side of said generally planar platform furthest away from said upper portion landing platform of the auxiliary access stairway when said generally planar platform is the elevated position.

3. The lift and baggage ramp according to claim 1, wherein the generally planar platform further comprises:

a generally tapered raised portion along a side of said generally planar platform furthest away from said upper portion landing platform of the auxiliary access stairway when said generally planar platform is the elevated position.

4. The lift and baggage ramp according to claim 1, wherein the generally planar platform further comprises:

a raised edge along a side of said generally planar platform adjacent said upper portion landing platform of the auxiliary access stairway when said generally planar platform is the elevated position.

5. The lift and baggage ramp according to claim 1, wherein the generally planar platform further comprises:

a generally tapered raised portion along a side of said generally planar platform adjacent said upper portion landing platform of the auxiliary access stairway when said generally planar platform is the elevated position.

6. The lift and baggage ramp according to claim 1, wherein the elevator means further comprises:

a generally planar member pivotally attached to a side of the generally planar platform of the elevator means, the pivotal attachment being on the side adjacent the loading end of the inclined ramp when said generally planar platform is in the elevated position; and

the generally planar member being capable of pivoting from a generally vertical orientation down toward the generally planar platform to one of a generally horizontal orientation parallel to the generally planar platform and an inclined orientation above the generally planar platform,

wherein when said generally planar platform is lifted to the level coinciding with the upper portion landing platform of the auxiliary access stairway, the generally planar member may be selectively lowered to the horizontal or inclined orientation or remain in the vertical orientation, and

wherein the generally planar member when in the vertical orientation further serves as a guard to prevent the article being elevated from falling off the generally planar platform.

7. The lift and baggage ramp according to claim 6, wherein the elevator means further comprises:

means for maintaining the generally planar member in the vertical orientation; and

means for maintaining the generally planar member in the one of the horizontal orientation and inclined orientation.

8. The lift and baggage ramp according to claim 6, wherein the generally planar member includes handle means for facilitating the selective positioning of the generally planar member in the one of the horizontal and inclined orientations or the vertical orientation.

9. The lift and baggage ramp according to claim 1, wherein the elevator means further comprises:

locking means for preventing the hydraulic creeping of the generally planar platform downward when said generally planar platform is in the elevated position.

10. The lift and baggage ramp according to claim 1, wherein the unloading end of the inclined ramp has side access means for removing the other article from the inclined ramp.

11. The lift and baggage ramp according to claim 10, wherein the unloading end of the inclined ramp further comprises:

an article stop extending substantially across said inclined ramp, said article stop further being located downstream of said side access means for removing the other article from the inclined ramp.

12. The lift and baggage ramp according to claim 11, wherein the article stop is adapted to absorb the impact shock of the sliding other article.

13. The lift and baggage ramp according to claim 12, wherein the article stop is a rubber reinforced gate.

14. The lift and baggage ramp according to claim 1, wherein the unloading end further comprises:

ground engagement wheels coupled to the inclined ramp at said unloading end for facilitating ground movement of the lift and baggage ramp as the elevated passenger walkway/bridge is maneuvered into position.

15. The lift and baggage ramp according to claim 1, wherein the generally planar conveyance surface comprises:

a longitudinally oriented channel corrugated surface defining rain water runoff paths between upper surfaces of the channel corrugated surface.