CA2121984A1 - Device for loading a person into a wheelchair - Google Patents

Abstract

Transferring of a disabled person from the sling of a sling-type lifting apparatus into a wheelchair is facilitated by raising the front end of the wheelchair, conveniently by means of a ramp structure. The ramp structure orients the wheelchair such that the seat and back of the wheelchair are closely aligned with the underside of the person "seated" in the sling. This reduces the need for attendants to pull the person backwards as the person is lowered into the wheelchair.

Description

2121~84 -DEVICE FOR LOADING A PERSON INTO A WHEELCHAIR
This invention relates to apparatus for loading persons into wheelchairs.
US patent No. 3,694,829 discloses a patient lifting apparatus suitable for transferring a patient into a wheelchair.
The apparatus comprises a mobile carriage with a vertical column having arms extending from its upper end. A sling arrangement, which is connected to the outer end of the arm for supporting the patient, comprises in part a back belt and a sling belt extending at an angle to each other. A patient is held by the pair of belts such that his back and upper part of his legs extend generally normal to each other. The patient carried in the sling may be lowered into a wheelchair. Unfortunately, when the sling is in a raised position, the back of the patient is caused to recline at an angle between approximately 10 and 20 to the vertical. While occupational therapists may sometimes specify otherwise in special cases, as a general rule the back of a wheel chair is vertical. As a result, when the patient is lowered into the wheelchair, the upper part of the patient's back is supported by the back of the wheelchair but the lower part of the patient's back is some distance away from the back of the wheelchair.
Understandably the patient is not correctly supported in such a position. To pull the patient backwards when seated could cause injury to both patient and attendant, and is not allowed in some hospitals. To move the patient into a more rearward and more supported position, attendants must pull the patient backwards during lowering of the patient to place him as rearwardly as ?12198~

possible upon the wheel chair seat. This tends to be a difficult operation and in most cases requires at least two attendants.
If only one attendant were to stand behind the wheelchair while attempting to pull the lower part of the patient's body towards him, the strain involved could cause injury to the attendant.
This is even more likely if the wheelchair is motorized and has drive equipment, such as batteries, mounted at the rear of the wheelchair.
The present invention seeks to provide apparatus for use in loading a patient into a wheelchair which minimizes the above disadvantages.
Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention provides apparatus for loading a person into a wheelchair comprising person lifting means for supporting a person in a backwardly inclined seated posture above a wheelchair loading position; and means for causing a wheelchair located in the loading position to tilt backwards into a tilted position suitable for lowering the person carried by the lifting means into a desired seating position in the wheelchair.
This aspect of the present invention thus uses a lifting means for a person together with a means for causing a wheelchair to tilt backwards ready for receiving the patient. When the wheelchair is tilted backwards into its tilted position, the wheelchair back may be inclined at an angle approximately equal to the angle of inclination of the back of the person supported by the lifting means. Hence the person may be lowered directly into a desirable seating position in the wheelchair with his back 2121~8~
-substantially completely supported by the wheelchair back. The need for manual intervention for the purpose of correctly positioning the patient is thereby avoided, together with its attendant problems.
The means for causing tilting of the wheelchair preferably comprises a ramp structure. Such a structure may be a separate unit easily accommodated, dependent upon its design, beneath the lifting means in the wheelchair loading position. The ramp structure may have inclined surfaces and wheel support surfaces extending from upper ends of the inclined surfaces to enable front wheels of the wheelchair to move up the inclined surfaces into an elevated position on the support surfaces to provide the tilting action.
Preferably, fixed stop means are provided to prevent movement of the wheels off the furthest end of the wheelchair support surfaces. Means may also be provided for releasably retaining the front wheels in the elevated position to resist movement of the front wheels in one direction onto and down the inclined surfaces.
The means for releasably retaining the front wheels in the elevated position may comprise at least one removable stop element disposable behind the front wheels of the wheelchair when these are in the elevated position so as to prevent movement of the front wheels down the inclined surface means.
The stop element may have first and second surfaces and be hingedly secured to the ramp member for pivoting between a first position in which the first surface extends upwards from the -wheel support surface to serve as an abutment and a second position in which the second surface is substantially coplanar with the wheel support surface. Crank means, conveniently operable by a user's foot, may be provided for pivoting the stop element between the first and second positions.
It is also preferable for the ramp structure to comprise two ramp members each providing an inclined surface of the inclined surface means. In this case the wheel support surfaces may comprise a wheelchair support surface provided by each ramp member. It is also preferable for each of the inclined wheelchair support surfaces to be provided by a guide channel for accepting and guiding the front wheel of the wheelchair.
The ramp members preferably are connected together by connector means which are adjustable to enable the separation between the ramp members to be adjusted to different fixed spacings to suit different wheel spacings. For this purpose, the connector means may comprise pairs of connector members with the members of each pair being connected one to each ramp member and being relatively movable lengthwise one on another. With this arrangement, means is provided to secure the connector members in different relative positions. The (or each) pair of connector members may comprise a pair of telescoping tubes, in which case a plurality of location holes may be provided in the tube to enable alignment of different holes from tube to tube upon change of fixed position of the inclined surfaces. The means for securing the tubes in different relative positions could, in this 21219~

case, comprise a pin for passing into aligned holes of the two tubes.
Alternatively, the connector means may comprise a pair of channel members, one slidably located inside the other, each having its outer end connected to a respective one of the ramp members, conveniently inserted into a socket in the ramp member.
The channel members may be secured in their different relative positions by clamp means, for example a locking bolt extending through a longitudinal slot in one channel to engage in a screwthreaded hole or nut in the other.
Instead of being a separate item, the ramp structure may be integral with the lifting means. Such a lifting means may comprise a pair of base members extending either side of the wheelchair loading position. The base members may then comprise wheel support surfaces extending substantially parallel to each other to receive the front wheels and inclined surface members hinged to the front ends of respective wheel support surfaces so that each inclined surface member would lie upon the wheel support surface when not in use, and be pivoted into its inclined position for use.
According to a further aspect of the present invention a ramp structure is provided for use in combination with lifting means for loading a person into a wheelchair, the ramp structure comprising a pair of ramps members each having an inclined surface for movement of a respective front wheel of a wheel chair up the inclined surface and into an elevated position so as to tilt the wheelchair, the ramp structure also having means to 2121g~ 3 -removably retain the front wheels in the elevated position with the wheelchair tilted, and connector means for connecting the ramp members together with their inclined surfaces at fixed distances apart.
According to a still further aspect of the present invention there is provided a wheelchair having jacking means for tilting the wheelchair backwards, the jacking means being mounted upon the wheelchair and extensible downwards into engagement with the floor to elevate the front wheels to a desired height above the floor.
Another aspect of the invention comprises a method for loading a person into a wheelchair comprising:- lifting the person while supporting the person in a backwardly inclined seated pose; disposing a person above a wheelchair loading position with a wheelchair located in the wheelchair loading position and with a chair engagement means in the loading position causing the wheelchair to tilt backwards into an orientation suitable for loading the lifted person into a desired seating position in the wheelchair; and lowering the person into the wheelchair and into the desired seating position.
One embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a side view of a sling-type patient lifting apparatus of the prior art, shown with a patient positioned in the apparatus;

Figure 2 is a side view of the apparatus and patient of Figure 1, and further illustrating a wheelchair ready to receive the patient;
Figure 3 is a side view of apparatus for loading a patient into a wheelchair according to the embodiment of the invention and showing a patient lowered into a wheelchair;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the loading apparatus and patient of Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a ramp structure forming part of the loading apparatus of the embodiment;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of ramp structure;
Figure 7 shows a cross-section through a connector means of the ramp structure of Figure 6;
Figure 8 shows a longitudinal cross-section through a stop element of the ramp structure of Figure 6;
Figure 9 shows a transverse cross-section through the stop element;
Figure 10 is a partial plan view of an alternative embodiment of the invention; and Figure 11 is a side view of an embodiment of another aspect of the invention.
With reference to Figure 1, a sling-type lifting apparatus used to move a disabled person from a bed to a wheelchair, or vice versa, is generally designated 10. The apparatus comprises a sling support means which has an undercarriage 12 to which is secured a vertical column 14. One end of an arm 16 connects 212198~
-pivotally to the upper end of column 14, and a hydraulically-operated piston mechanism 18 connected between column 14 and arm 16 determines the relative angle between those two. A person 20 is carried in a canvas sling 22 which has a set of loops 24 at each of its corners. Each set comprises several loops (not shown) to provide for different sizes of patient. The sling 22 is suspended by the loops 24 from the outer end of arm 16.
Handholds 26 are sewn onto the sides and back of sling 22 to assist with positioning of person 20. The weight of person 20 supported by the sling 22 and the shape of the sling 22 result in the person 20 adopting a seated pose with the seat 28 of the person extending at an angle of between approximately 10 and 20 to the horizontal, and the back 30 of the person reclining at a similar angle to the vertical.
lS As illustrated in Figure 2, on being lowered into a wheelchair 40 the person 20 is misaligned with the seat and back of the wheelchair. This misalignment results in the lowermost part of the patient's back being anywhere from 1 inch to 6 inches away from the seat back as indicated at 25. This results because the seat and back of most wheelchairs extend substantially horizontally and vertically, respectively. To overcome this misalignment, it is normally necessary for one or more attendants to pull on one or more handholds 26 while a further attendant operates the piston mechanism 18 to lower the patient. If it is not a high-back wheelchair, an attendant pulling on handholds 26 may well stand to the rear of, or substantially behind, the wheelchair 40, and this may result in considerable strain to the -2121~8~
_ back of that attendant, especially if the patient is heavy. That strain may be made worse if the wheelchair is motorized and bulky equipment, such as batteries, is mounted at the rear of the wheelchair. A further problem may be that two attendants, one each side of the wheelchair, pulling on separate handholds 26, may pull at different rates, and the patient may be misaligned to one side or the other when pulled backwards. This could cause the patient to press against the armrest, causing discomfort.
Figures 3 and 4 illustrate apparatus for loading a person into a wheelchair according to an embodiment of the invention.
This apparatus comprises a sling-type lifting apparatus 10 as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 and having a sling support means and canvas sling 22. The embodiment also includes a ramp structure 44 for supporting front wheels 42 of the wheelchair in an elevated position as shown by Figures 3 and 4.
In this position, the wheelchair 40 is tilted such that its seat 46 and its back 48 extend at an angle to the horizontal and vertical, respectively. When the wheelchair 40 has its brakes applied and is secured in this orientation, it is possible, if regulations permit, for a single attendant to lower a patient in the sling 22 into the wheelchair 40 such that the patient assumes a desired final position with his back substantially completely supported by the wheelchair back. The need for one or more additional attendants to pull on the handholds 26 during lowering of the patient is eliminated. In practice, it has been found that, for many wheelchairs, elevating the front wheels by about g or 10 cms. gives satisfactory results. Typically, less will 212198~
-not provide sufficient inclination, and more will not be practical where the wheelchair carries an anti-tipping device, and/or heavy batteries mounted at the rear.
The ramp structure 44 is more fully illustrated in Figure 5 and comprises a pair of ramp members 50 each having an upper surface 52 and inclined surface 54. A U-shaped metallic or plastic section is secured to those surfaces to define an upper wheel guide channel 56 and an inclined wheel guide channel 58 on each member 50. Each guide channel 56 provides a wheelchair support surface to accept a front wheel of the wheelchair after movement of the front wheel up an inclined surface provided by the corresponding guide channel 58. One end of each upper wheel guide channel 56 has a stop means i.e. a pin 60 secured to it to limit the forward movement of a wheelchair wheel within that channel. A stop element in the form of a removable or hinged barrier 62 is mounted at the other end of each upper wheel guide channel 56. The pair of barriers 62 are not put into position until the front pair of wheels of wheelchair 40 have moved up ramped wheel channels 58 and have entered the upper wheel channels 56. The barriers 62 are then positioned across the channels 56, behind the front wheels, to prevent the front wheels from moving onto and down the channels 58.
The members 50 have connector means connecting them together. The connector means is, in this embodiment, required to be adjustable to enable the ramp members 50 and thus of their inclined channels 58 and 56, to be moved towards each other, or apart. The connector means comprises two pairs of connector members, each pair in the form of a pair of telescoping tubes 64 and 66 with the tube 64 slidable within tube 66.
Each tube 64 has a series of spaced holes 68 along it, and each tube 66 has a hole 70 proximate its outer end. Hole 70 can be matched to any of the holes 68, and means provided to secure the tubes in different chosen telescoped positions comprises a pin 72 inserted to fix their relative position. With the pair of pins 72 inserted into corresponding holes 68 in tubes 64, the ramped wheel channels 58 and upper wheel channels 56 of the pair of blocks 50 extend respectively parallel to each other. Each pin 72 is connected by a chain 74 to a ring 76 extending around a respective tube 66.
Figure 6 shows an alternative ramp structure 84 which is particularly suitable for manufacture by molding from synthetic plastics material and Figures 7, 8 and 9 show details of it. The ramp structure 84 comprises two ramp members 86 each having a channel member comprising an upper wheel guide channel portion 88 and an inclined wheel guide channel portion 90, forming together a single channel and providing upper wheel support surface 92 and inclined surface 94, respectively. As in the embodiment of Figure 5, the upper wheel support surface 92 is for accepting a front wheel of the wheelchair after it has traversed the inclined surface 94. The guide channel portions 88 and 90 are formed integrally with, and supported by, a ribbed and flanged support member 96 carried by a generally flat, oblong base member 98. The guide channels, the ribbed support member and the base member 98 may be molded as a single component. The 212198;4 end of each upper wheel guide channel is closed, forming an end stop 100 to limit forward movement of the wheel.
A stop element 102, mounted at the junction between the other end of the upper wheel guide channel member 88 and the inclined channel member 90, comprises an angular member formed by a pair of mutually perpendicular plates 104 and 106 which are braced by a triangular rib 108. A pivot pin 110 extends through the corner of the stop element 102 and pivot holes 112 in the channel. A crank arm 114 attached to the pivot pin 110 serves to rotate the stop element 102 into a first position in which plate 104 protrudes upwards and acts as a barrier to prevent the front wheel from moving onto and down the inclined surface 94 while plate 106 abuts a shallow recess 118 in the inclined surface 94. It will be seen from Figure 8 that, in the raised position, the plate 104 is inclined rearwardly relative to the upper wheel support surface 92 since the other plate 106 is resting on the inclined surface. Consequently, the stop element 102 will remain in this position until the crank is rotated to lower it again. As depicted in broken lines in Figure 8, when not in use, the stop element is rotated until the plate 106 depends into a storage compartment 116 in the upper wheel support surface 92 and the surface of plate 104 which previously abutted the inclined surface now is aligned with the surface.
The crank member 104 may conveniently be operated by the user's foot.
The ramp members 86 are connected together by connector means which, in this embodiment, comprise an upper member 120 in 21219~
-the form of a channel and, slidingly located within it, a lower channel member 122. The outer ends of the members 120 and 122 are each fitted securely into a socket 124 in the opposed side of the corresponding one of the ramp members 86.
The upper connector member 120 has a longitudinal slot 126 through which the shaft of a screw 128 extends to engage in a correspondingly screwthreaded hole or nutscrew 130 in the lower channel member 12. Screw 128 is released to allow the spacing between the ramp members 88 to be adjusted, and then tightened to clamp the connecting members 120 and 122 together. The screw 128 also extends through a spacer 132 which extends between the upper and lower channel member 120 and 122. The spacer 132 is a polymer, such as is marketed under the trademark ACETAL, and facilitates the telescopic adjustment of the upper and lower connecting members 120 and 122.
An advantage of a separate ramp structure is that the lifting means 10 can be used without it, for example to lift a patient onto a stretcher. It will be appreciated, however, that the ramp structure could be attached to the lifting means and movable into and out of the loading position as required. Such an arrangement is illustrated in Figure 10, which shows the base 136 of a person lifting means which is otherwise as shown in Figure 4. The base 136 comprises a pair of side members 138 and 140 extending from opposite ends of a rear base member 142. A
vertical column 144 extends upwards from the middle of the rear base member 142. The side members 138 and 140 have respective short sections 146 and 148 extending parallel to each other and 212198~
-perpendicularly from the ends of the rear base member 142, outwardly cranked middle portions 150 and 152, and parallel end portions 154 and 156, respectively. The uppermost surfaces of the short sections 146 and 148 carry wheel support channels 158 and 160, respectively. Inclined surface members 162 and 164 are coupled to frontal ends of the sections 158 and 160 by hinges 166 and 168, respectively. In Figure 10, inclined surface member 164 is shown in the storage position i.e. folded onto the top surface of section 160. Inclined surface member 162 is shown deployed for use, i.e. folded out so that it extends downwards and forwards from the end of upper wheel support channel 158. As before, fixed stops 170 (only one shown in Figure 10) are provided at the rear ends of wheel support channels 158 and 160 and releasable stops 172 (only one shown) are provided at their front ends.
It will be appreciated that the wheel support channels need not be separate but could be formed into the respective side member section 146 and 148 during manufacture.
In some kinds of lifting apparatus, the spacing between the side members 138 and 140 will be adjustable and so may provide for adjusting the spacing between the ramps to suit different wheel spacings. Where they are not, however, the wheel support channels 158 and 160 could be adjustably mounted upon a plate extending between the sections 146 and 148 so that the spacing between the ramps could be adjusted to suit different wheel spacings.

21~198 1 Various alternatives and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.
For example, the ramp structure might comprise a pair of ramps, each mounted upon one of the side members of the undercarriage or base member. Each ramp might be carried by a telescopic member, perhaps an hydraulic ram, so that it could be withdrawn to a position adjacent the side member when not in use and extended inwards from the side member for use. The amount of extension could be selected to suit different wheel spacings.
It is also envisaged that the lifting means might be equipped with means other than ramps for tilting the wheelchair.
For example, an hydraulic jack might be provided on the base of the lifting means to engage the frame of the wheelchair, or a lever or levers might be employed, attached to either the base or the vertical column.
Alternatively, the means for tilting the wheelchair could be a jacking device mounted upon the wheelchair itself and operable to engage the floor and raise the front wheels to the desired height. Such a wheelchair is illustrated in Figure 11 and comprises an hydraulic jack 176 with its cylinder attached to the underside of the seat so that its piston 178 extends downwards. The jack 176 is coupled to an operating pedal 180 at the rear of the wheelchair. When the piston 178 is fully retracted into the cylinder 176, the front wheels of the wheelchair engage the floor 182 in the normal way. When the pedal 180 is operated, the piston 178 extends until it engages the floor. Further extension causes the front wheels to lift from the floor, about 9 or 10 cms., to give the required tilting.
The pedal 180 is equipped with a release valve to retract the piston and lower the front wheels to the floor after the patient has been lowered into the wheelchair.
It will be appreciated that the jacking means need not be an hydraulic jack. For example, the jacking means might be levers attached to the frame adjacent the front wheels and pivotable into engagement with the floor to raise the front wheels.

Claims (30)

1. Apparatus for loading a person into a wheelchair comprising:- person lifting means for supporting a person in a backwardly inclined seated pose above a wheelchair loading position; and means for tilting a wheelchair located in the loading position backwards into a tilted position suitable for lowering the person carried by the lifting means into a desired seating position in the wheelchair.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for tilting the wheelchair comprises a ramp structure having an upper wheel support surface and inclined surface means to enable the front wheels of the wheelchair to move up the inclined surface means onto the wheel support surface so as to elevate the front wheels and tilt the wheelchair backwards.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the ramp structure comprises means to resist movement of the front wheels of the wheelchair in one direction onto and down the inclined surfaces, and stop means is provided to prevent movement in the other direction and off the wheelchair support surfaces.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the means to retain the front wheels in the elevated position comprises at least one removable stop element disposable in the position for location behind the front wheels of the wheelchair when these are in an elevated position so as to prevent movement of the front wheels down the inclined surface means.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the ramp structure comprises two ramp members each having an inclined surface of the inclined surface means for movement up the inclined surface of a respective front wheel of a wheelchair and onto a respective wheelchair support surface each wheelchair support surface extending from an upper end of the respective inclined surface.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the means to retain the front wheels in the elevated position comprises means to resist movement of front wheels of the wheelchair in one direction onto and down the inclined surfaces, and stop means to prevent movement in the other direction and off the wheelchair support surfaces.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the ramp members has at least one removable stop element disposable in a position for location behind a front wheel of the wheelchair when the front wheels are in the elevated position upon the wheelchair support surface to prevent movement of the front wheels onto and down the inclined surfaces.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein for each ramp member, each of the inclined and wheelchair support surfaces are provided by a guide channel for accepting and guiding a front wheel of the wheelchair.

9. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the ramp members have connector means for connecting the members together with their inclined surfaces at fixed distances apart.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the connector means is adjustable to enable movement towards each other or apart of the ramp members and accompanying change in the fixed distances apart of the inclined surfaces.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the connector means comprises pairs of connector members, the connector members of each pair being secured one to each ramp member and relatively movable lengthwise, and means to secure the connector members in different relative positions to set the fixed distances apart of the inclined surfaces.

12. Apparatus according to claim 10 or 11, wherein each pair of connector members comprises a pair of telescoping tubes.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a plurality of location holes are provided in each pair of telescoping tubes to enable alignment of different holes, from tube to tube, upon change in fixed position of the inclined surfaces, and the means to secure the tubes in different relative positions comprises a location peg for passing into aligned holes of the two tubes.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the connector means comprises a first member in the form of a channel and a second member slidingly located in the first member, the first member and second member having respective outer ends secured to respective ones of the ramp members, and a clamp for securing the first and second member in different relative positions to set the fixed distances apart of the inclined surfaces.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the stop element comprises a member having first and second surfaces inclined relative to each other, pivot means mounting the member to the ramp structure for rotation about a pivot axis adjacent a junction between the inclined surface and the upper wheel support surface, and means for rotating the angle member between a first position in which the first surface protrudes upwards to serve as an abutment and the second surface abuts a part of the inclined surface and a second position in which the first surface depends below the wheel support surface and the second surface is substantially coplanar with the upper wheel support surface.

16. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the person lifting means comprises a base member having the upper wheel support surface or surfaces on an upper surface thereof, and the inclined surface means is pivotable between a storage position lying upon the wheel support surface and a deployed position extending outwards and downwards from the wheel support surface.

17. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for tilting the wheelchair comprises jacking means mounted upon the wheelchair and extensible to engage a surface upon which the wheels of the wheelchair rest so as to elevate the front wheels of the wheelchair to a desired height.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the jacking means comprises an hydraulic cylinder device.

19. A ramp structure for use in combination with a lifting device for loading a person into a wheelchair comprising a pair of ramp members each having an upper wheel support surface and an inclined surface for movement of a respective front wheel of a wheelchair up the inclined surface and onto the wheel support surface so as to tilt the wheelchair, the ramp structure also having means to removably retain the front wheels in the elevated position with the wheelchair tilted and connector means for connecting the ramp members together with their inclined surfaces at fixed distances apart.

20. A ramp structure according to claim 19, wherein the connector means is adjustable to enable movement towards each other or apart of the ramp members and accompanying change in the fixed distances apart of the inclined surfaces.

21 21. A ramp structure according to claim 20, wherein the connector means comprises pairs of connector members, the connector members of each pair being secured one to each ramp member and relatively movable one upon another, and means is provided to secure the connector members in different relative positions to change the fixed distances apart of the inclined surfaces.

22. A ramp structure according to claim 21, wherein each pair of connector members comprises a pair of telescoping tubes.

23. A ramp structure according to claim 22, wherein a plurality of location holes are provided in each pair of telescoping tubes to enable alignment of different holes from tube to tube, upon change in fixed position of the inclined surfaces, and the means to secure the tubes in different relative positions comprises a location peg for passing into aligned holes of the two tubes.

24. Apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the connector means comprises a first member in the form of a channel and a second member slidingly located in the first member, the first member and second member having respective ends secured to respective ones of the ramp members, and a clamp for securing the first and second member in different relative positions to set the fixed distance apart of the inclined surfaces.

25. A ramp structure according to claim 19, wherein the means to removably retain the front wheels in the elevated position comprises means to resist movement of the front wheels of the wheelchair in one direction onto and down the inclined surfaces, and stop means to prevent movement in the other direction and off the wheelchair support surfaces.

26. A ramp structure according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the ramp members has at least one removable stop element disposable in a position for location behind a front wheel of the wheelchair when the front wheels are in the elevated position upon the wheelchair support surfaces to prevent movement of the front wheels onto and down the inclined surfaces.

27. Apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein the stop element comprises a member having first and second surfaces inclined relative to each other, pivot means mounting the member to the ramp structure for rotation about a pivot axis adjacent a junction between the inclined surface and the upper wheel support surface, and means for rotating the angle member between a first position in which the first surface protrudes upwards to serve as an abutment and the second surface abuts a part of the inclined surface and a second position in which the first surface depends below the wheel support surface and the second surface is substantially coplanar with the upper wheel support surface.

28. A ramp structure according to claim 19, wherein, for each ramp member, each of the inclined and wheelchair support surfaces is provided by a guide channel for accepting and guiding a front wheel of the wheelchair.

29. A method for loading a person into a wheelchair comprising the step of lifting the person while supporting the person in a backwardly-inclined seated pose and disposing the person above a wheelchair loading position; and with the wheelchair located in the wheelchair loading position and with a chair engagement means causing the wheelchair to tilt backwards into an orientation suitable for loading the lifted person into a desired seating position in the wheelchair, lowering the person into the wheelchair and into the desired seating position.

30. A wheelchair comprising a frame, rear wheels and front wheels, and means for the tilting the wheelchair backwards a desired amount, the tilting means comprising a jacking device mounted to the wheelchair and extensible to engage a surface upon which the rear wheels rest so as to elevate the front wheels and tilt the wheelchair backwards a desired amount.