Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
  • E04H3/00—Buildings or groups of buildings for public or similar purposes; Institutions, e.g. infirmaries or prisons
  • E04H3/10—Buildings or groups of buildings for public or similar purposes; Institutions, e.g. infirmaries or prisons for meetings, entertainments, or sports
  • E04H3/12—Tribunes, grandstands or terraces for spectators
  • E04H3/123—Telescopic grandstands
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B66—HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
  • B66B—ELEVATORS; ESCALATORS OR MOVING WALKWAYS
  • B66B9/00—Kinds or types of lifts in, or associated with, buildings or other structures
  • B66B9/06—Kinds or types of lifts in, or associated with, buildings or other structures inclined, e.g. serving blast furnaces
  • B66B9/08—Kinds or types of lifts in, or associated with, buildings or other structures inclined, e.g. serving blast furnaces associated with stairways, e.g. for transporting disabled persons
  • B66B9/0869—Collapsible stairways, e.g. operable between a lower level and an upper level
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
  • E04F11/00—Stairways, ramps, or like structures; Balustrades; Handrails
  • E04F11/02—Stairways; Layouts thereof
  • E04F11/04—Movable stairways, e.g. of loft ladders which may or may not be concealable or extensible
  • E04F11/06—Movable stairways, e.g. of loft ladders which may or may not be concealable or extensible collapsible, e.g. folding, telescopic

Definitions

• US-A-4457402 discloses a wheelchair lift which includes an elevator platform and a plurality of vertically movable stair members . When the platform is in its lower position, the stair members form a stairway, and, when the platform is raised, the stair members are moved upwardly until they and the platform are coplanar with the upper surface to which the stairway led. This arrangement occupies space which is the combined platform area of the lift platform and the stairway. In certain installations, space is limited and sufficient space may be unavailable. .An object of this invention is to provide a combined stairway and lift installation which does not require so much floor space at the foot of the stairway.
• GB-A-2105398 discloses an extendible ladder or crane which has two separate rope systems.
• a first rope system consists of a loop on each intermediate ladder section and attached to the adjacent ladder sections so as to ensure synchronism of the relative movement of those ladder sections .
• the second rope system consists of an extending rope zig-zagging up the ladder section which is moved differently with respect to a retracting rope which extends directly to the uppermost section. This arrangement would suffer from slackness in the rope at certain stages of operation of the system if a single rope was used for the two rope system.
• Another object of this invention is to enable a single elongate flexible tension member to be used in an extension/retraction system without slackness thereof being a problem.
• a retractable stairway as claimed in claim 11.
• a preferred feature is claimed in claim 12.
• Figure 1 is a diagrammatical representation of one of the installations which has a single drive chain, the lift being retracted and covered by the stairway;
• Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the stairway withdrawn to uncover the lift;
• Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the lift elevated
• Figure 4 is a perspective view of one form of top step member of the stairway of Figure 1, part of the step member being broken away to reveal hidden detail;
• Figure 5 is a perspective view of a movable step member for use with the top step member of Figure 4 in the stairway of Figure 1;
• Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 of a modified form of top step member for use in the stairway of Figure l;
• Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 5 of a modified form of movable step member for use with the top step member of Figure 6;
• Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 6 of the top step member of the other installation which has a twin drive chain arrangement driven by a common motor.
• Figure 1 shows structure (10) forming a horizontal surface (11) and an upright wall (12).
• the structure (10) may be part of a building or may be a separate housing for installation in structure of a building.
• a stairway (13) leads from the surface (11) to the top of the wall (12) and comprises a stack of four generally rectangular step members (14 to 17).
• the bottom step member (14) has wheels whereby it is adapted for translational movement on the horizontal surface (11).
• the top step member (17) is mounted at the top of the wall (12) from which it projects horizontally.
• Each of the other two step members (15 and 16) is guided for horizontal movement on the step member (14, 15) immediately below it.
• the stairway (13) is retractable from an extended condition, as shown in Figure 1, to a retracted state as shown in Figure 2.
• a scissor lift (18) is installed in a cavity (19) in the structure (10), the cavity (19) being formed in the horizontal surface (11) so that it is exposed when the stairway (13) is retracted as shown in Figure 2 whilst it is covered by the stairway (13) when the latter is extended as shown in Figure 1.
• the lift (18) has a load carrying platform (21) which is flush with the surface (11) when the lift (18) is lowered.
• Figure 3 shows the lift (18) elevated.
• the load carrying platform (21) is flush with a tread surface formed by the top of the top step member (17). Also the platform
• a movable stop (22) is provided at the end of the platform (21) remote from the top step member (17).
• the stop (22) is extended when the lift (18) is elevated, as shown in Figure 3, so as to form a barrier against an object rolling off the elevated platform (21).
• FIG 4 shows one form of top step member (17) which comprises a rectangular frame which forms a generally upright rear wall which is mounted on the wall (12), two generally upright side walls (23 and 24) and a front wall 25 which forms a riser portion of the step.
• the top of the frame is closed by a panel (26) which forms the tread surface of the step. The tread surface is flush with the top of the wall (12) .
• Each side wall (23, 24) is machined from solid. It has an elongate recess (27) formed in its lower edge between depending end portions (33 and 35).
• a groove (28) is formed in its outer surface so as to extend horizontally from end-to-end of that side wall (23, 24).
• Front and rear stop members (29 and 31) are fitted into the groove (28).
• Figure 1 shows a cog wheel (32) adjacent to the lower end of the rear wall of the top step member (17).
• a motor (not shown) which is mounted within the top step member (17) is drivingly coupled with the cog wheel (32).
• the latter is j ⁇ urnalled on a spindle support which is mounted within the top step member (17) on the depending portion (33) of the side wall (23) that is formed at the end of the elongate recess (27) that is nearer to the rear wall of the frame.
• a roller (34) is similarly mounted within the top step member (17) on the depending portion 35 of the same side wall (23) that is at the other end of the elongate recess (27) adjacent to the front wall (25).
• the axes of symmetry of the cog wheel (32) and the roller (34) are parallel and lie in a substantially horizontal plane.
• the effective diameters of the roller (34) and the cog wheel (32) are substantially the same.
• FIG. 5 shows the movable step member (16) which is similar to the movable step member (15).
• the step member (16) comprises a rectangular frame having an upstanding front wall (36), which forms the riser portion of the step, two side walls (37 and 38) which are generally similar to the side walls (23 and 24) of the top step member (17) but which are modified as is described below, and a horizontal strengthening bar (39) at the rear.
• the part of the rectangular frame which projects beyond the front wall (25) of the top step member (17) when the stairway is extended as shown in Figure 1, is covered by a panel (41) which forms the tread portion of the respective step member (16).
• the remainder of the top of the step member (16) is open as can be seen from Figure 5.
• the side walls (37 and 38) of the step member (16) are machined from solid.
• the differences between the side walls (37 and 38) and the side walls (23 and 24), are that, in order to reduce the weight, the uncovered upper edges of the side walls (37 and 38) are castellated to form four spaced upstanding castellations which serve as mounting portions (42).
• Each of a pair of rollers (43 and 44) is mounted within the step member (16) on a respective one of the depending mounting portions (45 and 46) that is formed one at either end of the elongate recess (47) within the lower edge of the side wall (37) of the step member (16).
• the axes of symmetry of the rollers (43 and 44) are parallel and lie in a horizontal plane. Also their diameters are substantially the same.
• the middle pair of the four mounting portions (42) that are formed at the top of that side wall (37) are above the respective recess (47) and thus are between the two rollers (43 and 44).
• a further roller (48, 49) is mounted within the step member (16) on each of that middle pair of mounting portions (42). Again the axes of symmetry of these further rollers (48 and 49) are parallel and lie in a horizontal plane. Also their diameters are substantially the same.
• the outer pair of the four mounting portions (42) on the side wall (37) are each projected upwards.
• Each of these upward projections (51, 52) has a respective mounting plate (53, 54) secured face-to-face to its outer surface.
• Each mounting plate (53, 54) extends above the respective upward projection (51, 52) and carries a respective roller (55, 56) above that projection (51, 52).
• Another pair of rollers (57 and 58) is similarly mounted on the outer pair of castellation mounting portions (42) that are formed by the upper edge of the other side wall (38).
• the diameter of the rollers (55 to 58) are the same and their axes lie in a common horizontal plane.
• each side wall (37, 38) of the step member (16) extends into the groove (28) formed in the respective side wall (23, 24) of the top step member (17) between the respective stop members (29 and 31).
• the rollers (55 and 56, 57 and 58) of the similar step member (15) extend into the similar groove (59) that is formed in the respective side wall (37, 38) of the step member (16) and which has its own pair of stop members (61 and 62) one at either end.
• each of the step members (15 and 16) relative to the step member (16, 17) above is limited by the abutment of its rollers (55 to 58) with the respective front and rear stop members (29 and 31, 61 and 62) respectively of the step member (16, 17) above.
• the bottom step member (14) is similar to each of the movable step members 15 and 16, except that it has no lower rollers (43 and 44), no lower elongate recesses (47) and is provided with wheels (not shown) on which it can move on the horizontal surface (11). Like the other movable step members (15 and 16), the bottom step member (14) carries rollers which run in the grooves (59) that are formed in the outer surfaces of the side walls (37 and 38) of the movable step member (15).
• the front and rear stop members (29 and 31, 61 and 62) are spaced apart by the distance through which the respective step member (14 to 16) needs to be moved from the extended condition shown in Figure 1 to the retracted condition shown in Figure 2 so that the riser portions (25, 36) of the step members (14 to 17) are flush in the latter condition.
• each movable step member (15, 16) are similarly positioned relative to the step members (15, 16) on which they are mounted, with the upper rollers (48 and 49) being positioned between the lower rollers (43 and 44) of a given step member (15, 16) in a direction along the length of its side wall (37, 38).
• Each upper roller (48, 49) is mounted so that its highest point is nearly at the same level as the lower point of the lower rollers (43, 44) of the step member (15, 16) above for a reason which is explained below.
• each step member (14 to 17) is substantially the same.
• Figures 1 to 3 show that a chain (63) is fixed at either end (64, 65) in the bottom step member (14) and is guided in an undulating manner through the step members (14 to 17), around the rollers (43, 44, 48 and 49), the roller (34) and the cog wheel (32) with which it meshes.
• the chain (63) runs alternately anti-clockwise round the upper rollers (49) that are further from the wall (12), and clockwise round the adjacent lower rollers (44) in the step member (15, 16) above, until it reaches the top step member (17), where it winds clockwise round the roller (34) and clockwise round the cog wheel (32).
• the tops of the upper rollers (48, 49) in a given step member (14 to 16) are nearly at the same level as the bottoms of the lower rollers (43 and 44) or the roller (34) and the cog wheel (32) in the step member (15 to 17) above, as described above so that the pair of portions of the chain (63) that extend therebetween are substantially horizontal.
• the movable step members (14 to 16) are moved between the extended and retracted conditions shown in Figures 1 and 2, the length of one of the horizontal chain runs of each aligned pair increases by a certain amount whilst the length of the other reduces by the same amount. This leads to the chain (63) being taut from end (64) to end (65) through the range of movement of the movable step members (14 to 16) without there being a need to incorporate a tensioning device in the chain.
• a retractable barrier (64A) is provided, optionally, at the top step member (17) to prevent people from trying to walk down the stairs when the steps (14 to 17) are in a retracted condition.
• a control system is provided which is operable to switch the motor on or off, as required in order to control movement of the movable step members (14 to 16).
• the control system can be activated using user control panels provided at both of the levels between which the stairway (13) extends.
• each step member (14 to 16) When the step members (14 to 17) are extended to define the stairway (13) as shown in Figure 1, the upper rollers (48 and 49) of each step member (14 to 16) are positioned approximately mid-way between the lower rollers (43 and 44) of the step member (15, 16) above, or mid-way between the roller (34) and the cog wheel (32) of the top step member. Also the front rollers (56, 58) of each moveable step (14 to 17) abut the front step members (29, 62) of the step member (15 to 17) above.
• the motor is energised to drive the cog wheel (32) anticlockwise. That imparts a pulling force to the length of the chain (63) between the cog wheel (32) and the end (64) of the chain (63).
• the chain (63) exerts a pull on each of the movable step members (14 to 16), through the respective upper roller (48) about which the chain (63) is drawn in an anti-clockwise sense, so that those step members (14 to 16) are pulled towards the wall (12).
• step members (14 to 16) are fully retracted with their rear portions abutting the wall (12) and their riser portions (36) flush with that (25) of the top step member (17).
• the length of the portion of the chain (63) that extends between the cog wheel (32) and the fixing point (64) is shorter than it was originally and the length of the portion of the chain (63) that extends between the cog wheel (32) and the fixing point (65) is correspondingly longer, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.
• the rear rollers (55 and 57) of each step member (14 to 16) abut the rear stop members (31, 61) of the step member (15 to 17) above.
• the retractable barrier (64) When a person in a wheelchair wishes to move from the bottom of the stairway (13) to the top, the retractable barrier (64) is operated so that it extends from the top of the stairway (13), and the stairway is retracted as described above. This exposes the platform (21) of the lift (18), so that it can be mounted by the person on the wheelchair.
• the lift (18) can then be activated to raise the person to the outer level.
• the movable stop (22) rises relative to the platform (21) to prevent the wheelchair rolling off the lift.
• the barrier (64) When the platform (21) is raised to the upper level, the barrier (64) is lowered and the wheelchair user can then move onto the upper level.
• the lift (18) is no longer required.
• the platform (21) is lowered and the stairway (13) is then returned to its extended position again as described above.
• the control system may be activated using a remote control device which could be fitted into the user control panel or could be fitted into a hand held device, or a key pad device, or any other suitable such control device. It is difficult to achieve the desirable horizontal run of chain between each upper roller (49) and the respective roller (34 or 44) at the front end of the step member (15 to 17) above without that chain being dragged over the tread panel (41) of the respective step member (14 to 16) as the stairway (13) is extended or retracted. That would be undesirable as the material from which the tread panel (41) is formed is liable to be selected for aesthetic reasons and its appearance could be spoilt by damage due to the dragging of the chain over it. Another problem which follows from locating the roller (44) at the front of each movable step member (14 to 16) is that it will be below the tread panel (41) of that step member (14 to 16) and thus difficult to access for servicing.
• Figures 6 and 7 show other designs of step member for use in the stairway (13) in which the chain and rollers are arranged so as to avoid .the problems discussed above.
• Elements that are similar to corresponding elements of the step members shown in Figures 4 and 5 are identified by the same references with a suffix A.
• FIG. 6 shows a top step member (17A) which is formed of sheet metal.
• a sheet metal pressing in the form of a rectangular frame having upstanding sides which form the rear wall (66), the side walls (23A and 24A) , and the front wall (25A) of the top step member (17A).
• the frame is covered by a panel (26A) which is shown broken away to reveal the interior and which forms the tread portion.
• Angled flanges (67 and 68) that run the length of the side walls (23A and 24A) respectively at the top and bottom of those side walls (23A and 24A) , cooperate together to form a roller trackway (28A) which is similar to the groove (28).
• a motor (72) is mounted on the side of the wall (71) remote from the space between the walls (69 and 71). Its drive shaft (73) extends through the wall (71) and carries a cog wheel (32A) between the two walls (69 and 71). The drive shaft (73) is nearer the top of the wall (71) than the bottom thereof.
• a roller (34A) is journalled on an axle (74) which extends between the two walls (69 and 71) within which it is mounted.
• the axes of the drive shaft (73) and of the axle (74) are in the same horizontal plane.
• the roller (34A) is nearer to the front wall (25A) than is the cog wheel (32A) and it is spaced from the front wall (25A) by a distance which is a little greater than the distance between the front wall (25A) of the top step member (17A) and the front wall (36A) of the movable step member (16A) immediately below it when the stairway (13) is extended.
• Each of another pair of rollers (75 and 76) is journalled on a respective axle (77, 78) which extends between the two walls (69 and 71) within which it is mounted.
• the pair of rollers 75 and 76 are between and below the roller (34A) and the cog wheel (32A) and the axes of their axles (77 and 78) lie in the same horizontal plane.
• the diameters of the rollers (75 and 78) are the same.
• Figure 7 shows the movable step member (16A). It is a sheet metal pressing which is generally similar to the pressing that comprises the top step member (17A) described above with reference to Figure 6. The differences are that the panel (41A) that forms the tread portion and that is shown broken away in Figure 7, only covers the front portion of the top of the frame in the same way as does the panel (41) of the step member (16) shown in Figure 5; and that the walls (69 and 71) and the upstanding portions of the upper angled flanges (67) are projected upwardly between the rear wall (66) and the rear end of the panel (41A).
• the movable step member (16A) carries four chain guide rollers (43A, 44A, 48A and 49A) but they are arranged differently.
• the pair of upper rollers (48A and 49A) are mounted between the upper projecting portions (79 and 81) of the walls (69 and 71), each on a respective axle (82, 83); one (48A) near to the rear of the portion (79 and 81) and the other (49A) near to the front thereof.
• the tops of the rollers (48A and 49A) are at nearly the same horizontal level as are the bottoms of the lower rollers (75 and 76) of the top step member (17A) shown in Figure 6 so that the chain (63A) follows a substantially horizontal path therebetween.
• the other pair of rollers are at nearly the same horizontal level as are the bottoms of the lower rollers (75 and 76) of the top step member (17A) shown in Figure 6 so that the chain (63A) follows a substantially horizontal path therebetween.
• the chain (63A) runs clockwise round the upper roller (49A) that, in each step member, is further from the wall (12) and anti-clockwise round the adjacent lower roller (44A, 76) in the step member above, until it reaches the top step member (17A).
• the lower roller (76) that is the further of the lower rollers (75 and 76) from the wall (12)
• it runs clockwise round the roller (34A) and around the cog wheel (32A) which drives it.
• the chain (63A) runs anti-clockwise round the other lower rollers and clockwise around the other upper rollers of the step members below until its anchorage at its other end.
• Each of the upstanding portions (86 and 87) of the upper angled flanges (67) carries a pair of rollers (55A and 56A, 57A and 58A) on its inner surface. These rollers (55A, 56A, 57A, 58A) run in the respective trackway (28A) of the top step member (17A) in a similar manner to that described above for the movable step members (14 to 16) of Figures 1 to 5.
• rollers of the step members ( 16A and 17A) are accessible from above when the stairway is retracted and the top panel (26A) is removed.
• Figure 8 shows a top step member (17B) which differs from that shown in Figure 6 by being a twin chain arrangement, each of the two chain arrangements being similar to that described above with reference to Figures 6 and 7.
• the motor (72B) drives the cog wheel (32A) of one of the chain drive systems through a separate drive chain (86). That cog wheel (32A) and the cog wheel (32B) of the other chain drive systems are mounted on a common axle (87) by which the drive is transmitted to the cog wheel (32B).

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
• Escalators And Moving Walkways (AREA)
• Types And Forms Of Lifts (AREA)
• Lift-Guide Devices, And Elevator Ropes And Cables (AREA)
• Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

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Family Applications (1)

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Cited By (1)

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• 1996
  • 1996-07-15 GB GBGB9614868.9A patent/GB9614868D0/en active Pending
• 1997
  • 1997-07-14 AT AT97931946T patent/ATE239155T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1997-07-14 EP EP97931946A patent/EP0912809B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-07-14 WO PCT/GB1997/001931 patent/WO1998002628A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1997-07-14 DE DE69721538T patent/DE69721538T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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