GB2279059A

GB2279059A - Ramp with platform reinforcing member

Info

Publication number: GB2279059A
Application number: GB9409118A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Keith Michael Jones; Kevin John Jones
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-05-08
Filing date: 1994-05-09
Publication date: 1994-12-21
Also published as: DE9407919U1; GB9309518D0; GB9409118D0

Abstract

A ramp for a wheel-chair comprises a reinforcing member 56 and a ramp platform 12 which is assembled from a plurality of substantially rigid ramp members 2, 4 adapted to be fitted together and to engage with the reinforcing member 56 to increase the rigidity of the ramp platform 12. The engagement means may comprise one or more pins 54 and the reinforcing member may be an angle bracket 56 mounted on the pins. Support means (18, Fig 2) comprising struts 20 are preferably provided which allow the ramp platform 12 to be positioned so that its top end is adjacent a step (32, Fig 1). The ramp may be portable and may be disassembled for carrying (Figs 7 and 8), with the ramp members 2, 4 preferably being hingedly connected so as to form a case for carrying the reinforcing member and/or the support means. The invention includes a kit of parts for assembling a ramp. <IMAGE>

Description

RAMP This invention relates to a ramp, and particularly to a portable ramp for use with a wheel-chair.

Ramps are frequently used to provide access to buildings or vehicles for people in wheel-chairs.

A problem is that many buildings or vehicles are not equipped with ramps, and a person in a wheel-chair either cannot enter the building or vehicle, or can do so only with difficulty.

According to the present invention there is provided a ramp for a wheel-chair, the ramp comprising a reinforcing member and a ramp platform which is assembled from a plurality of substantially rigid ramp members that are adapted to be fitted together and which platform is provided with means for engaging with the reinforcing member so that the reinforcing member spans at least a part of two ramp members to increase the rigidity of the platform.

Because the ramp platform is assembled from a plurality of ramp members, it may be disassembled to form a compact package which is readily portable and which may be stowed, for example, on a wheel-chair.

For ease of carrying, the ramp members are preferably constructed from a relatively lightweight structural material, for example fibreglass, wood, or a structural plastics material.

Preferably the engagement means comprises one or more pins, and the reinforcing member comprises an angle bracket which is mounted on the pins. By mounting an angle bracket to span at least two members of the assembled ramp platform, the rigidity of the platform is improved.

It is preferred that the ramp members that make up the ramp platform be provided with a resilient, skid resistant material in at least those areas that will come into contact with a wheel-chair or with the ground. This material may have a rough surface. Preferably it is made of rubber.

In a preferred embodiment, the ramp is provided with means for supporting one end of the platform in a raised position, wherein the support means has a plurality of vertically spaced platform support positions.

By using adjustable support means the ramp platform may be positioned so that its top end is adjacent, for example, the top step to be ascended. A wheel-chair may then ascend the ramp and pass onto the top step without any rocking caused by resting of the ramp on an uneven top step. The wheelchair also need not drop significantly in height when passing from the ramp to the step, thus reducing discomfort or danger to the wheel-chair user.

Preferably the rigid ramp members are a pair of shallow open-ended boxes which, when fitted together in substantially coplanar alignment, form a ramp platform for supporting a wheel-chair and user and which, when fitted together with their open ends opposed to each other, form a case in which may be stored the reinforcing member and/or the support means. The shallow open-ended boxes are preferably linked by one or more hinges which allow them to be moved between the coplanar alignment and the closed case alignment. However other suitable fixing or linking means may also be used, for example dovetail joints or pins and sockets.

The ramp members are preferably provided with a handle to facilitate carrying of the folded-up ramp by hand or securing of the folded-up ramp to a wheel-chair.

It is preferred that the support means may be folded flat to facilitate its storage.

The support means preferably takes the form of a pair of struts that are each provided with vertically spaced sockets. Preferably the ramp platform is provided with a pair of pins for engagement with a pair of the sockets.

This arrangement permits an easy setting of the height of the ramp by locating each pin in an appropriate socket on each strut.

Preferably the two struts are connected together by means of a rigid bar, and the bar is preferably provided with feet for stabilisation. Preferably the feet are adjustable to allow for their placement on uneven ground.

In this arrangement, the struts are preferably inwardly foldable between a substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical position. When the struts are in the vertical position, they are able to support the ramp platform. When the struts are folded in the horizontal position the support means are compact and may be kept within the case formed by folding up of the ramp platform.

The case may be provided with clips to retain the folded support means or, preferably, the internal surface of the case may be shaped so as snugly to accommodate the folded support means, thereby preventing the support means from rattling around in the case when the case is being moved.

The rigid bar joining the two struts may be of unitary construction, or alternatively it may comprise telescopically connected bars or tubes so as to permit telescoping of the support means for greater compaction during transport.

The ramp is preferably constructed so that, when erected, the struts are restrained from moving away from their substantially vertical operational positions. This may be achieved by the use of one or more brackets that prevent the struts from being moved out beyond the vertical, or it may be achieved by designing the pins so that when they are engaged with the sockets they prevent substantial outward travel of the struts. In a preferred embodiment each strut is provided with a plurality of vertically spaced apart tines, and the opposing surfaces of adjacent tines define an upper and a lower wall for each socket. Each pin has a head which is large enough not to be able to pass through the space between the tines. When the pin is slid into the socket, the head of the pin limits outward movement of the struts.It is particularly preferred that eadh socket is provided with a recess on its upper wall, so that if the ramp platform is lifted and moved when engaged with the support means, the pins will become located in the recesses until the ramp platform is put back on the ground. This allows the assembled ramp and support means to be lifted and moved without detaching the ramp platform from the support means.

The case may be provided with clips to retain the reinforcing member or, preferably, the internal surface of the case may be shaped so as snugly to accommodate the reinforcing member, thereby preventing it from rattling around in the case when the case is being moved.

Although it is preferred that the ramp platform be foldable to form a case, and for the support means and the reinforcing member to be stowable in this case, the invention is not limited to this embodiment. It would be possible, for example, to attach the support means and/or the reinforcing member to the disassembled ramp platform by means of external spring clips or like devices for ease of transport.

The leading edge of the ramp platform is preferably chamfered so as to provide a relatively large area of contact with the ground or other surface on which it will rest.

Where it is desired to use the ramp to get a wheel-chair on board a vehicle, and particularly a train, it is desirable for safety reasons that a secure linkage be made between the step of the train and the ramp platform. Where the step onto the train is provided with holes or projections, the ramp platform may be secured to the step by means of one or more hooks which can be located in the holes or around the projections. It is therefore preferred that the ramp is provided with hooks for securing the ramp platform to such a step. The hooks may be permanently fixed to one or more of the ramp members, or to the reinforcing member, or the hooks may be releasably mounted on the ramp when they are required. This releasable mounting may for example be achieved by providing each hook with an internal screw thread, and screwing it onto a screw threaded projection on the ramp platform or on the reinforcing member. Where pins are used for mounting the reinforcing member, these pins may conveniently be provided with screw threads and also used for attachment of one or more hooks. It would of course also be possible to provide the hooks with external screw threaded projections which are engageable with internal screw threads in the ramp platform or the reinforcing member.

The ramp may be manufactured and sold in a disassembled kit form, and the invention therefore also extends to a kit of parts for making a ramp for a wheel-chair, comprising a reinforcing member and a plurality of substantially rigid ramp members which are adapted to be fitted together to form a ramp platform which, when assembled, is provided with means for engaging with the reinforcing member so that the reinforcing member spans at least a part of two ramp members to increase the rigidity of the platform.

Preferably the ramp members are a pair of shallow open-ended boxes that are linked by one or more hinges so that when fully opened out the boxes form a ramp platform for supporting a wheel-chair and user, and when closed they form a case in which may be stored the reinforcing member.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the following drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a ramp according to the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the support means for the ramp; Figure 3 is a cross section through one of the pins of the ramp platform; Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a pin on the ramp platform located in a socket; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the upper end of the ramp platform and a supporting angle bracket; Figure 6 is a side view of the upper end of the ramp platform of Figure 5; Figure 7 is a perspective view of a case formed from the ramp platform shown in Figure 1; Figure 8 is a perspective view of the case of Figure 7 when opened up; and Figure 9 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of part of the support means.

Figure 1 shows the ramp platform 12 being supported by the support means 18. A pin 8, fixed to the ramp platform 12, is located in a socket formed between two tines on the strut 22, and a corresponding pin 10 (not shown) is located in a corresponding socket on the strut 20. The ramp platform 12 comprises two major parts 2, 4 that are substantially coplanar. A wheel-chair may readily be pushed from the ground 30 onto the step 32 and back again. The top end of the ramp platform 12 does not significantly overlie the edge of the step 32, so the occupant of a wheel-chair will not experience too much of a jolt when the wheel-chair makes the transition from ramp to step or vice versa.

To change the height of the ramp, the pins 8, 10 are lifted out from their sockets and relocated in different sockets on the struts 20, 22.

When the ramp is dismantled the pins 8, 10 are lifted out from the sockets of the struts 20, 22. The struts 20, 22 may then be folded to a substantially horizontal position such as shown in Figure 2 and stowed within the folded ramp platform 12.

Figure 2 shows how the support means 18 are located on the ground 30, adjacent to a step 32 which is to be spanned by the ramp, prior to erection of the ramp. The support means 18 comprises two tined struts 20, 22 which are pivotally attached to a rigid bar 28. The bar 28 has attached at each end feet 24, 26 for extra stability of the ramp when it is erected. The struts 20, 22 are raised in the direction of the arrows 34, 36 prior to placement of the ramp platform.

Figure 3 is a cross section through a pin 8. The pin is shaped to have a waist 46 which is located between a head 44 and the body 48 of the pin. The other pin 10 is similarly shaped.

Figure 4 shows how the pin 8 is located in a socket between two tines 50, 52 on the strut 22. The waist 46 of the pin 8 is narrow enough to fit in the gap between the two tines 50, 52, but the head 44 will not pass through this gap. The other pin 10 is similarly located and restrained. This arrangement reduces the chance of the struts 20, 22 moving laterally away from the ramp platform 12 while the ramp is erected.

Figure 5 shows how a reinforcing member 56, here in the form of an angle bracket, is fitted to the assembled ramp platform 12 to help keep the two major parts 2, 4 of the ramp platform 12 coplanar and to make the ramp platform 12 more rigid. The upper end of the ramp platform 12 is provided with four pins 54 for engagement with the angle bracket 56. The pins 54 comprise a narrow waist and a head which is substantially bigger than the waist, as shown in side view in Figure 6. The angle bracket 56 comprises a first flange and a second flange which meet at a 90 angle.

The first flange is provide with four sockets 42 which are each shaped at one end to receive the head of a pin 54. To mount the reinforcing angle bracket 56 on the ramp platform 12, they are first aligned so that each pin 54 is adjacent to a corresponding socket 42, and the second flange is located underneath the ramp platform 12. Each pin 54 is inserted in the wide end of a corresponding socket 42, as shown by the arrows 58, and the angle bracket 56 is then moved in the direction of the arrow 40 so as to locate the waist of each pin 54 within the narrow part of its corresponding socket 42. In this position, the head of the pin 54 is too big to pass through the narrow part of the socket 42. To demount the supporting angle bracket, the above steps are carried out in reverse.

One or more of the pins 54 may be provided with a screw thread which is used to attach a hook. This allows the ramp platform to be secured to, for example, the step of a train so that a wheel-chair may be pushed into the train. The screwing on of the hook to the threaded pin 54 may also help to secure the angle bracket 56 to the ramp platform 12.

Alternatively, the pins 54 could be replaced by fixed or integrally moulded hooks, and the angle bracket 56 would be secured on the ramp platform 12 by steps similar to those described above.

Figure 7 shows the ramp platform 12 folded into a case for carrying. The ramp platform 12 comprises two open box structures 2 and 4, each of which is provided with a pin 8, 10 on one edge. A handle 6 is provided on the edge of the box structure 4. The ramp platform 12 is rearranged for use by opening the box structures 2, 4 in the direction of the arrows 14, 16.

Figure 8 shows how the two halves 2, 4 of the ramp platform 12 are joined by hinges 38. The support means 18 is here shown stowed away inside the ramp platform 12 for storage and during transport. When the platform 12 is folded into a case, the support means 18 is sandwiched between the two major parts 2, 4 to retain it snugly within the case.

An alternative embodiment of part of the support means is shown in Figure 9. The strut 122 has a plurality of vertically spaced apart tines, for example 150 and 152. In use, a pin is received between two adjacent tines 150, 152.

Here, each tine is provided with a recess 60. When the ramp and support means are engaged, it is possible to lift up and move the ramp platform without disengaging it from the support means, because each pin becomes located in a recess 60.

Although, for simplicity, the ramp platform has been shown here as comprising two parts joined by a hinge, the invention is not limited to this embodiment. The ramp platform could be made up of more than two parts for even greater compactness, and the parts could be joined by means other than a hinge. For example, the ramp platform could be assembled by the sliding together of two surfaces in a dovetail joint, or by means of pins and sockets.

Claims

1. A ramp for a wheel-chair, the ramp comprising a reinforcing member and a ramp platform which is assembled from a plurality of substantially rigid ramp members that are adapted to be fitted together and which platform is provided with means for engaging with the reinforcing member so that the reinforcing member spans at least a part of two ramp members to increase the rigidity of the platform.

2. A ramp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engagement means comprise one or more pins, and the reinforcing member comprises an angle bracket which is mounted on the pins.

3. A ramp as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the ramp is provided with means for supporting one end of the platform in a raised position, wherein the support means has a plurality of vertically spaced platform support positions.

4. A ramp as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ramp members are a pair of shallow open-ended boxes which, when fitted together in substantially coplanar alignment, form a ramp platform for supporting a wheel-chair and user and which, when fitted together with their open ends opposed to each other, form a case in which may be stored the reinforcing member and/or the support means.

5. A ramp as claimed in claim 4, wherein the boxes are linked by one or more hinges which allow them to be moved between the coplanar alignment and the closed case alignment.

6. A ramp as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the ramp platform is provided with a pair of pins, and the support means comprises a pair of struts that are each provided with vertically spaced sockets, so that the height of the ramp may be set by locating each pin in an appropriate socket on each strut.

7. A ramp as claimed in claim 6, wherein the struts are connected together by means of a rigid bar.

8. A ramp as claimed in claim 7, wherein the struts are inwardly foldable between a substantially horizontal position in which the support means are compact and may be kept within the case formed by folding up of the ramp platform, and a substantially vertical position in which they are able to support the ramp platform.

9. A ramp as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the bar comprises telescopically connected bars or tubes so as to permit telescoping of the support means for greater compaction during transport.

10. A ramp as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein each strut is provided with a plurality of vertically spaced apart tines, opposing surfaces of which define an upper and a lower wall for each socket, and each pin has a head which is large enough not to be able to pass through the space between adjacent tines.

11. A ramp as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein each socket is provided with a recess in its upper wall, so that if the ramp platform is lifted and moved when engaged with the support means, the pins will become located in the recesses until the ramp platform is put back on the ground.

12. A ramp as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which is provided with at least one hook for securing the ramp to the step of a train.

13. A kit of parts for making a ramp for a wheel-chair, comprising a reinforcing member and a plurality of substantially rigid ramp members which are adapted to be fitted together to form a ramp platform which, when assembled, is provided with means for engaging with the reinforcing member so that the reinforcing member spans at least a part of two ramp members to increase the rigidity of the platform.

14. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 13, wherein the ramp members are a pair of shallow open-ended boxes that are linked by one or more hinges so that when fully opened out the boxes form a ramp platform for supporting a wheel-chair and user, and when closed they form a case in which may be stored the reinforcing member.

15. A ramp substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in any one of the drawings.