Abstract: The mobile voting service includes a vehicle having a driving cab and body mounted on a chassis. Preferably four voting booth are disposed inside the vehicle body to take the booths to voters located at various locations such as hospitals, military installations, low income housing areas, nursing homes, industrial plants, businesses, and rural areas to permit them to vote for the candidate of their choice. The vehicle further includes a two-way communication system, office equipment, and a hydraulic lift mounted on the vehicle body adjacent a door opening into the vehicle. The hydraulic lift includes a platform with at least one hydraulic support and hydraulic equipment for raising and lowering the platform with respect to the vehicle body. The hydraulic lift may be used to install the voting booths and office equipment or to permit handicapped voters to enter and exit the vehicle body for voting purposes.

Abstract: For use with a vehicle tailgate lift that has a platform which when substantially level moves in an up and down movement, and which near and at its upper limit can also be moved in a folding mode, a circuit which enables the platform to be moved up, down or folded but which frustrates inadvertent folding of the platform by the provision of a safety circuit.

Abstract: An improved automotive lift device for vehicles which consists of a lift carriage having movable upper step and riser elements so as to selectively form normal upper and lower entrance steps in their retracted normal use position. The upper step and riser pivotally connected thereto are selectively extendable outwardly and downwardly by self-contained actuating device so as to form a continuous horizontal loading platform in association with the fixed lower step formed by the base of the lift carriage. Thus formed, the horizontal loading platform can be selectively lowered to the ground or curb level. It can be also selectively raised to the vehicle interior floor level thereby enabling a handicapped person, on crutches or in a wheelchair, to easily board or disembark from such vehicle at will.

Abstract: A lift assembly for use on a vehicle, more particularly to lift wheelchairs into vehicles, is disclosed. The lift assembly comprises a pair of vertically spaced support posts adapted to be mounted on the vehicle just inwardly of a side or rear doorway, a platform adapted to be moved from ground to an intermediate position outside the vehicle is substantially level with the floor of the vehicle, and linkages interconnecting the platform to the posts, each linkage comprises two parallel rigid arms pivotally connected to and slidably mounted at one end along a respective post, two other parallel rigid arms pivotally connected to the first mentioned parallel arms at one end and to the platform at the other end. The first mentioned parallel arms on the platform form parallelograms with the other parallel arms and a respective post so that the linkages and platform may be folded to a stored position inside the vehicle.

Abstract: A hoisting device particularly suitable for lifting handicapped persons with or without wheelchairs, into a vehicle. The lift can be installed into the door well of a public transit bus or of a railroad car. It could also be incorporated into a step structure inside a building. The lift platform is made of four hinged, parallel sections which in the stowed position of the lift fold back to form two steps. The first parallel section which in the uppermost position of the platform meets the vehicle floor, or the upper step landing in a building, rotates along its forward edge to form the back of the upper step in the stowed position. The second section becomes the tread of the upper step while the third section forms the riser between the upper and lower step.

Abstract: A retractable rail for mounting on a platform of a vehicle lift. The rail folded on top of the platform when the platform is raised into a substantially vertical position in an opening in the vehicle. The rail unfolded and extending upwardly on the platform when the platform is lowered into a horizontal position adjacent the opening in the vehicle. The rail provides the safety feature of allowing the user of the vehicle lift to grip the rail to maintain his balance during the use of the lift as it is raised and lowered adjacent the vehicle.

Abstract: A load platform is hingedly connected at its forward edge to the lower ends of a laterally spaced pair of vertically elongate runner assemblies that are vertically movably mounted on a supporting framework. Upper ends of the runner assemblies are fitted with pivotally mounted retainer brackets foldable between horizontally rearwardly extending load restraining position and vertically folded position. Selectively actuable means are provided for effecting pivotal movement of the load platform between horizontally rearwardly extending load bearing position and vertically extending folded position to concurrently effect folding and unfolding movement of the pair of bracket retainers by direct or indirect contact with the rear edge of the platform.

Abstract: A lift assembly is provided which can be mechanically converted from a stationary step-like configuration to a movable platform configuration, thus allowing both handicapped and non-handicapped passengers to use a single vehicle entrance having the lift assembly operative within it.A pair of lifting columns are provided which are movable along guide members mounted at the entrance of the vehicle. A platform is hingably connected at its inner edge to the bases of the lifting columns and comprises a linear assembly of hinged plates. Radius arms, pivotally connected with the outer edge portion of the platform and with the lifting columns, suspend the outer end of the platform.

Abstract: An inclined ramp, for loading and unloading rolling cargo between ground level and a cargo bay of an air transport, incorporates a stowable lift for handling palletized cargo which is deployable into an operative position providing a horizontal pallet receiving platform and which is retractable into a collapsed, stowed position nested in an elongate recess between treadways of the ramp. The platform of the lift is supportively mounted on a carriage which rides up and down the ramp on tracks mounted within the recess. The rolling-cargo ramp, with the pallet lift stowed therein, is retractable into the cargo bay for on-board transit and is deployable from the cargo bay for use at airfields where specialized, ground-based cargo-handling equipment is unavailable and when a mix of both rolling and palletized cargo is involved.

Abstract: This invention relates to an automatic lift device for use in association with doorway openings of buildings or of vehicles such as buses and vans so as to facilitate the loading and unloading of handicapped persons into and out of such buildings and/or vehicles. More specifically, the invention relates to an automatic lift device which consists of a lift carriage that is mounted within the doorway opening so as to be vertically movable therein. Movable step and riser elements are provided within the lift carriage so as to form normal upper and lower entrance steps in their retracted normal use position. The lift carriage is selectively movable to a lowered ground level position and a raised interior floor level position while the upper step and riser remain in their retracted normal step position within the lift carriage.

Abstract: A platform is mounted in the doorway of a van so that it can be rotated from an upstanding stored position to a horizontal loading position level with the vehicle floor. From this point, it can be lowered to the ground. A particular linkage and cable-and-drum combination is disclosed which is very compact in the stored position. The unit is fully automated in that: (1) a switch, internal of the vehicle, can be actuated to mechanically open the vehicle doors and rotate the platform from the storage to the loading position or vice-versa; (2) a switch, accessible from the platform, can be actuated to lower or raise the platform between the loading and ground positions; and (3) a switch, external of the vehicle, can be actuated to open the doors and move the platform from the stored to the ground positions or vice-versa.

Abstract: A load lifting and lowering platform comprises a pair of hingedly interconnected platform sections that are foldable between a horizontally extending, load bearing position and a vertically extending collapsed position. A forward one of the platform sections is hingedly connected at its forward edge to lower ends of a pair of runner assemblies that are vertically movably mounted in a supporting framework. A pair of chains are interconnected between upper ends of the pair of runner assemblies and outer ends of the outer one of the platform sections. Cooperating cam elements, interposed between the forward edge of the forward platform section and the supporting framework, translate vertical movement of the runner assemblies into angular movement of the platform sections, in cooperation with the chains, for folding and unfolding of the platform sections.