A knockdown, portable lift is relatively compact and lightweight for transport and use where there is no existing means for lifting a load between a lower surface and an upper surface or where the existing means cannot be used. Components of the lift are stored in a base portion of the lift and are assembled on site for forming a lift frame extending between the upper and lower surfaces. A platform and drive assembly are supported on the lift frame and are driven together up and down tracks on each side of the lift frame using a rotary drive, such as a hand crank or electric motor, to power the drive assembly. The drive assembly is operable by a person on or off the platform from either the upper or lower surface or traversing stairs over which the platform is moving. The drive assembly incorporates a unique overspeed braking system and a unique clutch arrangement.

A lift system comprises a rail and a carriage assembly comprising a seat or platform for supporting a person to be conveyed along the rail, drive means arranged to engage the rail and controllable to drive the carriage assembly along the rail, energy storage means arranged to power the drive means, input means operable by a user to provide an input signal indicative of a desired movement of the carriage assembly along the rail, and control means arranged to receive the input signal and control the drive means in response to the input signal. The system includes charging means arranged to charge the energy storage means when the carriage assembly is at a first charging position on the rail. The control means is arranged to monitor at least one voltage characteristic of the energy storage means and/or at least one operational characteristic of the stair lift, and generate an alert signal in response to one or more of those characteristics, or a difference between one or more of those characteristics, fulfilling a defined criterion, criteria, condition, or conditions.

A lift system comprises a rail and a carriage assembly comprising a seat or platform for supporting a person to be conveyed along the rail, drive means arranged to engage the rail and controllable to drive the carriage assembly along the rail, energy storage means arranged to power the drive means, input means operable by a user to provide an input signal indicative of a desired movement of the carriage assembly along the rail, and control means arranged to receive the input signal and control the drive means in response to the input signal. The system includes charging means arranged to charge the energy storage means when the carriage assembly is at a first charging position on the rail. The control means is arranged to monitor at least one voltage characteristic of the energy storage means and/or at least one operational characteristic of the stair lift, and generate an alert signal in response to one or more of those characteristics, or a difference between one or more of those characteristics, fulfilling a defined criterion, criteria, condition, or conditions.

The portable transport apparatus is a mechanical structure. The portable transport apparatus forms a ramp. The portable transport apparatus is a portable structure. The portable transport apparatus is a temporary structure. The portable transport apparatus transports cargo between a first horizontal surface and a second horizontal surface. By unaligned is meant that the elevation of the first horizontal surface is different from the elevation of the second horizontal surface. The portable transport apparatus is an electrically powered device. The portable transport apparatus converts electrical energy into mechanical energy used to change the elevation of the cargo between the first horizontal surface and the second horizontal surface.

The portable transport apparatus is a mechanical structure. The portable transport apparatus forms a ramp. The portable transport apparatus is a portable structure. The portable transport apparatus is a temporary structure. The portable transport apparatus transports cargo between a first horizontal surface and a second horizontal surface. By unaligned is meant that the elevation of the first horizontal surface is different from the elevation of the second horizontal surface. The portable transport apparatus is an electrically powered device. The portable transport apparatus converts electrical energy into mechanical energy used to change the elevation of the cargo between the first horizontal surface and the second horizontal surface.

An elevated delivery platform having a delivery surface that can be placed at a location off the ground to better facilitate delivery of parcels by unmanned aerial vehicles, such as delivery drones, is provided. By placing the elevated delivery platform in an area above the ground, such as atop a home or a pole, a drone is more capable of making deliveries because it avoids obstacles nearer to the ground that typically make drone delivery challenging. The elevated delivery platform raises and lowers parcels to a position where they can easily be retrieved. Some systems also provide a deployable cover to protect parcels from adverse weather conditions while awaiting pickup or following delivery. The elevated delivery platform can be used as part of a drone delivery system that can also include a containment unit, a computer application, or any combination of these aspects.

A knockdown, portable lift is relatively compact and lightweight for transport and use where there is no existing means for lifting a load between a lower surface and an upper surface or where the existing means cannot be used. Components of the lift are stored in a base portion of the lift and are assembled on site for forming a lift frame extending between the upper and lower surfaces. A platform and drive assembly are supported on the lift frame and are driven together up and down tracks on each side of the lift frame using a rotary drive, such as a hand crank or electric motor, to power the drive assembly. The drive assembly is operable by a person on or off the platform from either the upper or lower surface or traversing stairs over which the platform is moving. The drive assembly incorporates a unique overspeed braking system and a unique clutch arrangement.

A knockdown, portable lift is relatively compact and lightweight for transport and use where there is no existing means for lifting a load between a lower surface and an upper surface or where the existing means cannot be used. Components of the lift are stored in a base portion of the lift and are assembled on site for forming a lift frame extending between the upper and lower surfaces. A platform and drive assembly are supported on the lift frame and are driven together up and down tracks on each side of the lift frame using a rotary drive, such as a hand crank or electric motor, to power the drive assembly. The drive assembly is operable by a person on or off the platform from either the upper or lower surface or traversing stairs over which the platform is moving. The drive assembly incorporates a unique overspeed braking system and a unique clutch arrangement.

In a penstock internal maintenance system, the penstock includes an inclined portion between upper and lower ends, the upper end arranged in an edifice including a water collecting chamber and a gate bearing structure allowing a gate to close the penstock, the gate bearing structure adjacent the water collecting chamber forming a vertical pit. The system includes a set of units assembled in an assembled configuration and separated in a dismounted configuration, the units including an anchor unit, a launching unit and a penstock inspection platform unit, the units in the dismounted configuration being enter the penstock through the gate bearing structure adjacent the water collecting chamber, the units are assembled when located in the penstock, the anchor unit slidingly received and retained in the gate bearing structure, the anchor unit having two lateral edges being guided and retained in two vertical lateral grooves of the gate bearing structure.

An elevated delivery platform having a delivery surface that can be placed at a location off the ground to better facilitate delivery of parcels by unmanned aerial vehicles, such as delivery drones, is provided. By placing the elevated delivery platform in an area above the ground, such as atop a home or a pole, a drone is more capable of making deliveries because it avoids obstacles nearer to the ground that typically make drone delivery challenging. The elevated delivery platform raises and lowers parcels to a position where they can easily be retrieved. Some systems also provide a deployable cover to protect parcels from adverse weather conditions while awaiting pickup or following delivery. The elevated delivery platform can be used as part of a drone delivery system that can also include a containment unit, a computer application, or any combination of these aspects.