An over-speed detection device (OSDD) and over-speed governor (OSG) for a stairlift is tripped by flyweights which displace from a rotational axis of the OSDD/OSG when subjected to an over-speed. The outward displacement of the flyweights is converted into an axial displacement to effect triggering of the OSG. This ensures that the tripping speed is independent of the angle if inclination of the stairlift rail. The OSDD/OSG may be mounted so that it takes its drive from a convex surface of the rail in negative transition bends. This ensures that the speed of the OSDD/OSG is maintained close to the tripping speed even when the carriage is slowed to traverse the negative transition bend.

A drive unit for a rail-guided displacement device comprising: a base part; a housing comprising: a first yoke shaft sleeve and a second yoke shaft sleeve, the first yoke shaft sleeve and the second yoke shaft sleeve being spaced apart and disposed on opposite sides of the base part, and a cross sleeve rigidly connecting the first yoke shaft sleeve and the second yoke shaft sleeve; wherein the housing is pivotally connected to the base part such that the housing can pivot, in use, relative to the base part about a pivot axis; a first yoke and a second yoke, each of the first yoke and the second yoke comprising: a guide wheel assembly, the guide wheel assembly comprising one or more guide wheels arranged to roll, in use, along a running rail; and a yoke shaft; wherein the yoke shaft of the first yoke is received in the first yoke sleeve and the yoke shaft of the second yoke is received in the second yoke sleeve, the yoke shafts being movable longitudinally within their respective yoke sleeve, in use; and a communication means disposed at least partially within the cross sleeve, the communication means providing communication between the yoke shafts in the yoke sleeves and being configured such that when, in use, one of the yoke shafts moves longitudinally in its yoke sleeve the communication means causes the other of the yoke shafts correspondingly to move longitudinally in its yoke sleeve.

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 method of manufacturing a platform lift rail having a curved direction of travel. The platform lift includes a rail and a drive unit configured to drive along the rail. The rail includes a tubular section for supporting the drive unit and a rack section adapted for positively engaging with driving means of the drive unit. The method includes providing a metal sheet, plastic forming, in a first forming step, the metal sheet into a tubular profile, closing the tubular profile and forming a projecting flange by connecting opposite faces of the metal sheet, permanently fixing the flange by joining the opposite faces in the area of the projecting flange, creating positive engagement means into the projecting flange, and plastic forming, in a second forming step, the metal sheet to provide the rail with a curved direction of travel.

An overspeed governor for a stairlift includes a governor frame mountable to a carriage of a stairlift. A wheel is engageable with a rail of the stairlift along which the carriage is moveable. Translation of the carriage along the rail is transformed into rotation of the wheel or vice versa. A safety braking device has a braking surface movable between a first position and a third position. In the first position the braking surface is not allowed to engage the rail. A braking member is coupled to the wheel such that when said wheel rotates at a speed at or above a predetermined threshold, the braking member is moved from the first position to the third position. In the third position the braking surface engages said rail with a braking force to stop movement of the carriage along the rail. A soft landing means gradually slows movement of the carriage.

A lift system comprising an elongated rack and a roller pinion drive system. A preferred version has two parallel rack with plurality of rungs extending horizontally between the racks to form a ladder. A plurality of spaced apart mounting brackets are configured for affixing the ladder vertically to a stationary member, the stationary member not forming part of the invention. In this version, a drive unit retained within a carriage is mounted in proximity to the racks. The drive unit interacts with the racks to move the carriage upwardly and downwardly along the racks. A speed limiter is also disclosed that can be retained within the carriage below the drive unit and mounted in proximity to one of the racks. The speed limiter interacts with the rack to produce a breaking action if the drive unit fails, preventing the carriage to drop down quickly. Single rack and inclined rack versions are disclosed as alternatives.

A device (1) for conveying a load from a first to a second level, in particular a stair lift (4), comprising a rail (3) and a frame (9) which is movable along said rail (3), on which a load carrier (10) is mounted and which is provided with support and guide means (16, 17, 33, 36) that engage around at least part of the rail (3), which rail (3) extends above steps of a staircase near a wall or a handrail on one side of the staircase, the rail (3) comprising a tube and a strip (6) that extends radially away from the tube surface, which strip (6) is engaged by the support and guide means (16, 17, 33, 36), whereby the strip (6) extends obliquely from the tube in a direction that extends between the horizontal direction toward the wall or the handrail and the vertical direction toward the steps.

A luggage loading and unloading apparatus for a vehicle may include an in-wheel motor roller rotating a wheel by driving force of a motor, a slider coupled to a plate for loading luggage, and a link, one side of which is coupled to the in-wheel motor roller while the other side of the link is coupled to the slider, wherein the in-wheel motor roller is driven together with the slider, lifting and dropping the plate.

A stairlift for conveying a load along a staircase rail includes a rail, a carriage carried by the rail and moveable along the rail, a carriage drive to drive the carriage along the rail, a load carrier support supporting a load carrier, such as a chair or wheelchair platform, which load carrier support is rotatably connected to the carriage to rotate about a horizontal axis, a rotation device to rotate the load carrier support relative to the carriage about the horizontal axis, and a control unit to control the rotation device such that the load carrier support is positioned in a desired orientation relative to a horizontal plane. The rotation device includes a motor and a rotator, where the motor is operatively connected to the load carrier support via the rotator to cause rotation of the load carrier support relative to the carriage about the horizontal axis.

The invention provides a method and apparatus for controlling the speed of a stairlift (10). The speed of rotation of the carriage (12), whilst traversing bends in the rail (11), is monitored and the speed of the carriage drive motor (13) then controlled in reaction to the speed of rotation. A 3-axis gyroscope (31) is preferably used to monitor the speeds of rotation of the carriage (12) and the outputs from this gyroscope (31) may be processed to provide different degrees of speed control.