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 brake assembly having a non-braking configuration and a braking configuration includes a brake shoe having a brake lining coupled thereto. An actuator is coupled to the brake shoe, the actuator movable along an actuation path between a neutral actuator position and a braking actuator position. An actuator distance between the neutral actuator position and the braking actuator position increases over time in response to a reduction in thickness of a brake lining installed on the brake shoe. Moving the actuator from the neutral actuator position to the braking actuator position past a predetermined actuation distance causes a ratchet mechanism to advance to a next sequential ratchet position, which in turn moves the neutral actuator position of the actuator a predetermined distance away from the minimum actuator position. A sensor is coupled to the ratchet mechanism for detecting the sequential ratchet position of the ratchet mechanism.

A friction brake assembly includes a brake housing; an input coupling element; an output coupling element; and a torsion spring. The input coupling element has an axial protrusion forming a partial cylinder wall with an angular gap over a defined angular range. The output coupling element has a projection protruding into the at least one angular gap, wherein the projection has an angular width smaller than the angular gap; wherein the torsion spring is a coil spring with coil ends forming two radially inward pins protruding into the angular gap in the input coupling element between the partial cylinder wall and the projection so that the projection is between the two inward pins. The torsion spring has a diameter that expands to form a friction lock with a surrounding cylindrical wall when the projection of the output coupling element engages and moves either one of the inward pins.

A friction brake assembly includes a brake housing; an input coupling element; an output coupling element; and a torsion spring. The input coupling element has an axial protrusion forming a partial cylinder wall with an angular gap over a defined angular range. The output coupling element has a projection protruding into the at least one angular gap, wherein the projection has an angular width smaller than the angular gap; wherein the torsion spring is a coil spring with coil ends forming two radially inward pins protruding into the angular gap in the input coupling element between the partial cylinder wall and the projection so that the projection is between the two inward pins. The torsion spring has a diameter that expands to form a friction lock with a surrounding cylindrical wall when the projection of the output coupling element engages and moves either one of the inward pins.

A window covering includes a housing, a covering material, a spindle, and a driving device. The spindle and the driving device are provided at the housing. The driving device includes a motor having a shaft, and an epicyclic gearing decelerating device having an input end and an output end connected to the shaft and the spindle, respectively. Whereby, the spindle can drive the covering material to expand or to collapse. The epicyclic gearing decelerating device includes a ring portion and at least a planet gear assembly which is coupled between the input end and the output end. The planet gear assembly includes a plurality of planet gears having a Shore A durometer hardness of 45-90, which is rotatable along the fixedly provided ring portion. While being driven to move, a lower end of the covering material moves at a speed higher than 65 mm per second.

A window covering includes a housing, a covering material, a spindle, and a driving device. The spindle and the driving device are provided at the housing. The driving device includes a motor having a shaft, and an epicyclic gearing decelerating device having an input end and an output end connected to the shaft and the spindle, respectively. Whereby, the spindle can drive the covering material to expand or to collapse. The epicyclic gearing decelerating device includes a ring portion and at least a planet gear assembly which is coupled between the input end and the output end. The planet gear assembly includes a plurality of planet gears having a Shore A durometer hardness of 45-90, which is rotatable along the fixedly provided ring portion. While being driven to move, a lower end of the covering material moves at a speed higher than 65 mm per second.

A brake device for braking a wheel includes a brake drum, a brake pad carrier which is arranged or can be arranged in the brake drum and has at least one brake pad, and an actuator apparatus for the reversible transfer of the brake pad carrier between a braking state, in which the brake pad is operatively connected to the brake drum, and a freewheeling state, in which the operative connection between the brake pad and the brake drum is canceled, the brake pad carrier being elastically deformable for the transfer from the freewheeling state into the braking state.

A torque limiter and no-back assembly comprises an input shaft, an output shaft, a torque limiter provided between the input shaft and the output shaft, the torque limiter comprising a torque sensing element; and a no-back device arranged to brake the output shaft when the torque sensing element senses levels of torque above a threshold level between the input shaft and the output shaft, characterised in that the torque sensing element comprises a torsion spring having ends which are coupled to the input shaft and the output shaft for rotation therewith.

A brake device for braking a wheel includes a brake drum, a brake pad carrier which is arranged or can be arranged in the brake drum and has at least one brake pad, and an actuator apparatus for the reversible transfer of the brake pad carrier between a braking state, in which the brake pad is operatively connected to the brake drum, and a freewheeling state, in which the operative connection between the brake pad and the brake drum is canceled, the brake pad carrier being elastically deformable for the transfer from the freewheeling state into the braking state.

A screwless curtain control assembly is revealed. An assembly segment is disposed on one end of a bead chain base while first radial positioning parts and first axial positioning parts are arranged at the assembly segment alternately. A sleeve including second radial positioning parts and second axial positioning parts is mounted to the assembly segment of the bead chain base. Thereby the bead chain base and the sleeve are connected stably by the first radial positioning parts and the first axial positioning parts connected to and positioned by the second radial positioning parts and second axial positioning parts respectively. Thus both labor time for fastening screws and cost of the screws are saved. Therefore the screwless curtain control assembly meets the modern industry's requirement for high efficiency at low cost.