Apparatus for the storage of a wheelchair on top of a motor vehicle, comprised of a ramp member resting upon the ground upon which said wheelchair is loaded by an individual sitting within said motor vehicle, the ramp being attached by beam members to means for raising the ramp from the ground level onto the top of said vehicle and means for lowering said ramp and wheelchair from the top of said vehicle to ground level, the lowering and raising means controlled from within said vehicle. The apparatus further includes a casing for enclosing the wheelchair and the lifting and lowering mechanisms on top of the vehicle.
Apparatus to be mounted on a cartop for raising a wheelchair from the driver's seat and orienting and engaging the wheelchair for transport on the roof. The supporting base is mounted on the roof with an overlying frame rotatably mounted to the base above the driver's position. The frame is biased to rotate outwardly of the car and a cable is used to raise the wheelchair, engage the frame for rotation and change the attitude of the chair so that it is flat-lying and engaged by the frame for transport.
A device for selectably positioning an invalid's mobility aid appliance onto an automobile comprising support apparatus mountable onto the roof of the automobile; transfer apparatus, mounted onto the support apparatus for selectably transporting a mobility aid appliance between a storage position and a utilization position adjacent to the automobile; and a cover member articulately mounted onto the support apparatus so as to assume a raised orientation during the transport of the mobility aid appliance between storage and utilization positions and a lowered orientation when the mobility aid appliance is stored therebelow.
A loader mechanism particularly suited for loading and unloading wheelchairs from a carrier mounted on top of a vehicle has a base frame member mounted on hinges along one edge of the vehicle top. The base frame member is raised and pivoted upwardly on the hinges beyond vertical when it is desired to load objects into or unload objects from the loader mechanism. In this latter position, additional mechanism is used to open a cover of the loader mechanism in a clam shell manner along second hinges attaching the cover to the base frame member along the edge of the base frame member opposite the edge which is hingedly attached to the vehicle top. When the cover is open and the base frame member is in its generally vertical position, an object such as a wheelchair is raised into and lowered from the loader mechanism by a cable which is wound into and unwound from the loader mechanism.
A loader mechanism particularly suited for loading and unloading wheelchairs from a carrier mounted on top of a vehicle automatically lifts the wheelchair from a position adjacent the driver's door and pulls it up into and stores it within the vehicle top carrier. When use of the wheelchair or other object stored in the carrier is desired, the procedure is reversed and the system automatically unloads and places the wheelchair or other object alongside the door of the vehicle so that it then can be used.
A device for selectably positioning onto an automobile an invalid's wheelchair comprising a fixed support apparatus mountable onto the roof of an automobile and defining a fixed track, an axle arranged for rotational rolling engagement with the track and movement therealong, and wheelchair support shaft apparatus defining first and second ends, the first end being rotatably mounted onto the axle and the second end being associated with a wheelchair for support thereof.
