CA1160102A - Multi-level access devices - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT
A device for providing access to a railway passenger car from more than one level is provided which includes having a platform formed of three parts, an edge of a first of said parts being hinged at first hinge means to an edge of a second of said parts, the opposite edge of which is hinged at a second hinge means to an edge of a third of said parts, guide means being provided for guiding the third part between a position in which the three parts form a platform at one level and a position in which the third and second parts form respectively a step and a riser between a lower level and said one level, means for actuating said second and third parts between said levels and for supporting the first hinge means at the one level. A lower closure member may be adapted to incorporate one or more lower steps.

Description

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This invention relates to an access device and relates especially but not exclusively to such a device for use in rail vehicle doorways to provide access at more than one level.
Rail vehicles in some parts of the world present a requirement that passenger access to them shall be alternatively from two different levels, the difference between which may be equivalent to three or more normal stairway risers.
According to the present invention there is provided an access device having a platform formed of three parts, an edge of a first of said parts being hinged at first hinge means to an edge of a second of said parts, the opposite edge of which is hinged at a second hinge means to an edge of a third of said parts, guide means being provided for guiding the third part between a position in which the three parts form a platform a-t one level and a position in which the third and second parts form respectively a step and a riser between a lower level and said one level, means for actuating said second and third parts between said levels, and over-centre elbow strut means for supporting the second hinge means at the one level, and means to support the third part at said lower level.
The second part may be provided with an arm extending out of the plane thereof coupled to a linkage for actuating a fourth part hinged to another edge of the third part to form part of the platform at the one level or a riser between the lower level and the third part.
The apparatus may additionally be provided with a lower step structure which is hingedly movable towards ~ the fourth part to,close an opening be~ween the one level i and the lower level.
In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the sa~e ~ 5 will be further described by way of example, with ¦ reference to the accompanying drawings of which I - Figs. 1 - 3 illustrate a multi-level access device installed in a rail ~ehicle and in different operative posit ons.
Referring to Fig. 1, this shows a passenger access , platform for providing entry to a rail vehicle via a door-way at one upper level such as may be desirable from a normal main station platform. The,access platform consists of four platform parts denoted by references ~3 15 1, 2, 3 and 4. The first part 1, which is fixed horizontally within the body of the vehicle and is normally level to the vehicle gangway, may comprise the vestibule floor to provide access to the seats an~/or ~tanding accomodation. The second part is hinged to the first part at a first hinge 3a and the third part is hin~ed to the second part at the opposite edge thereof at a second hinge 3b. The opposite edge of the third part 3 is hlnged at a third hinge 3c to the fourth part which extends to,the side of the vehicle. The vehicle doorway is closeable above the platform by a sliding ¦ ~oor 5, the lower edge of which is sho~n and partly by a ! - hingedly retractable lower step structur~e 6,~ T~e mech2n1~m ¦ ~ is carried 1-pon 2 m~in structure comprising a pair of ,, , , , ' " spaced sid~'plat-es such as ~ which fit between bul~heads 3C or partit7~ns of the vehicle and each of which pro~ide ., .

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~ournals having a ce~t~e at 3 or t~J~ ar~r.~ ~..i.t~
~ such as 9 for on the one hand pivotally sup~orting the i above-mentioned step~structure 6 and on the other hand 3 providing firm support for a pa.ir of siàe by-sioe over-J~ 5 ~ centre hinged struts such as 10~ hi`.'g?'7 3.-' an elbow pivot 11 and each having an upper end pivotabiy connected to the hinge 3b between the second and third platfor,n parts~
The over-centre struts 1~ a.re provided with one off-set arm 12 rig1di~ fixed to the lo~er po.~tion by one end a-t 13 ~0 to a stiff transverse torque tu~e me~ber rigidly connectin~
the struts. This construction provides cleararlce for the outer edge structure of part 4 when lowered, The outer ,1 end of arm 12 is pivotably connected to a double-acting i pneumatic cylinder 15 also pivotably mo~mted at 16 to the ~ 15 framework. The underside of the second pl~tform par tA is ~ provided with a rightward extend.ing f~xed a~. 17, the outer end of which is connected to a block 19 slidea'~le on a rod 1~ against the force of a spring 20, to provide a compressible link between 17 and a pivot point 21 fixed a little beneath the level of the third hinge 3c of the fourth platform part 4, The lower step structure 6 is also carried on the spaced side plates ~) at the beari~gs 9 and is actuable via a further over-centre strut sho~ dotted a~ 23 -.and.

2~ havin~ an elbow pivot at 24. One end is pivo~ably cGnnected to the step structure at 25 and the other end is fixed to a shaf-t journalled in the framework at 267 the shaf~ having a cra~k 27 Whl' ch iS linked to a further double-acting ~ pneu~atic o~Jlinder ,22, also pivotally ~unted at a pel~t ¦ 3'0 29 to the fra~,eworX.

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The arrangement is intended to be a unit in itself, although some parts are required to be attached to the bulk heads when fitting and the first platform part 1 is normally part of the existing floor. The unit is thus readily fitted between two bulk heads or part-bulk heads on either side of an entrance and exit passageway to the rail vehicle, the outer sur-face 30 of the lower s-tep-structure being formed to conform to the normal outer surface of the vehicle when retracted.
The hinge 3c is provided at either end with spigots and rollers which engage in fixed tracks such as 32 attached to the bulk heads for guiding the third part between an upper level position when it acts as part of the access platform, to a lower level where it acts as one step between the upper and lower levels. As is most clearly seen in Figure 2, the lower ends of -the tracks 32 are closed. It will be evident that these closed lower ends will prevent the spigots on the ends of the hinge 3c from moving out of the tracks and will also provide support for the third part 3 in the lower position shown in Figure 3. In addition, the corners of the outer edge of the fourth part 4 are arranged to engage in a downward hook section 33 attached to each bulk head ~best seen in Figure 2) whereby 4 is firmly supported in the upper horizontal position.
In operation of the apparatus, assuming that the vehicle is standing alongside a normal main-station platform and therefore the upper level is required to be utilised, the system may be unenergised but will nevertheless be safely main-tained in the position shown in Figure 1 by the over centre struts 10, 23. The door 5 being operated in a normal fashion to permit the entry and egress of passengers.
Assuming now that the rail vehicle is required ,. - ^h~ 2 to prov~ e accæss tG the ~asseng.?r oompartment from a lower le~el7 af~er the vehicle has come to rest~ the pneumatic cy'inder 15 is energised in a sense to ext~rld the piston rod th~reof such that th~- arm 12 is dri~en ln an anti.~clookwise direction on the bearing structure 9 to break the over centre strut at 11 a~nd permit downward movement of the hinge 3b. ~uch ¦ downward movement is accompanied by leftwQrd movement of the spigots at 3c in t~e upper, horizontal part of the tracks 32 and a~ter a certain such movement, t~,e outer edge of the portion 4 disengages from the hook section 33 to permit the part 4 to fall away being ¦ hinged about the hinge 3c under the constra.ints of the compressibie link controlled by the arm 17. The intermediate position is thus illustrated in Fig. 2 and it will be seen ~rom Fig, 3 that the fully extended piston rod carries the platform mechanism to its lower positivn, where the fourth, third and second platorm parts form a riser, a step and a riser respectively bet~een the lower and upper levels 'X' and 'Y~.
Af~er tne comin.~ to re3t o~ the platfor~ parts in the position s~lo.~n in r ig ~ ~! tne second cio-~hle acting cylinder 28 .s energised to effect anti-cloc~wise rotation of the crank 27, ~reaking of the over-centre link 24 and controls lowering of the lower step structure 6 to prov~de the bottom step of a stairway, a second ~tep ~6 being permanent'y built-in as shown. Thereafter the door 5 is energised to open to per~it the entry and/or exit of passengersO
. In or~er to reclose thc access, normall-y a warnin~ si~nal m~y be given prior to t:he ~losing of 1' ~s~ L

the door to give adequate time fGr passen~ers to lea~e S the im.~ediate vicinity of the mult.i-level access devi.ce and thereafter the door closes followed qulckly by the energisation of the double acting c-~li.nder 28 in the S 5 opposi.te sense to rotate the crank 27 in a clockwise , direction ~o re-erect the oYer~centre strut 23 and retr~ct the lower step structure 6 into the body of the vehicleO
Subsequent re-energisation of the double acting cylinder ¦ 15 in the opposite direction to its former enerKisation retracts the piston rod, rotating the arm 12 in a clock~:ise ¦ di.rection to re-erect the over-centre strut 10 and return ¦ the second, third and fourth parts of the platform towards the position shown in Fig. ? It will be appreciated moreover that by virtue of the greater than 1 to 1 lever ratio between part 2 and part 4, together with the compressible strut of block 19, rod 18 and sprit~g 20, the . outer edge of the fourth platform part is enabled to be brou~ht up to a horizontal position well `before the second and third parts are horizontal thereby providing fo.r a positive lead-in of the outer edge corners of the platform part 4 into the hook sections 33 which, toget`her with the hor~zontal parts of the trac~s 32, provides a perfectly solid support for the threshold of the doorway~
Fig. 1 additionally shows that for maintenance 1 25 attention, a lower service plate 35 may be remo~ed or by separate release of the lower step structure 5, an en,gineer may also gain easy access to the mechanism with the .plat.orm parts 2 to 4 in the upper leYel position, .
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Claims (5)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. An access device having a platform formed of three parts, an edge of a first of said parts being hinged at first hinge means to an edge of a second of said parts, the opposite edge of which is hinged at a second hinge means to an edge of a third of said parts, guide means being provided for guiding the third part between a position in which the three parts form a platform at one level and a position in which the third and second parts form respectively a step and a riser between a lower level and said one level, means for actuating said second and third parts between said levels, and over-centre elbow strut means for supporting the second hinge means at the one level, and means to support the third part at said lower level.

2. An access device as claimed in claim 1, the second part being provided with an arm extending out of the plane there-of and coupled to a linkage for actuating a fourth part hinged to another edge of the third part to form part of the platform when said third part is at the one level, and to form a riser below the third part when the latter is at the lower level.

3. An access device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, provided with a lower step structure which is hinged to be upwardly mov-able to close an opening between the one level and the lower level.

4. An access device in a vehicle having between two partitions or bulk heads of the vehicle, a doorway, a hinged platform formed of three parts, an edge of a first of said parts being hinged at first hinge means to an edge of a second of said parts, the opposite edge of which is hinged at a second hinge means to an edge of a third of said parts, guide means being provided on the partitions or bulk heads for guiding the third part between a position in which the three parts form a platform at one level and a position in which the third and second parts form respectively a step and a riser between a lower level and said one level, means to support the third part at said lower level, means for actuating said second and third parts between said levels and an over-centre hinged strut for supporting the second hinge means at the one level, and an arm extending out of the plane of the second part coupled to a link-age for actuating a fourth part hinged to an opposite edge of the third part to form part of the platform at the one level, and to form a riser below the third part when the latter is at the lower level.

5. An access device as claimed in claim 4 and including beneath the upper level a lower step structure which when extended comprises a step providing access to the said lower level and in the upper or retracted position forms part of the skin of the vehicle below the doorway.