Particularly, the present invention relates to an equipment for vertical transport, preferably of persons, and eventually also of objects or animals, comprising a fixed hollow column, a movable hollow column and a flat ceiling structure. Said flat ceiling structure can be moved into a fixed ceiling structure, whereby, a straight or optionally a horizontally edged circumferential gap is provided, using a power transmitting flexible element, preferably a rope or a chain, further, a with two-grooves provided flat driving disc, a guiding pulley, a guiding element, a compensating element, an identifying detecting safety element, and catching pins.

Background of the Invention At present, various modifications of traditional lifts of mechanical and electrical or mechanical and hydraulic design are used to serve for a transport between several levels. They comprise a machine room situated at the top or at the bottom, and in case of the hydraulic lifts also next to a lift shaft.

For individual needs, preferably of invalid persons, various equipment is used to overcome a vertical barrier, e. g. staircase-climbers, platforms moving on staircase both along a straight line and along a curve around a corner. In the therapeutic institutions, various other mechanisms are also used.

A common feature of such an equipment is that a common lift is not convenient for a transport between two adjacent storeys because of their requirements on space, building construction and assembly, as well as because of costs reasons. Further, in case of an equipment serving individual needs of an invalid person only, it is expensive, often unaestethic and such equipment can be used only by the respective invalid person only and cannot be generally uses by all persons so as lifts are uses in multi-storey houses.

Because of the above mentioned reasons, such prior art equipment is seldom used for transport between two adjacent storeys.

It is an object of the present invention to minimise or overcome the above mentioned prior art disadvantages.

Summary of the Invention The above mentioned disadvantages of the prior art are minimised by an equipment according to the present invention for vertical transport, preferably of persons and eventually also of objects or animals, between two levels different in vertical direction.

Said equipment comprises a fixed hollow column which is assembled of removably joined longish parts, whereby, the bottom part of this fixed hollow column is further assembled of removably joined parts. Said fixed hollow column is at least partially vertically opened and provided with stiffeners along the remaining circumference.

Further, said equipment comprises a movable hollow column situated in said fixed hollow column. In one selected direction said movable hollow column is provided preferably with 4 rotatable elements. In another selected direction, which is usually perpendicular to said first selected direction, said movable hollow column is provided with 6 or 8 rotatable elements. Said rotatable elements are in a contact with said fixed hollow column.

Further, at least one with at least two-grooves provided flat driving disk which is provided with a fixed hold, is formed in said movable hollow column.

A power transmitting flexible element, preferably a rope, is fixed at one end in said fixed hold. Said flexible element is guided by a guiding pulley. Said guiding pulley is situated at one end of a lever rotatably formed on said movable hollow column. Further, said flexible element is guided by a guiding element and runs around a compensating element formed on said fixed hollow column and runs further to a fixed hold of said two-groove flat driving disk, whereby, a detecting safety element is provided on said flexible element (preferably a rope) usually in the upper part of both branches of said flexible element.

Said detecting safety element can be in contact with a bumping grid, whereby at least one of the detecting safety elements is provided with a shaped surface. Said shaped surface is in contact with an electric switch of a safety circuit.

The other end of said rotatable lever is formed as a catching pin and can be in contact with horizontal bumping stiffeners.

Alternatively, said fixed holds of said flexible element can be formed in said fixed hollow column.

Outside said fixed hollow column, the equipment usually comprises a flat ceiling structure connected with said movable hollow column.

A safety providing surface is mounted on the carrying part of said flat ceiling structure. Said safety providing surface is mounted so that it can shift vertically and so that it is isolated electrically. Preferably, said safety providing surface is mounted on four profiles that pass through said carrying part of said flat ceiling structure. Preferably, above level of the bearing part of said ceiling structure, said safety providing surface forms points that are electrically connectively interconnected. They form a flexible and vertically movable bedding which is electrically connectively interconnected for the upper circumferential structure, which structure is connected so that it can shift with said carrying part of said ceiling structure, whereby, a part of said movable circumferential structure is alternatively provided with a spring mounted balustrade which balustrade is provided along the whole circumference or with a hand rail on one side, whereby, the carrying part of said flat ceiling structure is provided with a rotatable barrier-free carrier with a removable barrier-free barrier, whereby, said carrier is provided with a part of said circumferential safety providing surface that can shift on it and is in contact with said movable circumferential safety providing surface.

Alternatively, at least one rotatable guiding element provided on said movable hollow column is in contact with an abutting transmission rotatable element provided on a shaft. Said shaft is rotatably placed on a lever, whereby said lever is rotatably mounted in the structure of said movable hollow column. A fixed element and a shifting element, both interconnected at least by two couples of levers, whereby said couples of levers are rotatably interconnected by one end and rotatably connected with said fixed element and said shifting element by the other end, whereby said fixed element and said shifting element are placed on said shaft, whereby by one of their ends said levers can be in a contact with one end of the lever that is rotatably mounted on said usually cylindrical part, whereby, said cylindrical part is mounted firmly on said movable hollow column. A catching pin is mounted so that it can be shifted and is flexible in said cylindrical part. Said catching pin is provided with a groove. This groove is in contact with the other end of said lever. The catching pin can be in contact with said lateral bumping stiffener.

The equipment according to this invention is totally undemanding with regard to the space necessary as the plan dimensions of a fixed hollow column are e. g. 30 x 40 cm. The fixed hollow column does not require any foundations, it is placed directly on an untreated floor, parquetry, carpet, linoleum, etc. The equipment is in contact with the building structure only in the passage through the firm ceiling construction. The equipment is virtually not apparent in the lower storey as it can be accommodated to about 35 different designs of interior incl. various modifications of facing, wood, metal, glass, stone of different shades. In the parking position the flat ceiling structure attached to the movable hollow column which is placed in the fixed hollow column coincides with the ceiling surrounding and separates the space above and below in a soundproof and eventually dustproof way at a level which is higher then a usual door. The upper station is designed so that there is a barrier against fall on three sides formed by cupboards provided on both sides and by an electrically blocked door.

Industrial Use The equipment according to the present invention can be installed within two days, in accordance with various aesthetic requirements. The installation is inexpensive and the equipment can be used in transport between two adjacent storeys universally. It is barrier free. An advantage of this equipment is that the ramp is up to 18 mm in entry and up to 5 mm in exit.

Primarily, the equipment can be used for vertical transport of persons, preferably those bound to wheelchairs, but it can also be used for vertical transport of objects or animals.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of an equipment for vertical transport of persons, objects or animals between two adjacent storeys according to the present invention showing the external details.

Figure 2 is a schematic perspective partially sectioned, partially phantomed view of the equipment shown in Fig. 1 showing the internal details.

Figure 3 is a schematic perspective partially sectioned view of a speed limiting mechanism of said equipment.

Detailed Description of the Invention A particularly preferred embodiment of the equipment for vertical transport of persons, objects or animals between two adjacent floors according to the present invention is shown in external perspective view in Fig. 1 and the internal details of this equipment are shown in Fig. 2.

The equipment comprises of a fixed hollow column 1 and a movable hollow column 2.

The fixed hollow column 1 is assembled of removably joined longish parts, whereby, the bottom part is removably joined at least at a part of the circumference. The fixed hollow column 1 is longer then the movable hollow column 2. The fixed hollow column 2 is at least partially vertically opened by means of a vertical groove and the remaining circumference is provided with lateral bumper stiffeners.

The movable hollow column 2 is situated inside the fixed hollow column 1. The movable hollow column 2 is provided preferably with four rotatable elements 3 in the first selected direction and with six or eventually eight rotatable elements 3 in the other direction which other direction is usually perpendicular to said first direction. Said rotatable elements 3 are in contact with said movable hollow column 2.

The movable hollow column 2 is provided with at least one flat driving disk 4 which driving disk 4 is provided with at least two grooves. Said flat driving disk 4 is mounted on said movable hollow column 2 by fixed holds 5.

A flexible element 6 is mounted by one end in one groove of said flat driving disk 4 an from this point the flexible element 6 is guided over the guiding pulley 7.

Said guiding pulley 7 is situated on one end of a rotatable lever 8 which lever 8 is formed on said movable hollow column 2.

Further, the flexible element 6 is guided by a guiding element 9 so that said flexible element 6 passes through a hole in an internal bumping grid 10, goes through an identification safety element 11, which identification safety element 11 is provided with a shaped surface 12, further around an equalising element 13 and then back through another identification safety element 11 provided also with a shaped surface 12 through another hole in said internal bumping grid 10, is then guided by another guiding element 9 passes over said guiding pulley 7 into a fixed hold 5 of the other groove of said two-groove flat driving disk 4.

When said flat two-groove driving disk 4 is driven, said movable hollow column 2 is moved.

Now, with reference to Fig. 1, by means of an upper hold 201 and a bottom hold 201 of said movable hollow column 2 this movement is transferred also into a vertical movement of a flat ceiling structure 26. Said flat ceiling structure 26 moves into a fixed ceiling structure 33. Said fixed ceiling structure 33 is separated from said flat ceiling structure 26 by a vertical or optionally horizontally prolonged gap 34 which serves also as a hold in the upper position of said flat ceiling structure 26 when the gap 34 has been eliminated.

The equipment is controlled by means of push buttons 31 situated in a springing balustrade 264.

A part of said flat ceiling structure 26 is a safety surface 261 which safety surface 261 is mounted on said flat ceiling structure 26 by means of preferably four profiles 262 of said safety surface 261. In the upper part, said profiles 262 take the form of electrically connected spikes that can be in contact with a movable circumferential safety surface 263. The contact is realised by a vertical shift in electrically connectively interconnected shifting resilient mountings 35 that are provided on said movable circumferential safety surface 263. If a pressure is acting on said movable circumferential safety surface 263 the whole equipment is stopped. The same effect is caused if a power acts on said springing balustrade 264, a removable barrier 266 or a ceiling movable circumferential safety surface 30.

Also, now with reference to Fig. 3, the equipment is preferably provided with a speed limiting mechanism which is a part of said movable hollow column 2 and which comprises an abutting transmission rotatable element 16 which is in contact with a rotatable guiding element 3 and mounted on a shaft 17. Said shaft 17 is rotatably placed on a lever 18. Said lever 18 is mounted in the structure of said movable hollow column 2. A fixed element 19 and a shifting element 20, both interconnected at least by two couples of rotating levers 21 are placed on said shaft 17. Said rotatable levers 21 are mutually rotatably joined at one end and they are rotatably joined with said fixed element 19 and said shifting element 20 by their other ends. At one end, said couples of rotatable levers 21 can be in a contact with one end of said lever 22.

Said lever 22 is usually rotatably joined with said cylindrical part of said sleeve 23. Said sleeve 23 is fixed to said movable hollow column 2. A catching pin 24 is mounted shifting and with tension. Said catching pin 24 is provided with a groove 25. This groove 25 is in contact with the other end of said lever 22.

In case, the selected speed is increased, the catching pin 24 is released and stops said movable hollow column 2 at the following lateral bumping reinforcement 15.

In case, one or two flexible elements 6 are released, the catching pin 14 is released. The catching pin 14 stops the movable hollow column 2 at the subsequent lateral bumping reinforcement 15, whereby, before a start-up of said catching function, the identification safety element 11 moves and moves away said shaped surface 12 and subsequently the whole equipment is stopped by switching of an electrical safety switch. Safety of the equipment is improved by doubling the independent rotatable levers 8 together with a guiding pulley 7 independent for every branch of said flexible element.