The present invention is related to a support element according to the preambles of the claims.

Support elements are known in a plurality of shapes, as beams, profiles and such, made of a number of different 5 materials and a plurality of forms in the longitudinal direc¬ tion, as straight length as well as in standarized curve shapes. Installation of such elements on places where stan¬ darized shapes do not fit, requires special adjustment and adaptation in each specific case, which is time consuming ιo and therefore expensive.

Support elements of the above mentioned type are used in a number of connections, such as internal transpor¬ tation systems for material handling as well as other types of internal transportation. One special field is concerned 5 with construction of stairway lifts such as lifts specially adapted for wheel chair users. Support elements in this case must be adapted to the specific stairway construction and installation of support elements having standard shapes in many cases may be impossible resulting in constructing ele- 0 ments specially for the specific stairway.

With the support element according to the present invention, a possibility exists to install the support ele¬ ments corresponding to shapes of the specific stairway as the support element initially is flexible and easily can 5 be secured to the stairway reeling of the stairway wall where¬ after the flexible support element is transformed to a rigid support element able to sustain large loads as will be the case in a stairway roll chair lift, especially between the support points on the railing. This is achieved with the ⁰ support element according to the present invention as defined with the features stated in the claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 discloses schematically appli¬ cation for the support element according to the present inven¬ tion and Fig. 2 discloses in an enlarged scale, the support ⁵ element in the stairway lift of Fig. 1.

According to the present invention a flexible pipe - is used as the support element, which flexible pipe is secured to pillars in the railing of the curvature of the stairway, the flexible pipe thereby following the stairway structure.

. Upon installation of the- pipe to the pillars, the lower end of the pipe is closed, the pipe is filled with a curable medium, preferably with addition of reinforcement. The curable medium may be an epoxy resin and the reinforcement

5 may be glass fibres. After curing, the medium in the com¬ pletely filled pipe together with the pipe creates a very strong support element withstanding large loads even between the connection points to the ^" pillars.

Especially for the use of the support element in ιo a stairway lift, a support element as described above may be used, in the shape of a flexible pipe having external toothed bars, preferably secured to the pipe after curing of the internal medium, which toothed bar may be used as the a lifting track for the stairway lift. ^• 15 In a special embodiment a corrugated pipe made of stainless steel is used, having a wave shaped corrugation, which is secured to the pillars of the stairway, whereafter the lower end of the pipe is closed, the pipe is completely filled with epoxy resin on a reinforcement, the resin there- rafter is cured. The pipe hereby is transformed into a support element having large strength. The element shape is exactly following the stairway shape. The wave shaped corrugations may be used as tooth bar for moving of the stairway lift.

Fig. 2 discloses the corrugated pipe 1 of stainless

²⁵ steel, filled with the cured mass 2, such as -epoxy resin reinforced with glass fibres, completely occupying the inter¬ nal of the pipe along its entire length. The support element

" is at spaced apart points secured to pillars 3 which are secured to the stairs 9 of the stairway. The pillars 3 may suitably be arranged near a wall in the stairway or a railing 10.

The lift 11 may comprise a rechargeable electrical battery 8 for operation of an electrical motor 7 connected to a drivegear 4 which meshes in the corrugations of the support element for moving the lift 11 upwards or downwards. The weight of the lift 11 is retained by support rolls 5 of which preferably one is arranged on each side of the drive- gear 4 along the upper side of the support element and one

• support roll 5 is arranged against the underside of the sup¬ port element, opposite the drive gear thereby to ensure that the drive gear 4 meshes into the corrugations of support element. When the lift 11 is in the upper or lower position, ⁵ the battery automatically is connected to a charging device thereby securing that the battery always will have sufficient charge for use.

On the pillars are ' arranged a continous rail 12 against which a support wheel 6 is abutting, and being con- nected with the lower portion of the lift. By suitable design of the pillars and the positioning of the support element on the pillars 3, as disclosed in Fig. 2, the drive gear 4 and the support roll 1 may be arranged in a bevelled posi¬ tion to go free of the pillars 3 when the lift is descending or ascending material.

By suitable choice of the support element, the corru¬ gated pip'e may be arranged in a curvature without influencing the corrugations such ^' that the meshing of the drivegear 4 in the corrugations is secured. Furthermore other materials may be used as reinforcement, such as internal steel band along the entire length of the pipe.