Staircase which can be modified to form a ramp for public transport

摘要

In the case of this staircase, the treads and the connecting pieces are connected to one another by means of hinges so that a pressure cylinder can be used to extend the assembly to form a ramp, a second pressure cylinder ensuring that the otherwise freely floating end is lowered onto the pavement. To achieve a more shallow ramp angle, it is made possible to extend the ramp, which, in its staircase condition, is composed of a set of folded-together connecting pieces. By designing the covering of the treads and the connecting pieces to take the form of an endless elastic belt and adding two rollers, which are arranged at one end of the ramp in each case, and a drive, the ramp is extended to make a conveyor belt. In order to ensure, when changing back to the original staircase, that the steps are formed in a well defined manner, guiding and/or folding knobs are provided on the underside of the belt and are guided in the accordingly profiled step structure of the treads and connecting pieces, the design being favoured by transverse fluting fashioned on the top of the belt.