A stairclimber is a type of
trolley fitted with rotating wheels or tracks so that it can be pushed or pulled up or down steps or a
stairway
Stairs are a structure designed to bridge a large vertical distance between lower and higher levels by dividing it into smaller vertical distances. This is achieved as a diagonal series of horizontal platforms called steps which enable passage ...
. Stairclimbers can be manual or battery-powered, and are commonly found in wheel, track, push arm or walker variants.
Powered electric stair climbers are available in many variants, both in manufacture and mechanical operation, with the most common being push arm and walker variants due to size, speed and mobility. Tracked versions offer the greatest S.W.L (safe working limit) with regards to the load being moved, whilst push arm and walker variants offer greater speed and ease of operation.
Manual Stairclimber wheels
Manual stairclimber wheels can be fitted to
hand truck :''"Hand truck" may also refer to Pallet jack.''
A hand truck, also known as a hand trolley, dolly, stack truck, trundler, box cart, sack barrow, cart, sack truck, two wheeler, or bag barrow, is an L-shaped box-moving handcart with handles at o ...
s (sack trucks) and as the name implies, are designed to aid the moving of goods up or down stairs. This type of stairclimber relies on a wheel configuration known as
tri-star, three wheels set into a triangle configuration replacing the standard wheel on either side. Stairclimber wheels can sometimes be problematic when trying to turn on flat ground as four wheels in a fixed position will be in contact with the ground at all times unless a locking mechanism is built into the trolley.
This form of stair climber has a maximum capacity of around 60-80kg and is only found in the manual non-electric variety and very common amongst courier drivers and for lightweight deliveries.
Tracked stair climber type
The tracked type of stair climber is usually electrically powered, and can traverse stairs mechanically with loads up to . Mechanically the operation is identical to
Continuous track
Continuous track is a system of vehicle propulsion used in tracked vehicles, running on a continuous band of treads or track plates driven by two or more wheels. The large surface area of the tracks distributes the weight of the vehicle ...
type vehicles, this method of transportation is very robust and can negotiate steep stairs and other awkward terrain, its downsides are size and weight, but like continuous track vehicles with independent track control they can rotate on the spot by operating the individual tracks in opposite directions. Many models come with the additional feature of a hydraulic load balance enabling the load to be kept upright whilst traversing stairways. As a feature this enables the movement of objects that must be kept upright during transportation like
air conditioning units where refrigerant fluid can escape or damage the unit if it is not sealed.
Smaller tracked types are also available to move smaller weight ranges. These machines are also slower than push-arm and walker varieties but have the advantage of placing no weight on the operator. The load is in full contact with the stairs at all times and allows the operator zero load whilst stair climbing.
Stair walkers type
The stair walker types use a long
screw thread
A screw thread, often shortened to thread, is a helical structure used to convert between rotational and linear movement or force. A screw thread is a ridge wrapped around a cylinder or cone in the form of a helix, with the former being called ...
to extend and retract a 'foot' from the position at which the load is held. The two moving plates allow the item to be stepped down an arbitrary number of steps at any one time. Some models using this approach also employ a third section to allow the load to be manipulated up and down independently of the base and wheel sections.
This type is popular for moving
Vending machines
A vending machine is an automated machine that provides items such as snacks, beverages, cigarettes, and lottery tickets to consumers after cash, a credit card, or other forms of payment are inserted into the machine or otherwise made. The fir ...
,
Arcade Machines
An arcade cabinet, also known as an arcade machine or a coin-op cabinet or coin-op machine, is the housing within which an arcade game's electronic hardware resides. Most cabinets designed since the mid-1980s conform to the Japanese Amusement Mac ...
, Server Cabinets, and
Safes.
Push-arm type
The push arm type stair climbers have an arm fitted to the bottom of the truck that folds out and down, pushing on the step above and in so doing lifting the truck up in an arc to rest on that step. Repetitions of this movement allow the truck to move up the stairs. The mechanical opposite of this motion allows the unit move down stairs, many units also employ a forward only braking system to stop the stair climber rolling of the edge of a step.
See also
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Wheelbarrow
A wheelbarrow is a small hand-propelled vehicle, usually with just one wheel, designed to be pushed and guided by a single person using two handles at the rear, or by a sail to push the ancient wheelbarrow by wind. The term "wheelbarrow" is ma ...
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Handtruck
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Handcart
A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people.
It is different from the flatbed ...
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Shopping trolley (caddy)
A shopping caddy or shopping trolley is a large bag on wheels, used for carrying a large amount of shopping home on foot. The bag is typically made from a waterproof fabric, and wicker basket designs are also sold. The trolleys commonly have two ...
References
{{Human-powered vehicles
Hand barrows