Today’s wheelchair lift manufacturers
are in tune with
pupil transporters’ mission
to ensure the safety of students,
particularly if the
children have special needs.
The Braun Corp.
Winamac, Ind.
www.braunability.com/commercial
Contact: Greg Cook, VP sales and mktg. The Braun Corp.'s Vista-2 Series is equipped with a stacking platform that offers a clear view of the lift door window when the unit is stowed.Power: 12 volts DC
Pump rating: 2,495 psi
Rated load capacity: 800 lbs.
Lift weight: 384 to 397 lbs.
Installation depth: 18 inches
Usable platform length: 51 inches
Usable platform width: 33 or 34
inches
Floor-to-ground travel: 48 inches
Warranty: five years
The Vista-2 Series is one of three
wheelchair lifts manufactured by The
Braun Corp. that can be installed in
special-needs buses. All three models
include a locking mechanical inboard
barrier (IB) that folds up as the lift descends
to prevent the passenger from
rolling forward or stepping between
the bus and the lift. When the platform
reaches the ground, the IB flattens and
serves as a transition plate.
Each lift is also equipped with dual
handrails, and a bridging feature allows
the wheelchair user to board from
sidewalks or inclines.
Unlike the two other lifts, however,
the Vista-2 Series includes a stacking
platform — when it folds, one half
slides on top of the other.
Greg Cook, vice president of sales
and marketing, says this feature improves
driver and passenger visibility
when the unit is stowed. “You’re not
looking through the grating of the lift
in the doorway; there’s a clear view,”
Cook explains.
Century-2 Series
Power: 12 volts DC
Pump rating: 2,495 psi
Rated load capacity: 800 lbs.
Lift weight: 358 lbs.
Installation depth: 18 inches
Usable platform length: 51 inches
Usable platform width: 33 or 34
inches
Floor-to-ground travel: 48 inches
Warranty: five years
Like the Vista-2 Series unit, The Braun
Corp.’s Century-2 Series wheelchair lift
has a mechanically-operated outboard
barrier that transitions to a fully upright
position as the platform ascends.
The company’s units also feature visual
and audible warning signals to
notify end users of unsafe operating
conditions.
Millennium-2 Series
Power: 12 volts DC
Pump rating: 2,495 psi
Rated load capacity: 800 lbs.
Lift weight: 356 to 408 lbs.
Installation depth: 18 inches
Usable platform length: 51 inches
Usable platform width: 33, 34 or 37
inches
Floor-to-ground travel: 48 inches
Warranty: five years
While The Braun Corp.’s Millennium-
2 Series wheelchair lift includes the
same components as the Vista-2 Series
and the Century-2 Series, its hydraulic
outboard barrier differentiates it.
This rollstop transitions to a fully
upright position before the platform
leaves the ground, enhancing passenger
safety.
“The powered rollstop is, we feel, the
best safety feature of all,” Cook says.
“The platform cannot leave the ground
until that rollstop is up and latched.”
WL7 Smart Lift
Maxon Mobility
Santa Fe Springs, Calif.
www.maxonmobility.com
Contact: John Prahl, VP sales
Maxon Mobility's WL7 Smart Lift features the Brain Box, a lift status indicator and diagnostic device, on the top of its pump. Power: 12 volts, 60-amp draw
Pump rating: less than 1,200 psi
Rated load capacity: 800 lbs.
Lift weight: 450 lbs.
Installation depth: 18¾ inches
Usable platform length: 52 inches
Usable platform width: 33 or 34
inches
Floor-to-ground travel: up to 48
inches
Warranty: three years, parts and labor
Maxon Mobility’s WL7 Smart Lift
has an efficient, computer-generated
geometrical design to provide more
cycles with less power. The lift can support
up to 800 pounds with less than
1,200 psi (pounds per square inch).
Furthermore, the adjustable microswitches
that are responsible for the
timing of the lift have been removed,
which John Prahl, vice president of
sales, says reduces downtime.
Prahl adds that the unit utilizes advanced
technology, thereby eliminating
many of the wires and switches
that have become troublesome on
wheelchair lifts.
The WL7 features Maxon’s exclusive
Brain Box on the top of its pump.
This device displays the lift status and
also monitors voltage and current
draw, warns of improper grounding
and includes status indicators for a variety
of safety interlock functions.
“The LCD screen on the Brain Box
tells the operator what he or she did
wrong when an error occurs,” Prahl
says. “It also tells the technician what
part or wire has failed when there is a
component failure.”
The Brain Box also includes a mechanism
to stop platform drifting. Prahl
says that if the lift begins to rattle in
transit due to drifting, the Brain Box
activates the unit’s hydraulic system
to slowly re-energize it.
The WL7’s platform is made of mesh
to promote visibility for the driver, and
the lift can be outfitted with several optional
accessories, including a retractable
seat belt and foam padding.
The K-Series KlearVue
Ricon Corp.
Panorama City, Calif.
www.riconcorp.com
Contact: Larry McNutt, western regl. sales mgr.
The folding platform on Ricon Corp.'s K-Series KlearVue wheelchair lift provides an unobstructed view for the driver. Power: 12/24 volt DC
Pump rating: 1,250 psi
Rated load capacity: 800 lbs.
Lift weight: 340 to 370 lbs.
Installation depth: 17.432 inches
Usable platform length: 54 inches
Usable platform width: 33.5 inches
Floor-to-ground travel: up to 51
inches
Warranty: five years
The K-Series KlearVue wheelchair
lift is equipped with a platform that
automatically folds in half. Larry Mc-
Nutt, western regional sales manager,
says this benefits the driver, particularly
when the lift is forward-mounted in
the bus, because the platform does not
block his or her vision.
To ensure that a passenger is secure,
the lift includes a fully interlocked
restraint belt. “The belt must
be fastened before the lift will operate,”
McNutt explains.
The components of the “Ricon Safety
Zone” enhance passenger safety. The automatic
inboard rollstop features Ricon’s
Sto-Loc technology, which is a latch at
the base plate of the lift that secures it.
Standee handrails are on each side
of the lift, and its outboard rollstop has
a durable one-piece aluminum design
with a “quiet-touch” edge.
Moreover, McNutt says end users can
reach over the platform and unlatch the
bus lift door if necessary, which cannot
be done with Ricon’s S-Series lift.
Additional features include on-board
LED diagnostics and a manual
backup system.
The S-Series
The specifications and components of Ricon Corp.’s S-Series wheelchair lift are identical to those of the K-Series unit, with a few exceptions. The S-Series lift has a solid platform, and there are differences in the lifts’ installation depths and usable platform widths. The installation depth for the S-Series is 14.356 inches compared to 17.432 inches for the K-Series. McNutt says more space is needed to accommodate the thickness of the latter’s folding platform. Furthermore, at 34 inches, the usable platform width of the S-Series lift is half an inch larger than that of the K-Series. The added linkage on the K-Series platform accounts for the difference.
With such components as folding
platforms, hydraulic rollstops, handrails
and restraint belts, their lifts increase
driver visibility and passenger
security to provide a comfortable ride
for everyone on the bus.
The following outlines product
specifi cations from wheelchair lifts
designed by The Braun Corp., Maxon
Mobility and Ricon Corp.
Vista-2 Series
The Braun Corp.
Winamac, Ind.
www.braunability.com/commercial
Contact: Greg Cook, VP sales and mktg. The Braun Corp.'s Vista-2 Series is equipped with a stacking platform that offers a clear view of the lift door window when the unit is stowed.
Maxon Mobility
Santa Fe Springs, Calif.
www.maxonmobility.com
Contact: John Prahl, VP sales
Maxon Mobility's WL7 Smart Lift features the Brain Box, a lift status indicator and diagnostic device, on the top of its pump.
Ricon Corp.
Panorama City, Calif.
www.riconcorp.com
Contact: Larry McNutt, western regl. sales mgr.
The folding platform on Ricon Corp.'s K-Series KlearVue wheelchair lift provides an unobstructed view for the driver.
The specifications and components of Ricon Corp.’s S-Series wheelchair lift are identical to those of the K-Series unit, with a few exceptions. The S-Series lift has a solid platform, and there are differences in the lifts’ installation depths and usable platform widths. The installation depth for the S-Series is 14.356 inches compared to 17.432 inches for the K-Series. McNutt says more space is needed to accommodate the thickness of the latter’s folding platform. Furthermore, at 34 inches, the usable platform width of the S-Series lift is half an inch larger than that of the K-Series. The added linkage on the K-Series platform accounts for the difference.
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