» Installation Advice
Hinged Rail: Hints & Tips
Description
ACORNs hinged rail features a lower track section 15" in length that folds upwards, so that the folded section stands vertical (or beyond vertical) on staircases where the angle of inclination is between 28 and 53 degrees. The hinged section is supported and damped by a pneumatic (gas) strut, so that it is self-supporting at 45 degrees or higher from the perpendicular. The hinge itself is precision engineered at the factory and should not be dismantled without supervision by ACORN. That said, there is a degree of fine adjustment available to the service technician, but this is only required occasionally and usually when the equipment has been in service for some considerable time.
- Description
- When a Hinge may be Specified
- Installing a Hinged Rail
- Parking the Lift, When a Hinged Rail is Fitted
- Lowering the Hinge by Driving the Stairlift Into It
- When a Hinged Rail May Not be Appropriate
- Routine Maintenance
When a Hinge may be Specified
The hinged rail is useful in situations where there is an obstruction (usually a door) at the foot of the stairway, or where the protrusion of the foot of the rail could cause a tripping hazard. It should be noted that the hinge is manually operated (ACORN has a powered hinge in development). Advisers should assess the users ability to raise and lower the hinge. We often suggest that the user 'hook' the underside of the hinge with a walking cane to raise and lower it - and avoid stooping. The pneumatic assistance afforded by the gas strut makes this process relatively effortless.
Installing a Hinged Rail
Installation of a hinged rail is as simple as that of our standard rail. There are a couple of points that are important to remember, however.
Firstly - and most important, the rail must be fixed to the staircase so that the hinge will fully close, when it is in its' lowered position. To achieve this, we recommend the following. When clamping the stair brackets to the rail, ensure that the hinged section is fully lowered and that the foot of the rail (which should have a rubber 'foot' installed) is not in contact with the floor or landing at the bottom of the staircase. Try to maintain a gap of around 1/4" between the foot of the rail and the floor.
Note: a simple way to achieve this clearance is to slip a newspaper or magazine under the foot of the rail when fixing the brackets. This acts as a 'shim' that can be removed when the brackets are fixed and you are happy that you have the necessary clearance.
The lowermost stair bracket, which is fixed to the 1st step in a regular rail installation, should be mounted on the first available step above the hinge. Again, ensure that the hinge fully closes, when in the lowered position.
Notice that the lower charge point, fitted at the factory, is much higher up the rail than that of the standard rail. It is very important to train the user, regarding parking of the stairlift on the lower charge point.
Parking the Lift, When a Hinged Rail is Fitted
If you have an ACORN stair lift that is equipped with a hinged rail (the lower section of the rail folds upwards from the floor), there are special procedures needed when parking the lift at the bottom of the stairs, to ensure that the batteries remain fully charged. The lower charging point is above the hinged section and usually at or around the 3rd step. After the lift has reached the bottom of the rail and the user has stepped off, the lift should be folded and driven back up the staircase, using the remote control until it 'beeps' once. Stop the unit at this point.
The hinge may now be folded, without coming into contact with the stairlift carriage. You can be assured that the lift is parked on the charge point if there is a steady green light showing on the armrest - and no 'beeping' sounds coming from the equipment.
All three lights flashing together and a continual beeping tone indicates that the unit is either parked off the charge point - or that the stairlift has been disconnected from the wall outlet. Leaving the stairlift parked on the lowered hinge for lengthy periods will allow the batteries to discharge - and eventually become exhausted.
Lowering the Hinge by Driving the Stairlift Into It
The hinge is not designed to be lowered by this means (even though it is possible to lower the hinge this way). Invariably, the hinge is not fully lowered and the stairlifts' undercarriage then collides with the hinge mechanism, which will eventually result in significant and expensive damage to the rail and the carriage, which is not covered by the manufacturers warranty. It is very straightforward to lower the hinge from the stair lift seat, by pushing it down with the tip of a walking cane.
When a Hinged Rail May Not be Appropriate
To create the hinge mechanism, we diagonally cut the rail section into two pieces. Although the hinge components are very strong, a degree of rigidity and stiffness of the rail is lost by cutting it in two. As a result, a slight amount of torsional flexing of the hinge mechanism may be noticed by users who exceed 290lbs in weight. Therefore, we do not recommend a hinged rail installation with our heavy-duty stair lift package.
Additionally, due to the uneven weight distribution of the user when a sit'n'stand option is utilized, we again, do not recommend a hinged rail and are unable to supply users exceeding 290lbs in weight who have specified a sit'n'stand option. The ACORN outdoor stair lift is not available with a hinge option.
Routine Maintenance
As with all ACORN product the hinged rail is virtually maintenance free and if installed correctly, will provide many years of dependable service. Very occasionally (and usually as a result of a collision by the stairlift carriage with a fully or slightly raised hinge), the lower portion of the rail is pulled away from the mechanical articulated components slightly. This leaves a 1mm - 2mm gap when the hinge is lowered and as a result the stairlift carriage 'bumps' as it rides over the hinge. To correct this, the rail must be dismounted from the staircase and inverted. There is a circular hole drilled in the underside of the rail, immediately above the hinge, which exposes a 5mm allen bolt. Loosen this bolt and bring the two sections back into alignment and re-tighten to 40lb/ft of torque. Routine inspection of the gas strut is also advised. Although we have experienced no reduction in performance of this component with age, it is a 'wear item'. If the hinge section of the rail is not self-supporting at 45 degrees from the perpendicular, we recommend that it is replaced.