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There is a program in the country called the Agrbility Project that is set up to help handicapped farmers. Many states were involved, some ran it from the state ag college extension service. Anyway, they have designs for lifts and things to help handicapped folks get into and operate farm equipment and you might get some info or ideas from them. Of course it is being cut back these days.

Interesting problem and I would guess your Dad is not the only one looking for something like this! I will have a go at explaining my thoughts. It must be electrically operated as the lift will be needed on occasions when the combine is switched off. Two vertical tubes or RHS with a length starting from your lowest desired platform height from the ground to about top of cab in length. Join the tubes together at the top and bottom to make an accurate square frame that is as wide or a fraction wider than the steps. Two lengths of tube or RHS each about 5 1_2 feet long that will fit over and slide up and down the vertical frame tubes or sections. A small platform is then welded between and at the bottom of these sliding tubes so that the platform and it's tubes can freely slide up and down the vertical frame. Attach the frame and platform to the bottom of the ladder after securely fixing the ladder in the down position. Securely attach the top of the frame to the cab and grain bin so that the frame is vertical and rigid. Acquire one of those small 12 v. electrical winches that are low geared and are powered in both forwards and reverse. They aren't cheap! Use two cables, one each side to lift the platform evenly and pass them through the neccessary cable pulleys so that the winch is evenly drawing the cable from each side of the lift onto it's drum. If it can be arranged, install the winch on a platform lift tube at about elbow or shoulder height as that lessens the number of switches required. If the winch is installed at the top of the fixed frame, switches will be required at the cab level and ground level to move the lift to it's required position. However, installation at the top of the frame simplifies the cable layout and if the winch draws in a cable from each side onto it's drum the load on the winch mounts is balanced both ways. For safety and to prevent foul ups, install limit switches to limit travel of the platform at the top and bottom. This is an outline of my thinking and if you decide to build something along these lines you will need to modify it as you see the problems. Designing something from 14,000 kilometres away does have it's drawbacks so if you have understood all of my verbiage above I will be amazed! Cheers

Sorry, Safety problem I missed. Make sure that the winch has an automatic brake mechanism to stop it unravelling when weight is put on the platform. Alternatively you could use a heavy duty linear actuator with the appropiate cable sheaves and cable layout to multiply the travel. Very long travel electric actuators to direct lift the platform would be worth a fortune. Heavy duty linear actuators [ electric rams as used on Agco's ladder lift ] are usually slow but are positive, will hold loads, have brakes built in, work both ways and don't cause much hassle. The long travel square threads out of a couple of wrecked lathes would also work. with one each side, they could be hooked together at the top of the lift with a roller chain and a small,12 volt reversable, geared permanent magnet electric motor such as is used to wind the tailgate windows up and down on a big station wagon autos, [ don't know what you call them! ] could be used to drive the screws. Dirt and dust on the screws would be the biggest problem here but if money comes into it and you have the time and skills this might be your best and cheapest bet. Cheers.

What about a modified Genie Screw Drive Garage door openerIJ Or at least the screw drive concept. A large threaded bolt through the middle of the assemply and the appropriate nut welded to the lifting platform should do it. A modified 12volt impact wrench could be the powerhouse. OKFarmer

How about just a stair well with lot's of small step'sIJ I would be just a bit worried that if anything did go wrong with the combine and he had to get out in a hurry that anything electrical or mechanical might not work (Fire in the combine!!!) You could possibly make it an escalator with small steps that way it could be powered by hydraulics if need then if it didn't work he might still get down not to bad!!! Im the resident lazy man around the place!(ROM reminds all the time!) as you always need a lazy man around! because they usually find the easiest way to do something! Rolf

Have seen lifts made for tractors to get wheel chair bound farmers into their tractors using winchs ,actuauors etc. Fire hazard concerns me with a harvester like rolf so try and incorporate a firemans pole so one could slide down and hobble, crawl,drag, run and walk away cause when they go up they go up !.Which reminds me. How come when i'm in a header_tractor lunch, refreshments ,afternoon tea or a not for airways disscusion i have to completely stop hop out retrieve lunch_message etc hop back in get going again usually 5 mins after stopping and checking everything.While my father and wife get everything bought up to them and the usual while ya here clean that window and shift that mirror and hows everything under the hood. I'm not complaining just noticing. Bye pengs5.

I'm back and having fun dreaming up different ideas for the lift. Get a hydraulic accumulator as on the Gleaner which is used to cushion the header or even a larger one from the wreckers. Hook into the combine's hydraulic accumulator line with a non return valve to prevent the add on accumulator feeding back into the combine's system. A single acting ram with a say 3_4" bore and a 5 ft stroke or the length of the lift you are looking for. The lift platform's guide stanchion can be just one large light walled RHS, say 3 x 3 " with another shorter section to slide over it. Use small ball race bearings or old water pump bearings to act as guide rollers to give free travel up and down the platform guide. Attach the ram to the lift platform and the guide stanchion. A hydraulic valve with an adjustable flow rate or a needle valve can be used as the flow adjuster here as well as a 2 way hydraulic valve to control ascend and descend. Ascend oil flows from the accumulator which by my calculations, using the ram bore and stroke above, should give about 5 lifts of at least 400 lbs each before needing recharging by running the combine. The oil used is the limit here, not the weight lifted so the smaller the cross section of the ram used, the more lifts per accumulator charge. Descend oil from the ram goes direct back to the hydraulic tank. The descent is passive. It will descend with out power of any sort being required. Attach the whole assembly to either the front of the grain tank, overhanging the wheel or to the front of the platform so that the lift rider can step straight onto the platform. The steps could be kept clear this way. Good luck!

Wow ROM that is just brilliant did'nt even think about the accumulator capacity.Think i've been stuck on accumulating thoughts on S,VS and Micro. Which will explain my contribution on a lift as in the form of the tractor front end loader attached to the chaser bin .Just radio the operator ( if you happen to have one )when one is ready to descend or ascend.

consider a rack and pinion drive system with a servo motor, limit position swithes for stop points.