King Henry VIII was the first recorded owner of a stairlift, after he hurt his leg, became disabled, and could no longer climb the twenty-foot staircase to his bedroom. His servants used naval block and tackle to control ‘the chair that goeth up and down’ according to the palace inventory. This must have been quite a sight. He weighed 28 stone or 392 pounds, but then he did have 30 courses at every meal.
America’s first stairlift was more democratic. In 1923, a fellow called C.C. Crispen from Pennsylvania invented a folding wheelchair that went up and down a steel rail to help his friend. He called it an ‘inclinator’ because it reminded him of an elevator on an incline. The Inclinator Company of America still exists, although it has converted across to residential elevators.
Modern stairlifts come in all kinds of configurations, depending on personal needs and staircase design. Some have jump seats to perch on while others have platforms that take wheelchairs (or the weekly shopping on occasions). A lively pre-owned stairlift market developed after engineers started using modular rails. Some insurance companies even offer breakdown insurance but better make sure the smartphone battery is charged.
The earliest American stairlifts used alternating electric power taken from the house and conveyed on an energy chain beside the rail. Today’s ones mainly operate with rechargeable DC ups batteries rated 250 watts. Safety is a legal requirement under the watchful eye of the Society of Mechanical Engineer’s Safety Standard for Platform Lifts and Stairway Chairlifts.
Stairlift base prices start in the $2,000 and $4,000 range, after which a variety of options kick in involving swivel seats, seat and foot pedal folding, curves, and length of railing needed. DIY kits are available but we wonder what Dear Henry would have made of this type of inclinator.
