Monument for an aircraft comprising a lift apparatus

The invention relates to an aircraft monument (6) comprising an elongate cavity (7) open at one of its ends and a lift apparatus (16) mounted to the monument (6) and adapted for lifting goods along the longitudinal axis of the cavity (7) through its open end. The monument (6) is adapted to be mounted on a floor structure (4) of an aircraft (1) separating two compartments (2, 3) of the aircraft (1) from each other such that the open end of the cavity (7) is facing the floor structure (4). The lift apparatus (16) comprises a guide means (18a, 18b) extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cavity (7), a conveying means (20a, 20b) mounted to the guide means (18a, 18b) to be linearly moveable along the guide means (18a, 18b), a moving means (32) for linearly moving the conveying means (20a, 20b), a control means (29) for controlling the moving means (32), and a gripping means (26) secured to the conveying means (20a, 20b) and adapted for selectively gripping and releasing goods. The guide means comprises two straight guide members (18a, 18b) spaced from each other, each attached to one of two spaced opposing wall portions (19a, 19b) of the cavity (7) and extending parallel to the longitudinal axis. The conveying means comprises two conveying members (20a, 20b), each mounted to a different one of the guide members (18a, 18b). The moving means (32) is adapted for driving the two conveying members (20a, 20b). The control means (29) is adapted for controlling the moving means (32) to synchronize the linear movement of the conveying members (20a, 20b), and the gripping means (26) is secured to the two conveying members (20a, 20b) such that the two guide members (18a, 18b) are disposed on opposite sides of the gripping means (26).