US2969123A

US2969123A - Automobile under hood work rest

Info

Publication number: US2969123A
Application number: US786955A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bennie C Jamerson; Ben C Jamerson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-01-15
Filing date: 1959-01-15
Publication date: 1961-01-24
Anticipated expiration: 1978-01-24

Description

Jan. 24, 1961 B. C. JAMERSON ETAL AUTOMOBILE UNDER HOOD WORK REST 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 15, 1959 INVENTORS Benn/b 0 Jame/son BY Ban 6. Jame/son 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'INVENTORS Benn/29 6. Jame/s00 (2 Jame/$00 fiw lllLrlflm J65. 1951 B. c. JAMERSON ETAL v AUTOMOBILE UNDER HOOD WORK REST Filed Jan. 15, 1959 7 y Ben United States Patent C) 2,969,123 AUTOMOBILE UNDER HOODPQ'WORK'REST Bennie C. Jamerson and Ben C. Jamerson, both of P.0- Box 895', Long Hollow, Buena Vista, Va;

Filed Jan. 15, 1959, Ser; No. 786,955

4 Claims. (Cl. 182116)v Our invention relates generally to a portable and ad justable work platform offering widespread utility, in widely diversified fields of application. More particularly, it concerns a novel mechanic-supporting dolly for servicing automotive vehicles, stationaryengines and the like.

An object of our invention is to provide a dolly which is particularly adapted for servicing engines on auto.- motive, marine or stationary internal combustion equipment and which, simple and uncomplicated of construction and fabricated through a minimum number ofmanipulative steps, to that end demanding but. aco-rnparatively few operators with minimum plant facility, while employing materials which are readily available andlow in cost; is comparatively light in weight, isreadily portable, effectively protects against electrical shock and is almost completely adjustable, both horizontally and vertically, through a 90 vertical angle, which brings'the mechanic closely overlying his work region regardless of the location thereof relative, to the motor mounting; which is practically foolproof and tip-proof; is of long useful life; and which requires but little, if any, standby time for servicing or the like..

All the foregoing, as well as many other highly practical objects and advantages, attendthe practice of our invention, which will in part be obvious and in part more fully pointed out herein during the course of the following. disclosure, particularly as construed in thelight of the disclosure of the accompanying drawings; 7

Accordingly, our invention may be seen to reside inthe several parts, elements, features and materials-of construction, as well as in the interrelation of each-of the same with one or more of the others, the scope-o f=the application of all of which is more fully set forth inthe claims at the end of this specification;

In the several views of the drawings, wherei'n we have being skeletonized and disclosed with hood raised; while Figure, 3 is a fragmentary-elevation, parts being disclosed in section, disclosing the manner in which the adjustable supporting strut pivotally engages'thetop: of the vertically swingable ladder base, the longitudinal rails of the upper ladder portion being-disclosed 'asatelesco-pical lyadjustable in the side rails. of the; ladder, base.

Throughout the several views of the drawings, like ref-- erence characters denote like structural parts.

To, permit a more ready and thorough understanding, of our invention it may be noted at thispoint; in the dis.

closure that constant emphasis is presently placed upon increased, efficiency and power output of modern-day internaLcombustion equipment, However, motors of.- in- Qreasedcomplexity and size are constantly beingintroduced. And this is true, despite the increased use of lightweight metals and the like.

2,969,123 Patented Jan. 24,, 1961,

Moreover, the trendis to house this equipment in regions of restricted. com: pass, difficult of access. While such equipment has proved. highly reliable in operation, yet this very increased-coma, plexity of design, coupled with efficiency in output and increase in compression ratio, makes periodic servicing imperative. Indeed, the difiiculty of access to themodern automobile engine housing has made it wellnigh im: possible for, a mechanic of moderate height and with comparatively short reach, to gain satisfactory access, to the parts undergoing servicing. The same difficultiesare even more severely impacted upon the maintenance and conditioning of truck equipment, where height above floor adds to the challenging problems just outlined.

The desirability and indeed, the necessity, for ready access to the motor and auxiliaries located under the hood of automotive equipment has longbeen recognized. Considerable attention has been directed to this general problem. Efforts have been made. to. permit.the mew chanic, while securely positioned, to overlie closely the motor over which the protectiverhood hasbeen opened.

For one reasonor another, however, available equip; ment has proved unsatisfactory. E.ther the mechanic support which is provided has proved unstable, with ten dency to tip readily, thus unseating the mechanic; it has not been adequately and readily adjustable, so that it displays utility, if at all, for but limited variation in motor. size or type of mounting; or it does not provide the me chaniowith ready access to the motor itself and itsese sential' auxiliaries. Tendency exists for such known equipment to scar or damage the highly finished, delicate and ornamental parts of tne motor housing, as for example, the fenders and body of an automobile; It is-notsufficiently portable; or the support is not sulficiently locked down and stabilized in adjusted position. Almost invariably, and in some one or more of the foregoing-respects, amongst others, known and available equipment have proved unsuitable in actual use, and have fallen short of complete acceptance in the art.

Accordingly, an important object of our: invention is to provide a dolly of the general type described, which is particularly adapted for the servicing of the modernday complicated automotive equipment, either truck" 01' passenger, and regardless of size; which is simple in design; readily portable; can be readily disassembled when not in use, folded and stored; which has long useful life; which has essential adjus-tability through a vertical angle; which is practically tip-proof; which can be extended both vertically and horizontally and thereby positioned to overlie closely the underlying auto-mobile engine and auxiliaries; and in which the mechanic-bearing supports. or ladder rungs can be independently adjusted.

And now, having more particular reference to the disclosure in the several views of the drawings, and with special reference to that of Figure 1, it will be seen that essentially, our new dolly comprises three component parts: a carrier frame; a ladder base pivotally carried on said carrier frame and braced or strutted' therefrom though a vertical angular swing of approximately. and a platform-carrying upper ladder telescopically ad justable in said ladder base. These three elementswill-be separately described. Following this, description willbe had concerning the manner in which these several ele ments cooperate to provide requisite close accessnfor' the mechanic to the particular job undergoing servicing.-

It is essential that the carrier frame be so dimensioned U171: the mechanic, carried on the platform which-over lies thisframe, is not subject to tipping over, andtherebyupending both the mechanic and the dolly. on: which he is Working. To achieve this end: thedesign and con-i st-ruction must be= such that the center of-gravityof the: assembled dolly, with mechanic positioned thereon, re

mains within the p oiection of the floor-borne carrier on the underlying floor on which it re ts. In thi connection, it is to be noted that it is essential for stability to exist while the mech nic is mounting the ladder. a p rod of constantly shifting center of gravity. Such stability is requisite, not only for protection of the mech nic but also to prevent the dolly fr m tipping against and damagmg the finish of the un erly ng motor mounting, be it automobile or ot er obiect. Thus it i essenti l to spread the carrier frame. in its floor-p rallel extent. in both longitudin l and later l directi ns rel ti e to the maior axis of such frame. This is essential to an extent consistent with re dy mobilit of t e fra e and reasonab e ease in positioning it relative to the c m osite un t which comprlses the motor u dergoing servicing and its supports. lllustrativelv and w en servic ng an automobile, the carrier frame must be p siti ned between the heels of the automobile either laterally or from t e fron of the ma hine. and this must be readil possib e reg rdless of the hei ht of the motor. w ether it be passen er or truck motor. In turn. th s re ui es th t t e later l or transverse term nal portio s of the fra e be c mparatively wide. while it is desired th t. intermediate t e longi udinal spa in bet een the later l supports. and along the ma or axis of the frme. the tr nsverse wi th be reduced somewhat, for ready positioning under the work piece. To t is end. we provide a composite of what we term a double H b x-t pe frame to ether with an X-fr rne superposed th reon and m de fast the eto. Typically this frame. indicated gener"llv at 1" in F ure l. is comprised of t e double H-element 11. Th s element 11 includes pa red. spaced and co pl menhl end or leg members 11A, 11A comprising the le s of the H-frame 11. These lees 11A are f rmed of an le iron. the horizontal extent of which is disposed b tt mrnost.

S acing apa t these legs 11A. 11A. and extending lon itudin lly of the dolly. are double arm m e s 11B, 113, al o of angle iron. T ese elements 11B, 113 comprise the double arms of the Hf me 11. They are received on and are c rried by and made fast to the legs 11A. 11A. inter ediate their lengths. in desired suitable manner. as by weldin T e se aratio between the arms 11B, 11B is n cely calibr ted through the interposition of brace plate 11C, typically formed of channel iron with web uppermost. Brace plate HC is made fast in desired suitable manner to the arms 11B, 118 at a selected point intermediate the len th thereof. preferably at t e center, as b welding or the like. This brace plate 11C serves to s iffen the double H-frame element and to impart stability to the entire structure. Brace l te NC is of such length. and the spacin between arms 11B, 11B is such, as together will readily facilitate passage of the portable frame bene th the en ine undergoing servicing. whether applied laterally, as for example. in the rear of the front tire of an automotive vehicle. or from the front end of the engine. bene th t e front tires thereof. At the same time. the len th of the legs 11A, 11A is so dimensioned. and they project beyond their junction with the respective armsllB. 11B to such an extent. that adequate stability is imparted to the carrier frame laterally of the confines of the l dder which is carried there-on. Sidewise tipping is effectively protected against.

Considering for the moment th t leg 11A of the frame element 11 which is disposed at the upper left in Figure 1, it will be seen that this leg carries at each end thereof a related caster bracket 12 in w ich is mounted a suit ble roller 13. It is b means of these rollers that the carrier frame can be readily positioned under a particular vehicle and in desired relation thereto. To this end. it is sufficient simply to lift slightly the other leg 11A of the frame element 11, a distance suffi ient to remove it from the floor, and then. through rollers 13. to trundle t e frame into proper working position. Where desired. it is possible, but not necessary, to apply the casters 12 in pivotal manner to the ends of the particular leg 11A, as through the use of kingpin-type bushings or the like.

Considering now the particular leg 11A shown at the lower right in Figure l, we fix platforms 14 to the undersides thereof, adjacent each end. These platforms are of a height preferably equal to the radius of the rollers 13.

Viewed electrically, we desire the dolly to be practically shockproof. Accordingly, we prefer to form the rollers 13 and the platforms 14 of some suitable electrical insulating material which at the same time will display requisite mechanical strength and effectively resist attack by substances characteristically encountered in garage practice. of which grease, oil and the like are typical. Suitable for such purposes are conventional, inexpensive and readily available fibers, plastic or rubber materials.

At this point in the disclosure a consideration of the drawings will emphasize that, while the H-frame is adequately braced against either lateral or longitudinal force components (as viewed from a consideration of the arms 11B, 11B establishing the major axis) there is still no elfective resistance provided against twisting or torsional forces asserted about the terminal regions of the legs 11A, 11A. To impart added rigidity and strength to the carrier frame 10, therefore, we superimpose upon the H-frame element 11 an X-frame 15 having four arms 15A, integrally joined together in desired suitable manner at central. junction point 15B. The frame 15 can be die-cast, stamped, pressed, molded or otherwise formed as a unit. Or it may be a composite and fabricated structure, welded or otherwise conventionally assembled at junction 15B. The outer extremities .of the arms 15A are made fast in desired suitable manner, Within the webs of legs 11A, 11A. Preferably this is at the extremities thereof, and against the web portions of these angle iron elements, as by Welding or the like, as at 150. In the embodiment disclosed the X-frame 15 is formed of metal displaying a characteristically T-section. As shown, the head of the T is disposed uppermost, with the leg of the T extending downwardly. The leg of the T is indicated at 15D, and this leg ISD is slotted at 15E for ready reception over and around the upstanding leg of the angle iron elements from which the arms 11B, 11B of frame 11 are formed. To prevent chatter of the arms 15A relative to the arms 11B, we may form these arms 15A of metal of sufficient section and rigidity, or we may obtain increased strength by securing the arms together at the cuts 15E, as by Welding or the like. Or if desired, may provide sound-insulating material at these joints.

In the foregoing manner we have provided a perfectly rigid carrier frame of composite structure, so dimensioned as to insure that the overlying mechanic-bearing platform, later to be described and comprising part of the upper ladder, will at all times have its center of gravity provided within its confines. At the same time, this portable frame can be readily positioned underneath the automobile engine, without impedance from the wheels or other portions of this vehicle.

Removably fast to one transverse end of the frame 10, we pivotably mount a ladder base indicated generally at 16 in Figure 1. This ladder base 16 thus i swingable about a horizontal axis which is disposed transversely to frame 10, and through a vertical plane which coincides with the longitudinal axis of the frame. To that end, we mount ladder base 16 to those ends of the arms 11B of H-frame element 11 which are adjacent to that siderail or leg 11A of said frame which is at the lower right in Figure l.

Preferably, we form ladder 16 of

siderails

16A, 16A together with interconnecting rung 16B and a top brace 16C. In the preferred embodiment these

siderails

16A, 16A are formed of hollow metal rods, preferably square in transverse cross-section. Rung 16B is constructed of rodding of any suitable material and section. Preferably we form it of light-weight aluminum. While disclosed asses -2s 5., as a's-olid rod,- wecan also form this element 'of hollow tubing.-

At their lowerends; we pivotally bolt hinge or otherwise" joint, as at 16E, these siderails 16A to the arms 11B of the--frame 11. We achieve this by receiving these siderails 16A in supporting ears which are comprised of the upstanding legs of the angle-iron arms 11B and cooperating brackets 11F made fast, as by welding or the like, to the legs 11A on the sides of the rails 16A opposite' to the upstanding portions of arms 11B. Thus, the ladder base 16 is swingablethrough a vertical angle which'passesthrough the longitudinal axis of the carrier frame 10.-

It remains to bracethis ladder brace 16 in its elevated position in manner'such as to provide resistance in compression againstits collapse onto the top surface of the frame 10. Preferably this brace element, now to be described, should in itself provide forvertical adjust= ability, to permit adjustment of the ladder base 16 throughout wide vertical arc within'the particular quadrant through which this ladder base 16 swings. To this end, we provide a telescopic brace element indicated generally at 17 and comprised of cooperating telescopic tubular and sleeve element 17A, 173, respectively. Centrally and transversely of the top surface of the brace plate 11C of the frame element 11, we provide an upstanding, trunnion-like and double-eared boss element 18. In generally similar manner we provide (see Figures 2 and 3) a second and like trunnion-like doubleeared boss 18 which projects outwardly and downwardly from the rear. surface of the brace rungs 16C ofthe ladder base 16; The bottom end of the telescopic tubular element'17A is made pivotally fast, in desired suitable manner, as by a bolt or pin 18A, to the bottom boss 18. In like manner, the telescopic sleeve 17B is made pivotally fast to the upper boss 18 in desiredsuitable manner, as by bolt or pin. 18B. A pin 19, chained through 19A at 193 to the underside of rung 16C, passes through paired openings 17C, 17C and strut

elements

17A, 17B to secure these elements in adjusted position. The extent to which the strut is adjustably opened determines the throw of the ladder base 16 through a vertital angle. The greater is the opening of the elements of the strut, the closer to vertical is the approach of the ladder base 16.

It will be seen that, as normally employed, the ladder base 16 is inclined at an angle to the vertical. This is brought about through adjustment of the telescopic brace element 17. Thus, any adjustment of the upper ladder relative to the ladder base 16v will bring about a compound movement of the mechanic-bearing platform 33, to be described, both to the horizontal and to the vertical. Illustratively, movement of the.

siderails

22, 22 longitudinally away from the

siderails

16A, 16A of the ladder base 16 will cause the platform 33 to be moved .outwardly and upwardly, while collapse or telesccping of the

siderails

22, 22 within the ladder ba e 16 will cause the platform 33 to move downwardly and inwardly. The extent to which lateral and vertical components of motion are introduced into this platform movement is .dependent upon the degree of telescoping of the brace element 17 Illustratively, should the element 1 be telescoped, thereby to reduce the vertical ange by which the ladder base 16 departs from the horiz ntal, then the .element of lateral adjustment of the mechanic-bearing platform is thereupon increased for unit linear and bodily movement of the upper ladder relative to the ladder base 16, while the vertical component of such mfvement is correspondingly reduced. Conversely, with bra-e ele- :ment thereof.

From the foregoing itwill be seen that the lower ex tent of the

siderails

22, 22 of the upper ladder are in the prolongation of the siderails 16A, 16A of the ladder base. It is along this portion of the upper ladder that the mechanic or other operator rests his feet while posttioned on the working platform 33, shortly to be described. The mugs of the upper ladder 21 are readily adjustable along the lengths of the

siderails

22, 22, to facilitate access of the particular workman to the platform, and for comfortable positioning while resting thereon, and this, regardless of his height and the reach of his arms. Overlying the platform 33, the workmanbraces his feet against one or more of these ladder rungs, 28, 31.

To facilitate such adjustment, each ladder rung 28 of the upper ladder terminates in a follower plate or keeper 2?, preferably rectangular in confi'gu;ation. These keepers 29 are made fast, one at each endof each rung 23'. They are dimensioned in conformity to and are received within the inner web of the related'I-beam side-- rails 22, 22. Each

follower plate

29, 29 is drilled at some point along its length, in manner similar and complemental to the bores 23 provided in the Webs of the

rails

22, 22. Moreover, these follower plates 29, and hence the related rungs 28, are made removably fast to siderails 22, 22 in selected adjusted position and in desired suitable manner, as by bolts 30. Preferably these bolts 30 pass loosely through the bores in the fcl lower plates 29 and the siderails 22. In this manner, the rungs 28 may be adjusted as desired relative to the siderails, and may compensate for the extent of collapse or telescoping within or extension from the upper ladder within'the ladder base 16. Where desired, and as shown, the uppermost rung or rungs 31 of the upper ladder 21 maybe made stationary, and fast to the

siderails

22, 22.

In a typical embodiment there may be one such adjustable rung 23. In such instance, and with upper ladder 21 extended, the rung followers 29 will be in the bottom of their travel in the webs of the

siderails

22, 22. Typically, and in such instance, stops 29A, 29A will be provided in the interior webs of these

siderails

22, 22 against which the bottom of the

follower plates

29, 29 will abut. With ladder 21 collapsed within ladder base 16, however, the

follower plates

29, 29 will travel upwardly inthe guides provided by the

siderails

22, 22, away from the

stops

29A, 29A, and in the adjusted position of the

siderails

22, 22 will abut against the terminal edges of the siderails 16A, 16A of the ladder base 16 and will be firmly positioned thereagainst. Of course, it is obvious from a consideration of the disclosure of Figure 1 that the

follower plates

29, 29, in such in-. stance, will not depart from the

stops

29A, 29A until the rung 28 has been contacted by the top edge of the siderails 16A, 16A.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the mechanic climbs up to the platform 33 through the use of both the rungs 16B and 16C of theladder base 16 and the

rungs

28 and 31 of the upper ladder 21. So positioned, he remains standing on either the

rung

28 or 31 of the upper ladder 21, or a combination thereof. It is further apparent that the ladder base 16 and the upper ladder 21 are swung, through the use of the brace element 17, into proper positioning to place the platform 33 closely overlying the particular machine which is undergoing servicing. It also becomes evident that to this end, the upper ladder 21'is telescoped within or extended from the ladder base 16 to desired extent. Illustratively, in Figure l the upper ladder 21 is shown as extended, so as to adapt the dolly for servicing a truck or tractor motor; a type which is supported relatively high from the garage floor or the like. In Figure 2, on the contrary, the upper ladder 21 is telescoped within the ladder base 16, because of generally like consideration.

It is apparent, that-in the use of the dolly of this general type, with the mechanic positioned on the upper ladder portion 21 in manner already described, there is a tendency for him to bend forward at the region of the knees, towards the horizontal, to bring the upper portion of his body substantially parallel with the underlying motor. To facilitate this I impart a general bend to the

siderails

22, 22, and at one obtuse angle, as at 22A, 22A, shortly above the upper rung 31. This bend is imparted to the underside of the siderails, thereby to impart to the

intermediate portions

22B, 22B of these

siderails

22, 22, a more acute angle to the horizontal. An apron 32, of metal, fabric, plastic or other suitable material, encompasses the uppermost face of at least the upper part of this

intermediate extent

22B, 22B of the ladder, 21, and serves as a rest for the upper legs of the operator.

Recalling that it is the trunk portion of the operator which it is desired to have assume a position parallel or nearly parallel to the floor, and hence to the motor which immediately underlies the mechanic to that end We impart a second bend 22C, 22C to the

siderails

22, 22 at a region defining the demarcation between the upper and outermost extremities 22A, on the one hand, and the intermediate portions 228, on the other hand. of the

siderails

22, 22 The angle between the

p rts

22A and 22B is gentle and obtuse, and provides a still more acute angle of the upper portion 22A to the horizontal. Thus, the upper portion or platform 33 of the upper ladder 21, comprising a continuation of the apron 32, closely approaches the horizontal. This upper support surface 33 may be formed of metal, fabric, plastic or the like. Where desired, it may be padded on its topmost surface, so as to comfortably receive the mechanic. In any event, its underside is padded, as at 34, to avoid marring the finish of the fender or other part of the underlying vehicle or other work site.

It is apparent from the foregoing that our new dolly is both collapsible and portable. Thus, when the dolly is to be stored out of use, the pins 25 are pulled from between the upper ladder 21 and the ladder base 16. The upper ladder 21 is then removed from the ladder base 16, and stored in any convenient location. Next, the pin 19 is removed from the rod 17A and sleeve 17B of the brace element 17. Chained as it is to the rung 16C of ladder base 16, it is guarded effectively against loss. The rod 17A is then folded down adjacent the plane of the carrier frame 10, and closely overlying the X-frame 15. At the same time we fold down the sleeve element 17B into the plane of the ladder base 16. At this time we pivot ladder base 16 down into position closely overlying the carrier frame 10, on which it is mounted. This portion of the dolly is then trundled away for storage, and along with it, the upper ladder 21. Usually, in such storage, this upper ladder is longitudinally bridged over the collapsed and relatively flat ensemble comprised of frame 10 and ladder base 16.

When restoring the dolly to use, the collapsed dolly is rolled into the approximate region of use. The ladder base 16 is then swung from the frame iii upwardly about hinged joint 165, into a nearly vertical plane. Cooperating rods 17A and sleeve 17B of brace element 17 are then swung from the frame it) and ladder base rung 16C respectively, into alignment with each other. The ladder base 16 is then swung counter-clockwise through a vertical angle, back towards the frame 10, until desired telescoping has been achieved between the rod 17A and sleeve 17B, whereby the ladder base 16 is brought to desired position relative to the vertical. The pin 19 is then inserted in a selected adjusting hole in the rod 17A, and serves to make the brace 17 fast in its adjusted position.

Upper ladder 21 is then positioned over the ladder base 16, the

siderails

22, 22 telescopically received within the

siderails

16A, 16A of the ladder base 16. In the adjusted position of ladder 16, the pins 25 are inserted through the

openings

24, 24 of the siderails 16A, 16A and into the bores 23 of the

siderails

22, 22. Through

follower plates

29, 29 the rung 28 is then adjusted to the position which is best suited for the particular mechanic. The ladder is then ready for use. Upon mounting the ladder, and thereupon bracing his feet upon either upper rung 31 or rung 28 and rung 31, as the case may be, and extending himself bodily over the platform 33, the mechanic is positioned closely overlying the motor or other object upon which he is working. Adjustment of the brace 17 and of the

siderails

22, 22 of the upper ladder 21 have been such, and are so related to each other, that the platform 33 closely extends over the motor, regardless of its height from the garage fioor and regardless of whether it be a passenger vehicle, a truck or tractor engine, or a stationary engine.

The wide extent of the carrier frame 10, both longitudinally and laterally, with respect to the garage floor or other bearing surface, insures that the platform is virtually tip-proof. At the same time, the comparatively restricted central zone of this frame, as defined by the arms 11B, 11B of the H-frame 11 and the central portion of the X-frame 15, insures that the dolly can be effectively positioned underneath the motor supports. The rollers 13 permit ready trundling of the dolly into desired positions, as well as its removal therefrom upon completion of the job. The electrically insulating nature of

rollers

13, 13 and of the

platforms

14, 14 insures that the dolly is, for all practical purposes, shockproof against all electrical currents. The dolly is sturdy, practically fool-proof, and requires little standby attention of any sort, as for repairs or the like. It is comparatively light in weight, yet sturdy in assembly. if any, hazard exists of the mechanic being unseated from his purchase on the dolly. The dolly is readily produced, with but little investment in plant and labor, and from materials of construction which are readily available at low cost.

All the foregoing, as well as many other highly practical advantages, attend the practice of our invention.

It is apparent from the foregoing that, once the broad aspects of our invention are disclosed, many embodiments thereof will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, together with many modifications of that embodiment which is herein disclosed, and all falling within the scope and purview of our invention. Accordingly, we intend the foregoing disclosure to be construed as simply illustrative, and not as comprising limitations.

We claim:

l. A mechanic-bearing portable garage dolly for servicing internal-combustion engines and adjustable both through a vertical angle and, within its vertical angular range, radially for any given angular setting, and also adjustable, through a combination of said angular and radial adjustments, to limited horizontal extent, which said dolly is movable at will, as a complete unit and in its entirety, on the floor of the service garage, to any region of use for servicing said internal-combustion engines regardless of size and type thereof, and in the complete independence of load-bearing relationship thereto, and said dolly comprising, in combination, a floor-borne carrier frame; a ladder base carried entirely by and pivotally and adjustably strutted, through a vertical angle, from said carrier frame; and an upper ladder telescopically received within and made removably fast to the said ladder base, and extensible linearly therefrom, and itself terminating in a nearly horizontal platform which substantially overlies the carrier frame, in adjustably spaced relation thereto.

2. A mechanic-bearing portable garage dolly for servicing internal-combustion engines and adjustable both through a vertical angle and, Within its verticalangular range, radially for any given angular setting, and also adjustable, through a combination of said angular and radial adjustments, to limited horizontal extent, which said dolly comprises a carrier frame; a ladder base In operation, little,"

pivoted thereto for angular swing through a vertical angle; means carried by said frame for adjustably bracing said ladder base in its adjusted angular position; an upper ladder telescopically received within said ladder base for linear adjustment longitudinally of any relative to said ladder base, said upper ladder having rungs therein, and including side rails; the rails of said upper ladder serving as trackways, and at least one rung of said upper ladder terminating at each end thereof in adjustable keeper plates engaging within said trackways and adjustably and lockingly positionable therealong to permit positioning of said adjustable rung linearly along said upper ladder to position best suited for the particular mechanic.

3. A mechanic-bearing portable garage dolly for servicing internal-combustion engines and adjustable both through a vertical angle and, within its vertical angular range, radially for any given angular setting, and also adjustable, through a combination of said angular and radial adjustments, to limited horizontal extent, which said dolly comprises a carrier frame; a ladder base pivoted to said carrier frame for angular swing through a vertical angle; means carried by said frame for bracing said ladder base in its adjusted position; and platformcarrying upper ladder telescopically received within said ladder base for linear adjustment longitudinally of and relative to said ladder base; said upper ladder being transversely bent intermediate its length at several points, at obtuse angles, whereby the platform, in assembly, extends nearly horizontally and will closely overlie, at adjusted vertical height, the object undergoing work function.

4. A dolly according to claim 1, wherein the component elements thereof bear such geometrical and mechanical relationship to each other that the center of gravity of said dolly at all times lies within the horizontal projection of the carrier frame on the underlying floor or other support on which it is carried.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,046,516 Johnson July 7, 1936 2,701,168 Schemers Feb. 1, 1955 2,872,252 Konkle Feb. 3, 1959