EP0090700B1 - Apparatus for straightening vehicle bodies or the like - Google Patents

Abstract

In a device for straightening vehicle bodies, a long-stroke traction jack is mounted vertically within a vertical column, the jack body being attached to the lower end of the column. The column is carried by a movable base and can be attached to the ground by means of retaining chains. One end of a traction chain passed over a guide pulley and engaged within the interior of the column is attached to the free end of the jack operating rod.

Description

The present invention relates to devices used for the straightening of automobile bodies or the like.

More specifically, it relates to devices of the type constituted by a vertical column carried by a mobile base and on which is mounted a jack acting on a traction chain intended to be attached to the body to be straightened. Devices of this kind are described in particular in US patents 3,340,720 and 3,888,100.

The jack provided in these devices consists of a thrust jack arranged vertically and the movable rod of which comprises a head on which is fixed the end of the traction chain, opposite the end attached to the body to be straightened. This chain passes beforehand on a return pulley carried by a collar, the position of which can be modified in the vertical direction, on the column of the device. Thus the extension of the push cylinder causes traction on the chain attached to the body to be straightened. Optionally, instead of the traction chain being fixed directly to the upper head of the thrust cylinder, it can pass over a second deflection pulley provided on this head and be attached to a fixed point in the column of the device.

Devices of this kind are relatively practical, but they have a number of drawbacks. Among other things, it is necessary to provide, at the upper end of the vertical column, a guide ring having a high precision machining in order to guide the rod of the thrust cylinder without any play. Furthermore there is a significant risk of buckling of this rod, which leads to adopting an oversizing thereof and of the vertical column to avoid such a risk. In addition there is considerable friction of the cylinder rod in the upper guide ring, which causes a significant loss of. power for the traction actually exerted.

Furthermore, if for certain specific works, one or more extensions are adapted on the upper end of the vertical column, it is necessary to provide an extremely effective locking of these extensions, otherwise they risk being torn off during operation. of device.

On the other hand, when a hauling of the chain is provided on the vertical column, by passing its corresponding end over a deflection pulley and fixing on this column, there are significant friction forces on the pulley thus provided. In addition, it is then necessary to have a jack having a power greater than twice the tensile force which it is desired to exert on the bodywork to be straightened. This is therefore a cause of increase in the cost price of devices of this kind.

Also known by US patent 4,296,626, a mechanism for straightening vehicle bodies where the jacks used are here retractable jacks which act directly and without return by pulleys or the like on the body to be straightened by means of a fixed chain of on the one hand to the rod of the jack and on the other to anchor fasteners provided on the points where an effort must be exerted, constituted in the patent considered by the parts of the body receiving the upper ends of the shock absorbers. In this case, the device described does in fact only apply to the replacement of a specific member of the vehicle and cannot be adapted to any place devoid of fastening attachment.

The present invention relates to a straightening device which is designed to avoid the drawbacks of the systems of the prior art mentioned above (for example US-A-3888100).

For this purpose, the jack provided in this device consists of a long-stroke traction jack arranged vertically and whose body is hingedly mounted at the bottom of the column, however the traction chain, after having passed over a deflection pulley located at the upper end of the vertical column, engages inside this column and is fixed at the end to the free end of the rod of this jack.

Thus, this cylinder acts directly on the traction chain and the traction force actually exerted on the body to be straightened is substantially of the same value as the power of the cylinder used. Under these conditions it is possible to use a lower power cylinder than on the aforementioned devices. Furthermore, there is no need to provide a particular guide member at the upper end of the column since it suffices to allow free passage of the traction chain, the end of which is attached directly to the rod of the control jack.

In this regard, it should be noted that according to another characteristic of the present device, the body and the rod of this jack are free inside the vertical column of the device and the lower end of the body of the jack is articulated on this column. Thus the jack can freely take the desired orientation so that the tensile force is exerted in a straight line, thus avoiding the drawbacks which may result from a misalignment.

According to another characteristic of the present device, the base of the vertical column has a horizontal bottom extending a short distance from the ground and this base is mounted on casters with the interposition of elastic buffers. Thus, during the use of the device, the reaction exerted on the base ensures the support of the bottom thereof against the ground, due to the compression of these elastic pads. This contributes to ensuring perfect immobilization of the device, the column of which is moreover held in place by two or more chains which are attached to anchoring points provided on the ground.

In an advantageous embodiment of the present apparatus, the body of the traction cylinder is slidably mounted in the vertical direction on its axis of articulation carried by the column of the apparatus and a retaining chain passing over a return pulley is then fixed on the lower end of this body of the jack, this chain being intended to be attached, at its opposite end, either to the upper end of the vertical column, or to a collar mounted on this column and carrying a pulley reference for the powertrain. This arrangement automatically balances the forces exerted on the device.

• La figure 1 est une vue en élévation de côte d'une première forme de réalisation du présent appareil.
• La figure 2 en est une vue en plan de dessus.
• La figure 3 est une vue partielle en élévation, à échelle différente représentant l'extrémité supérieure de la colonne du présent appareil.
• La figure 4 en est une vue en plan de dessus à même échelle.
• La figure 5 est une vue partielle en élévation illustrant l'appui au sol du socle de cet appareil lors de son utilisation.
• Les figure 6 et 7 sont des vues partielles en élévation représentant un mode particulier de montage des roulettes du socle de cet appareil, la seconde de ces deux vues illustrant les conditions d'appui au sol de ce socle lors de l'utilisation de l'appareil.
• La figure 8 est une vue en élévation illustrant un autre mode d'utilisation du présent appareil.
• La figure 9 en est une vue en coupe selon la ligne IX-IX de la figure 8.
• La figure 8A est une vue en élévation de détail à une échelle différente.
• La figure 9A est une vue en coupe selon le même plan de coupe que la figure 9, mais à échelle différente.
• La figure 10 est une vue en élévation de côté d'une seconde forme de réalisation du présent appareil.
• La figure 11 est une vue partielle en coupe, à échelle différente, de l'extrémité inférieure de cet appareil.
• La figure 12 est une vue en élévation illustrant un autre mode d'utilisation de ce même appareil.

However other features and advantages of the apparatus according to the invention will appear during the following description of some embodiments thereof. This description refers to the attached drawing for information only and in which:

• Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a first embodiment of the present apparatus.
• Figure 2 is a top plan view.
• Figure 3 is a partial elevational view, on a different scale showing the upper end of the column of the present apparatus.
• Figure 4 is a top plan view on the same scale.
• Figure 5 is a partial elevational view illustrating the support on the ground of the base of this device during its use.
• Figures 6 and 7 are partial elevational views showing a particular mode of mounting the casters of the base of this device, the second of these two views illustrating the conditions of support on the ground of this base when using the apparatus.
• Figure 8 is an elevational view illustrating another mode of use of the present apparatus.
• FIG. 9 is a sectional view along the line IX-IX of FIG. 8.
• Figure 8A is a detail elevation view on a different scale.
• Figure 9A is a sectional view along the same section plane as Figure 9, but on a different scale.
• Figure 10 is a side elevational view of a second embodiment of the present apparatus.
• Figure 11 is a partial sectional view, on a different scale, of the lower end of this device.
• Figure 12 is an elevational view illustrating another mode of use of the same device.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 7, the device according to the invention comprises a vertical column 1 carried by a movable base 2. Inside this column is placed a hydraulic traction cylinder 3 with long stroke which is arranged vertically. The body 3a of this jack is attached at its lower end to the corresponding end of the vertical column 1 by means of a hinge pin 4. Thus the body of this jack and its sliding rod 3b can be oriented freely inside column 1 ..

This column has a square or rectangular section. In its upper end is swung a tip 5 of the same section comprising an end plate 6 provided with an opening 7. This plate carries a yoke 8 inside which is mounted a deflection pulley 9. On this pulley passes a traction chain 10, one end of which is intended to be attached to the body to be straightened. As for the opposite end of this chain, it penetrates inside the vertical column 1 by passing through the opening 7 of the upper end piece 5 to be fixed on the free end of the rod 3b of the traction cylinder. .

The end plate 6 of the end piece 5 has a bent extension 11 comprising a hole 12 having notches intended to allow the attachment of two retaining chains 13, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The opposite ends of these chains are attached to anchor points provided on the ground. To allow the establishment of this device in various positions around the body to be straightened, there are provided profiles 14 on the ground which surround the location of this body and the fixing of the retaining chains on these profiles is ensured by devices. hooking 15 adjustable position.

As already indicated, the control cylinder 3 is a long-stroke hydraulic traction cylinder. This is controlled by a valve 17 comprising an operating pedal.

However, the return of the rod 3b of this jack to its raised rest position, shown in FIG. 1, is ensured by sending pressurized air against the opposite face of the piston via a pipe 16 also controlled by the valve 17. It is thus possible to obtain a rapid return of the rod 3b to its raised position of rest.

The movable base 2 rests on casters facilitating its movement, for example six casters 18, at the rate of three under one of the raised edges of this base and three others under the opposite raised edge. However, this base is mounted on each of these rollers with the interposition of an elastic pad 19. Furthermore, this base has a flat bottom 20 which extends a short distance e from the ground.

Under these conditions, when the apparatus is used, the reaction which is exerted on the base causes the compression of the elastic pads 19 and consequently the application of the bottom 20 of this base against the ground, as shown in FIG. figure 5. This ensures direct support of the base against the ground, thus avoiding any risk of deterioration of the casters and their mounting parts. Furthermore, this contributes to ensuring perfect immobilization of the device during its use and this, in addition to the retention in place already provided by the chains 13 provided for this purpose.

Under these conditions, this device makes it possible to exert, under the best possible conditions of use and safety, significant traction forces on an automobile body to be straightened. The chain 10 passing over the idler pulley 9, located at the upper end of the column 1, can then be attached directly to an appropriate point on the bodywork to exert an oblique upward traction according to the arrow F1, as shown in Figure 1. Since this chain 10 is fixed directly to the movable rod 3b of the traction cylinder, it suffices to have a cylinder having a power very slightly greater than the force which it is desired to exert on the bodywork to be straightened.

Another advantage of the present device lies in the fact that there is no need to provide a particular guide piece at the upper end of the vertical column 1 and that the traction cylinder 3 can be freely oriented by articulation. around the axis 4 to take the desired orientation in order to exert a traction in a straight line, which avoids the drawbacks of a possible misalignment.

Yet another advantage is that the end piece 5, carrying the upper deflection pulley 9, is held on the upper end of the vertical column by the pressure exerted on this pulley by the traction chain 10. This allows the remainder to provide a removable mounting of this tip allowing it to be turned over on site for a particular purpose which will be explained in detail later.

Figures 6 and 7 show a particular mode of mounting the casters of the base of the device. In this case the arrangement is such that the vertical axis of the fixing bolt 21 of the yoke 22 of each corresponding roller 18a has, in the horizontal direction, an offset E with respect to the position of the horizontal axis 23 of this roulette. However, as before, an elastic buffer 19 is interposed between the top of the yoke 22 and the base 20 of the device.

Under these conditions the reaction which is exerted on this base, during the use of the apparatus, tends to make the yoke 22 of the rollers pivot as shown in FIG. 7 and this, while causing the compression of the elastic pads 19 As above, this results in direct support of the bottom 20 of the base 2 against the base during the entire period of use of the device.

Figures 8 and 9 show another mode of use of the device shown in Figures 1 to 5. In the case thus illustrated there is provision to exert traction in a horizontal direction F2 on the body to be repaired.

To this end, an additional pulley 24 is provided, carried by a collar 25 removably mounted on the column 1. The chain 10 is then engaged around this pulley, as shown in FIG. 8 before passing over the upper pulley. Reference 9 already mentioned. The collar 25 is slidably mounted along the column 1 so that its position can be modified so that it is placed in the desired position so that the working end of the chain 10 extends horizontally, as shown in FIG. 8. However, an appropriate blocking system is provided making it possible to immobilize the collar 25 at the desired level.

Furthermore, the collar 25 is preferably removable in order to be able to be quickly put in place on the column 1 or to be removed therefrom, if it is desired to use the device according to the form of use illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. For this purpose this collar actually affects the shape of a yoke, the two cheeks of which are connected by a removable pin 26, on the side opposite the bottom 25a of this yoke and the return pulley 24. Thus, it is sufficient to remove this pin in order to be able to easily remove the collar 25.

This pin is applied against the corresponding face of the column 1 by means of a flat on which are provided teeth or hooking ribs 26a.

On the opposite side the bottom 25a of the yoke 25 carries a spring 39 which bears on the corresponding face of the column 1, which ensures the immobilization of the collar 25 at the desired level. However, any other suitable system could be provided for blocking the collar 25 in the chosen position.

To facilitate the establishment of the traction chain 10 around the pulley 24, the latter is preferably also removable. For this purpose its axis 27 is removable.

In the particular case illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, the retaining chains 13 are attached to the collar 25 and not to the upper end piece 5. For this purpose, the two lateral cheeks of this collar include openings 30, in the form of buttonholes, likely to receive the corresponding ends of these chains as shown in Figures 8 and 9. In addition the bottom 25a of the yoke constituting the collar 25, has an extension 25b extending downward and which also has an opening 30 for the attachment of other ground retaining chains extending in the opposite direction from the chains 13. These additional anchoring chains being necessary for the execution of certain works.

Figures 10 and 11 show another embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention which is used in the same way as in the case of Figures 1 and 2. This embodiment differs from the previous one in that the body 3a of the traction cylinder can move, by a certain distance, in the vertical direction relative to its corresponding axis of articulation 4a. To this end, the lower end of the actuator body 3a carries a vertical tab 31 which can be fixed by means of a second articulation axis 32 and having an oblong opening 33 inside which the axis 4a is engaged.

The lower end of this tab carries a yoke 34 in which is attached a retaining chain 35 passing over a return pulley 36 provided at the lower end of the vertical column 1a of the corresponding device In the illustrated use case in FIG. 10, this retaining chain is arranged above the ground to be engaged around a second deflection pulley 37 carried by one of the devices 15 for anchoring to the ground, this chain then extending obliquely towards the top so that its corresponding end is attached to the upper end piece 5 of the vertical column. This end is then attached in the hole 12 of the extension 11 of this nozzle, two normal retaining chains 13 being arranged on either side.

Thus this chain 35 constitutes one of the retaining chains of the apparatus.

In the resting state the hinge pin 4a of the cylinder body is located at the upper end of the opening 33 provided in the lug 31. When the device is put into operation, the reaction exerted on the body of the cylinder tends to cause the lifting thereof according to arrow F3. Due to the mounting method provided in this case, this jack can then be moved upwards. However, this movement is stopped by the retaining chain 35 when a balance is established between the forces exerted on the device. An automatic balancing of these forces is thus obtained in this way.

FIG. 12 illustrates another mode of use of the device represented in FIGS. 10 and 11. This mode of use is similar to that illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9. Indeed in this particular case the collar 25, carrying the additional return pulley 24 is placed on the vertical column 1 so that the working end of the traction chain 10 extends in the horizontal direction.

In such a case, the retaining chain 35, fixed to the lower tab 31 of the cylinder body, is attached at its opposite end to this collar, at an appropriate point. However, for such an assembly method to be possible, it is necessary to turn the upper end piece 5 on itself so that its return pulley 9 is located on the same side as the lower return pulley 36 provided at the bottom of the column. 1a. As in the mode of use shown in Figures 8 and 9 the device is then retained in place by two retaining chains 35, there is automatically obtained a balancing of the forces exerted on the device.

As shown in FIG. 1, an additional collar 41 can be provided which can be mounted on the column 1 in the same way as the collar 25, this collar 41 being intended to allow adaptation of a traction cylinder 42 to which is attached a chain 43.

Furthermore, there are provided extensions (not shown) intended to be adapted on the upper end of the column 1 after removal of the upper end piece 5, the latter then being adapted on the upper end of the last extension. In this regard, it should be observed that this or these extensions are then perfectly held in place on the upper end of the column 1 by the pressure exerted by the traction chain 10 on the pulley 9 of the end piece 5. It is therefore no need to provide a special locking system for the extensions on column 1.

Preferably, the lower base 2 has holes 38 for fixing retaining chains intended to be anchored to the ground, such anchoring being necessary for the execution of certain particular works.

Claims (8)

1. Apparatus for straightening automobile bodies, comprising a traction chain (10) coupled to a jack mounted within a vertical column carried by a movable base (2) and intended to be attached to the ground by means of two retaining chains (13, 35) or more, characterized in that the jack is a vertically-disposed long-stroke traction jack (3) and its body (3a) is pivotally mounted at the bottom of the column (1 or 1a) of the apparatus whilst the traction chain (10), after having passed over a guide pulley (9) located at the upper extremity of the vertical column (1 or 1a), engages within the interior of this column and is secured at the end to the free extremity of the rod (3b) of this jack.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the body (3a) and the rod (3b) of the traction jack are free within the interior of the vertical column (1 or 1a) of the apparatus and only the lower extremity of the jack body (3a) is pivotally mounted on this column by means of an articulation (4) so as to ensure that the jack can freely assume the desired orientation in order to apply the tractive force in a straight line while preventing any misalignment.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that the traction jack body (3a) is slidably mounted in the vertical direction on its pivot-pin (4) which is carried by the column (1 or 1a) of the apparatus and a retaining chain (35) passed over a guide pulley (36) is then fixed on the lower extremity of this jack body (3a), this chain (35) being intended to be attached at its opposite extremity either to the upper end of the vertical column after passing over another guide pulley (37) which is attached to the ground or to a collar (25) which is mounted on this column and carries an additional guide pulley (24) for the traction chain.

4. Apparatus in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the base (2) of the vertical column (1 or 1a) has a horizontal bottom wall (20) which extends to a small height above the ground and this base is mounted on runner-wheels (18) with interposition of resilent pads (19) so that, at the time of utilization of the apparatus, the reaction force exerted on the base ensures that the bottom wall of this latter is applied against the ground.

5. Apparatus in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, for the purpose of applying a tractive force along a horizontal line, provision is made for en additional guide pulley (24) carried by a collar (25) wich can be mounted for sliding motion along the vertical column (1 or la) in order to be placed at the desired level, this collar being , open but being closed if necessary by means of a detachable member (26) in order to permit rapid positioning and removal.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5, characterized in that the guide pulley (24) carried by the removable collar (25) is in turn removably mounted on this collar.

7. Apparatus in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the guide pulley (9) provided at the upper end of the vertical column (1 or 1 a) is carried by an end-piece (5) which is simply fitted within this column and which can be withdrawn therefrom in order to reverse its position.

8. Apparatus in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the return of the rod (3b) of the jack (3) to its inactive raised position is ensured by delivering air under pressure into the body of this jack by means of a pipe controlled by the valve (17) which controls the hydraulic control circuit of this jack.

Images