EP0309538A1

EP0309538A1 - Lift

Info

Publication number: EP0309538A1
Application number: EP19880903405
Authority: EP
Inventors: Man Ho Lee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-04-02
Filing date: 1988-03-31
Publication date: 1989-04-05
Also published as: AU1571088A; JPH01500006U; WO1988007496A1; BR8806992A

Abstract

Pont élévateur normalement utilisé dans un garage pour permettre une meilleure inspection ou une meilleure réparation des véhicules. Le pont élévateur a deux montants verticaux (1, 1') fixés solidement au sol, chacun des montants ayant un élément porteur (3, 3') portant des véhicules automobiles. Un montant renferme un réservoir d'air (5). Même en cas de panne de courant le pont élévateur peut être actionné grâce à l'air stocké dans le réservoir d'air (5) ou par d'autres moyens.Lift normally used in a garage to allow better inspection or better repair of vehicles. The lift has two vertical uprights (1, 1 ') fixed securely to the ground, each of the uprights having a supporting element (3, 3') carrying motor vehicles. An upright contains an air tank (5). Even in the event of a power failure, the lift can be operated by the air stored in the air tank (5) or by other means.

Description

LIFT

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a lift, and more par¬ ticularly to a lift for lifting automative vehicles of the type used in a garage for the inspection or reparing thereof.

Background of the Invention

For better inspection and repair of an automo¬ tive vehicle in a garage, there has usually been used two types of lifts, ie. mechanically-operated lift and hydraulically-operated lift.

In mechanically-operated lift, the energy from a motor is reduced by a reduction gear and then, through transmission such as chains or belts, arms of the lift is lifted or lowered with the automotive ve- hides carried thereon. This mechanism needs consi¬ derable power for smooth operation by which the work may be done in safety. Thus, a motor of- big power is utilized resulting in considerable waste of elec¬ trical energy_

Another disadvantage of this lift is that this mechanism should comprise intricate electrical wir¬ ing, an electric device for movement of motor to the right and to the left in turn and various auxiliary parts resulting in difficult manufacture.

Further, this lift cannot be operated at all in case of power failure. Operating the lift in a moist place, snowy or rainy weather involves risk of elec¬ tric shock.

The other one, a hydraulic lift having hvdrauliπ operated arms.like the mechanically operated lift is also constructed co plicately comprising motor, pump, valves incurred by intricate plumbing, intri¬ cate electrical wiring, control switch and the like.

This hydraulic mechanism according to its comp¬ licate construction is very high in its production cost and maintenance fee. And considerable consump¬ tion of electricity is a burden on the users.

Further, with this hydraulic lift, such devices as spray gun, impact wrench can not be used. In add¬ ition, it is cumbersome and uneconomical in that the oil required to operate the oil cylinder must be ex¬ changed regularly. In winter time, the pump and valve tend not to be operated owing to the cooling of the oil.

In a garage and the like, a plurality of lifts are installed for work infficiency, which requires as many power devices and sources as the lifts resulting in considerable power waste.

Summary of the Invention

An object of the present invention which over¬ comes the disadvantages pointed out above in the prior art lifts is to provide a lift having an air cylinder therein of which up-and-down movement • effects lifting and lowering operation of its arms in balance and safety.

In the present invention, the compressed air for operating an air cylinder is stored in a separate storage tank. The air storage tank may be fulfilled either by air produced from the air compress or by exhaust gas discharged from other automotive ve- hides so that in an emergency such as in power fail¬ ure the operation of the lift will be achieved normal¬ ly.

A compressed air tank constituting part of the present invention has another exhaust pipe through which air may be suppoied to an impact wrench, spray gun or other various parts of automotive vehicles at need.

Other advantage is that a plurality of lifts each of which is constructed according to this inven¬ tion, may be operated by only one compressor.

Discription of the Drawings

Fig. 1 is a partial front elevational view show¬ ing details of the present invention with the carrier arms in an slightly elevated position;

Fig. 2 is a partial side elevational view taken along the arrow "A" of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines B-B' of Fig. 1.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Referring to the drawings, the bottom ends of uprights 1, l¹ are buried securely under the ground. The uprights 1, 1' houses guide rails 2 respectively which guide rollers 4. The rollers 4 are movably mounted on both sides of carriers 3,3'.

Centrally inwardly of the upright 1' is provid¬ ed a longitudinal air tank 5. Three valves 6,7, and 8 regulate and check the air of an air tank 5. The uppermost^"valve 6 is for checking and regu¬ lating the air produced from an air compressor (not shown) . The middle valve 7 other than serving to lift the carriers 3,3' also serves to regulate and 5 check the air of the air tank 5 for the air to be su¬ pplied to an impact wrench or spray gun, if necessary.

The lower control valve 8 is for use when the use of the air compressor is impossible such as in the case of power failure. In such an emergency, the ■_]__Q exhaust gas from other automotive vehicles through a hose and the like may be supplied to the air storage tank 5, whereby the lifting operation will be achieved without trouble.

An auto trap 9 is provided below the air tank 5 τ_5 for removing the moisture produced from the air tank thus facilitating the operation of an air cylinder 10.

The air cylinder 10 is longitudinally provided centrally inwardly of the upright 1. A piston support 12 connected upwardly of the carrier 3 is joined to 20 the upper end of the piston 11 so that the piston 11, the piston support 12 and carrier 3 move simultaneous¬ ly with one another.

Carriers 3,3' are mounted on the uprights 1,1' respectively (see Fig. 3) and arms 14 together with 25 gears are movably fixed to tne uprights 1,1* by pins 15. A control lever 16 serves to limit the rotation of the arms 14 causing the arms 14 to be stopped at desired point.

Balancer members 17 are movably bolted into the 30 end of the arms 14 and their height may changed freely by means of a screw. The balancer members 17 serve to balance automotive vehicles when lifted.

As shown in Fig. 1 the carrier 3 which is rais¬ ed or lowered by a piston 11 has anchored protions at its bottom to which a wire rope 18 is securely an- 5 chored. A wire rope 18 is longitudinally guided by a roller 19a and moves through the inside of the base cover 20. By the guide of rollers 19b,19c which ride into the lower and upper ends of the air tank 5 the other end of the wire rope 18 is anchored to the upper 10 end of the right carrier 3 * .

A pipe 21 which transmits the air pressure from the air tank 5 passes through the inside of the base cover 20, a gate valve 22, and a pressure gage 23.

The operating levers 24,25 for controlling the ^5 air from the upper and lower part of the air cylin¬ der 10 move the piston 11 upward and downward.

On both sides of the uprights 1,1' are secured tooth member. On the tooth of the tooth member of the uprights 1,1' the ratchet 27 is caught at suita- 20 ble point which is determined by turning of the lever 28. This prevents the carriers 3,3' from fall¬ ing or slipping from its determined position even in case the air cylinder 1 is wrongly operaged owing to caresessness.

25 The detail operation of the lift is decribed as follows.

Air of a predetermined pressure is supplied into the air tank 5 by means of an air compressor and the like. If desiring to lower the carriers 3,3' the air _Q in the cylinder 10 will be exhausted by operating the lever 25 causing the carriers 3,3" with their arms 14 to be lowered, thus allowing the piston 11 to be fit¬ ted within the cylinder 10. Thereby the piston sup¬ port 18 pushes down the carrier 3 and the wire rope 18 moves to the right whereby the other end of the wire rope 18 which is anchored to the upper end of the carrier 3 ' by being by guided by the rollers 19 , 19c is lowered thus lowering the right carrier 3'.

An automobile vehicle is put on the arms 14 be- tween the uplifts 1,1" and between the supports 17. At this time, to maintain balancing of the cars which will be inspected or repaired the arms 14 will be rotated in a suitable limit degree and then will be held in position securely by meshing of the lever 16 with the gear 13.

When desiring lifting of automotive vihicles, the operation of the lever 24 will cause the air in the air in the air tank 5 to be transmitted through the pype 21 into the air cylinder 10. This allows the piston 11 to be raised causing the piston support which is secured to the both sides of the piston 11 and connected to the carrier 3, to be raised simulta¬ neously therewith. Thereby, the carrier 3 and the arm 14 will be raised.

Simultaneous with the upward movement of the carrier 3, the wire rope 18 will be moved upwardly thus by the rollers 19a, 19b, 19c lifting the right carrier 3 '

The maintenance of the opened position of the lever 24 enables the continuous upward movement of the automobiles. And when the automobile gets to a suitable elevated position, by operating the lever 24 to be in the closed position, the lifting is stop¬ ped maintaining the height. In this condition by ro¬ tating the lever 28 for the engagement of the ratchet 27 and the toothed portion of the uprithts 1,1' , the carriers 3,3' will be more securely mounted to the up¬ rights 1,1' assuring safe work condition.

When the inspection or repairing is done and the automotive vehicles desired to be lowered to ground or to a desired position, the teeth of the ratchet 27 and the uprights 1, l¹ are manually disengaged and the lever 25 is opened whereby the air in the air cylinder 10 is exhausted outward thus lowering the piston 11 gradually.

Even when desiring to operate a plurality of lifts constructed according to the present invention, only one air compressor may be utilized. Because the air is needed only when lifting automotive vehicles. That is , the lowering operation of the automotive ve- hides is achieved by exhausting the air only, without requiring air so that little electrical energy and small maintenance fee are required. Further, in case of power failure, the operation of lift can by achiev¬ ed a number of times .

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A lift for raising or lowering automotive ve¬ hicles for facilitating the inspection and repair com¬ prising:

_c a pair of lifts 1,1* secured longitudinally to the ground,

carriers 3,3' moving upwardly and downwardly along said lifts 1,1' ,

arms 14 moving upwardly and downwardly simultane¬ 0 ously with said carriers 3,3*,

support member 17 moving upwardly and downwardly simultaneously with said carriers 3,3' and said arms 14,

a wire rope 18 for moving said carriers 3,3", 5 said arms 14 and said support member 17,

rollers 19a, 19b, 19c for guiding said wire rope 18,

control valves 6,7,8,

an air tank 5 to which said control valves 6,7,8, o are connected being longitudinally secured in the one side lift 1' ,

a pipe 21 connecting said air tank 5,

Operating levers 24, 25 for controlling the tran¬ smission of the air from said pipe 21, an air cylinder 10,

a piston 11,

a piston support,

said air cylinder 10 and said piston operated by said operating livers 24,25 thus causing said piston support 12 an said carrier 3 to be moved simul¬ taneously with said the other carrier 3' .