EP4691960A1

EP4691960A1 - Electromechanical post lift for lifting vehicles or moving manufactured articles

Info

Publication number: EP4691960A1
Application number: EP25194092.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Francesco DIAMANTINI
Original assignee: Emanuel Srl
Current assignee: Emanuel Srl
Priority date: 2024-08-08
Filing date: 2025-08-05
Publication date: 2026-02-11

Abstract

Electromechanical post lift (1) for lifting vehicles or moving manufactured articles comprising:
- a base frame (2) comprising a substantially vertical column element (3);
- a lifting assembly (6) comprising:
- a support element (7) for a vehicle or manufactured article;
- electromechanical movement means (8) suitable for moving the support element (7) along a working direction (9) and along a guide element (14) defined by the column element (3) and extending along the working direction (9);
wherein the column element (3) is made of a single body and is constituted by a plate element (15), made of metal material and folded to define the guide element (14).

Description

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an electromechanical post lift for lifting vehicles or moving manufactured articles, in particular of the type of a vehicle lift or a rotary lift.

Background art

In this document, the term "electromechanical lift" relates indiscriminately to both vehicle lifts and rotary lifts for manufactured articles.
Vehicle lifts are used to allow mechanical and/or maintenance work to be carried out at the underside of specific vehicles such as e.g. railway vehicles, buses or trucks.
Rotary lifts are used to lift and position specific semi-finished products, such as e.g. metal components or bars, and, if necessary, to rotate the same during specific machining operations, such as e.g. welding or assembly.
Lifts and rotary lifts may, e.g., be differentiated according to the nature of the lifting/lowering means, in particular the nature of their actuation, which can specifically be of the electromechanical or hydraulic type.
In this disclosure, reference is made to lifts provided with electromechanically-operated lifting/lowering means.
Electromechanical post lifts of known type generally comprise a base frame, arranged to rest on the ground, a supporting body for a vehicle or a manufactured article, which is associated in a sliding manner with the base frame along a substantially vertical direction of work and electromechanically-operated movement means operable to move the supporting body along the aforementioned direction of work.
The base frame of the lifts comprises a load-bearing post arranged in a vertical direction and defining a guide along which the supporting body slides during the relevant movement along the direction of work.
Preferably, the supporting body of the known type of lifts comprises a pair of lower wheels, aligned along a first axis of rotation which is orthogonal to the direction of work, and a pair of upper wheels, aligned along a second axis of rotation, which is orthogonal to the direction of work and parallel to the first axis of rotation.
During the sliding of the supporting body inside the guide, the lower wheels and the upper wheels are arranged to rest on respective rolling tracks defined internally on the same guide.
Figures 1 and 2 show a load-bearing post A with which the electromechanical post lifts of known type are provided.
The load-bearing post A shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a tubular body B, made of metal material and having a substantially rectangular conformation, and four profiled elements C, also made of metal material and internally associated with the tubular body B, where the edges of the latter are located.
In detail, the profiled elements C are substantially L-shaped and are associated inside the tubular body B so that the edges of the profiled elements C themselves face the inside of the tubular body B.
The profiled elements C thus positioned define four rolling tracks D, E for the wheels of the supporting body.
Specifically, the rolling tracks D, E comprise two front rolling tracks D, i.e., facing the vehicle or the manufactured article held by the supporting body, and two rear rolling tracks E, arranged on the opposite side with respect to the vehicle or the manufactured article held by the supporting body.
The front rolling tracks D are arranged side by side, as are the rear rolling tracks E.
Each front rolling track D is arranged facing a respective rear rolling track E.
Each of the lower wheels is arranged to rest on a respective rear rolling track E, each of the upper wheels is arranged to rest on a respective front rolling track D. The profiled elements C are coupled to the tubular body B by welding made where the longitudinal edges of the same profiled elements C are located.
In order to give the load-bearing post A a load-bearing capacity suitable for holding the whole lift and the vehicle or the manufactured article lifted thereby, it is often necessary to provide for reinforcing ribs on the tubular body B.
The electromechanical post lifts of known type do however have some drawbacks which are mainly related to the difficulties encountered during the relevant manufacturing process, which can be very long and laborious.
In particular, the construction is very complex of the wheel rolling tracks of the supporting body, which are obtained by welding each profiled element to the tubular body.
The welding points are often difficult to access from the outside, which means that the welding operation can only be carried out manually by a specialized operator.
In addition, the construction of the reinforcing ribs of the load-bearing posts further lengthens and complicates the construction process of the same load-bearing posts.
Furthermore, manufacturers of the load-bearing posts intended for the lifts of known type must necessarily have large spaces available for storing all the basic components, i.e., the tubular bodies and the profiled elements.
Another drawback associated with the electromechanical post lifts of the known type is that sometimes the load-bearing post and, in particular, the rolling tracks may not be perfectly straight due to uneven cooling that can occur as a result of the heat generated by welding.
In particular, the load-bearing post may twist and/or the base portion of the load-bearing post itself may open.
Another drawback of known electromechanical lifts is related to the fact that the welding process of the load-bearing post components involves dimensional tolerances of around ± 3 mm, which are very high.

Description of the Invention

The main aim of the present invention is to devise an electromechanical post lift for lifting vehicles or moving manufactured articles which allows simplifying and speeding up the production process of the lift itself.
Within the scope of this aim, the present invention aims to devise an electromechanical post lift for lifting vehicles or moving manufactured articles which allows making the rolling tracks of the load-bearing post through a practical, fast and affordable process.
Another object of the present invention is to devise an electromechanical post lift for lifting vehicles or moving manufactured articles which allows obtaining a load-bearing post capable of holding heavy loads through a quick and affordable solution.
Furthermore, a further object of the present invention is to devise an electromechanical post lift for lifting vehicles or moving manufactured articles which allows obtaining a load-bearing post with improved dimensional tolerances compared to the state of the art.
Another object of the present invention is to devise an electromechanical post lift for lifting vehicles or moving manufactured articles which allows the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art to be overcome with a simple, rational, easy and effective to use as well as affordable solution.
The aforementioned objects are achieved by the present electromechanical post lift for lifting vehicles or moving manufactured articles having the characteristics of claim 1.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the description of some preferred, but not exclusive, embodiments of an electromechanical post lift for lifting vehicles or moving manufactured articles, illustrated by way of an indicative, yet non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 and Figure 2 are an axonometric view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of a load-bearing post of an electromechanical lift of known type;
Figure 3 is an axonometric view of an electromechanical lift according to the invention and made according to a first embodiment, wherein the electromechanical lift is of the type of a vehicle lift;
Figures 4 and 5 are an axonometric view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of the post element of the electromechanical lift of Figure 3;
Figures 6 and 7 are an axonometric view and a rear view, respectively, of the lifting assembly of the electromechanical lift of Figure 3;
Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the electromechanical lift of Figure 3 according to the invention along the plane VIII of Figure 3;
Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the electromechanical lift of Figure 3 according to the invention along the plane IX of Figure 3;
Figure 10 is an axonometric view of an electromechanical lift according to the invention and made according to a second embodiment, wherein the electromechanical lift is of the rotary lift type.

Embodiments of the Invention

With particular reference to these figures, reference numeral 1 globally indicates an electromechanical post lift for lifting vehicles or moving manufactured articles.
The lift 1 is used to lift and then lower a vehicle, such as e.g. a railway vehicle, a bus or a truck, so as to make the lower part of the vehicle floor accessible to an operator or to a work tool for maintenance work.
Furthermore, the lift 1 can be used to lift from the ground and rotate a semi-finished product, such as a metal bar or a metal component, on which special mechanical operations, such as welding or assembly, must be carried out.
In this document, the term "front" and any terms derived therefrom must be meant in relation to the components of the lift 1 facing the vehicle or the manufactured article which is lifted/lowered by the same lift 1.
Furthermore, in this disclosure, the term "rear" and any terms derived therefrom must be meant in relation to the components of the lift 1 facing away from the vehicle or manufactured article which is lifted/lowered by the same lift 1.
The lift 1 comprises at least one base frame 2 arranged to rest on the ground and comprising at least one substantially vertical post element 3.
As can be seen in Figure 3, the base frame 2 comprises a bedplate 4 arranged to rest on the ground and adapted to hold the post element 3 from below.
According to a particular embodiment, the lift 1 comprises means for movement on the ground 5 associated inferiorly to the base frame 2 and adapted to allow the lift 1 to be positioned where the vehicle or the manufactured article to be lifted is located.
The means for movement on the ground 5 comprise a plurality of wheels associated inferiorly to the bedplate 4.
Alternative embodiments of the lift 1 cannot however be ruled out, wherein the latter may not be provided with means for movement on the ground 5 and is of the fixed type, i.e., it cannot be moved with respect to the ground.
The lift 1 comprises at least one lifting assembly 6 of a vehicle or of a manufactured article.
The lifting assembly 6 is shown in detail in Figures 6 and 7 and comprises:

at least one supporting element 7 adapted to support at least one vehicle or one manufactured article to be lifted/lowered;
movement means 8 of the electromechanical type adapted to move the supporting element 7 with respect to the post element 3 along a substantially vertical direction of work.

With reference to the first embodiment, shown in Figures 3 to 9, the lift 1 is of the type of an electromechanical lift usable to lift a vehicle.
As previously described, the vehicle lifted by means of the lift 1 may be, e.g., a railway vehicle, a bus or a truck.
With reference to this particular embodiment, the supporting element 7 comprises abutment means 10 positionable inferiorly to the floor of the vehicle to be lifted/lowered and defining at least one resting surface of the vehicle itself.
The abutment means 10 are positioned inferiorly to the floor of the vehicle to be lifted by moving the lift 1 on the ground using the means for movement on the ground 5.
If the lift 1 is not provided with the means for movement on the ground 5, the vehicle to be lifted is placed where the abutment means 10 are located.
The supporting element 7 also comprises a holding base 11 associated with the abutment means 10 and adapted to hold the latter. The holding base 11 is directly associated with the movement means 8 and is movable by the latter along the direction of work 9.
Preferably, the movement means 8 comprise:

a motor device 12 of the electronic type;
a shaft element 13 of the threaded type extending longitudinally along the direction of work 9 and associated at one end with the motor device 12, the supporting element 7 defining a suitable coupling seat of the threaded type into which the shaft element 13 is fitted.

The shaft element 13 is associated with the holding base 11.
The shaft element 13 is preferably of the type of a worm screw.
The coupling seat is preferably of the lead screw type.
The shaft element 13, as a result of the activation of the motor device 12, rotates around the direction of work 9 and screws/unscrews into/out of the coupling seat defined on the supporting element 7, thus causing the supporting element 7 itself to slide upwards/downwards along the direction of work 9.
The way along which the supporting element 7 is moved along the direction of work 9 is determined by the way of rotation that the motor device 12 imparts to the shaft element 13 around the direction of work 9.
The vehicle supported by the supporting element 7 is raised or lowered as a result of the movement of the supporting element 7 along the direction of work 9.
The post element 3 defines at least one guiding element 14 developing along the direction of work 9, the supporting element 7 sliding along the guiding element 14 during the movement along the direction of work 9.
In detail, the holding base 11 is associated with the guiding element 14 in a sliding manner along the direction of work 9.
The guiding element 14 is substantially vertical.
According to the invention, the post element 3 is made as a single body piece and consists of a slab-shaped element 15, made from a metal material and folded to define the guiding element 14.
In actual facts, the slab-shaped element 15 is of the sheet metal type. According to the invention, the post element 3 consists of a single metal slab that is folded so as to define the post element 3 and the relevant guiding element 14. This technical expedient allows greatly simplifying and speeding up the construction of the post element 3 compared to the current state of the art, in which a plurality of metal profiled elements is welded within a tubular body made from a metal material.
The folding of the slab-shaped element 15 can be carried out in a fully automated manner, i.e., no manual machining steps by skilled labor are required.
This contributes to lowering the overall cost of manufacturing the lift 1 and, in particular, the related post element 3.
In addition, since there is no longer a metal welding phase, there is no deformation of the post element 3 that may result from uneven cooling of the metal material. The slab-shaped element 15 thus folded is able to impart the post element 3 adequate load-bearing capacity without having to resort to the use of reinforcing ribs, as is currently required.
Furthermore, the post element 3 obtained by folding a sheet metal has dimensional tolerances of around ± 1 mm, a value that is significantly lower than what can be achieved today by welding.
Furthermore, the storage of metal sheets requires much less space than the space required to store the profiled elements and tubular bodies needed to construct the known type of load-bearing posts.
Furthermore, the fact that the metal is folded rather than cast allows the use of a high-strength steel slab-shaped element 15, e.g. belonging to category S690. This gives the guiding element 14 high strength and hardness compared to the prior art.
Advantageously, the supporting element 7 comprises at least one wheeled body 16, 17 arranged to rest on at least one substantially flat rolling wall 18, 19 defined on the guiding element 14.
The wheeled body 16, 17 is associated with the holding base 11 and can rotate relative to the latter during the sliding of the supporting element 7 along the direction of work 9, resting on the rolling wall 18, 19.
The rolling wall 18, 19 is substantially parallel to the direction of work 9. Preferably, the supporting element 7 comprises:

at least a first wheeled body 16 defining a relevant first axis of rotation 20 which is substantially orthogonal to the direction of work 9; and
at least a second wheeled body 17 defining a relevant second axis of rotation 21 which is substantially orthogonal to the direction of work 9 and parallel to the first axis of rotation 20.

The first wheeled body 16 is positioned inferiorly to the second wheeled body 17 and the first axis of rotation 20 is separate from the second axis of rotation 21. The axes of rotation 20, 21 are substantially horizontal.
Advantageously, the guiding element 14 defines:

at least a front rolling wall 18 substantially flat and parallel to the direction of work 9;
at least one rear rolling wall 19 substantially flat and parallel to the direction of work 9 and arranged facing the front rolling wall 18, the front rolling wall 18 being positioned between the supporting element 7 and the rear rolling wall 19.

The rolling walls 18, 19 are substantially vertical and parallel to the axes of rotation 20, 21.
The first wheeled body 16 is arranged to rest on the rear rolling wall 19 and the second wheeled body 17 is arranged to rest on the front rolling wall 18.
The front rolling wall 18 faces the abutment means 10 of the supporting element 7.
The rear rolling wall 19 faces the opposite side from the abutment means 10 of the supporting element 7.
In actual facts, during the use of the lift 1, the front rolling wall 18 faces directly the vehicle supported by the supporting element 7 and the rear rolling wall 19 faces the opposite side.
Preferably, the supporting element 7 comprises a pair of first wheeled bodies 16, substantially aligned along the first axis of rotation 20, and a pair of second wheeled bodies 17, substantially aligned along the second axis of rotation 21. Advantageously, the guiding element 14 defines one pair of front rolling walls 18, arranged side by side, and one pair of rear rolling walls 19, arranged side by side.
Each of the first wheeled bodies 16 is arranged to rest on a respective rear rolling wall 19 and each of the second wheeled bodies 17 is arranged to rest on a respective front rolling wall 18.
As a result of the folding of the slab-shaped element 15, it is possible to define the front rolling walls 18 and the rear rolling walls 19 on which the wheeled bodies 16, 17 rest by means of a simple and quick manufacturing process.
This allows greatly simplifying the manufacturing process of the post element 3 compared to the prior art.
In actual facts, by simply folding the slab-shaped element 15, it is possible to obtain the post element 3, which supports and holds the lift 1, and the rolling walls 18, 19, which allow the supporting element 7 and the vehicle associated therewith to be lifted/lowered.
Usefully, the guiding element 14 comprises:

at least one main wall 22 substantially flat and substantially parallel to the rear rolling walls 19;
at least one pair of first connecting walls 23 substantially flat and substantially orthogonal to the main wall 22 and to the rear rolling walls 19.

Each of the first connecting walls 23 is adapted to connect one of the first rear rolling walls 19 to the main wall 22.
The main wall 22 faces rearward.
Advantageously, the guiding element 14 comprises at least one pair of second connecting walls 24 substantially flat and substantially orthogonal to the front rolling walls 18, wherein each of the second connecting walls 24 is adapted to connect a respective rear rolling wall 19 to a respective front rolling wall 18. Conveniently, the guiding element 14 comprises at least one pair of outer walls 25 substantially flat and orthogonal to the front rolling walls 18, wherein each of the outer walls 25 is connected to a respective front rolling wall 18 on the opposite side from the respective second connecting wall 24.
The outer walls 25 face forward.
Advantageously, the folded slab-shaped element 15 defines a plurality of folding lines 26 bounding the main wall 22, the first connecting walls 23, the rear rolling walls 19, the second connecting walls 24, the front rolling walls 18 and the outer walls 25.
The folding lines 26 are substantially parallel to the direction of work 9.
In other words, as a result of the folding of the slab-shaped element 15, it is possible to easily and simply define the folding lines 26 bounding the various walls which are defined on the guiding element 14 and giving the post element 3 adequate structural strength to hold the lift 1 and the vehicle moved thereby.
The operation of the lift according to the invention is as follows.
The lift 1 is positioned in the proximity of the vehicle to be lifted using the means for movement on the ground 5, placing the abutment means 10 inferiorly to the vehicle floor.
If the lift 1 is not provided with the means for movement on the ground 5, i.e. is of the fixed type, the vehicle is positioned superiorly to the abutment means 10. At this point, the motor device 12 setting the shaft element 13 in rotation is activated, thus causing the supporting element 7 and the vehicle associated therewith to be lifted.
During this movement, the supporting element 7 slides inside the guiding element 14 defined by the post element 3 and, in detail, the first wheeled bodies 16 rotate around the first axis of rotation 20, resting on the rear rolling walls 19, and the second wheeled bodies 17 rotate around the second axis of rotation 21, resting on the front rolling walls 18.
When the vehicle has reached the preset height, the motor device 12 is deactivated.
When it is necessary to lower the vehicle, the movement means 8 are activated again so that the supporting element 7 is made to slide along the direction of work 9 downwards.
During this last movement, the wheeled bodies 16, 17 also rotate around their respective axes of rotation 20, 21 and rest on their respective rolling walls 18, 19.
Figure 10 shows a second embodiment of the lift 1, wherein components identical to those in the first embodiment have the same reference numbers as in the first embodiment, to which reference is made in full for a detailed description.
The second embodiment of the lift 1 differs from the first embodiment of the lift 1 mainly in that the lift 1 is of the rotary lift type, i.e., an electromechanical lift used to lift a manufactured article and to move it in rotation during the performance of specific operations on the same manufactured article.
As previously described, if the lift 1 is of the rotary lift type, it can, e.g., lift specific semi-finished products, such as metal components or bars, and, if necessary, rotate them during specific operations, such as e.g. welding or assembly.
According to this latter embodiment, the supporting element 7 comprises a plate element 28 which is coupled to the manufactured article to be moved and which is associated with the holding base 11.
Still with reference to this particular embodiment, the lift 1 comprises a motor 27 associated with the plate element 28 and operable to rotate the latter around a substantially horizontal axis of rotation.
The operation of the lift 1 according to the second embodiment is substantially the same as that described for the lift 1 made according to the first embodiment, except that the plate element 28 is connected to the manufactured article before the lifting assembly 6 is activated, and the motor 27 is then activated.
It has in practice been ascertained that the described invention achieves the intended objects and, in particular, the fact should be noted that the lift according to the invention makes it possible to simplify and speed up the manufacturing phase of the post element and of the rolling tracks.
Furthermore, the lift according to the invention makes it possible to obtain a post element provided with good load-bearing capacity and the rolling tracks of which are highly robust and hard.
In addition, the lift according to the invention makes it possible to reduce the margin of error that may occur in terms of the dimensions and/or alignment of the various components of the post element.

Claims

Electromechanical post lift (1) for lifting vehicles or moving manufactured articles, comprising:
- at least one base frame (2) arranged to rest on the ground and comprising at least a substantially vertical post element (3);

- at least one lifting assembly (6) of a vehicle or of a manufactured article comprising:
- at least one supporting element (7) adapted to support at least one vehicle or a manufactured article to be lifted/lowered;

- movement means (8) of the electromechanical type adapted to move said supporting element (7) with respect to said post element (3) along a substantially vertical direction of work (9);

wherein said post element (3) defines at least one guiding element (14) developing along said direction of work (9), said supporting element (7) sliding along said guiding element (14) during the movement along said direction of work (9);

characterized by the fact that said post element (3) is made as a single body piece and consists of a slab-shaped element (15), made from a metal material and folded to define said guiding element (14).
Lift (1) according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said supporting element (7) comprises at least one wheeled body (16, 17) arranged to rest on at least one substantially flat rolling wall (18, 19) and defined on said guiding element (14).
Lift (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact said supporting element (7) comprises:
- at least a first wheeled body (16) defining a relevant first axis of rotation (20) which is substantially orthogonal to said direction of work (9); and

- at least a second wheeled body (17) defining a relevant second axis of rotation (21) which is substantially orthogonal to said direction of work (9) and parallel to said first axis of rotation (20);
wherein said first wheeled body (16) is positioned inferiorly to said second wheeled body (17) and said first axis of rotation (20) is separate from said second axis of rotation (21).
Lift (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said guiding element (14) defines:
- at least a front rolling wall (18) substantially flat and parallel to said direction of work (9);

- at least a rear rolling wall (19) substantially flat and parallel to said direction of work (9) and arranged facing said front rolling wall (18), said front rolling wall (18) being positioned between said supporting element (7) and said rear rolling wall (19);
wherein said first wheeled body (16) is arranged to rest on said rear rolling wall (19) and said second wheeled body (17) is arranged to rest on said front rolling wall (18).
Lift (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said supporting element (7) comprises a pair of said first wheeled bodies (16), substantially aligned along said first axis of rotation (20), and a pair of said second wheeled bodies (17), substantially aligned along said second axis of rotation (21).
Lift (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said guiding element (14) defines one pair of said front rolling walls (18), arranged side by side, and one pair of said rear rolling walls (19), arranged side by side, each of said first wheeled bodies (16) being arranged to rest on a respective said rear rolling wall (19) and each of said second wheeled bodies (17) being arranged to rest on a respective said front rolling wall (18).
Lift (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said guiding element (14) at least comprises:
- at least one main wall (22) substantially flat and substantially parallel to said rear rolling walls (19);

- at least one pair of first connecting walls (23) substantially flat and substantially orthogonal to said main wall (22) and to said rear rolling walls (19);
wherein each of said first connecting walls (23) is adapted to connect one of said first rear rolling walls (19) to said main wall (22).
Lift (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said guiding element (14) comprises at least one pair of second connecting walls (24) substantially flat and substantially orthogonal to said front rolling walls (18), wherein each of said second connecting walls (24) is adapted to connect a respective said first rear rolling wall (19) with a respective said front rolling wall (18).
Lift (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said guiding element (14) comprises at least one pair of outer walls (25) substantially flat and orthogonal to said front rolling walls (18), wherein each of said outer walls (25) is connected to a respective said front rolling wall (18) on opposite side with respect to said respective second connecting wall (24).
Lift (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said folded slab-shaped element (15) defines a plurality of folding lines (26) bounding said main wall (22), said first connecting walls (23), said rear rolling walls (19), said second connecting walls (24), said front rolling walls (18) and said outer walls (25), said folding lines (26) being substantially parallel to said direction of work (9).