GB1568305A

GB1568305A - Accessories for lifting ramps for vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB1568305A
Application number: GB2510277A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: TREGUIER H
Current assignee: TREGUIER H
Priority date: 1976-12-10
Filing date: 1977-06-15
Publication date: 1980-05-29
Also published as: DE7718703U1; IT1079236B; DE2726717A1; FR2373484B1; BE855201A; FR2373484A1; NL7706274A

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS RELATING ACCESSORIES FOR LIFTING RAMPS FOR VEHICLES (71) We, HENRIEFTE TREGUIER, veuve PrmT of La Gobette, Route d'Alligny, St.

Loup, 58200 Cosne Sur Loire, France, JosEIaE PETIT, of "Les Gauthiers", 58200 Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire, France, SUZANNE PETIT spouse séparée de Monsieur Michel Bourra of 12 Quai de Mantoue, 5800 Nevers, France, MONIQUE PETIT, espouse Palanga of Chemin de Plantenoix no 26, 58200 Cosne Cours Sur Loire, France, CHRI5ANE PEnT, espouse Garnier of Pommerat, Commune de Saint-Père, 58200 Cosne Sur Loire, France, MARC PEnT, of Les Crocavins, Commune de La Celle Sur Loire, 58440 Myennes, France and GERARD PERMIT, of La Gobette, Commune de St.Loup, 58200 Cosne Sur Loire, France, all French citizens, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to accessories for a lifting ramp comprising two treadways for the wheels of a vehicle to be serviced or repaired.

With these ramps the vehicle is merely raised so as to gain access to certain parts which are not easily visible; however, for certain work such as the changing of shock absorbers or wheels, the checking of the suspension, adjustment of the front axle assembly, etc., it is necessary for the said wheels to be free.

For this reason proposals have been made in the past for the manufacture of lifting ramps comprising special means for maintaining the vehicle, with the wheels separate from the treadways, in order that the various checks and operations mentioned above may be performed.

However, these lifting ramps are costly and complicated and very different in design from the ramps which are frequently in Operation at garages. These establishments tjierefore found themselves obliged to change their equipment, which represents a substantial investment.

The present invention permits existing ramps to be converted in a simple and convenient manner, so that the vehicle may be maintained in a raised position relative to the treadways, the wheels being moved away from the latter to carry out various operations or checks.

According to the invention a set of accessories for a lifting ramp with two parallel treadways for supporting the wheels of a motor vehicle, the accessories being adapted for raising the vehicle at least partially relative to the treadways, each accessory comprising a plate for attachment to a treadway, a sleeve integral with the plate and designed to extend vertically when the plate is mounted on a treadway, a slide member extending through the sleeve and slidably movable in the sleeve, an arm for engagement under the vehicle mounted on an end portion of the slide member extending from an upper opening of the sleeve, an opposite end portion of the slide member extending from the lower opening of the sleeve and having a support member at its free end adapted to engage a ground surface during part of the vehicle raising procedure, and means for locking the slide member in the sleeve.

Owing to this arrangement it is possible to provide each treadway with two suitably spaced devices, and to raise a vehicle relative to the said treadways by lowering the lifting ramp in such a manner that the lower ends of the slides, by resting against the ground, slide through the sleeves in order to move the arms and the said treadways apart, the said arms having been previously placed underneath the vehicle which in turn is mounted on the treadways. The slides are locked in this position and the vehicle thus remains with its wheels spaced above the treadways.

In accordance with a preferred feature, the plate of each accessory has holes for receiving fastening screws intended for passing through holes produced in the treadways. The devices according to the invention can thus be very easily mounted.

In order to facilitate the resting on the ground of the bottom ends of the slides and prevent damaging the ground, the bottoni end of the slide on each device comprises a base plate.

In accordance with another feature the slide locking means in the sleeve of each device are unidirectional and resist vertical downward sliding by the said slide. Thus the slides are automatically locked in the sleeves during the gradual vertical upward sliding of the said slides.

To enable the vehicle to be disengaged, each device preferably comprises means of moving the locking means aside from their slide in the sleeve.

To ensure that the arm is properly sup-ported under the vehicle, a movable block or wedge is preferably provided on the arm.

The base plate and the arm preferably extend parallel in the same plane. Thus the worker can check that the arms of all the devices are well directed.

In one prefered form of- the invention the sleeve of each device comprises a lateral flange which is pivotally connected to a wedging cam comprising a cooperating convex edge extending through a corresponding slot in the said sleeve and pressed against the sleeve by flexible means, the said cam comprising a lever for manually controlling its tilting movement in opposition to the flexible means to release the slide, and in one of the sides of the flange there is provided a finger capable of penetrating a corresponding hole in the cam to maintain the latter in this unlocked position.

The finger of each device preferably comprises a control knob and there are provided resilient means which tend to drive it into the hole in the cam The invention also provides a lifting ramp provided with a set of accessories such as those defined above.

A particular embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a lifting ramp fitted with accessories according to the invention: Fig. 2 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of an accessory according to the invention; Fig. 3 is a vertical section along the line III--III shown in Fig. 1; - Fig. 4 is a section along the line IV-IV shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a section along the line V-V shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 1 shows a lifting ramp with a column comprising an upright 1 over which can be moved a carrier 2 integral with cross members 3 for supporting two treadways 4 and 5.

Such a lifting ramp is well known and will not be described in detail here. It should be noted that a ramp with å single column has been illustrated, but that the invention may apply to all ramps provided with treadways.

Fixed on each treadway 4 and 5 are two devices 7 according to the invention; these devices are all identical and only one of them will be described in detail below.

The device 7 shown in Figures 2 and 3 comprises a plate 8 perforated with four holes 9 intended for receiving bolts 10 which extend through holes (not shown) in the treadways and receive nuts 12.

The plate 8 is, at one end, integral with a sleeve 13 in which moves a slide 14, the lower end of said slide being integral with a base plate 15 whereas the upper end receives a bush 16 secured by a screw 17 passing through a corresponding aperture 18 in the bush 16 and engaging in a recessed hole 19 in the slide 14.

The bush 16 is integral with a support arm 20 along which can slide a movable block or wedge 21 provided with a non-skid buffer 22 for cooperating with the underpart of a vehicle.

The sleeve 13 is integral with a flange or forked joint 23, the sides 24 and 25 of which are penetrated by a pin 26 to which a wedging cam 27 provided with a lever 28 is pivotally connected. The upper part of the said cam comprises a recess or slot 29 against which one end of a compression spring 30 is pressed, the other end of the said spring cooperating with the bottom of a seat 31 integral with the upper edges of the sides 24 and 25 of the flange 23.

The sleeve 13 has a slot 32, as shown in Figure 4, through which the active face of the cam 27 can extend to cooperate with the slide 14.

On the outer face of the side 24 of the flange 23 a nut 35 is soldered. A bolt 37 is screwed into the nut 35, the bolt 37 being provided with a recess 38 open at one end, the other end comprising a hole 39 in which a shank 40 can slide in opposition to the action of a spring 43 which, at one end, presses against the bottom of the recess 38 and, at the other end, against a shoulder 42, the said shaft 40 comprising at one end a control knob 41 and at the other end, a locking finger 44 which slides into a hole 36 in the side 24 and is capable of cooperating with a hole 46 in the cam 27, the said hole 46 occupying such a position that, when the finger 44 is engaged, the active face of the cam 27 is moved away from the slide. The devices according to the invention operate as follows: The devices 7 are secured on the treadways 4 and 5 by the bolts 10 and the nuts 12, each treadway thus having ;two devices 7 which are separated by a desired distance dependent on the dimensions of the vehicle.

The distance would be 1.4 metres for the majority of types of motor vehicles.

The slides 14 are initially positioned in the sleeves 13 !in such a manner that the banns 20 extend outside the treadways 4 and S to ipermit free access to the vehicle on the ramp.

When the vehicle is in position, the lifting ramp is raised partially and the arms 20 are directed so as to be placed under the vehicle opposite the points of support provided thereunder, the blocks 21 being suitably positioned. The ramp is then lowered in order that the base plates 15 may rest on the ground and that therefore the slides 14 may be displaced relative to the treadways vertically in the sleeves 13. The blocks 21 on the arms 20, by engaging under the vehicle, raise the latter relative to the treadways 4 and 5.

On account of the shape of the cam 27, the slides can be displaced upwardly, but cannot slide freely downwardly so that they are automatically locked.

Thus the raising of the vehicle is controlled and it is possible to work easily under or at the side of the vehicle in order to facilitate checking or repairing of certain parts since the vehicle is no longer resting on its wheels.

When it is desired to remove the vehicle from the ramp, the ramp is lowered down to the bottom end position, then the levers 28 are operated to disengage the cams 27 from the slides 14, i.e. rotation of the cams in a direction in opposition to the action of the springs 30. This lines up the holes 46 with the fingers 44, which are forced into the holes 46, by the springs 43. The cams are thus locked in the inoperative position.

It is then sufficient to raise the ramp slightly to enable the arms 20 to be laterally disengaged.

The knobs 41 are then pulled to remove the fingers 44 from the holes 46 and return the cams 27 to their operative position under the action of the springs 30.

Such a device is very simple and can be adapted to all types of ramps. Moreover, it provides considerable safety since, if an operator forgets to unlock a cam, the vehicle is in a raised position at one point, but cannot tilt as it is supported on the other wheels.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A set of accessories for a lifting ramp with two parallel treadways for supporting the wheels of a motor vehicle, the accessories being adapted for raising the vehicle at least partially relative to the treadways, each accessory comprising a plate for attachment to a treadway, a sleeve integral with the plate and designed to extend vertically when the plate is mounted on a treadway, a slide member extending through the sleeve and slidably movable in the sleeve, an arm for engagement under the vehicle mounted on an end portion of the slide member extending from an upper opening of the sleeve, an opposite end portion of the slide member extending from thy tower opening of the sleeve and having a support member at its free end adapted to engage a ground surface during part of the vehicle raising procedure, and means for locking the slide member in the sleeve.

2. A set of accessories according to claim 1, comprising at least one accessory to be mounted on each of the treadways.

3. A set of accessories as claimed in claim 1, or claim 2, characterised in that the means of locking the slide member in the sleeve of each accessory are unidirectional and oppose the downward vertical movement of the said slide.

4. A set of accessories as claimed in any preceding claim, in which that each accessory includes means for moving the means of locking the slide in the sleeve into an inoperative position.

5. A set of accessories as claimed in claim 1, in which holes for the passage of fastening screws designed to pass through holes provided in the treadways are provided in the plate of each accessory.

6. A set of accessories as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a shoe is provided on the lower end portion of the slide member of each accessory.

7. A set of accessories as claimed in claim 6, in which the shoe and the arm extend parallel to one another in the same vertical plane.

8. A set of accessories as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the arm of each accessory includes a movable wedge or block.

9. A set of accessories as claimed in claims 1, 2 and 3, characterised in that the sleeve of each accessory incorporates a lateral flange to which is pivotally connected a wedging cam comprising a convex contact edge passing through a corresponding slot in the said sleeve and bearing against the slide by resilient means, the said cam incorporating a lever for manually controlling tilting thereof in opposition to the resilient means to release the slide, and in one of the sides of the flange there is provided a finger capable of penetrating a corresponding hole in the cam to maintain the latter in the inoperative position.

10. A set of accessories as claimed in claim 9, in which the finger of each accessory comprises a control button and in that there are provided resilient means urging the finger into engagement with the hole in the cam when the cam is in the inoperative position.

11. Lifting ramps with two parallel tread

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. The distance would be 1.4 metres for the majority of types of motor vehicles. The slides 14 are initially positioned in the sleeves 13 !in such a manner that the banns 20 extend outside the treadways 4 and S to ipermit free access to the vehicle on the ramp. When the vehicle is in position, the lifting ramp is raised partially and the arms 20 are directed so as to be placed under the vehicle opposite the points of support provided thereunder, the blocks 21 being suitably positioned. The ramp is then lowered in order that the base plates 15 may rest on the ground and that therefore the slides 14 may be displaced relative to the treadways vertically in the sleeves 13. The blocks 21 on the arms 20, by engaging under the vehicle, raise the latter relative to the treadways 4 and 5. On account of the shape of the cam 27, the slides can be displaced upwardly, but cannot slide freely downwardly so that they are automatically locked. Thus the raising of the vehicle is controlled and it is possible to work easily under or at the side of the vehicle in order to facilitate checking or repairing of certain parts since the vehicle is no longer resting on its wheels. When it is desired to remove the vehicle from the ramp, the ramp is lowered down to the bottom end position, then the levers 28 are operated to disengage the cams 27 from the slides 14, i.e. rotation of the cams in a direction in opposition to the action of the springs 30. This lines up the holes 46 with the fingers 44, which are forced into the holes 46, by the springs 43. The cams are thus locked in the inoperative position. It is then sufficient to raise the ramp slightly to enable the arms 20 to be laterally disengaged. The knobs 41 are then pulled to remove the fingers 44 from the holes 46 and return the cams 27 to their operative position under the action of the springs 30. Such a device is very simple and can be adapted to all types of ramps. Moreover, it provides considerable safety since, if an operator forgets to unlock a cam, the vehicle is in a raised position at one point, but cannot tilt as it is supported on the other wheels. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A set of accessories for a lifting ramp with two parallel treadways for supporting the wheels of a motor vehicle, the accessories being adapted for raising the vehicle at least partially relative to the treadways, each accessory comprising a plate for attachment to a treadway, a sleeve integral with the plate and designed to extend vertically when the plate is mounted on a treadway, a slide member extending through the sleeve and slidably movable in the sleeve, an arm for engagement under the vehicle mounted on an end portion of the slide member extending from an upper opening of the sleeve, an opposite end portion of the slide member extending from thy tower opening of the sleeve and having a support member at its free end adapted to engage a ground surface during part of the vehicle raising procedure, and means for locking the slide member in the sleeve.

11. Lifting ramps with two parallel tread

ways, each provided with at least one accessory as defined in any preceding claim.

12. An accessory for a lifting ramp substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 2 to 5 of the accompanying drawings,