GB1597361A

GB1597361A - Car parking apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB1597361A
Application number: GB3030977A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: DOUBLE PARKING Ltd
Current assignee: DOUBLE PARKING Ltd
Priority date: 1978-05-30
Filing date: 1978-05-30
Publication date: 1981-09-09

Description

(54) CAR PARKING APPARATUS (71) We, DOUBLE-PARKING LIMITED, a British Company of Fordcroft Road, Orpington, Kent BR5 2DB, England, 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: This invention relates to car parking apparatus of the type including a frame carrying a platform on which a car may be positioned, the platform being capable of being raised so that another car can be parked beneath the platform.

Such apparatus is advantageous due to the fact that a considerable saving of space can be achieved by having cars parked on raised platforms as well as on the ground. In a known form of apparatus, the platform is pivotally mounted at one end so that the other end may be lowered to the ground and a car driven up onto the platform. The lowered end is then raised by pivoting the platform upwardly into a storing position. A disadvantage arising from this arrangement is that the platform, in its lowered position, extends at a rather steep upward angle, and users are loath to drive their cars at such an inclination in a confined space.

In accordance with the invention, car parking apparatus comprises a stationary frame with upstanding vertical guide tracks at each side, an elevating platform disposed between the vertical guide tracks and on to which a car can be driven the platform having vertically-spaced rollers running in the guide tracks which maintain the platform in a generally horizontal condition while it is being raised and lowered, and vertically disposed piston-and-cylinder units for raising and lowering the platform with respect to the frame, locking means for locking the platform on the frame at a height at which another car can be parked in the space underneath the platform, and a device for detecting the presence of a car when so parked and preventing lowering of the platform if an attempt is made to unlock and lower the platform when a car is so parked.

This arrangement enables the construction of parking apparatus which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantage, and which also includes a safety mechanism which constitutes an important feature in preventing the lowering of the platform in inopportune circumstances.

The locking means make take the form of a movable member on either the platform or the frame, and arranged to cooperate with a fixed abutment on the frame or platform respectively when the platform is in a raised position to prevent the platform from being lowered.

The detecting means is preferably an arm which is interconnected with a release means which is operable to unlock the platform, the arrangement being such that the operation of the release means causes the arm to move into the space beneath the platform so that if the arm engages an object in this space further operation of the release means fully to unlock the platform is prevented.

The release means may constitute a handle connected by, for example, a wire or cable to a lever which is engageable with a part of the movable member. The movable member, which may take the form of a hook, is normally biased into its locking position but movable away from this position by the pulling of the handle.

The lever can form a cranked end of a rod which is mounted for pivotal movement about its own axis and secured beneath the platform. The arm may be rigidly connected to the rod, and preferably extends in a direction transverse to the length of the rod. The arrangement is such that the arm is horizontal when the movable member is in the locking position, but is swung downwardly by the pulling of the handle, which moves the lever and thus twists the rod. If the arm comes into contact with a car further pulling of the handle is prevented and the movable member therefore cannot be moved into an inoperative position.

Preferably, the apparatus includes two movable members or hooks, one on each side of the platform, arranged to engage corresponding abutments on the frame. The release means may include a lever at both ends of the rod so that pulling of the handle simultaneously moves both hooks into their inoperative positions.

The piston and cylinder units for raising and lowering the platform are preferably hydraulic, switches desirably being provided automatically to turn off the supply of hydraulic fluid to the cylinders when the platform is in its fully raised or lowered position.

An arrangement embodying the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a pictorial diagram of part of an apparatus for parking cars in accordance with the invention.

The apparatus includes a frame generally indicated at 2 on which a platform indicated at 4 is mounted for reciprocal vertical motion. The platform 4 is provided with vertically extending members 5, located about halfway along the length of the platform, with one member on each side. Each member has rollers 7 mounted thereon which ride in a track on the inner side of one of a pair of vertical members of the frame, one of the vertical frame members being indicated at 6. The rollers on each member are vertically spaced so that pivoting of the platform about a horizontal axis is prevented, and the platform thus remains horizontal throughout its movement.

The platform 4 carries a horizontal bar 8 extending across its width about halfway along its length. The bar 8 is rigidly fixed beneath the platform and carries a pair of brackets, one of which is indicated at 10, at its ends. Each bracket has one end of a piston rod 12 fixed thereto, the rod extending into a vertical cylinder 14 mounted on a plate 16 attached to a vertical member 6 of the frame. The sliding of the piston in the cylinder 14 causes the platform 4 to be raised or lowered.

A second bar 18 is pivotally mounted at its ends to the brackets 10. This bar 18, which can rotate about its longitudinal axis, carries a generally vertically extending hook 20 at each end. The hook is biased into the position shown in the drawing by a pair of springs (not shown) connected between a bracket on the bar 18 and the platform 4. As the platform is raised, an oblique surface 22 on the hook 20 engages with the edge of the plate 16, thus rotating the hook 20 and bar 18 in an anti-clockwise direction as seen in the drawing. Further movement of the platform brings a recess 24 of the hook 20 adjacent the edge of the plate 16, so that the hook 20 springs back into the angular position shown, with a downwardly projecting portion 26 of the hook overlying the plate 16.The platform can be lowered slightly so that this portion 26 enters a recess 28 in the plate 16 so that the platform 4 is securely held in its elevated position.

In order to lower the platform, it must initially be raised slightly to bring the portion 26 out of the recess 28, and then the hook 20 must be pivoted in an anticlockwise direction to move it out of the way of the plate 16. This hook movement is achieved by pulling a handle 30 to which a cable 32 is connected. The other end of the cable 32 is fixed to a lever 34 arranged to engage an element 36 projecting horizontally from the inner face of the hook 20. The lever 34 is rigidly connected to one end of a rod 36 which extends along the length of the bar 18 and is secured thereto by brackets 38. The rod 36 is rotatable about its axis within the brackets 38 to allow pivotal movement of the lever 34.It will be observed that movement of the handle 30 to the left as seen in the drawing will pivot the lever 34 and thus pull the hook 20 so that it rotates in an anti-clockwise direction away from the plate 16.

An arm 40 is rigidly connected at one end to the middle of the rod 36. The arm extends transversely to the length of the rod 36 and, with the lever 34 in the position shown, extends horizontally under the platform 4. It will be appreciated that on releasing the hook 20 by pivotally moving the lever 34, the rod 36 will be caused to rotate thus swinging the arm 40 downwardly in the direction of arrow A. If a car is positioned beneath the platform, the arm 40 will come into engagement with the car and thus prevent further rotation of the rod 36 and hence further movement of the lever 34. At this time, the hook 20 will not have moved sufficiently to clear the plate 16 when the platform is lowered, so that further lowering will be prevented when the hook 20 engages the plate 16.

It will be appreciated that an advantage is achieved by mounting the rod 36 on the bar 18. This arises from the fact that operation of the handle 30 not only causes rotation of the rod 36, but also of the bar 18 to which the hook 20 is rigidly connected. Thus, the absolute movement of the arm 40 is greater than would be the case if the rod 36 were mounted on a stationary member.

A similar mechanism to that shown is provided on the other side of the platform.

Thus the platform will be securely held at both sides by the hooks 20. The levers 34 of the mechanisms are connected to opposite ends of the rod 36 so that the illustrated handle 30 and attached cable 32 are operable to move the levers and hence the hooks 20 on both sides of the platform, and there is therefore no need for a further handle and cable on the other side of the apparatus.

The platform carries a shaft (not shown) across its width, a sleeve being rotatably mounted around the shaft and rigidly con nected to a pair of arms, one at each side of the platform. These arms extend generally rearwardly, that is to say along the length of the platform, and are each pivotally connected to a further arm which is itself pivotally connected to the lower part of the frame at its rear end. This helps to restrain the platform against sideways tilting.

As well as there being a switch for automatically turning off the hydraulic fluid supply when the platform is in its fully raised position, a further switch is incorporated that switches on the hydraulic pump automatically at a position local to the machine when the controls are operated to lower the platform.

To facilitate the driving of vehicles on and off the platform it is fitted with a short sloping entry ramp and, in the interests of safety, it is desirable that this ramp should be hinged on the main part of the platform so that users are not at any risk of having their feet trapped under the lowermost front part of the ramp. CLAIM IS:- TJVHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1.Car parking apparatus comprising a stationary frame with upstanding vertical guide tracks at each side, an elevating platform disposed between the vertical guide tracks and on to which a car can be driven the platform having vertically-spaced rollers running in the guide tracks which maintain the platform in a generally horizontal condition while it is being raised and lowered, and vertically disposed piston-and-cylinder units for raising and lowering the platform with respect to the frame, locking means for locking the platform on the frame at a height at which another car can be parked in the space underneath the platform, and a device for detecting the presence of a car when so parked and preventing lowering of the platform if an attempt is made to unlock and lower the platform when a car is so parked.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the locking means takes the form of a movable member on either the platform or the frame, and arranged to co-operate with a fixed abutment on the frame or platform respectively when the platform is in a raised position to prevent the platform from being lowered.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the detecting device is an arm which is interconnected with a release means which is operable to unlock the platform, the arrangement being such that the operation of the release means causes the arm to move into the space beneath the platform so that if the arm engages an object in this space further operation of the release means fully to unlock the platform is prevented.

4. Apparatus according to claims 2 and 3, wherein the release means constitutes a handle connected to a lever which is engageable with a part of the movable member.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the movable member is in the form of a hook normally biased into its locking position but movable away from this position by the pulling of the handle.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the lever forms a cranked end of a rod which is mounted for pivotal movement about its own axis.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the arm is rigidly connected to the rod, and extends in a direction transverse to the length of the rod, the arrangement being such that the arm is horizontal when the movable member is in the locking position, but is swung downwardly by the pulling of the handle, which moves the lever and thus twists the rod.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6 or claim 7, comprising two hooks, one on each side of the platform, arranged to engage corresponding abutments on the frame, the release means including a lever at both ends of the rod so that pulling of the handle simultaneously moves both hooks into their inoperative positions.

9. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the piston and cylinder units are hydraulic, and switches are provided to control the supply of hydraulic fluid which switches are operable automatically when the platform is in its fully raised or lowered position.

10. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the platform is provided with a hinged entry ramp.

11. Car parking apparatus substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

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

Claims

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

nected to a pair of arms, one at each side of the platform. These arms extend generally rearwardly, that is to say along the length of the platform, and are each pivotally connected to a further arm which is itself pivotally connected to the lower part of the frame at its rear end. This helps to restrain the platform against sideways tilting.

As well as there being a switch for automatically turning off the hydraulic fluid supply when the platform is in its fully raised position, a further switch is incorporated that switches on the hydraulic pump automatically at a position local to the machine when the controls are operated to lower the platform.

To facilitate the driving of vehicles on and off the platform it is fitted with a short sloping entry ramp and, in the interests of safety, it is desirable that this ramp should be hinged on the main part of the platform so that users are not at any risk of having their feet trapped under the lowermost front part of the ramp. CLAIM IS:- TJVHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1.Car parking apparatus comprising a stationary frame with upstanding vertical guide tracks at each side, an elevating platform disposed between the vertical guide tracks and on to which a car can be driven the platform having vertically-spaced rollers running in the guide tracks which maintain the platform in a generally horizontal condition while it is being raised and lowered, and vertically disposed piston-and-cylinder units for raising and lowering the platform with respect to the frame, locking means for locking the platform on the frame at a height at which another car can be parked in the space underneath the platform, and a device for detecting the presence of a car when so parked and preventing lowering of the platform if an attempt is made to unlock and lower the platform when a car is so parked.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the locking means takes the form of a movable member on either the platform or the frame, and arranged to co-operate with a fixed abutment on the frame or platform respectively when the platform is in a raised position to prevent the platform from being lowered.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the detecting device is an arm which is interconnected with a release means which is operable to unlock the platform, the arrangement being such that the operation of the release means causes the arm to move into the space beneath the platform so that if the arm engages an object in this space further operation of the release means fully to unlock the platform is prevented.
4. Apparatus according to claims 2 and 3, wherein the release means constitutes a handle connected to a lever which is engageable with a part of the movable member.
5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the movable member is in the form of a hook normally biased into its locking position but movable away from this position by the pulling of the handle.
6. Apparatus according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the lever forms a cranked end of a rod which is mounted for pivotal movement about its own axis.
7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the arm is rigidly connected to the rod, and extends in a direction transverse to the length of the rod, the arrangement being such that the arm is horizontal when the movable member is in the locking position, but is swung downwardly by the pulling of the handle, which moves the lever and thus twists the rod.
8. Apparatus according to claim 6 or claim 7, comprising two hooks, one on each side of the platform, arranged to engage corresponding abutments on the frame, the release means including a lever at both ends of the rod so that pulling of the handle simultaneously moves both hooks into their inoperative positions.
9. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the piston and cylinder units are hydraulic, and switches are provided to control the supply of hydraulic fluid which switches are operable automatically when the platform is in its fully raised or lowered position.
10. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the platform is provided with a hinged entry ramp.
11. Car parking apparatus substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing.