GB2044725A

GB2044725A - Car Lift

Info

Publication number: GB2044725A
Application number: GB8006350A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1979-02-26
Filing date: 1980-02-26
Publication date: 1980-10-22
Also published as: FR2449640A1; DE3007550A1

Abstract

A car lift of the wheel support bridge type provided with auxiliary carrier units 22 for carrying a car in a "wheels free" position on the wheel bridges, the carrier units each comprising a rod 28 with a carrier shoe 30, the rod being vertically displaceable relative the associated wheel bridge to enable relative lifting of the car by lowering the bridges to and beyond a floor engaging position of the lower ends of the rods, thereafter arresting the rods to the bridges and relifting the bridges. The wheel bridges 14 should be usable for wheel lifting with the carrier shoes assuming inoperative and non- disturbing position, and according to the invention this is achieved by arranging the carrier rods to be releasable and guidable to assume a stored position across the underside of the wheel bridges. The rods are held by simple brackets 26 allowing them to be tilted transversely of the bridge direction between their operative and stored positions. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A Car Lift The present invention relates to a car lift of the type specified in the introductory clause of claim 1, such a lift being known from the French Patent Specification No. 76 37224.

It is well known that a usual wheel supporting car lift may be used also for lifting a car in a socalled "wheel free" position, because it is possible to arrange for separate lift of jack means between the wheel supporting bridge members and the underside of the body of the car, e.g. for free wheel spinning or brake repair work. In lifts of the specific type referred to it has been realized that it is not necessary to use special powered lift or jack means for this purpose, because with the use of the carrier units as indicated it is possible to lift the car further by arresting the carrier rods against lowering and then just lowering the wheel bridges until the support of the car is taken over by the carrier rods.Thereafter the rods are arrested to the wheel bridges, and the entire system may then again be lifted to any desired height, now with the car at least partly in wheels free position as desired.

The carrier units should of course be so adapted that the upper carrier portions of the carrier rods are retractable from their operative positions to make the lift usable as an ordinary wheel support lift and even for enabling a car to be driven on and off the wheel bridges in connection with a "wheels free" lift operation, and in the said known lift, where the carrier portions protrude inwardly from the opposed outermost side edges of the wheel bridges, this is obtained by making the carrier portions horizontally swingable on the top of the carrier rods, whereby they can simply be swung away from the critical area. However, they will still be present in an inconvenient passive position.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide an improved car lift in which the said auxiliary carrier units are of a simple and yet advantageous design.

The lift according to the invention is primarily characterized by the features stated in the characterizing clause of claim 1, i.e. the rod itself is hereby connected with the mounting portion so as to be releasable or guidable to a position in which the carrier portion or arm may assume a more convenient passive position, preferably with the rod assuming a lying position crosswise underneath the respective bridge member and the carrier portion projecting vertically upwardly from the end of the rod.Besides, the carrier units are advantageously arranged so as to be displaceable along the bridge members for optimal positioning thereon, and the units are mounted so as to have the carrier rods located adjacent the innermost side edges of the opposed bridge members, this being especially advantageous when the carrier portions are arranged to assume their passive positions adjacent these, where they are less inconvenient than when located adjacent the outer bridge side edges.

In the following the invention is described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Fig. 1 is a general perspective view of a car lift according to the invention, and Fig. 2 is a more detailed side view of a carrier unit.

The car lift shown in Fig. 1 is generally of a conventional type comprising a pair of lift posts 2 each having an interior screw spindle 4 driven by a motor (not shown), a lower transverse channel member 6 housing a synchronizing chain for the two spindles 4, a lift block 8 associated with a lift nut (not shown) on each spindle 4, and a lift bridge 10 interconnecting the opposed lift blocks 8, the bridge 10 being constituted by two parallel beams 12. On the lift bridge 10 is secured a pair of wheel support bridges 14 each made of two elongate edge beams 1 6 and an intermediate wheel support plate member 1 8. Ramp plates 20 are provided endwise for facilitating the use as well known.

On each wheel bridge 14 is mounted two car body carrier units 22. These units are similar, and only one will be described.

Each carrier unit (as also shown in Fig. 2) comprises a mounting portion 24 which is a plate member profiled so as to be endwise insertable on the wheel bridge and slidable therealong to any desired working position. The mounting portion surrounds the bridge except for the area above the wheel plate member 18. On the side of the mounting portion 24 which faces the middle plane of the car lift is secured a pair of parallel bracket plates 26, and between these plates is loosely received a rod member 28 having at its top end a carrier shoe portion 30 which, as shown in Fig. 1 and in Fig. 2, position A, projects across the underlying wheel bridge. In the lower end portions of the bracket plates 26 is provided a cross hole 32 through which a locking pin 34 is insertable.The rod 28 has a lower cross hole 36 which may thus be engaged by the pin 34 for carrying the rod in its raised upright position as shown. Between the lower rear corners of the bracket plates 26 is mounted a rigid cross pin 38 which serves to support the rear side of the rod 28. A corresponding upper front side support may be constituted by a similar upper abutment 40.

In the following description reference is specifically made to Fig. 2.

When the carrier shoe 30 is loaded the load will tend to rotate the rod 28 anticlockwise about the upper front abutment 40, but such movement is prevented by means of the lower rear abutment 38. The rod is free to rotate rearwardly about the cross pin 34, see position B, to a horizontal lying position C with the carrier shoe 30 projecting upwardly near the middle of the space between the wheel bridges 14. The rod 28 is stabilized in this position by way of its "lower end" engaging with the abutment 38 and with the mounting portion 24 at the other side of the cross pin 34.

When the pin 34 is retracted the rod may be pushed from position C to position D, in which the carrier shoe 30 is upright next to the rear edges of the bracket plates 26. The "lower" rod end is here carryingly received by a support member 44 which is preferably releasable by means of a handle 46. With the rod 28 in position D the car lift is usable for wheel lifting of a car practically without any inconvenience by the presence of the car body lift units 22.

When it is desired to effect "wheels free" lifting the car is driven onto the bridges 18 and lifted a little by means of the lift bridge 10. The handles 46 are operated to release the rod end carrier members 44, whereby the lying rod 28 tends to swing downwardly about the lower abutment 38. However, the carrier shoe 30 as engaging the rear bracket edges will prevent a clean rotation and will cause the rod to be simultaneously displaced rearwardly until by this combined movement the rod reaches position E or even the fully orthogonal position F as assisted by the rounded shoulders 26' of the bracket plates. At least it shall be ensured that the rod now assumes position F.

With the rod in the lowered upright position F the lift bridge 10 is now lowered until the lower end of the rod 28 hits the floor, and the bridge lowering is continued, whereby the car will get deposited on the carrier shoes 30 and eventually get its wheels relatively lifted off from the wheel bridges 14. The lowering is continued until the lower rod hole 36 is flush with the bracket plate holes 32, whereafter the pin 34 is mounted through the aligned holes, now with the rod assuming the position A. Thereafter the car can be lifted in a "wheels free" position by renewed lifting of the lift bridge 10.

For resetting of the car on the wheel bridges it is sufficient to lower the lift bridge until the ends of the rods 28 abut the floor to make the cross pins 34 retractable. Upon removal of these pins the wheel bridges 14 may be lifted into engagement with the car wheels, during relative lowering and release of the rods 28, and when these are then shifted into their passive positions d, e.g. through intermediate positions E and G, the car may be completely lowered and removed.

The rod 28 may be locked in its passive position D by means of the cross pin 34, because the top end of the rod has a cross hole 37 which is then flush with the bracket holes 32.

As shown in the rear left corner of Fig. 1 the carrier shoe 30 may be provided with a top piece 31 shaped as a disc which is eccentrically rotatably adjustable on the carrier shoe.

It will be possible, within the scope of the invention, to provide the carrier units with means for automatically effecting the release of the rods and their return to the passive position D in response to their slippage of the car body when the wheel bridges are lowered as described and then relifted, now without lifting the rods. Thus, the retraction of the pin 34 (or release of any other relevant carrier coupling) can be easily effected in a direct or indirect response to the lower rod ends hitting the floor or a similar situation occurs if other abutment means are used, and the shifting movement of the rod to its passive position can then take place, e.g. by suitable spring means, as soon as the carrier shoe is released from the car, or controlled in some other manner in response to a safe release height of the car being reached. Even control and power means for remote control of the rod movements may be used.

The rods should not necessarily assume a passive position crosswise under the wheel bridge, since they could be arranged to tilt in the longitudinal direction of the bridges; then they should be rotated for bringing the carrier shoes away from the top side of the bridge, or the carrier shoes should be swingably secured on the top ends of the rods.

Also the actuation or insertion of the cross pin 34 preparatory to a "wheels free" lift operation may be effected automatically in various manners, as of course the pin-and-holearrangement may be substituted by many other types of couplings. One is known from the said French Patent Specification, and the automatic actuation here in question, therefore, belongs to the known art.

Claims

1. A car lift of the type comprising elongate wheel support bridge members and lift means for lifting these bridge members from a lowered car receiving position to a desired working height, said bridge members each being provided with auxiliary carrier units for supporting a car on the bridge members in a so-called "wheel free" position, each of these carrier units comprising a mounting portion to be fixed to the bridge member and a vertical carrier rod which is axially slidable in a guiding member associated with the mounting portion outside one side edge of the respective bridge member, the rod having an upper carrier portion adapted to project transversely over the bridge member for engaging the body of the car above the bridge member level, and said rod being mountable in a position in which it projects downwardly from the raised bridge member to thereby be relatively raisable in response to lowering of the bridge member, when the rod is prevented from further lowering by suitable abutment means such as a floor portion, said carrier unit having means for locking the rod in its relatively raised position to thereafter enable the bridge members to be lifted with the car supported thereby in said "wheel free" position, characterized in that the carrier rod is releasably connected with said mounting portion so as to be removable therefrom or preferably pivotable to a passive position with said carrier portion in a low position relative the bridge member and removed from the car wheel area.

2. A car lift according to claim 1, in which the carrier rod is held so as to be tiltable transversely of the bridge member and against stop means defining a substantially vertical operative position of the rod, while it is reversely tiltable to a lying position just underneath the bridge member.

3. A car lift according to claim 2, in which the mounting portion is provided with releasable locking means for holding the rod in said lying position, from which the rod swings down by itself when the locking means are released.

4. A car lift according to claim 2 or 3, in which the rod is mounted between two parallel bracket plates interconnected by a low level cross pin acting as both an abutment for defining the vertical position of the rod and as a carrier member for the lying rod.

5. A car lift according to any of the preceding claims, in which the carrier rods are arranged generally adjacent the inner side edges of the two bridge members.

6. A car lift according to any of the preceding claims, in which the mounting portion of each auxiliary carrier unit is shaped as a sledge member which is slidably positionable on the respective bridge member.

7. A car lift according to any of the preceding claims, in which means are provided for fully or partly automatically effect the shift movements of the carrier rods between their passive and active positions.

8. A car lift according to any of the preceding claims, in which the carrier shoes of the carrier rods comprise an eccentrically rotatably adjustable carrier disc.

9. A car lift substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.