GB2414009A - Vehicle lifting device - Google Patents

Abstract

Extension means 2 is located on the outer side of road wheel 1. The means 2 may be a hub extending means, bolted to a hub by wheel nuts 6. Means 2 may comprise a flat plate portion 4; a cylindrical portion 8; and a rim 10, which may incorporate one or more apertures 12 for receiving hook 14 of a sling 16. Multiple apertures 12 may be evenly spaced around rim 10. Sling 16 is part of an otherwise conventional lifting arrangement (18, Figure 2). Sockets (30 Fig 1) may be provided, particularly as outwardly extending tubes, to permit hooks 14 to be guided into apertures 12 by the use of poles. The lifting device may be used for lifting amphibious vehicles, particularly from water; for handling of test or prototype vehicles, or racing cars; or for recovery of crashed vehicles which are mired in water or mud.

Description

24 1 4009 Vehicle lifting device The present invomon relates to a rebicle

lining device.

When rifling a vehicle by mews of crane or hoist, it is usual to provide a ding ant spreader, the sling bang attached h a fringe which fists under the vehiclo' wheels for example as iD US 2,818,296 (Brenda); or else by providing a net, onto which the relevant vehicle is driven. The net is then hooked to slings and Shaders. Where vehicle. "d hoists are specially adapted for hoisting, special adaptations are provided under the body Bamo, a. in US 2,915,334 (Bsrenyi), Whm an amphibious vabiclo is to be lifted from the water onto a drip or a quay where there is no slipway, it may be Mary to use a crane or hoot. Since DIG vehicle cannot be driven onto a Came, nor a Bame or net be placed under the wheels without u'mg a swunmor or diver; the option offered as noted above by Brennan is barely practical. E!qually, Be specialized solution - Rested by Barenyi as above is not likely to be available.

Accordingly, a vehicle lifting device according to the invasion comprises an extension means acted to be located on outer side of a road wheel, said mesas being filer adapted to be attached to a sling.

Preferably, do device compnsa a hub extending means; which may be adapted to be bolted to hub outside a wheel.

Preferably, the hub extending means ha a rim Roth of least one aperhro Herein, which is enabled to receive a hook on the d=, So that there is always an aperture in or near the "12 o'clock" position of the Veal, Were are preferably several, more preferably few, aperture evenly epawd around the wheel.

An embodiment of the invention will now be deuces by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 i' projective dewing of a front wheel of an amphibious vehicle 3S showing the amusement for attaching a ding according to the invention; Figure 2 is aperpecve drawing of a conventional ding and spreader lodgement; Figure 3 u a sectional view from below of the vehicle lifting device, showing its relation to the wheelarch profile; end Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a road wheel with the lifting device fitted thereto, with a hook and ding attached ready for liming.

In the draw=" the hub extending means 2 (see Figure 1) comprises a flat plate portion 4, which ha' hole. for the wheel study onto which bolt the wheel nuts 6, It may he ne-cos6ay to fabbeate attended wheel nuts to secure the exuding meant ataquatdy. Extending fiom plate portion 4 is a cylindrical extending portion 8, and IS Bom portion 8 a Flaw 10. Bxtend through the cylindrical portion B and pertly in the plate portion 4 end flange 10 are four apertures 12 for recdvg a hoolc 14 of a sling 16.

The. lilting device shown in Figure 1 can be lo* bolted to road wheels 1 when the vehicle i. to be wed in a manne enr,iromnent, or even on land. Ihc apertures 12 provide easy means ch wheel to be hoolced to dings 16 of a sling ant stretcher an - anent 18, Chow in Figure 2. Me streteber are at 20, md filcher slings 22 extend to a rtog 24, to be clung *om crane hook 26. lbe sketchers 20 may be uranged in a cruciform uruement, and bolted together in the Huddle. Cross bracing between sketched 20 may be provided if required 2S To enable the hooks 14 to be more Badly howled to hub extending means or extonde.r 2, tbe hooks can have cocked, drown as outcry extending tubes 30 Wig. I - shown in brollies lima), which receive poles (not shown); which can be removed when the hooks are engaged in apertures 12.

Figure 3 shows a Section through the vehicle lining device as seen from below.

It c" h seen Bom this figure that the lifting device well it of inner edgo 40 and outer edge 42 ofthe wbeelarch lip in plan view, Although it common on road cars for wheels to be place as fir wit in the wheelarches as pombb for cosmetic ant roadholding roaono, nphibiouo vehicles with retractable suspension often have the wheels inept some divorce Mom the bodywork to allow clearance as the wheels retract.

Figure 4 ebows a section through a complete road wheel 1 with the lining device 2, hook 14, and sling 16 attached ready for lifting. This view shows a wheel contra cop 5 which i' fitted to the lifting device 2. To enable this, it can be Been that lifting device 2 i. machined to match the cerise profile of road wheel 1. This allows the contra cop, with the vehicle maker'' logo or badge, to be seen; whereas in it' origine1 petition on the wheel Intro, it would be obscured Tom view. Fitmat ofthe wheel centre to the lifting device also follows &e function of the wheel centric in its ordinal portion, of preventing accumulation of dirt in the contra bore of the road wheel. It will also be noted from this view mat hook 14 may be fitted with a - catch 15, as Imown in the lifted and handling art. Furamore, it can be seen that ding 16 is angled outward., to clear the wheelarch and prevent damage thereto as the vehicle m lifted.

IS

The extension means i' preferably made from aluminium or us alloy thereof.

For safety rouons, it may have no Cal radii of less than 0.025m. It may be dodgned to At a particular vehicle, so that the vehicle bodywork extends beyond the vehicle lifting device in plan view. For adequate strength "d convenient haling, slid ado to allow efficient bivalve cooling, the extension moans may have an external -- diameter between 0.2 Ones and 0.8 time the diameter of the road wheel; preferably between 0.4 time. and 0.6 time' the dlamotor of the road wheel. Similarly, flu extension means may extend beyond outer dice of tie naiad wheel by a distal between O.OS time. and 0.45 lima the rim width of the road wheel; preferably between 2S 0.2 lima and 0.3 time. Me rim width of the road wined. Fuore, Me sling ant Carder abridgement may be adapted to Me teds in hand, for example by using a spreader bar oriented transvoreely to the vehicle, rather than longitudinally along its length The Proctor bar may need to be located R of the longitutinel centrc point of the vehicle, due to the reanvsrd weight bias which is common in planing amphibious vehicles.

Although the invention has bean described with reference to use with amphibious vehicles, other uses may be foreseen in Me Ding of prototype or mat vehicle, or racing cam. It may also be meat in recovery of stolen vehicles which have sunk up to Air axles in water or no d.

Claims (23)

1. A vehicle rifling device compnmg an extension mems adapted to be located on the outer eito of a road wheel said me - $ being For adapted to be attached to a sling.

2. A device as claimed in claim I wherein the extension means is hub extending means.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 where the extension means is bolted to a hub.

4. A device as claimer in any one of the above claims wherein Tic extension mcam hue a rim with at loam one aporbue thoroin, which i. Stabled to receive a hook on the sling.

S. A device as claimed in claim 4 wherein there are several apertures in the rim evenly spacer therein, the peroc being unmet for hooking on the sling.

6. A device a, claimed in claim 5 wherein there are four said apenur" evenly spaced around We dm.

7. A device as claimed in any one of the above claims wheran Me cxtenion meaDs has a substantially Bat plate portion enfolding Mom which cylindrical pardon.

8. A device as cat in clean 7 wherein the run is formed on the outer extremity of To cylindrical portion.

9. A device as claimed In claim 7 or claim 8 wheran Me aperture or apertures is or are at least pertly fanned in the cylindrical portion as well as the rim.

10. A device as claimed in any one of the above claims wherein the device leas all external radii greater Sun or equal to 0.025m.

_ ^, ...

11. A device as claimed in any one of Me above claims whose extender diameter is between 0.2 times and 0.8 times the diameter of the road wheel.

12. A device as claimed in claim 11 whose external diameter is between 0, 4 times S "d 0.6 times the diameter of the road wheel.

13. A device claimedin any one of the above clauns wherein the device hs centre aperture adapted to receive a wheel contra cap.

14. A device as cleuned in any one of the above claim. wherein the device is made or - aluminium or alninium alloy.

1 S. A vehicle lining arrangement comprising a ding having hook. and vehicle lifting devices as claimed in any one of claims I to 14, the hooks and lilting devices being IS arranged to iotorongo.

16. A vehicle lifting ngoment as claimed in clam IS, wherein the hook' have sockets stranger to interawe with pola to facilitate the engagement of said hooks with Reid extension mains.

17. A vehicle lingua device subelantially at dacribed and as shown in one or more of Figures 1, 3, and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

18. A vehicle tiffing device substantially as described and as shown in Figures 1 to 4 2S of the accompanying drayage,

19. An amphibious vehicle having a vehicle liflin' device as clumed in any one of clump l to l8.

20. A vehicle having a vehicle lifting device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18.

21. A vehicle u claimed in claim 20 6iD the vehicle rifling device extends beyond an outer face of the 20sd wheel by 8 distance between O.OS time' sad 0.4S dme.

Me rim width of Tic road wheel. 3S

22. A vehicle as clainud in clean 21 wherein the vehicle rifling device extends beyond an outer fi'ce of Me road wheel by a distance between 0.2 times and 0.3 times the rim width of tho road whorl,

23. A vehicle as dimmed in claim 20 wherein the vehicle bodywork extends beyond the vehicle lining devil in plan view.