US2080596A - Turntable for automobiles - Google Patents

Description

Ma 1s,.1937. I vR. F; ASH 1 2,080,596

TURNTABLE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed July 25, 1936 2 SheetsSheet 1 May 18, 1937. R. F. ASH

TURNTABLE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed July 25, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 18, 19357 Application July 25,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to turntables for automobiles and particularly to a very simple form of turntable which is particularly designed to be installed in private garages or the like, which consists of few parts and these of a relatively cheap construction, and which may be readily operated.

Another object is to provide a structure of this character which is relatively light in weight and in which the turntable is held positively in its two fully shifted positions.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of the turntable, the vertical flanges of the rectangular central frame being in section;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 Figure 1;

Figure f is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section showing a modified form of latching means for the turntable;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary transverse section showing a modified form of turntable and support therefor.

Referring to these figures, Ill designates a concrete or other floor or base forming the floor of a garage. This concrete is molded around a central annular bearing l 3 having a flared upper portion iii and outwardly projecting flanges 93. The turntable itself includes a rectangular frame formed of angle irons, the angle irons being designated M. The angle irons together define a square frame held in place at the corners by gusset plates l5. From these gussets extend radial arms it of thin sheet metal, these arms being riveted or otherwise engaged with the plates l5 and each arm at its inner end being riveted, bolted or otherwise attached at l! to a central head i8 or disk. This diskdlke head carries the downwardly extending pintle or journal l9 which is disposed within the bearing l l and through an annular member Zil, which rests within the cupshaped portion l2 of the bearing l l. Radial rods 2i connect the horizontal flange of this member 20 with an annular track 22 which rests upon the concrete base.

Resting upon the angle irons Hi is a sheet metal plate 23 which at its lateral margins is extended downward, as at 24, then extended laterally outward, as at 25, forming tracks upon which the is a cross-section on the line 3-3 of 1936, Serial No. 92,634

' wheels of the automobile may ride. These tracks extend out forward and rearward beyond the frame I l, as shown clearly in Figure 2, and at the end each track has a downwardly inclined portion 25, the lower end of which approximates the face of the floor. The inner margin of each runway or track on opposite sides of the frame bars it is formed with the upwardly extending wall 21, these walls 2? being disposed in substantially the same plane as and forming in effect extensions of the downwardly extending flange or downwardly extending lateral margins 25 of the runway, so that the downwardly extending portions 2d and the upwardly extending walls 27 form practically continuous guides for the wheels of the automobile. Between the tracks or runways 25, the plate 23 as shown in Figures 1 and 2, is formed with downwardly extending aprons 28. Mounted upon the gusset plates l5 are the wheel supports 29 and carried by these supports are the wheels 36 which engage with the track 22. Four of these wheels are shown in dotted lines in Figure 1.

It will be obvious, therefore, that I have provided a structure which may be readily rotated upon these wheels and the track 22 to bring either end of the turntable into proper relation to the entrance of the garage, and that the structure is so light that it may be readily manipulated by the driver without the necessity of using power for this purpose.

For the purpose of holding the turntable in its adjusted positions, I mount below each track a pair of shafts 3i, one adjacent each end of the track, these shafts having cranked portions 32 and being supported in bearings 33. The middle of each shaft 3! is formed with downwardly extending dogs 34 and the concrete H3 is formed with downwardly extending recesses 35 into which these dogs will drop when the turntable has been turned to bring it in line with the doorway of the garage. For the purpose of manually lifting these dogs, I have provided a shaft 35, a lever 31 carried by the shaft and whereby the shaft may be manually oscillated and mount upon this shaft the collars 38 constituting double cranks. From these collars extend the rods 39 which are connected to the cranks 312. It will be obvious now that by rotating the shaft 36 in either direction from the position shown in Figure '1, that the dogs will be lifted and that then the turntable may be rotated through 180 and then the dogs may be again dropped to thus hold the table in its adjusted position. Any suitable means may be used for holding the lever 3'1 in its adjusted position.

The shaft 36 is illustrated as passing through a plate 40 and the exterior of this plate is formed with the outwardly extending boss 4! with which the lever may frictionally engage when it is turned in a position parallel to the track or runway to thus hold the dogs raised. Any suitable latching device may be used, if necessary.

Attention is called to the fact that projecting portions of the runways or tracks, that is, those portions which project beyond the frame I4, are strengthened by the flanges 21 and that these runways are further strengthened or reinforced against depression by spot welding the flanges 21 to the downwardly inclined portions 28 of the plate 23. It is further to be noted that the transversely extending frame bars I4, as shown in Figure 4, extend downward and laterally outward to the edge of each runway to thus secure rigidity for the sheet metal runways and a firm support for the wheels of the car which will be disposed approximately over these reinforced portions of the runways.

As illustrated in Figure 5, I may use in place of the sockets formed in the concrete base In, metallic sockets 35 attached to the floor l0 in any suitable manner as by screws, bolts or the like. This is particularly adapted for use where the turntable is mounted upon a wooden floor though, of course, it may be used with concrete.

I do not wish to be limited to the use of the frame formed by the angle irons M for supporting and reinforcing the body of the turntable as this'body might be made of sufiiciently heavy sheet metal without this reinforcing frame as disclosed in Figure 6, where the sheet metal turntable body 24 rests immediately upon the plate m which carries a short spindle I9. This plate w may be welded, riveted or otherwise attached to the sheet metal body 23*. The sheet metal body is extended downward at the sides, as at 24 then outward as at 25 to form the runways for the wheels of the car. While the spindle l9 might be elongated and inserted in a bearing such 7 as the bearing l I shown in Figure 2, I have illustrated in Figure 6 a relatively short bearing 4| resting upon the floor Ill which may, for instance, be a wooden floor, this bearing being held to the floor by nails, bolts, screws or the like. This bearing 4| has the outwardly projecting flange 42 and the bars 2| which correspond to the bars 2| in Figure 1 may be bolted, welded or otherwise attached to this flange and then welded, bolted or otherwise attached to the track 22. Of course, under these circumstances, the wheels 36 will be used, these wheels not being shown in Figure 5, which will operate upon the tracks 22 and the mounting for these wheels will be welded, riveted, bolted or otherwise attached to the sheet metal body 23.

While I have illustrated the rods 39 in Figure 1 as extending through the slots in the aprons 28, I do not wish to be limited to this as obviously the collars 38 might be disposed closer to the side walls 24 of the sheet metal covering and these rods extend straight outward and pass through open-ended slots.

It will'be seen that a construction of this character is extremely light so that it may be readily shifted by hand; that very little of the weight of the car is supported by the spindle I9, most of the weight being carried by the wheels 30, and

the structure will be thoroughly effective for the purpose intended.

While I have illustrated certain details of construction and arrangement of parts, I do not wish to be limited to these details except as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An automobile turntable, including a vertical spindle having an enlarged head, a sheet metal plate mounted upon said head, the lateral margins of the plate extending downward, then laterally outward to form runways, the runways extending forward and rearward beyond the central portion of the plate, said runways having upwardly extending flanges forming longitudinal extensions of the downwardly extending portions of the plate, the central portion of the plate between the runways having downwardly and outwardly inclined portions constituting aprons abutting against and rigidly engaged with the vertical inner flanges of the runways to thus strengthen and reinforce the runways.

A turntable for automobiles, including a vertical spindle having ,an enlarged head and constituting the axis upon which the turntable rotates, a rectangular frame disposed on a level with the head of the spindle and including longitudinal and transverse angle irons, the transverse irons extending laterally beyond the longitudinal irons and at their junction with the iongitudinal irons being downwardly turned, then laterally extended in a horizontal plane, braces extending between the head and the angle irons of the frame, and a sheet metal plate extending completely over the head and over the frame, the lateral portions of said plate extending directly downward over the lateral angle irons of the frame and then extending laterally and resting upon the lateral extensions of the transverse angle irons, the runways projecting forward and rearward of the frame and having upwardly extending flanges constituting longitudinal extensions of the downwardly extending portions of the plate, the body of the plate between said runways being longitudinally and downwardly extended beyond the frame and being welded to the flanges of the runways.

3. An automobile turntable, including a vertical spindle having an enlarged head, a sheet metal plate mounted upon said head, the lateral margins of the plate extending downward, then laterally outward to form runways, the runways extending forward and rearward beyond the cen- 'tral portion of the plate, said runways having upwardly extending flanges forming longitudinal extensions of the downwardly extending portions of the plate, the central portion of the plate between the runways having downwardly and outwardly inclined portions constituting aprons abutting against and rigidly engaged with the vertical inner flanges of the runways to thus strengthen and reinforce the runways, dogs pivotally mounted upon the runways for vertical movement and adapted, when forced downward, to hold the turntable from rotation, crank. arms operatively connected to the dogs, and manually operable means on the turntable for lifting the dogs.

RICHARD F. ASH.

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