US3666116A

US3666116A - Garage

Info

Publication number: US3666116A
Application number: US78965A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kaspar Klaus
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-02-01
Filing date: 1970-10-07
Publication date: 1972-05-30
Anticipated expiration: 1989-05-30
Also published as: DE1684753C2; DE1684753B1; AT269744B; CH449230A; JPS4938541B1

Abstract

A garage including two mobile platforms for motor vehicles arranged one above the other, the lower platform being rotatable about an axis located at the end remote from the entrance to the garage, and the upper platform being connected with the lower platform in such a manner that either platform can be selectively placed adjacent the entrance.

Description

D United States Patent 1151 3,666,1 1 6 Klaus 1 May 30, 1972 GARAGE [56] References Cited [72] Inventor: Kaspar Klaus, 46 Schlachthofstrasse, UNITED STATES PATENTS Memmingen, Bavaria. Germany 2,717,088 9/1955 Morley ...214/16.l ED 2,815,872 12/1957 Graham.. ....2l4/l6.l ED [22] 1970 3,131,820 5/1964 Creedon ..214/16.1 ED [211 App]. No.: 78,965

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Related PP Dam 1,124,411 7/1956 France ..2l4/16.1 ED Continuation f Sen No. Oct Germany abandoned, which is a continuation of Ser No- 300,263 9/l965 Netherlands ..2l4/16.l ED 61 1967 abandoned' Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-Raymond B. Johnson [30] Forelgn Apphcatmn Priomy Data Att0rneyHolman, Glascock, Downing & Seebald Feb. 1, 1966 Germany ..l( 58290 [57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl. ..2l4/ 16.1 ED, 187/8.71 A garage including two mobile platforms for motor vehicles [51] Int. Cl ..E04h 6/06 arranged one above the other, the lower platform being 58 Field of Search ..214 1 6.1 R, 16.1 E, 16.1 ED; rotatable about an axis located at h n remo fr m h en- 187/8.71 832 trance to the garage, and the upper platform being connected with the lower platform in such a manner that either platform can be selectively placed adjacent the entrance.

8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures 1 1o ,i J

PATENTED I97? 3. 666,1 15

sum w 4 GARAGE This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 872,431 filed Oct. 29, 1969 now abandoned, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 611,003 filed Jan. 23, 1967, now abandoned.

The present invention relates to a garage with two mobile platforms for motor vehicles arranged above each other.

It is the purpose of the invention to provide a garage of the above mentioned type which makes it possible to park two vehicles above each other. In this garage the upper and the lower platform shall be accessible at any time by simple transposition of the platforms. An essential object of the invention is to make the arrangement in such a manner that the horizontal space requirements of the garage are the same, or only slightly more, than the space required for parking a single vechicle. A further object of the invention is to keep the height dimensions of the garage as small as possible. lnspite of this, the space available in the individual parking places shall be sufficient to park motor vehicles of practically any type on either of the two platforms.

Finally it is the object of the invention to carry out the means for moving the platform as simply as possible in order to keep the manufacturing expenses as low as possible and to guarantee a safe and reliable operation.

The present invention proposes first of all a garage which is characterized by the fact that the lower platform is pivotable around an articulation at its end remote from the entrance to the garage and that the upper platform is coupled to the lower one and during the lifting movement thereof there is also a shifting movement directed away from the entrance.

In the garage according to the invention the lower platform is thus essentially only lifted with its.end adjacent this entry if the platform is to be made accessible, or lowered if the upper platform is to be used. The upper platform carries out, as compared to the lower platform, a more or less wide shifting movement. The accessibility of the lower platform is improved thereby, the necessary inclinations of the platforms are diminished and the complete space requirement of the double garage is reduced.

The invention is hereafter explained on the basis of some preferred embodiments.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show two operating positions of a garage according to the invention,

FIG. 3 shows a modified embodiment, and

FIG. 4 to 8 show further variations of the invention.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 1 and 2 the upper platform is designated with the reference number 1 and the lower platform with 2. Both platforms are carried by the base frame 3. For the upper platform 1 the

rods

4 and 5 are provided in pairs outside of the space receiving the vehicle 6 on the lower platform 2. The front rods 4 may be connected by a bracing tube 7 running parallel to the

articulation points

8, 9, 10 and 1 l of the

rods

4 and 5. Throughout this description the words articulation and articulated preferably mean pivot" and pivoted". This bracing rod is provided in order to increase the stability of the complete arrangement.

For the drive of the articulated square formed by a part of the base frame 3, the

rods

4 and 5 and the upper platform 1, a cylinder-piston combination 30 is provided, which is articulated at the articulation point 31 on the base frame 3 and the articulation point 32 of the rods 4. According to the admission of pressure medium to the cylinder piston group 30 the upper platform 1 can be shifted from the position shown in FIG. 1 in that according to FIG. 2 and vice-versa.

The lower platform 2 is articulated at 13 on the base frame 3 and connected by means of the connecting link 14 between the

articulation points

15 and 16 with the rod 5. The lower platform is thus moved simultaneously with the upper platform 1 but the path of movement of the lower platform 2 is different from the path of movement of the upper platform 1.

In the representation according to FIG. 1 the garage is in the drive-in position for the upper platform 1. In the representation according to FIG. 2 the lower platform 2 can be used or the lower vehicle 6 can leave the garage.

The embodiment according to FIG. 3 is different from that according to FIG. 1 and 2 by the arrangement of the drive device.

The pivot arm 17 is carried rotatably at 18 and is supported e.g. by means of the element 19 on the base frame 3. The pivot arm is arranged laterally of the lower platform 2 and preferably one pivot arm 17 is provided on each side of the platform 2. Between the base frame 3 and the pivot arm 17 the cylinder-piston combination 20 is arranged, into which pressure medium can be admitted by the driving arrangement 21, consisting of motor and pumps. The driving arrangement 21 is situated in the central plane of the garage. In order to exclude a collision of the lower platform 2 with the driving arrangement 21 in the lowered position of the lower platform 2, this lower platform 2 has a recess or is subdivided in two driving tracks respectively.

The pivot arm 17 acts through the intermediate rod 22 on the lower platform 2 and the drive of the upper platform 1 takes place by means of the

rods

14 and 5.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 4 the upper platform 1 with the rigid

double stays

24 and 25 is rotatable around the articulation 23 on the base frame 3. The lower platform 2 moves around the articulation 13 at the front end. The tilting arm 26 which is carried and driven in the same manner as the pivot arm 17 in the embodiment according to FIG. 3 is connected on its free extremity 27 with a rod 28 engaging the upper platform 1 and driving it. The rod 29 represents the connection between the tilting arm 26 and the lower platform 2.

In the representations of FIG. 5 to 8 the lowered positions are shown in dot-and-dash lines along with the lifted positions of the two platforms.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 5 this upper platform 1 is supported similar to the embodiment according to FIG. 4 on the base frame 3 by means of the

supports

34 and 35 rigidly connected with the platform at articulation 23. The lower platform 2 is connected with the upper platform 1 by means of a tension member 38 while the lifting device 37 which may be similarly shaped to the cylinder and

piston combination

20 and 30, engages on the upper platform 1. By the tension member 38 it is possible for lower platform 2 to remain in its lower-most position during part of the lowering movement of the upper platform 1. The tension member 38 which has a telescope-type configuration is pushed together till the extremity at the side of the entrance of the upper platform 1 is in its drive-in position. Thereby sufficient space is left for the vehicle on the lower platform.

Instead of the tension member 38 a rope, a chain or the like may be used. This is shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is different, furthermore, from the embodiments described above by the fact that the upper platform 1 is supported by means of a supporting member 36 on the articulation 23 which is provided above the base frame and connects it with the latter by means of the support 40.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 7 the two platforms are connected with each other by rigid support 33 and 41 to form a rigid structure. This structure is moved by a cylinderpiston combination 42 and 43, sunk in the floor of the garage and fastened on the lower surface of the lower platform 2.

The embodiment according to FIG. 8 is finally characterized by the

rigid supports

34 and 35 which cause similar to the embodiment according to FIG. 5 a supporting of the upper platform 1 in the common articulation 23 for both platforms. For the movement of the platform a pivot arm 12 is provided, at the free extremity of which the cylinder-piston combination 20 is fastened. The connection articulation of the cylinderpiston combination 20 and of the pivot arm 12 is designated as 44 and serves simultaneously as a fastening point for the

intermediate rods

28 and 29. The rod 28 connects the cylinderpiston combination 20 with the upper platform 1, while the rod 29 represents the connection with the lowerplatform 2.

What is claimed:

1. A garage for parking motor vehicles in a minimum amount of space comprising an entrance; a stationary base frame including a substantially horizontal portion; said base frame having one end juxtaposed to said entrance and a spaced end remote from said entrance; two motor vehicle storage platforms arranged above each other and a pivotably movable about said base frame; means for pivotally moving said platforms about said base frame; each of said platforms having one end juxtaposed to said entrance and a spaced end remote from said entrance; pivot means pivotably securing said remote end of the lower platform to said remote end of said base frame; at least two rod means on each side of said platforms; the first of said rod means on each side of said platforms being positioned between said remote end of said upper platform and said spaced remote end of said base frame and the second of said rod means on each side of said platforms being spaced from said first rod means toward said entrance; each of said rod means having an upper end connected to the portion of the upper platform to which it is juxtaposed; each of said second rod means having a lower end connected to said one end of said base frame; a connection member effectively connecting said second rod means to the lower platform such that bothvplatforms are rotatable about said pivot means for respectively receiving and exiting motor vehicles at said entrance; and the platforms and connecting members being dimensioned and interconnected such that when said one end of said upper platform is being positioned at said entrance to receive or exit a motor vehicle said one end of said platforms move relative to one another such that the vertical distance between said one end of said platforms at said entrance is less than the vertical distance between said remote ends of said platforms.

2. The garage as claimed in claim 1 wherein said base frame includes a substantially vertical portion adjacent said entrance and said lower ends of said second rod means are connected to said substantially vertical portion of said base frame 3. The garage as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said first rod means has a lower end connected to said remote end of said base frame.

4. The garage as claimed in claim 1 wherein said rod means have pivots at both ends thereof and pivotably connect said base frame and said upper platform to form in side elevation an articulated polygon, whereby the distances between the two rod pivots on said base frame are less than the distances between the two rod pivots on said upper platform.

5. The garage as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first rod means includes at least two rods having upper ends rigidly affixed to said upper platform at said remote end of said upper platform and having lower ends pivotably connected to said remote end of said base frame 6. The garage as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising an actuating means for rotating said platforms including a cylinder-piston combination connected to a pivot arm in turn connected by an intermediate rod to said lower platform.

7. The garage as claimed in claim 6 wherein said pivot arm is also connected by a further intermediate rod to said upper platform, the two intermediate rods being attached to one end portion of said pivot arm, the opposite end being pivotably connected to an element on said base frame.

8. The garage as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first rod means is a telescopic lifting device pivotably connected to said upper platform, and said lower platform is suspended by means of said connection member which is a tension member which allows a further lowering of said upper platform after said lower platform is in its lowermost position.

Claims

1. A garage for parking motor vehicles in a minimum amount of space comprising an entrance; a stationary base frame including a substantially horizontal portion; said base frame having one end juxtaposed to said entrance and a spaced end remote from said entrance; two motor vehicle storage platforms arranged above each other and a pivotably movable about said base frame; means for pivotally moving said platforms about said base frame; each of said platforms having one end juxtaposed to said entrance and a spaced end remote from said entrance; pivot means pivotably securing said remote end of the lower platform to said remote end of said base frame; at least two rod means on each side of said platforms; the first of said rod means on each side of said platforms being positioned between said remote end of said upper platform and said spaced remote end of said base frame and the second of said rod means on each side of said platforms being spaced from said first rod means toward said entrance; each of said rod means having an upper end connected to the portion of the upper platform to which it is juxtaposed; each of said second rod means having a lower end connected to said one end of said base frame; a connection member effectively connecting said second rod means to the lower platform such that both platforms are rotatable about said pivot means for respectively receiving and exiting motor vehicles at said entrance; and the platforms and connecting members being dimensioned and interconnected such that when said one end of said upper platform is being positioned at said entrance to receive or exit a motor vehicle said one end of said platforms move relative to one another such that the vertical distance between said one end of said platforms at said entrance is less than the vertical distance between said remote ends of said platforms.

2. The garage as claimed in claim 1 wherein said base frame includes a substantially vertical portion adjacent said entrance and said lower ends of said second rod means are connected to said substantially vertical portion of said base frame.

3. The garage as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said first rod means has a lower end connected to said remote end of said base frame.

5. The garage as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first rod means incLudes at least two rods having upper ends rigidly affixed to said upper platform at said remote end of said upper platform and having lower ends pivotably connected to said remote end of said base frame.

6. The garage as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising an actuating means for rotating said platforms including a cylinder-piston combination connected to a pivot arm in turn connected by an intermediate rod to said lower platform.