Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
3~ 3;3~
DRIVE-ON VEHICLE SUPPORTING A~RI~NGE:M~NT
Field of the Invent:ion
The present inverl-tioll relates to floor anchor:Lng
systems fo.r use as -tie downs in vehicle frame and body
repa.ir shops and more partlcularly to car stan(l or arlchor
stand devices for use in a ~loor anchor Sy9 tem.
Backgrourld of the Invention
Tie down devices are used for anchoring one end of
chain or cable or otller such member for securing a vel~icle,
stand or the like to the floor, whereby the anchored member
is restrained from movement. It is imperative that a
vehicle must be restrained or held fast in position so that
sideward pulls and pushes may be applied to the vehicle to
correct damaged frame and body portions. Generally, in body
shops, these tie down devices are arrancled in a grid pattern
in a poured concrete floor and are spaced at proper
intervals to allow ready connection to portions of a vehicle
desired to be restrain~d. The tie down devices are normally
eMbedded in the iloor by a drill core of approximately four
inches in diameter being removed and an anchor pot, or tie
down device, being emplaced and secured. One such tie down
device is disclosed in 11nited States Patent No. 3,990,207,
owned by the assignee of the present inventioo, and includes
a wedge member movable through the bore of a body m~ml-er so
as to deform cantilevered segments in a radial pattern
3.3'~
beyond a normal ou~er diameter of the body member to grip
the surrounding concrete wall of the ~ore.
Chains or other such corlrlecting members are
attachable to the tie down devlce beca~l6e, as shown in the
above '207 patent, a top meJnber of the t.ie clown device
includes a cross shaped aperture into which a chain may be
inserted. Certa.i.n car stands may also serve as anchoring
de~i.ces, provideA that they include a means for secure
connec-tion to -the tie down device. One such stand is shown
i.n Uni~ed States Patent No. 4,560,131, also owned by the
as~ignee hexeof and which discloses a stand having a
rectangular base, a rect:angular pyrami.dal base with a
pinchweld clamp arrangement at the top and an anchor bolt
and nut to longitudinally draw the bolt and securely attach
the s-tand to the anchor pot. In order -to position a ve}licle
upon the anchor stand shown in the '131 patent, the vehicle
had to be elevated as by floor jacks, with the wheels placed
on movable dollies and moved to a position over the floor
anchor grid system. Thereafter, the anchor stands of the
'13.1 E>atent are placed under the vehicle, the pinchweld
clamps securecl to the vehicle and the anchor bolts connected
to the floor pot and tightened.
The present invelltion p.rovide~ a d:rive-on vehicle
s~pporting arrangement whicl-l is particularly adapted for
economical operation and provides, at low cost to the garage
owner, a quick eleva-tion system using removable treadways
wherehy a vehicle can be driven up ramps onto an elevated
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treadway, secured atop vehicle suppott stands whereby tha
vehicle is res~rained from movement and then the treadways
removed for freedom of access to the veh:lcle to facilitate
repair.
Ob-Jects o:E the Invent.ion
The prillcipal objec-ts of the present i.nventLon
ares tv provide a drive-on vehicle support arrangement for
secu.ring a vehicle while forces are applied -thereto to
correct damac3e to the vehicle frame and body; to p:rovide a
drive-on veh.icle support arrangement elevatillg the vehicle
so that mechanical maintenance may be performed thereon; to
provide a low cost system particularly for the budge-t minded
garage owner enabl.ing him to save time yet having the
capahility to sufficiently restrain the vehicle so that all
corrective measures may be applied ther~to; to provide such
a vehicle support arrangement with vehicle suppor-t stands
including vehicle enc3agillg devices that are removable so
-that the vehicle may be driven over the support stands; to
provi(le such a vehicle support arrangement having removable
port.~ons to facilitate access to the vehicle for repair; to
provide such a vehicle support arranc3ement which does not
impair a worker's ability to marleuver about the vehicle, to
provide such a vehicle support arrangement including an
anchor stand which can acco~no-la-te forces app].ied from any
expected direction without requiring additional acljustment;
and to provicle such a vehicle support arrangement which ls
re:latively inexperls.Lve, stllrd~ ancl e:Efi.cienl; in u.se, and
particularly well ada~>-ted for the intended purpose.
Other objects and advalltages of this invention
wil.l become appa.L-ent from the Eollowing description talcen in
conrlection Wit}l -the accompanying clrawings wllerei.n ar0 set
forth, by way of illus-tration and example, certain
embodiments of this invention.
Brief Description o F the Drawinq
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a drive-on vehicle
support arrangement according to the present invention.
Detailed Description of the Invention
As required, a detailed embodiment of the present
invention is disclosed herein, however, it is to be
understood tllat the disclose~ embodimerl-t is merely exemplary
of the invention which may be embodied in various forms.
Therefore, specific structural and functiollal details
disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as lin~iting, but
merely as basis for -the claims an(l as a representative basis
for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the
present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed
structure.
Referring to ~he drawing in more detailo
The reference numeral 1, Fig. 1, generally
indi.cates a drive-on ve}licle support arrangement embodying
~ t
the present inventioll and which is used for elevating and
anchoring an autollloblle (not shown) to a garage floor 2,
thus securing the veh.icle in place 60 tha-t repair may be
undertalcen. The garage floor 2 includes a grld of tie clown
clevices 3, SUCil as sllown ill United States Paten-t No.
3,990,207, althoug}~ otller such tie down devices are known
and are sui.ta~le for use wi~h th0 vehicle support
arrangement 1.
l'he vehicle support arrangement 1 generally
includes a pair of parallel, vehicle su~port:iny treadways 5
and 6, each of W}liC}I includes ve}licle support means 7 and
various treadway se~merlts 8 which together form an e:Levated
surface ~or driving a vehicle onto the vehicle support
arrangelllent, restraining it ~rom movemellt and then removing
the treadway segments 8 as necessary for free access to the
un~lercarriage of the vehi.cle.
In the illustrated example, the vehicle sllpport
means 7 are similar to that sllown in U.S. Patent No.
4,560,131, comm(-nly owned herewith, each including a
generall.y rectang~llar pyramidal stand 10 including a floor
engagement means extending downwardly therefrom, such as the
bolt and nut arrangement shown in our 131 patent and which
COnlleCts illtO the tie dowll device 3. In the illustrated
exam~le, there are two such stands with each of the
treadways 5 and 6, including a front stand 11 and a rear
s~an~ 12 and spaced so that each is pos.i~ioned ~eLween -the
front and rear wheels of a vehicle and respectively adjacent
there-to. Each stand 10 includes a relative~y broad, fla-t
upper plate 14 havin~ opposi.te sicles 15 all(i 1.6 and front and
rear margills 17 and 18.
A vehlcle engagemerlt means 20 extends upwar~ll.y
from the pla~e 14 for conrlect.i.orl to -the undercarriage of a
veh;.cle and in tlle illustrated example, inclucles a generally
rectangular framework 21 with oppos.ite end flanges 22 which
fi-t over the ~i.cles 15 alld 16 of the stanrl pJ.ate 14. The
rectangular framework 21, is movable longitudinally .Eore and
aft Oll the stand plate 14 to accommoda-te variations in
vehicle configuration and, because the Elanges 22 prefera~lly
merely ~it over the sides 15 and 16, the vehicle engagement
means 20 is remova~le from the stand 10 so that a vehicle
may be driven thereover. l'he rectangular framework 21
i.n~ludes spaced rails 23 and 24 such as of ninety decJ~ee
angle beam shape whereby a slidable })ase plate 26 rests atop
the rails 23 and 24 and with a clamp plate 27 therellncler ancl
tightenable against the rails 23 and 24 via bolts 2~. The
base pla~e 26 is slidable laterally of t~le treaclways 5 and 6
on the rails 23 and 24, also to acconunodate variations in
vehicle configura-tion.
For height adjus-tlllellt, arl outer soclcet 30 is
secured to the base plate 26 and extends upwardly therefrom.
Although various types of ~ehicle engagirlg clevices may be
used, in the illustrated example, a pinchweld clamp 32 is
depicted and inc:Lu~es a spindle 33 received into the ouler
socket 30 and rotatab.Le therein. Spacecl ~aws 34 are
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connected ~y bolts 35 and are -tigl~terlable about the
pinchweld of a vehi,cle Eor secur,ing same.
In the illllstrated example, eacll of -the treadways
and 6 incl-ldes a front treactway supyort stallll 37
pc~sitiotled forwardly of the front veilicle support stand 11~
The front treadway support stand 37 i8 gene:rally
t:rianyularly ~)yralll.idal in shape and extends upwardly a
sufficiellt }lei,ght to position a tnp plate 38 secured thereto
the same distance above a floor surface as the vehi.cle
support stand pla-te 14. A vehicle stop 40 is n~oullted
adjacent a forward marg:in of the top plate 38. A front
treaclway 42 extends between the frorlt treadway suppo.rt stand
37 an-l the front vehicle sllpport stand 11. Similarly, a
middle treadway 43 extends between the fron-t and rear
vehicle stands 11 and 12. ~ rear treadway support stand 45,
similar ill appearance to the front ~readway support stand 37
but without the vehicle st;op therewitll, is positioned
rearwardly of the rear vehicle support stand 12 and in
spac~d re]ation thereto. A rear treadway 46 extends between
the rear v~hicle support stand 12 and the rear t:readway
support stand 45~ q'he rear treadway support stand 45 has a
downwardly inc]ined rear lip 4~ to which an inclined ramp 50
is connectible and which extends between the rear treadway
suppor~ stand 45 and the floor surface~
In the illus-trated exalllple, each of the treadways,
includ.illg the front treadway 42, middle -treadway 43, rear
treadway 46 and the ramp 50 i5 for~ed of a sturdy
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~f3~
recta1lg~llal- framewolk 51 and Wit]l the wheel supportillg
surface 52 of stuxcly wire mesh for l..i~htness in weight.
Means Eor removab].y con1lecting the treadways 42, 43~ and 46
ext.end between each of the respective stands :ll ".2, 37 and
45 a;ld in the ill.ustra-ted example, include apertures such as
s].ots 53 formed acljacent the stan~1 margin. 'l'he treadways
have lugs or ~abs 54 Wh.iCIl fit into the slots 53 and
removahly secure -the treadways to the respective st~nds.
The ramp 50 is removably connected to thé rear treadway
SllppOrt stand 45 .in a like ma~ ler.
PreLera~ly, the treadway suE~port stan~1s 37 anc1 45
are not securec1 to the floor but are nlerely posi.tioned
thereoll so as to be removable at the cliscreti.on of the
wor1cman. According].y, in use, the worlanan may remove the
vallicle enyagement means 20 from atop the vehicle suppor-t
stand plates 14 to clear the treadways 5 and 6 of
obstructions. Ile then drives ~he vehicle up the ramps 50
and onto the elevated surface formed by the front treaclway
42, front vehicle support stand plate 14, middle treadway
43, rear vehicle support stand plate 14 and rear trea~way
46. Thexe~fter, the vehicle may be elevated, if desired, by
bottle ~acks or floor iacks and the vehicle engagement means
20, such as the pinchweld clamp 32 attached thereto to
rest:rain the vehicle from movement upon the applicati.on of
corrective force -thereto.
If the ~perator desires, the vehicle may be
elevated so that the weight does no-t rest llpon the front and
rear treadways 42 and 46, and the front l:readways and
associate(l trea~ways suppo.rt stands 37 and 45 removed, or
any combirlation thereof removed to facilitate access to the
damaged portion of the vehicle. Thus, it can be appreciated
that -the vehicle support arrangemerlt 1 is well adapted for
the shop owner who desires a lesser investment -than a fu.ll
sized body and :Erame rack bu-t yet seeks to take full
advantage of a floor anchor system and to quickly elevate
and restrain a vehicle frolll movement.
It is to be understood that while certain forms of
the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not
to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts
described and shown.
