Scissor lift wheel lifter reinstalling wheels on automobiles

Abstract

An automobile wheel lifting device for the installation of wheels when automobile is on a hydraulic lift. A motorized scissor lift table holds the wheel in a stable vertical position while lifting. Vertically stable position is ensured by a stabilizing arm placed on the wheel by the mechanic with one hand only, before lifting begins. Rate of lifting is such that when the wheel mounting holes are aligned with the studs the lifting can be stopped, the wheel rotated and installed. Lifting device avoids contact with the automobile body by lifting as if the mechanic lifted by hand. Stabilizing arm does not obstruct the view of the mechanic during lifting.

Claims

1. I claim a scissor lift lifting and lowering a wheel, said wheel is supported on two rollers on top of the scissor lift table and said wheel held in a stable vertical position on top of the two rollers by an adjustable height stabilizing arm, the head of said arm contacting the top of said wheel with two spaced small diameter rollers, said scissor lift is actuated by a DC gear-motor turning a horizontally oriented threaded screw, said screw threaded into a push/pull bar transversely oriented to the threaded screw and said push/pull bar having ends connected to the two movable scissor lift legs and allowing said push/pull bar free movement in rotating.

2. Stabilizing arm claimed in claim 1 consists of two vertical telescoping tubes with one tube fixed to the scissor lift table and the other tube telescoping into the first tube with a locking mechanism attached to the first tube allowing said second tube to be fixed in position by the mechanic with one hand.

3. Stabilizing arm head claimed in claim 1 consisting of two freely rotating parallel rollers held in a frame composed of the shafts of the rollers said rollers being connected to two curved parallel members, said stabilizer arm head held horizontally by an arm and said arm is attached at one end to the head frame and the other end to the vertical movable arm member, said freely rotating rollers having diameters and spacing from each other, such that when the head is lowered on the wheel the two rollers make contact with the wheel over the range of wheel diameters claimed by this invention and hold the wheel vertical.

4. DC gear motor claimed in claim 1 where the DC voltage supplying said motor may be a battery 12 volt or 24 volt or 48 volt with the said motor drive shaft oriented 90 degree to the motor shaft said drive shaft transmitting power via a flexible coupling to a threaded shaft of suitable diameter and suitable thread such as acme thread for example.

5. DC gear motor claimed in claim 4 chosen with such speed rating as to allow raising of the wheel without overshooting the wheel mounting holes with the mounting studs by more than half a centimetre as well as having power rating such as to raise the scissor lift against horizontal resistance of several hundred pounds.

6. Two rollers on top of the scissor lift table claimed in claim 1 supporting the wheel and such rollers having length, diameter and spacing such that accommodates the range of wheel diameters shown in FIG. 1.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] FIG. 1 Shows the wheel diameter range of the invention.

[0022] This drawing is an illustration of the diameter range of the invention. Diameter C is 34 inches.

[0023] FIG. 2 Side view of the invention in the low position. Ready to have the wheel put on.

[0024] FIG. 3 Top view of the invention.

[0025] FIG. 4 Side view of the stabilizer arm.

[0026] FIG. 4A Side view of the stabilizer arm head showing one of the freely rotating rollers. On the right is shown the locking arm of the tube lock mechanism, in the upper vertical OPEN position and in dashed lines in the lower vertical LOCKED position.

[0027] FIG. 4B Stabilizer arm head front view. Showing the two freely rotating rollers, that contact the wheel.

[0028] FIG. 4C Section AA showing the two stabilizing arm pins.

[0029] FIG. 5 Side view of the invention with the scissor table in the lowered position. The stabilizing arm is in position, with the stabilizing head in contact with the wheel on the two rollers.

[0030] FIG. 6 Side view of the invention in the full UP position.

[0031] FIG. 7 Front view of the invention in the full UP position.

[0032] FIG. 8. The control circuit of the invention. Showing the three position spring loaded control switch, the interposing relays driving the gear motor UP and DOWN, the micro switches stopping the scissor lift in the correct UP and the Down positions.

[0033] FIG. 9 The push/pull bar of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] In this document the word wheel in any form means an automobile wheel with its tire mounted on it. This invention addresses the problem of reinstalling wheels on automobiles hoisted on hydraulic lifts. FIG. 1 is a dimension-ally accurate illustration of a range of automobile wheels on two rollers of this invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of the invention without a wheel mounted on it. FIG. 3 is a top view of the invention without a wheel mounted on it. The scissor lift table 10 is a lifting device such that when a wheel is put on the rollers 12 and stabilized vertically with the Stabilizer Arm shown in FIG. 4, the wheel can be lifted up in such a way as to avoid interference with and possible damage to the automobile body. Avoiding such interference is one of the important characteristic of this invention.

[0035] The stabilizing arm FIG. 4 acts as if it was the hand of a mechanic holding the wheel in the vertical position while the wheel is lifted. The bottom of the arm FIG. 4C has two parallel pins 14 spaced apart projecting a short distance. These pins 14 are inserted into the stabilizing arm receiver 16. The receiver 16 is placed centrally on the front of the lift table top 18. FIG. 4C shows the pin carrier 20.

[0036] A hollow tube of appropriate diameter and appropriate material 22 extends from the pin carrier a certain distance. On this tube 22 is fixed a lever-activated lock for telescoping tube 24. Into this lever-activated lock for telescoping tube 24, inserts a hollow tube 26 of appropriate diameter and appropriate material of a certain length. Tube 26 is movable in or out of said lever activated lock if lock lever 28 is pointing UP.

[0037] If lock lever 28 is pointing DOWN as shown in FIG. 4A dashed lines, the position of tube 26 is locked inside of tube 22. The lever activated lock allows the one handed positioning of the stabilizing arm head 30 onto the top of the wheel before lifting. The lengths of the telescoping tubes 22 and 26 are chosen so as to permit the placing of the stabilizing arm head 30 on the full range of wheel diameters of the invention.

[0038] The stabilizing arm head 30 FIG. 4A consists of two small diameter freely rotating rollers 32 held in a parallel orientation with each other in a frame composed by the shafts 34 of the rollers 32 and the two curved connectors 36, shown in FIG. 4B. Connector 38 of said arm is fixed at one end in the tube bushing 40 and at the other end in one of the curved connectors 36. The curvature of the curved connectors 36 and the diameter of rollers 32 and the distance of the rollers 32 from each other is chosen so that the rollers 32 will be in contact with the wheels over the range of wheel diameters of this invention.

[0039] The lifting action of the invention in the preferred embodiment is performed by a scissor lift table 10 under control of a DC gear motor 42 whose output drive shaft 44 is at right angle to the motor shaft. The drive shaft 44 is at mid point of the lifting table is driving a threaded screw 46 via a single jointed flexible coupling 48. The direction of the rotation of the DC gear motor 42 is controlled by the polarity of the DC voltage applied to the motor 42 and in turn controlling the direction of rotation of the crew 46. Screw 46 turns in a threaded hole 51 of a push/pull bar 50 transforming the rotating motion of the screw 46 to a linear motion of the push/pull bar 50.

[0040] The two pins 52 anchored in the ends of the push/pull bar are inserted across the bottom scissor arms that are movable, and permit the scissor lift to be raised and lowered. See FIG. 6. The Control Circuit FIG. 8 controls the raising and lowering of the wheel. Two micro switches, not shown, activated by the position of the push/pull bar, limit the upper and lower position of the scissor lift. FIG. 6 side view and FIG. 7 front view of the lifted scissor lift table.

[0041] Although a preferred embodiment of my invention is herein disclosed, it is to be understood that this disclosure is by way of an example and variations are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims which I regard as my invention.

[0042] The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows.