DECOUPLEABLE LIFTING PLATFORM RECEPTACLE

Abstract

The lifting platform (10) has at least two lateral pillars (12, 14, 33). Each pillar has height-changeable, pivotable arms (13, 34, 44) that are displaceable telescopically in length. An end of each arm has a decoupling device with a receptacle (31, 41) for supporting an object. A carrying device (11, 50) has receiving points corresponding to the number of the receptacles (31, 41). The lifting platform and the carrying device are positioned with respect to each other without impairing an object resting on the at least one receptacle. The at least one receptacle (31, 41) is placed onto the at least one receiving point, and the carrying device (11, 50) together with the transferred at least one receptacle (31, 41) and an object thereon is removed from a region of the lifting platform (10).

Claims

1. A method for decoupling at least one receptacle from a lifting platform and for transferring the at least one receptacle to a carrying device, wherein the lifting platform (10) has at least two lateral pillars (12, 14, 33) each of which has at least one height-changeable, pivotable arm (13, 34, 44), each arm is telescopically displaceable in length and has an end with a coupling and decoupling device that includes a receptacle (31, 41) arranged or arrangeable temporarily therein for supporting an object, the at least one receptacle (31, 41) is coupled initially to one of the coupling and decoupling devices, and wherein the carrying device (11, 50) has at least one receiving point for the coupling of a receptacle, wherein the number of the receiving points corresponds to the number of the receptacles (31, 41) temporarily arrangeable on the lifting platform, and wherein, for the transfer of the at least one receptacle from the lifting platform to the carrying device, the method comprising: positioning the lifting platform and the carrying device with respect to each other without adversely affecting an object resting on the at least one receptacle; placing the at least one receptacle (31, 41) onto the at least one receiving point; and removing the carrying device (11, 50) together with the transferred at least one receptacle (31, 41) and the object located thereon from a region of the lifting platform (10).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is a motor vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, the at least one receptacle has a flat supporting plate (21) that sits on a threaded bolt (22) that is accommodated by a threaded sleeve (23), and a bore (25) extending up into a bottom of the threaded bolt (22).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one receptacle has an adapter that sits on a threaded bolt that is accommodated by a threaded sleeve, and a bore (25) extending up into a bottom of the threaded bolt (22) the adapter being designed to engage in a receiving point provided on the object.

5. The method of claim 3, in which the carrying device has at least one displaceable crossbar (54) that has at least one arm (55) that is pivotable and changeable telescopically in length, and the receiving point located on said arm comprises a stud (52) onto which the threaded sleeve of the receptacle (31, 41) is plugged.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the carrying device is a vehicle skid.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the removal of the carrying device from the lifting platform region is carried out by means of a traction apparatus.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising detaching the at least one receptacle from the correspondingly at least one receiving point of the carrying device and coupling the receptacle to a coupling and decoupling device arranged at an end of one of the arms the lifting platform that currently does not contain a receptacle.

9. A system for decoupling at least one receptacle from a lifting platform and for transferring the at least one receptacle to a carrying device, wherein the system comprises a lifting platform with at least two lateral pillars (12, 14, 33), each of which has at least one pivotable arm (13, 34, 44) that displaceable telescopically in length, an end each of the pivotable arms (12, 12, 33) has a coupling and decoupling device for the coupling and decoupling of a receptacle (31, 41), and the system further has a carrying device with at least one receiving point onto which at least one receptacle can be placed, wherein the number of the receiving points corresponds to the number of the receptacles (31, 41) that can be coupled to the lifting platform, the lifting platform and the carrying device being configured for the transfer of the at least one receptacle initially arranged on the lifting platform from the lifting platform to the carrying device, to be positioned with respect to each other without adversely affecting an object resting on the at least one receptacle, wherein the at least one receptacle (31, 41) is placed onto the at least one receiving point and is coupled to the carrying device and is released from the corresponding coupling and decoupling device of the lifting platform, and the carrying device (11, 50) subsequently together with the transferred at least one receptacle (31, 41) and an object located thereon is removable from a region of the lifting platform (10).

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one receptacle (31, 41) has a flat supporting plate (21) that sits on a threaded bolt (22) and is accommodated by a threaded sleeve (23), a bore (25) extending up into a bottom end of the threaded bolt (22).

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one receptacle has an adapter that sits on a threaded bolt and is accommodated by a threaded sleeve, and which can engage in a receiving point provided on the object, a bore (25) extending up into a bottom end of the threaded bolt.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the carrying device is a vehicle skid with rollers at the bottom and at the top comprises at least one displaceable crossbar (54), wherein the crossbar (54) has a pivotable arm (55) on each respective ends, the arm (55) is changeable telescopically in length, and a receiving point located on said arm comprises a stud (52) onto which the bore in the threaded bolt of the at least one receptacle fits.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising a traction apparatus that is designed to displace the carrying device together with receptacles and the object located thereon.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a motor vehicle on a lifting platform in a garage and a carrying device to which the vehicle can be transferred.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a receptacle at the end of an arm of the lifting platform.

[0025] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a receptacle that is about to be transferred from the lifting platform onto the carrying device.

[0026] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a receptacle that has been transferred from the lifting platform onto the carrying device.

[0027] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a carrying device designed as a vehicle skid.

[0028] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a skid sleeve and the seat thereof on a bolt of an embodiment of a carrying device according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a lifting platform 10 with two lateral pillars 12 and 14. Two pivotable arms 13 are supported on each lateral pillar 12, 14, and each pivotable arm 13 is displaceable telescopically in length. A motor vehicle 15 is supported on receptacles of each arm 13 for repair at a position above the garage floor and is in a state of repair where the motor vehicle 15 cannot be rolled on its wheels. However, scheduling of parts or the like require the motor vehicle 15 to be moved from the lifting platform 10. Accordingly, a skid 11 is used to transfer the partly disassembled motor vehicle 15 from the lifting platform 10. The skid 11 is a carrying device that is moved to position below the motor vehicle 15.

[0030] FIG. 2 is a sectional image of a receptacle that is plugged into an end 24 of an arm 13 of the lifting platform 10 and can be removed from the arm 13 (FIG. 1). The receptacle has a flat supporting plate 21 fixed to a top end of a threaded bolt 22 that is accommodated in a threaded sleeve 23. The supporting plate 21 and the threaded bolt 22 fixed thereto can be rotated to adjust height of the receptacle to adapt to conditions on an underbody of the motor vehicle 15. A bore 25 extends up into the lower end of the threaded bolt 22.

[0031] FIG. 3 shows the two receptacles 31 associated with one lateral pillar 33 of the lifting platform 10 of FIG. 1. The motor vehicle located on the receptacles 31 has been omitted for better visibility of the operation. The vehicle skid 11 has pivotable arms that are changeable telescopically in length. Bolts 32 are provided on the pivotable arms 13 of the vehicle skid 11 and are positioned below the receptacles 31 that still are located in the arms 34 of the lifting platform 10 (note alignment lines formed by dashed arrows). The lifting platform is lowered slowly so that the bolts 32 enter centrally into the respective bores of the receptacles 31. The lifting platform 10 then is lowered until the bolts 32 of the carrying device or skid 11 completely fill the respective bores on the lower side of the receptacles 31. The receptacles 32 lift out of the holders at the end of the arms 13 of the lifting platform 10 and are no longer in contact with the ends of the arms 10 of the lifting platform 10. For this purpose, the bolts 32 of the carrying device or skid 11 have to have a suitable length.

[0032] FIG. 4 shows a receptacle 41 that has remained on a bolt 43 at an end of an arm 42 of the carrying device or skid 11. The arm 44 of the lifting platform 10 that previously contained the receptacle 41 has been shortened in length telescopically and thereby releases the bolt of the carrying device 11. The opening at the end of the arm 44 has a width so that the bolt 43 located on the carrying device can be guided out of the opening, but not the threaded sleeve of the receptacle 41. The threaded sleeve 23 was released only by lowering the lifting platform 10. The vehicle 11 has to be secured to the carrying device with a corresponding securing means (lashing straps, cable winch, chain hoist, etc.) before the lifting platform arms 13 are pulled back so that slipping of the load is avoided when the loaded carrying device or skid 11 is moved. The arms 13 of the lifting platform 10 then are pivoted to the side and the vehicle skid 11 can be removed together with the picked up motor vehicle 15 from the lifting platform region.

[0033] FIG. 5 shows a carrying device 50 designed as a vehicle skid with a rectangular frame 53. Two displaceable crossbars 54 are located in the upper region of the frame 53, and pivotable arms 55 are located at both ends of each of the crossbars 54. Each pivotable arm 55 can be changed in length telescopically and an end of each arm 55 has a receiving point with a bolt 52 of suitable length and thickness for introducing into a correspondingly designed bore of a respective receptacle. Four further receptacles 51 are kept at a lower region of the frame 53. After transfer of the first four receptacles out of the arms 13 of the lifting platform 10 on which the motor vehicle is located. The four further receptacles can be introduced again into the now empty openings at the end of the arms of the lifting platform. The lifting platform is therefore provided for reuse.

[0034] FIG. 6 shows a skid sleeve 64 that has been designed according to manufacturer specifications for a receiving point on the underbody of the motor vehicle. The receiving point has a bore 61 that can receive a bolt 63 at the end of a telescoping and pivotable arm 62 of the carrying device. The skid sleeve 64 is used whenever the four supporting plates are located at positions on the underbody of the motor vehicle in which further receiving points provided by the manufacturer of the motor vehicle are not overlapped, and therefore the motor vehicle can be deposited onto the carrying device directly, i.e. without decoupling the four receptacles located in the arms on the lifting platform.