Patent ID: 6615478
Filing Date: 2003-09-09
Classification: B62D,Y10T

Abstract:
A process for assembling a chassis for a mobile vehicle, comprising the steps of:aligning a pair of frame rails with bottom sides upwards and engaging cross members between the frame rails; engaging chassis underside components to said frame rails to form an incomplete chassis; moving the chassis in the upside down condition to a chassis inverter, the chassis inverter comprised of: a rotatable shaft supported in bearings on pedestals; a set of c-clamps engaged to the shaft; the c-clamps for closing and cradling the frame rails of the chassis; a rotary actuator engaged to rotate the rotatable shaft to invert the chassis held in the c-clamps; and one of the c-clamps, a variable axial clamp adjustable in axial direction along the rotatable shaft to invert chassis' of variable wheelbases; adjusting the variable axial clamp for the wheelbase of the incomplete chassis; closing the c-clamps to engage the frame rails of the incomplete chassis; operating the chassis inverter to rotate the incomplete chassis approximately 180 degrees; opening the c-clamps to release the right side up chassis; and moving the incomplete chassis further on an assembly line for continued assembly.