Patent ID: 6925848
Filing Date: 2005-08-09
Classification: B21D,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A vehicle straightening bench including: a vehicle platform adapted to support a vehicle chassis to be straightened, said platform having generally opposed sides and generally opposed ends with corners between the ends and the sides; a carriage track system associated with the platform and comprising an outer positioned carriage track adjacent to an outer periphery of the platform and an inner positioned carriage track positioned inwardly of the outer carriage track; at least one pulling assembly movably mounted to the platform for movement about at least a portion of the platform; a carriage associated with the pulling assembly and the inner and outer tracks movably mounting the pulling assembly to the platform, said carriage having a wheel arrangement including a plurality of wheels each adapted to engage a respective inner or outer carriage track, said wheels including wheels to support the pulling assembly in a vertical direction and inner and outer guide wheel arrangements to guide the carriage during movement alone the inner and outer carriage tracks, said guide wheel arrangements including guide wheels arranged in a generally triangular pattern wherein the outer guide wheel arrangement includes at least two outer guide wheels engageable with the outer carriage track during movement of the carriage about a said corner and the inner guide wheel arrangement including a wheel engageable with the inner carriage track during movement about a said corner; a clamp arrangement mounted to at least one of a said pulling assembly and carriage and operable to effect clamping of the platform between a clamp member and at least one of said carriage and pulling assembly, said clamp mechanism including a clamp member pivotally mounted for movement toward and away from a top portion of the platform and having a locking device engageable with a portion of the platform to substantially prevent lateral movement of the pulling assembly and carriage when the platform is clamped between the clamp member and at least one of the pulling assembly and carriage; and wherein said clamp mechanism including an over center lock arrangement for selectively latching said clamp member in clamping engagement with said platform.