In-place vehicle servicing system

An in-place automotive vehicle servicing system for servicing vehicles while in a parking lot or the like utilizes a servicing vehicle carrying a vehicle lifting apparatus. The vehicle lifting apparatus has a telescoping central beam with two pivotal cross-beams. The lifting apparatus is collapsed for carrying in the servicing vehicle, and is extended beneath a vehicle. Jacks carried at the ends of the cross-beams are positioned at the lift points of the vehicle to be serviced, and the jacks are operated to lift the vehicle. A control device is mounted with the lifting apparatus, and includes a computer to provide servicing information about the vehicle to be serviced, and preferably for assisting in aligning the jacks with the vehicle lifting points.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates generally to the servicing of parked automotive 
vehicles, and is more particularly concerned with a portable lift 
apparatus and method for in-place service using the apparatus. 
2. Discussion of the Prior Art 
The Environmental Protection Agency has included the following in their 
brochure on reformulated gasoline: "A Major Step Toward Cleaner Air. 
Despite improvements in motor vehicle technology over the past 25 years, 
cars and trucks are still a major source of air pollution in the United 
States. This is largely because the number of vehicles on the road keeps 
growing, and the number of miles driven has doubled since 1970. This is 
one reason why more than 90 areas across the country have ozone levels 
higher than the national public health standards allow." 
In 1970 Americans traveled one trillion miles in motor vehicles. They are 
expected to drive four trillion miles yearly by the year 2000. More people 
are driving more cars more miles on more trips. 
The number of motor vehicles grew in the 15 years from 129,663,000 in 1980 
to 181,031,000 in 1994. The latest statistics on driving to work in the 
United States are for 1990. In that year 84,215,000 people drove alone; 
15,378,000 people carpooled. Only 5.3 per cent of workers 16 years of age 
and up used public transportation. The popularity, necessity and the usage 
of the motor vehicle is also illustrated by these brief facts: 
__________________________________________________________________________ 
Year Households with 3 or More Vehicles 
__________________________________________________________________________ 
1969 2,875,000 
1990 18,248,000 
__________________________________________________________________________ 
The 1990 total represents a 535 per cent change, 1969-1990 
ROADWAY CONGESTION 1991 
Freeway Daily 
Vehicle Miles 
of Travel 
Daily Vehicle 
Total Miles 
Hours of Delay 
Congestion Cost 
Urbanized Areas 
(1000) Total Hours 
Per Capita 
__________________________________________________________________________ 
Baltimore 
25,820 130,470 
$270 
Boston 34,900 356,220 
510 
New York City 
133,650 1,544,140 
390 
Washington, D. C. 
41,470 575,280 
740 
Chicago 62,780 555,790 
310 
Detroit 38,160 383,690 
400 
Atlanta 40,200 239,490 
530 
Dallas 38,480 274,030 
570 
Houston 47,500 409,970 
600 
10. 
Los Angeles 
177,550 1,835,240 
660 
San Francisco 
67,620 658,550 
760 
Average 
50 Urbanized Areas 
25,740 207,170 
340 
__________________________________________________________________________ 
The 50 urbanized areas cited above were selected from the following 
geographical sections of the United States in the numbers shown: 
______________________________________ 
Geographical Section 
______________________________________ 
1. Northeastern 7 
2. Midwestern 12 
3. Southern 11 
4. Southwestern 11 
5. Western 9 
______________________________________ 
Many people live some distance away from their work places, transportation, 
shopping areas and education and recreation facilities, and in many 
residential areas alternate means such as busses, rapid rail or subways 
are neither close nor convenient. Thus, it is in general consensus that 
motor vehicles will continue to be considered an all purpose conveyance 
and the major means of accommodating the transportation needs of an 
individual or a family as getting to work, shopping, recreation, education 
or whatever. However, it must be realized that motor vehicles have 
emission exhaust problems not aligned with propelling the vehicle but in 
air we breathe. The following are certain measurable results of what 
automobiles release: 
1. Motor vehicles are responsible for up to 50% of volatile organic 
compounds (VOC's) and nitrogen oxides (NO.sub.X). When these gases react 
with oxygen in the air in the presence of strong sunlight, ozone is 
formed. Ground-level ozone forms readily in the atmosphere in hot weather. 
Ozone is a prime ingredient of smog. When inhaled, ozone can damage the 
lungs. 
2. Motor vehicles release more than 50% of the hazardous air pollutants. 
3. Motor vehicles release up to 90% of the carbon monoxide found in urban 
air. 
Beginning Jan. 1, 1995 reformulated gasoline was introduced in areas with 
continuing air pollution problems. Reformulated gasoline produces 15%-17% 
less pollution than conventional gasoline and further improvements are 
expected as new formulas are developed. 
The following facilities are considered to be available for regular vehicle 
maintenance service in accord with the manufacturer's recommendations for 
seasonal, mileage elapsed and type of usage: 
1. The conventional drive-in service station located, but not limited to, 
"Anywhere" U.S.A. 
2. The automobile dealer, single or multi brand. 
3. An auto mall usually a free standing building with 3 or more separate 
service sections handling specialty vehicle work. 
4. A mall store with a large service area--it might be combined with or in 
conjunction with tire and battery sales and service. 
5. Some independent and chain service units handling vehicle related 
services such as mufflers, brakes, etc. and auto parts stores may do oil 
change and other services. 
6. Branded or independent outlets whose specialty is in this type of 
service. 
7. An independent garage. 
8. There has been some effort at providing on-site servicing of vehicles. 
The prior art systems have generally required that the vehicle to be 
serviced be easily accessible so the service person can use jacks or 
similar equipment to lift portions of the vehicle as needed. 
Alternatively, the vehicle has been driven onto a service truck or trailer 
whereon the service person is allowed full access to the various parts of 
the vehicle. 
In order to reduce the health hazards further, the following would be 
beneficial: 
1. Reduce actual emission from gasoline cars now 6 times higher than 
exhaust emission standards; 
2. Reduce growth of pollution from tail pipes, which grows an average of 
25% every 10,000 miles. 
In reference to what we can do ourselves as driver and owners of motor 
vehicles to reduce emission pollution, the following should be considered: 
1. An integral part of the Clean Air Act encourages transportation planning 
to limit the growth of vehicle miles driven. 
2. Keep the vehicle serviced, well tuned and maintained. 
3. Carpooling and reduced driving. 
Americans who change their own oil throw away 120 million gallons of 
recoverable motor oil every year. It often contains such toxicants as lead 
and benzene in unsafe concentrations. EPA regulations are clear and strict 
with violators who dispose of oil, used or new, improperly 
In an Oct. 28, 1989 article in The New York Times experts were quoted as 
saying that the amount of oil dumped by the do-it-yourself auto mechanics" 
every 21/2 weeks is roughly equivalent to the amount spilled by the Exxon 
Valdez. 
Automotive vehicles are commonly left unused in parking lots for extended 
periods of time; for example, people who drive to work often leave their 
vehicles unused for eight hours or more. While, from the standpoint of 
time available, this ought to be an ideal time for servicing the vehicle, 
from the standpoint of accessibility, this has been a poor time for 
servicing. Vehicles are usually parked quite close together, and aisles 
between rows of vehicles are narrow since ingress and egress do not 
require wide opening of the doors. The result is that one does not have 
sufficient space at the sides of the vehicles to accommodate the usual 
jacks and the like. 
As can be seen from the foregoing, none of the prior art services reviewed 
provides an in-place vehicle servicing system. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides an in-place vehicle service system including 
a vehicle lifting apparatus extendible from beneath the vehicle so that 
minimum space adjacent to the vehicle is required. In the preferred 
embodiment of the invention an electronic computer is associated with the 
lifting apparatus both to control the placement of the lifting devices and 
to provide servicing information about the particular vehicle being 
serviced. Alternatively of course, each of the individual lifting devices 
can be manually directed, and conventional service manuals may be used for 
vehicle information. 
The lifting apparatus of the present invention is arranged to have a low 
profile to be received beneath substantially any vehicle, and the 
apparatus includes a plurality of individual lifting devices so the entire 
vehicle can be lifted simultaneously for servicing of the vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT 
Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and to that embodiment of 
the invention here presented by way of illustration, FIG. 1 shows a 
lifting apparatus made in accordance with the present invention, in 
conjunction with a servicing vehicle as contemplated. Specifically, it 
will be noticed that FIG. 1 shows a portion of a parking lot having a 
plurality of rows of vehicles. Rows 10 and 11 are shown adjacent to each 
other; and, it will be understood that there is an aisle 12 between the 
row 11 and another row (not shown). Similarly, there is an aisle 15 to the 
right of the row 10. A similar arrangement is used very frequently for 
parking lots, and there is a large enough portion of a parking lot shown 
for an understanding of the construction and use of the present invention. 
With the above in mind, the concept of the present invention should be 
understood. The aisles, such as the aisle 12, are generally not wide 
enough to allow a truck to be aligned with a parked vehicle so the parked 
vehicle can be entirely moved onto the truck. As is shown in FIG. 1, the 
servicing truck 16 remains in position extending longitudinally of the 
aisle 12. In this position, the lifting apparatus generally designated at 
18 is removed from the truck 16 and placed under the vehicle to be 
serviced, the vehicle 19 being shown in phantom to allow illustration of 
the lifting apparatus 18. 
The lifting apparatus 18 comprises a central, longitudinal beam 20 which is 
placed approximately along the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle 19. 
Two cross-beams 21 and 22 are pivotally fixed to the central beam 20. As 
will be discussed more fully hereinafter, each of the cross-beams 21 and 
22 has a lifting device at each end thereof. It will therefore be 
understood by those skilled in the art that, if a lifting device can be 
placed at each lift point of the vehicle 19, the entire vehicle can be 
lifted for service. 
At one end of the central beam 20, which (for convenience only) shall be 
designated as the front of the apparatus, there is a console 24. The 
console 24 will be appropriately connected to the servicing vehicle 16 by 
hoses, cables and the like. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, 
the console 24 includes a computer with enough memory that the needed 
facts about various vehicles can be stored in the computer memory for 
ready access when a vehicle is to be serviced. 
With the above general description in mind, attention is directed to FIG. 2 
of the drawings, FIG. 2 showing the lift apparatus 18 in more detail. In 
FIG. 2 the lift apparatus 18 is shown in a partially folded, or collapsed, 
position. It will be understood that the device may be fully folded to be 
stored in the vehicle 16. In this position, each of the cross-beams 21 and 
22 is pivoted to approach a position parallel to the central beam 20, and 
the lift devices are in their most withdrawn positions. 
Each of the cross-beams 21 and 22 is pivotal with respect to the central 
beam 20, and each cross-beam carries lifting devices at its extending 
ends. The cross-beam 22 is pivoted at its center point to the central beam 
20, and is slidable in the longitudinal slot 23. Each end of the 
cross-beam carries a lifting device here shown as hydraulic jacks 25 and 
26. As pictured, the jacks 25 and 26 extend horizontally for the minimum 
vertical height of the lift apparatus. The cross-beam 21 is pivoted at its 
center point to the central beam 20; and, the cross-beam 21 is also 
movable longitudinally along the central beam 20, the pivot sliding within 
the slot 28. The hydraulic jacks 29 and 30 on the cross-beam 21 also 
extend horizontally to maintain the minimum vertical height. 
The console 24 contains all the control mechanism for the lifting apparatus 
18, and the specific apparatus may vary considerably. One might utilize a 
computer, and arrange the apparatus so the computer controls virtually all 
functions. Alternatively, one might operate the apparatus almost entirely 
manually. Numerous stages between these extremes are possible. As shown in 
FIG. 2, the console 24 includes a display device 31, such as a cathode ray 
tube, a liquid crystal display, or even a printer that will print the data 
and diagrams on paper for use by the service technician. Adjacent to the 
display device 31 is an input device such as a keyboard 32 for data input 
to the computer. The remainder of the face panel of the console 24 can 
include switches, indicator lights and the like as needed for the 
particular configuration chosen. 
A control box 34 is provided, here illustrated as connected to the console 
24 by a wireless means, which may be radio waves, infra-red or other known 
technology. The control box 34 allows a service technician to control 
certain functions at a position remote from the console 24. 
FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings show some of the details of construction of 
the cross-beam 21, the projection and retraction means being shown. The 
lifting device, or jack, 29 is carried on a pivot 39 from a block 40. The 
block 40 is, in turn, carried on two guide rods 41 and 42, and a threaded 
rod 44. 
The threaded rod 44 has a threaded driving member rotated by the motor 45, 
so operation of the motor 45 causes either projection or retraction of the 
threaded rod 44, and consequent motion of the block 40. During this 
motion, the guide rods 41 and 42 hold the assembly in the rotational 
position shown. 
The pivot 39 is the shaft of a motor 46, so when the motor 46 is energized, 
the shaft 39 will rotate, thereby rotating the jack 29. A servo motor or 
the like can be used to obtain the proper amount of rotation; or, limit 
switches or other known means can be used to limit the rotation. 
With the foregoing description of the apparatus in mind, the operation 
should be understandable. One will select the vehicle to be serviced and, 
with the lifting apparatus in its collapsed condition, the lifting 
apparatus will be slid under the vehicle with the central beam 20 
extending approximately along the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle. 
The central beam 20 telescopes, and the cross beams 21 and 22 rotate, so 
the lifting apparatus can be made small enough to be placed under the 
vehicle from either side of the vehicle, or from either the front or the 
back of the vehicle. One would generally select the most convenient 
location from which to insert the lifting apparatus 18. Then, the 
cross-beam 22 will be rotated to be generally perpendicular to the central 
beam 20, and the apparatus will be moved if necessary to align the lifting 
devices with the lifting points of the vehicle. Next, the lifting devices 
will be moved in or out for complete alignment with the lifting points. 
After the first lifting devices are placed, the cross-beam 21 will be 
rotated to be perpendicular to the central beam, and the cross-beam 21 
will be moved along the slot 28 to align the beam with the lift points. 
The lifting devices will then be moved in or out as required for complete 
alignment with the lift points. The lifting devices can now be operated to 
lift the vehicle for servicing. In accordance with usual practice, jack 
stands may be placed for safety, or acceptable safety arrangements may be 
included in the lifting devices. 
It will be noticed in FIG. 2 that the central beam 20 is designed to 
telescope, and the mechanical arrangement is better shown in FIG. 5. There 
is an outer member 20A and an inner member 20B. These two members are 
sized for easy sliding movement of one within the other; and, to reduce 
frictional drag, rollers are provided. As here shown, there are two 
rollers on each of the four sides of the members, the rollers being 
designated at 48. The rollers 48 are received within appropriate slots in 
the outer member 20A, and are on fixed axles. All the rollers are alike, 
so all carry the same reference numeral. 
Those skilled in the art will understand that the vehicle is raised as 
little as possible to allow the service. As a result, one requires a low 
profile pan into which to drain oil or other fluids. Such a pan is shown 
in FIG. 6 of the drawings. The drain pan 49 is a low profile container 
having a funnel top 50 with a central opening 51. If desired, a screen or 
the like can be placed over the opening 51 so the oil pan plug can be 
dropped onto the top 50 without losing the plug. 
For draining the pan 49, there is a pipe 52 having a valve 54 for 
selectively allowing retention or draining of the pan. The pipe 52 is long 
enough that a tube can be placed thereon to direct the fluid as required. 
The above discussion mentions actuation of the jacks 25 et seq., but does 
not discuss the exact means for such actuation. In FIG. 7 of the drawings 
the hydraulic lines are shown schematically. It will be understood that 
the control unit 24 may have the necessary apparatus, or the service truck 
16 may have the apparatus. Nevertheless, fluid under pressure will be 
supplied through the lines 55 to each of the jacks 25 et seq. to cause the 
jacks to lift the vehicle. 
Looking now at FIG. 8 of the drawings, the logic of the computer 
programming is shown for the arrangement contemplated by the present 
invention. 
First, the program will be initialized, then the identification of the 
vehicle to be serviced will be entered via the input device 32. The memory 
will be searched for a match; and, if a match is found, the vehicle 
underbody will be displayed on the display device 31. If the vehicle is 
not found, an appropriate message will be displayed, and the operation 
must go to manual. It should be understood that, for manual operation, the 
control may be entirely from the control box 34 controlled by the service 
technician. 
Returning to the automatic operation, the first lifting device is 
positioned manually, the service technician will rotate the cross beam 22, 
move the central beam 20 as needed, then use the control box 34 to project 
or retract the lifting device for placement under the lift point of the 
vehicle. In placing the lifting device, the motors 45 will be operated. 
The computer will remember this operation so the next steps will have the 
benefit of the current facts. Knowing the initial distance, and the added 
distance, the computer can determine the distance between lifting devices 
25 and 26. This distance is therefore computed with the proper distance 
taken from memory, and a comparison is made. If the distance is correct, 
an OK signal is generated, and the motor 46 is operated to rotate the 
jacks 25 and 26. There is a query as to whether the distance is correct. 
If NO, the required change is computed, and the motors 45 are operated to 
make the correction. If YES, an "OK" signal is given and the jacks are 
rotated. The comparing and correcting steps are in a loop so the process 
can continue until the distance is correct, and the jacks are rotated to 
lifting position. 
It will be understood that the same process will be utilized for the 
cross-beam 21, so the description of the process will not be repeated 
here. The one difference for the cross-beam 21 is the movement of the beam 
21 along the central beam 20. If the computer is to determine the 
position, there will have to be an appropriate input means, which may be a 
stepper motor, a series of limit switches, or an electronic positioning 
means such as a Wheatstone bridge. Those skilled in the art will be able 
to select the apparatus preferred for the particular design. Otherwise, of 
course, the service technician may simply control placement of the 
cross-beam 21 by means of the control box 34. 
It will therefore be understood by those skilled in the art that the 
particular embodiment of the invention here presented is by way of 
illustration only, and is meant to be in no way restrictive; therefore, 
numerous changes and modifications may be made, and the full use of 
equivalents resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the 
invention as outlined in the appended claims.