Motor vehicle turntable

A motor vehicle turntable (10) is operated by the weight distribution of the vehicle (13). The axis of rotation of the turntable is inclined relative to orthogonal phases, and the turntable is released for rotation and latched against rotation by means (16) actuated by the vehicle.

This invention relates to turntables for motor vehicles, and has as its 
object the provision of a turntable which is suitable for domestic 
application to eliminate the necessity of reversing a vehicle out of a 
driveway. 
Turntables manufactured in accordance with the present invention require no 
source of motive power other than the weight of the vehicle itself, due to 
the disposition of the axis of rotation of the turntable.

The illustrated turntable 10, which may comprise sheets of non-skid 
surfaced steel and a supporting steel framework, is mounted for rotation 
on a bearing 11, which is preferably a double ball race bearing in which 
downward and horizontal loads are taken respectively by thrust and radial 
balls. 
The bearing 11, shown only schematically here, is fixed to a concrete slab 
12 set in the ground, in such a way that the axis of the bearing is not 
vertical, but is tilted from the vertical V by an angle a in the 
longitudinal direction of the turntable, and an angle b in the transverse 
direction of the turntable. 
The turntable 10 thus slopes downwardly to the right as viewed in FIG. 2, 
and this facilitates the entry on to the turntable of a car 13 driven from 
a driveway (not shown). The turntable also slopes downwardly from left to 
right as seen in FIG. 3, at the angle b to the horizontal. 
Two actuators 14 and 15 are located at diagonally opposite positions on the 
turntable 10. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the actuator 14 is attached to a 
lever 18 which pivots on a lateral frame member 17. Attached to the free 
end of the lever 18 is a cable 19, which passes around pulleys 20 and 21 
and is attached to the free end of a further lever 22, pivoted at 23 on a 
longitudinal frame member 24. Depression of the actuator 14 will therefore 
cause the cable 19 to be drawn to the right as viewed in FIG. 5, lifting 
the end of the lever 22 against the action of a return spring shown 
schematically at 25. 
Mounted on and extending downwardly from the end of the lever 22 is a 
detent blade 26, which in the locked and stationary position of the 
turntable as illustrated, is engaged within a slot in a catch plate 27. 
The plate 27 is mounted on a rod 28 which extends through an elongated 
housing 35, the rod being located by its passage through apertures at each 
end of the housing 35. Between the plate 27 and the right-hand end of the 
housing 35 as viewed in FIG. 5 is a helical compression spring 29, and 
between the plate 27 and the left-hand end of the housing 35 is a further 
compression spring 30, while the piston 32 of a double acting hydraulic 
damper 33 is attached by means of a bracket 31 to the left-hand end of the 
rod 28. The damper 33 is mounted on the housing 35 by means of a bracket 
34. 
The turntable arresting assembly thus far described, is mounted by means of 
brackets 36 and 37 on a concrete slab 38, and located as schematically 
illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, where this assembly is shown at 16. 
If a car is now driven on to the turntable to the position illustrated in 
FIGS. 2 and 3, there will be a tendency for the turntable to rotate in a 
clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1 (and as shown by the arrows 40) 
due to the fact that the portion of the car beyond and above the bearing 
11 will exceed the weight of the portion of the car below the bearing, due 
to the location of the engine at the front of the car. 
As the car reaches the position illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, its off-side 
front wheel will roll over the actuator 14, and the detent blade 26 will 
consequently be released from the plate 27. The turntable will now rotate 
through the path 40, and when this rotation has proceeded through 
180.degree., the detent blade 26 associated with the actuator 15 will 
contact the catch plate 27, riding up the plate and entering the retaining 
slot. The inertia of the turntable and vehicle will cause the turntable to 
continue rotation against the action of the spring 29, and, upon recoil, 
against the spring 30, these movements being damped by the damper 33. The 
vehicle may then be driven off the turntable onto the driveway, and the 
turntable will be ready for its next operation. 
It will be appreciated that while the turntable of the present invention 
has been described in relation to one embodiment only, it is capable of 
embodiment in many other forms. For example, it is not restricted to 
operation between positions spaced by 180.degree., but may, for example, 
be arranged to move through 90.degree. to facilitate manoeuvering the 
vehicle in a restricted space. Other possible variations will be apparent 
to those skilled in the art. 
The claims defining the invention are as follows: