A TRANSPORTING ARRANGEMENT FOR TRANSPORTING MOTOR VEHICLES

Abstract: A vehicle transporting arrangement, primarily intended for private cars, by means of which a vehicle is intended to be transported to a parking space in a vehicle parking building without the assistance of a driver and without the vehicle being rolled on its wheels. According to the invention the transporting arrangement comprises eight lifting blocks (101-108) which are intended to be placed in pairs on both sides of a vehicle wheel. The lifting blocks (101-108) are intended to lift all wheels of the vehicle free from a supporting surface (111). Each lifting block includes a wheel or like device intended for rolling against the supporting surface (111) when the vehicle is in a raised position. The four pairs of lifting blocks (101, 102; 103, 104; 105, 106; 107, 108) are arranged for movement relative to one another, wherein two lifting block pairs (101, 102; 103, 104) are included in a first lifting unit (200) and wherein two lifting block pairs (105, 106; 107, 108) are included in a second lifting unit (201). The two units can be displaced relative to one another, whereby each of the respective lifting block pairs can be moved to a position adjacent a respective wheel of the vehicle such that the two lifting blocks in each respective pair are located on both sides of a respective vehicle wheel when a vehicle has been placed in a pre-determined position relative to the transporting arrangement.

Description: A t rans-port i ng arrangement for transporting motor vehicles The present invention relates to a transporting arrangement for transporting motor vehicles, particularly private 'cars, 5 in connection with motor vehicle parking bui ldings in which the vehicle is moved to .a parking space without the assis¬ tance of a dr i ver . One such motor vehicle transporting arrangement is de- scribed in Swedish Patent Specification No (Patent Appl ication No. 8500791-2) . The present motor vehicle transporting arrangement is in¬ tended for use in vehicle parking bui ldings in which a ve- hide to be parked is transported, in horizontal and verti¬ cal di rections, from the ground floor of the car park to an empty parking space therein, without the assistance of a driver and without using the vehicle wheels to rol l the car. Such parking bui ldings are previously known,- where each floor of the parking bui lding is divided into a multiple of mutually adjacent vehicle parking spaces. A particular advantage is afforded when such vehicle park¬ ing bui ldings are total ly unmanned or are only partial ly " manned. In this case, the vehicle is driven to a pre-de- termined position in relation to the arrangement, and the requisite parking fee is paid into a parking meter, which in response issues a card or l ike receipt which, in addi¬ tion to other information, discloses the location of a conceivable parking space in the bui lding in which the parking facility is found. The arrangement includes a computer which is capable of finding an empty parking space with the aid of sensors, and of causing the car to be moved to said space. When col lecting the vehicle, the card or l ike receipt is inserted into a card reader and the computer, subsequent to payment being made, controls the collection of the vehicle from its parking space. As reported in the aforesaid Swedish Patent Specification, one serious problem encountered with vehicle parking ar¬ rangements of this kind resides in the difficulty of lock¬ ing the vehicle relative to the transporting arrangement in a simple manner, without the assistance of a manual work. This problem is accentuated by the fact that dif- ferent cars have different tracks or gauges, and different axle heights. Another problem encountered with known vehicle transporting arrangements is that they have a considerable vertical ex- tension, and consequently a considerable part of the verti¬ cal space in a vehicle parking building is occupied by the transporting arrangement and the various devices incorpo¬ rated therein. Another problem with known vehicle parking arrangements of this kind is that the driver of the vehicle to be parked is required to position the vehicle accurately in both its longitudinal and its transverse directions. The present invention affords a solution to these problems. Thus, the present invention relates to a motor vehicle transporting arrangement, primarily intended for parking private cars, by means of which a motor vehicle is transported to a parking space in a vehicle parking building without the assistance of a driver and without rolling the vehicle on its wheels, said transporting ar¬ rangement being characterized in that it includes eight lifting blocks which are intended to be positioned_ in pairs on respective sides of a vehicle wheel and which are constructed to raise all of the vehicle wheels from a supporting surface, such as a floor surface, and each of which lifting blocks includes a roller or like device which is intended to roll against said support surface when the vehicle is in a raised position; in that the four pairs of lifting blocks are displaceable relative to one another; in that two pairs of blocks are included in a first lifting unit and two pairs of lifting blocks are included in a second lift¬ ing unit, said units being displaceable relative to one another such that each of the respective pairs of lifting blocks can be brought to a position in which they are lo¬ cated adjacent a respective vehicle wheel and in which the two blocks of each pair of blocks are located on a respec¬ tive side of said each vehicle wheel subsequent to placing a vehicle in a pre-determined position relative to the transporting arrangement. The invention will now be descri-bed in more detail with reference to exemplifying embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates an inventive vehicle transporting arrangement in plan view; Figure 2 is a side view of the transporting arrangement and a hoist arrangement; Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line A-A in Fig¬ ure 1; Figure 4 illustrates a lifting block in larger scale; Figure 5 shows two lifting blocks positioned on respective sides of a vehicle wheel; - k - Figure 6 js a schematic block diagram of a control circuit; Figure 7 illustrates a first embodiment of an inventive arrangement in p an view; r Figure 8 is a schematic sectional view taken on the l ine A-A in Figure 1 ; Figure 9 is a schematic sectional view in larger scale on the l ine B-B in Figure 1 ; Figure 10 is a block diagram of a control system; and Figure 11 i l lustrates a second embodiment of an inventive arrangement seen in plan view. Figure I i llustrates in plan view a fi rst embodiment of an inventive vehicle transporting arrangement. The transporting arrangement comprises eight l ifting blocks 1-8, which are arranged in pai rs, 1 , 2; 3, *- ; 5,6; 7, 8, the l ifting blocks of each pair of blocks being in¬ tended to be positioned on respective sides of a vehicle wheel 9, as i llustrated in Figure 5. The blocks 1-8 are each provided with a l ifting arrangement for raising the blocks, and therewith al l wheels of the vehicle, from a supporting surface, such as a floor sur¬ face. As i llustrated in Figure k , the l ifting arrangement in- eludes a wheel or a roller 10 which is intended to roll a- gainst the supporting surface 11 when the ve icle is in a raised position. According to one preferred embodiment, the rol ler 10 of each of the l ifting blocks can be moved by means of a hydraul ic cyl inder 12 or l ike de- vice and-by means of link arms 13 located on respective sides of the roller, the roller 10 being journalled in said link arms. Thus, the roller 10 can be moved between a position indicated at 14, in which the lowermost surface of the roller 10 is raised above the lower surface -, , 15 of its associated lifting block 1-8, and a position in¬ dicated at 16 in which the roller 10 projects down out of the lifting block, such that the lowermost surface of the roller is located beneath the lower surface 15 of the lift- ing block. In this latter position the lifting block is thus raised above said supporting surface 11, this support¬ ing surface being either a floor surface, a supporting ramp or some like support. The four pairs of lifting blocks 1, 2; 3, 4; 5, 6; 1 , 8 are pairwise displaceable relative to one another, wherein two pairs of lifting blocks 1, 2; 3, 4; are included in a first lifting unit 200, and wherein two pairs of lifting blocks 5, 6; 7, 8 are included in a second lifting unit 201, these units being displaceable in relation to one another. The two lifting blocks of each pair of lifting blocks are mutually connected by means of a beam 18-21. The two respective lifting units 200, 201 are attached to a first arm 17 wherein each pair of lifting blocks is indi¬ vidually displaceable towards and away from its respective arm 17 in a direction transversely to the longitudinal axis of said arm 17. According to one preferred embodiment each pair of lifting blocks is attached to said first arm 17 by means of a sec¬ ond respective arm 22-25. Each of said second arms 22-25 includes a first and a second part 26, 27 which are tele- scopically moveable relative to one another. The parts 26, 27 can be moved by means of a pneumatic cylinder 28-31 or ' the l ike, said device being connected between the outer part 27 of the telescopic second arm 26,27 and said first arm 17. The fi rst arm 17 also comprises first and second parts 32, 33 which are tel escop i ca 11y moveable re¬ lative to one another. The fi rst l ifting unit 200 is con¬ nected to the first part 32 of the arm 17, whereas the se¬ cond l ifting unit 201 is connected to the second part 33 of the arm, as i llustrated in Figure 1. The two parts 32, 33 of the fi rst arm 17 can be dis¬ placed Fn relation to one another by means of a pneumatic cyl inder 3^ or some l ike device. The fi rst arm 17 and the second arms 22-25 conveniently comprise two square-beams which will fit one into the other and which are provided with wheel bearings or slide bear¬ ings for the telescopic movements. |t will be understood clearly from the aforegoing that each of the respective pairs of l ifting blocks can be displaced by means of the arms 17 > 22-25 to a location adjacent a respective vehicle wheel , such that the two lifting blocks of each pair of blocks is positioned on a respective side of said wheel when a vehicle is positioned so that its longi¬ tudinal axis is essentially paral lel with and above said first a rm 17. An outer position for the two right-hand lifting block pairs 5, 6; 1 , 8 is illustrated in chain l ines in Figure 1. The pairs of l ifting blocks are thus displaceable in the directions of the arrows 35, 36, and the fi rst arm can be extended and retracted in the manner illustrated by the a rrow 37 » The arms-are constructed so as to be adjustable to the track or gauge and the axle distance of each intended type of vehicle, preferably private cars, thereby enabl ing ~ theveh c Ie transporting arrangement to be adapted to each vehicle per se. The height of the transporting arrangement is such as to be shorter than', the clearance height of a vehicle. The inventive transporting arrangement operates in the following manner. When the system is in its starting mode, the pairs of lifting blocks are located in their inner po¬ sitions, i.e. in an end position furthest in towards the first arm, as shown in full lines in Figure 1. A vehi¬ cle is moved in the direction of arrow 38 into and over the transporting arrangement, wherewith the driver attempts to steer the vehicle so that it is positioned centrally above the first arm 17. The driver also attempts to stop the vehicle in a pre-de- termined position, which is indicated with the aid of a signal lamp or some corresponding device, the signals being similar to those used with a number of known automatic car washing systems. The vehicle stop position is selected so that the wheels of the vehicle will be located approxi¬ mately centrally of the pairs of lifting blocks although the position in which the vehicle is stopped is not at all critical to the function of the transporting arrangement, as will be evident from the following. A control circuit 40 is then activated such as to cause the transporting arrangement to move the pairs of lifting blocks into their respective positions adjacent the vehicle wheels, this activation being effected, for instance, by means of a suitable device 39. In order to facilitate this controlled movement of the lifting blocks, at least the two pairs of lifting blocks 1, 2; 5, 6 on one side of the first arm 17 are provided with sensors 41-44 which are intended to sense the presence of a vehicle wheel located on one side of and centrally of a pair of lifting blocks 1, 2; 5, 6. The sensors 41-44 are connected to said control circuit 40, which is constructed to control the pneumatic cylinder 34 in a manner either to shorten or to extend the first arm 17. These sensors 41-44 conveniently have the form of photocells incorporating a light-emitting de¬ vice 45 and a light-sensitive device 46, see Figure 4. The photocells are preferably arranged to ' co-act with a reflective screen 47 located at a distance from and paral¬ lel with the transporting arrangement, this screen 47 being intended to reflect the light emitted by the photocell back to the photocell, as indicated by the light rays 48-51 in Figure 1. Assume that the first part 32 of the arm 17 re ¬ mains stationary while the second part 33 ' s moved with the aid of the cylinder 3 k , back- wards and/or forwards, and that a vehicle wheel is located adjacent the right-hand upper pair of lifting blocks 5, 6 in Figure 1. When the pair of lifting blocks 5, 6 are moved in direction 37 and the control circuit 40 senses that the light emitted firstly by one photocell and then the other photocell has been screene , which is effected by means of the lower part of the vehicle tyre, the control circuit becomes aware that a vehicle wheel has been passed. The control circuit then causes the pair of lifting blocks to be moved in an opposite directiαn until the light emitted by one photocell is screened and then until said light is no longer screened. The pair of lifting blocks is, in this way, positioned so that the photocells are located at respective sides of the vehicle wheel, as illustrated in Figure 5. The control circuit 40 then activates the piston-cylinder devices 28, 29 in a manner to position the pairs of lifting blocks 5, 6; 7, 8 on both sides of respective wheels. Each pair of lifting' blocks is provided with a sensor 52-55 which is intended to detect when the beams 18-21 of respec¬ tive pairs of lifting blocks are located close to the lower part of the tyre wall of respective vehicle wheels. In this position the two lifting blocks of each pair of blocks arepositioned on respective sides of a vehicle wheel (see Figure 5) and externally of the tread of the wheel 56 (see Fig¬ ure 3) . The sensors 52-55 are preferably limit position switches or the like. When a sensor 52-55 is activated, the control circuit is constructed to stop the piston-cylinder device 28-31 associated with the pair of lifting blocks on which the sensor concerned is mounted. Extension of the outer part 27 of said second arm is facil¬ itated by means of a wheel 57 journalled on the beam 18-21 or on said outer part 27. In order to facilitate displacement of the pairs of lifting blocks in directions 37, the cylinders 12 of the pair of lifting blocks in question are activated by the control circuit 40 prior to said displace¬ ment such as to reach the position 16. As a result hereof the lifting blocks and the beams 18-21 are raised to an extent such as to lift the vehicle wheels 57 from the sup- porti ng_ surface. I n order to position the pai rs of l ifting blocks 1 , 2; 3. * on both sides of the two other vehicle wheels, the cyl inder 3^ is steered so that said pairs of l ifting blocks 1, 2; 3 , are moved in direction 37, wherewith a wheel on one side of the l ifting block pair 1, 2 is lo¬ cal ized in the aforedescribed manner. The cylinders 30, 31 are then steered so as to move the pai rs of l ifting blocks to their outer positions, in which each of said l ifting block pairs is positioned on a respective side of a wheel . It will be obvious from the aforegoing that a vehicle need only be roughly positioned, since all pai rs of l ifting blocks are displaceable in two directions. ' After all li-fting block pairs have been positioned on both _ sides of a vehicle wheel , the control circuit kO is arranged to steer cyl inders 12, wherewith the vehicle wheels are l ifted from the supporting surface and the transporting arrangement rests against the supporting surface 11 on the rollers 10. The control circuit conveniently jncludes a m i croporcessor 60 of conventional kind which is programmed, inter al ia, to control the aforedescribed- operational method through a conventional output circuit 71. When the vehicle has been raised, the transporting arrange¬ ment is ready for transporting the vehicle to a parking space. These vehicle transportations wi ll now be described schematically in connection with Figure 2. The aforedescribed transporting arrangement is i l lustrated schematical ly in Figure 2 and is referenced 61. The transporting arrangement 61 carries a car 62. The arm 32 is attached to a carriage 63, or some other suitable towing device, for pul l ing the transporting arrangement 61 onto a l ift arrangement k . In the Figure 2 embodiment the carriage 63 is supported on wheels and is attached to a chain 65 which extends between two end wheels 66, 67 such that the carriage can be moved between positions 68 and 69 by means of said chain, which is driven. The carriage 63 is intended to pul l the transporting arrangement 6.1 onto a l ift platform 70 and is also intended to push the trans¬ porting arrangement 61 from the l ift platform onto the sup¬ porting surface 11. The l ift arrangement β h is preferably arranged via devices not shown for both vertical and horizontal movement bet¬ ween different .parking areas. When the l ift arrangement 6 has been moved to a selected parking space, the transporting arrangement is pushed out to the position i l lustrated in Figure 2, such as to rest against a floor surface or the l ike in said parking space. The control circuit kO then causes the cyl inders 12 to be moved in a manner to withdraw the rol lers 10 into respective l ifting blocks and steers the cyl inders 28-31 in a manner to move the pairs of l ifting blocks to their respective inner positions. The control ci rcu it kQ then initiates steerage of the carriage 63, such as to draw the transporting arrangement in over the l ift p1 at-" ' z - .form 70, whereupon the l ift arrangement together with the transporting arrangement can be moved to a further vehicle and transport this further vehicle to another parking space. When a—vehicle is to be collected from its parking space, the vehicle is loaded onto the transporting arrangement in the aforedescribed manner, subsequent to moving the trans¬ porting arrangement in beneath the vehicle in said parking space. In the aforegoing mention was made of the use of photocells for positioning the l ifting blocks. This ap¬ pl ied primarily when a vehicle was driven Into a gi en po¬ sition by a driver. It wil l be understood, however, that the arrangement- may include conventional sensors (not shown) which disclose the positions of the cyl inders 28-31 * 3 , or simi larly the position of the carriage 63 when sensing the location of a vehicle i a parking space. The values produced by said sensors can be stored in a memory faci l ity incorporated i,n the control circuit. When a given vehicle is to be col lec¬ ted from a gi en parking space, the control circuit 0 is constructed to extract these values from the memory and therewith steer t cyl inders 28-31. 3. and to guide the carriage to those positions given by the sensors when po¬ sitioning the vehicle in question in said parking space. This method of operation obviates the need of a screen k l in each parking space, s.ince the photocells need not be used for positioning the pairs of l ifting blocks on both sides of the vehicle wheels. Although the invention has been described hitherto with reference to one exempl ifying embodiment it will be under¬ stood that modifica ions can be made thereto. For exam le hydraul ic cyl inders can be used instead of pneumatic cyl inders and the telescopic arms may have ■ a construction different to that described. The l ifting blocks may also have a different con- struction to that described. Figure 7 illustrates a second exemplifying embodiment of the transporting arrangement, which also includes eight lifting blocks 101-108 which are intended to be placed in pairs on both sides of a vehicle wheel 109, 110 and therewith lift the vehicle wheels 109, 110 from a sup¬ porting surface 111, such as a floor surface or a drive ramp. According to this embodiment of the invention the first lifting unit 200 comprises a first carriage 112 and the second lifting unit 201 comprises a second carriage 112', where a first and a second lifting block pair 101, 102; 103, 104 are attached to the first carriage 112 and a third and a fourth lifting block pair 105, 106; 107, 108 are at¬ tached to the second carriage 112'. The carriages are ar¬ ranged in line, one after the other. A vehicle is intended to be driven in and positioned over the carriages, with one carriage located beneath the front part of the vehicle and the other carriage located beneath the rear part thereof. The vehicle is also intended to be driven along the line C-C in Figure 7, with said line coincidingwith the lon¬ gitudinal axis of the vehicle in a vertical plane. The ve- hide can either be driven to a position above the car¬ riages or can be driven to a pre-determined location and the carriages subsequently inserted beneath the vehi¬ cle. Each lifting block 101-108 is attached to one end of an arm 113-120. The other end of respective arms can be swung about an axle 121-128 in respective carriages from an inwardly swung position, illustrated in the upper part of Figure 7, to an outwardly swung position illustrated in the lower part of Figure 7. When the arms occupy their inwardly swung position, the arms and lifting blocks are parallel or substantially par¬ allel with said line C-C. In the outwardly swung position, on the other hand, respective arms and lifting blocks are oriented at right angles or substantially at right angles to said line C-C. In the outwardly swung position, the lifting blocks of each pair of blocks lie close together or alternatively in abutment with one another. When seen in vertical section (Figure 9) the lifting blocks have a wedge-shape configuration, such that when the lift¬ ing blocks occupy their outwardly swung positions said blocks define an upwardly concave surface. This concave surface has a curvature which corresponds essentially to the curvature of a vehicle wheel. With this embodiment the lifting blocks of each pair of lifting blocks are arranged to be inserted beneath a vehi¬ cle wheel from both sides thereof when moved from their inwardly swung position to their outwardly swung position, therewith lifting said wheel. The distance between each of the two lifting block pairs of the carriages 112, 112' in the outwardly swung position of said blocks, i.e. the distance D in Figure 7, corresponds to the track or gauge of a vehicle whose wheels are to be lifted. As will be seen from Figure 1 , and in particular the lifting blocks 101 -104, the lifting blocks have a given width which is so adapted as to enable all, or at least the majority of vehicles for which the transporting arrangement is intended to be lifted by said arrangement. Furthermore, at least one of the carriages 112,112' is arranged for movement in a direction along said line C-C, thereby enabling the arrangement to be adjusted to the axle distance of different vehicles. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 7 and 11, the arms 113-120 can be pivoted about axles 121-128 by means of a rack and pinion arrangement. With reference to the arms 118 and 120 in Figure 7, pinions 129, 130 are attached to the axles 126, 128. These pinions 129, 130 co-act with further pinions 131, 132, which in turn co-act with a rack 133. The rack 133 is driven in the direction of arrows 134 by means of a suitable piston-cylinder device 135, such as a hydraulic piston-cylinder device. The piston-cylinder device 135, however, can be replaced with a ball screw driven by an electric motor. When the rack 133 is driven downwards in Figure 7, the arms 118, 120 are pivoted such as to move the lifting blocks 106, 108 from their outwardly swung positions, shown in dash and dot lines in Figure 7- OtHer arms are arranged for piv- ' otal movement by means of a similar arrangement. It will be understood that each arm may be instead acti¬ vated directly by a hydraulic piston-cylinder device, or hydraulic motors can be connected directly to the axles 121-128. It will also be understood that the illustrated embodiment of the arm drive merely constitutes one of many conceivable embodiments. In accordance with one preferred embodiment, however, a first lifting block 101, 103; 105, 107 of the two pairs of lifting blocks on one and the same carriage are arranged to be swung out synchronously. The. second lifting block 102, 104; 106, 108 of the two pairs of lifting blocks are also arranged to be swung out synchronously. In accordance with another embodiment, the first lifting blocks 101, 103; 105, 107 of said two pairs of lifting blocks are swung out independently of the second lifting blocks 102, 104; 106, 108, and vice versa. _• In accordance with a further preferred embodiment the lift¬ ing blocks are provided with wheels 136 which are intended to abut the supporting surface 11 when the lifting blocks are raised above said surface. According to another preferred embodiment, see Figure 9, the aforesaid,concave surface of the lifting blocks is defined by a plurality of rollers 137. The chain line in Figure 9 denotes the peri¬ phery of a vehicle wheel. According to a first embodiment of the invention the car¬ riages 112, 112', see Figure 7, are moveably connected to a common further, third carriage 1 kύ , which is intended to transport the vehicle., The third, carriage 140 of this em- bodiment comprises a frame structure 141 which is carried by a plurality of wheels 142-145 which rest on a support surface 146 in the form of rails or like elements. The long sides of the frame structure 140 may have an L-shape when seen in cross section or, as shown in Figure 8, a U- shape cross section, the wheels 147, 148 of respective carriages 112, 112' resting against said long sides. In accordance with one preferred embodiment the first car¬ riage 112 is arranged for limited movement relative to the third carriage 140. Preferably, the carriage can be moved in both directions from a neutral position through a dis¬ tance of approximately 50 cm. The neutral position is shown in Figure 7. The carriage 112 is preferably held in the neutral position in relation to the third carriage 140 by means of springs 149, 150. In the case of this embodiment the second carriage 112' is moved relative to the third carriage 140 by means of a drive device 151, such as an electrically driven ball screw arranged between the second carriage 11 ' and the third carriage 140. There is also provided a suitable known positioning arrangement, for example comprising two photocells each including a light source 152, a reflector 153 and a light sensitive element 154. The beam paths 164, 165 of the photocells are, in this case, so positioned as to extend parallel with one another at a distance apart of approximately 50-100 cm and only a short distance above the. supporting surface 111. When the front wheels of a vehicle are driven to a position in which the wheels are located adjacent the first and sec¬ ond pairs of lifting blocks and are correctly positioned relative to said blocks, a light beam will pass on each side of the wheels, ' parallel with the front axle of the vehicle. The light sensitive elements 154 are connected to a control system 160 which includes a control circuit 161, such as a microprocessor for example. Also connected to the control circuit 161 is a force sens¬ ing device 162 which is intended to sense the force exerted by the drive arrangement 151 on the second carriage 112'. The control circuit 161 also includes control outputs for controlling the four piston-cylinder arrangements 135 which drive the respective lifting block pairs on respective car¬ riages in the aforedescribed manner. The control circuit also includes a control output for activating the drive arrangement 151 and a control output for activating an electric motor 163 arranged for driving the third carriage. The manner in which the transporting arrangement operates is as follows. A vehicle is driven in the direction of the arrow 166 such that the front wheels 109, 110 of the vehicle are located in the position for the lifting block pairs 101, 102; 103, 104 of the first carriage. In ' this stage of the working process, the pairs of lifting blocks 101, 102; 103, 104 occupy their inwardly swung positions. A facility may be provided which co-acts with the photocell arrangement to present on a display screen instructions to drive the vehi¬ cle further forward, to reverse the vehicle and/or to stop the vehicle, i.e. in a manner similar to that used in auto¬ matic car washing facilities. When the vehicle is posi- tioned correctly,- the control circuit 161 activates the two piston-cylinder devices 135 on the first carriage 112, such as to swing the lifting blocks synchronously outwards to their outwardly swung positions, therewith raising the wheels 109, 110 to the position illustrated in Figure 9. The second carriage 112' then takes its lowermost position in Figure 1 , i.e. with the ball screw screwed fully into the drive arrangement 151. The first 105, 107 of the lift¬ ing blocks are hereafter swung outwardly by the associated .cylinder 135 * actuated by the control circuit 161. Subsequent to the lifting blocks being swung outward¬ ly in this manner, the control circuit activates the drive arrangement 151 to drive the second carriage upwards in Figure 7. The control circuit 161 is constructed to stop the drive arrangement 151 when said force- sensing device 162 produces a signal which corresponds to a pre-determined force. This force is reached when the lifting block 105, 107 abuts the rear wheels 109', 110' of the vehicle. This pre-determined force may be selected such that the lifting blocks 105, 107 have been driven in beneath the rear vehi- cle wheels 109*, 110' and have lifted the wheels before the force reaches the pre-determined value. When the drive arrangement 151 has stopped, the control circuit activates the piston-cylinder device 135 in a manner to swing the lifting blocks 106, 108 outwardly so that the lifting block pairs 105, 106; 107, 108 of the second carriage 112' are also moved to the position shown in Figure 9. The vehicle has now been lifted clear from the supporting surface 111. The control circuit 161 now activates the motor 163 for driving the third carriage. If the driver of the vehicle has not positioned the vehicle precisely in relation to the first carriage 112, the car- riage is displaced relative to the vehicle when the lifting » block pairs are swung out, through the medium of the car¬ riage suspension. The third carriage is arranged to transport the vehicle to a parking space, either directly or via lift arrangements or the like, where the vehicle is removed from said third carriage. The vehicle is removed from the carriage, by swinging all lifting blocks inwardly to their respectively inwardly swung positions. It will be understood that the vehicle transporting ar¬ rangement is also constructed to collect a parked vehicle in a manner corresponding to that aforedescribed, and to deposit the vehicle at a location provided with a drive support surface 111, as illustrated in Figure 7. According to said first embodiment of the invention, the first and the second carriages are displaceably arranged in relation to a common third carriage. Figure 21 illustrates schematically a second embodiment of the invention, in which those components corresponding to similar components in the Figure -7 embodiment have been identified by the same reference numerals. According to this second embodiment, the first carriage 112 and the second carriage 112' are carried on wheels 170, 171 and are driven by electric motors 172, 173 directly on a supporting surface, such as rails. No third carriage is therefore required. The method of operation of this second embodiment corre¬ sponds to the method of operation of the Figure 7 embodi¬ ment, and consequently, the method of operation of said second embodiment will only be briefly described. A loading sequence begins when the first carriage 112 adopts a pre-determined position relative " to the beam paths 164, 165, whereafter the lifting blocks 101-104 are swung outwards. The second carriage 112' is then driven downwards in Figure 11 through a given distance, whereafter the lift¬ ing blocks 105 and 107 are swung outwards. The second car¬ riage 112' is then driven upwards in Figure 11, until a force sensing device produces a pre-determined signal indi- eating that the lifting blocks 105 and 107 have been moved into pre-determined abutment with the rear wheels of the vehicle. The force sensing device may for example comprise a current sensing device intended to sense the current strength through the motor 173. As before entioned, the force sensing device 162 may also have the form of a current strength sensor. When the control circuit receives the aforesaid pre-deter¬ mined signal, the circuit stops the motor 173 and causes the lifting blocks 106 and 108 to be swung outwards. The control circuit then activates the first, the second or both motors 172, 173 of the carriages in order to drive away the carriages and the vehicle. Both carriages are driven synchronously subsequent to depositing a vehicle. A distance measuring device 180 of some suitable known kind, e.g. a device which is operated by means of ultrasonic sound or infrared light, may be provided for sensing the distance between the carriages, wherewith only the position of one carriage need be established in relation to the transport path of the carriages by suitable known devices, such as limit switches, inductive sensors, etc. It will be obvious to those skilled in this art that the carriages and drive arrangements of the aforedescribed em¬ bodiments may have different designs to those described without departing from the inventive concept, namely the concept of utilizing lifting blocks which can be swung in¬ wardly and Outwardly and which are arranged to be inserted beneath the wheels of a vehicle. The present invention is thus not restricted to the illus¬ trated embodiments, since modifications can be made within the scope of the following claims.

Claims: — Claims 1. A vehicle transporting arrangement, intended primarily for private cars, by means of which a vehicle -• is transported to a parking space in a vehicle parking building without the assistance of a driver and without the vehicle being rolled on its wheels, characterized in that the transporting arrangement includes eight lifting blocks (1-8; - 101-108) which are intended to be placed in pairs on both sides of a respective vehicle wheel, and which lifting blocks (1-8; 101-108) are intended to lift all the wheels of said vehicle away from a supporting surface (11; 111), such as a floor surface, and each of which lifting blocks includes a roller or like device which is intended to roll against the supporting surface (11; 111) when the vehicle is in a raised position; in that the four pairs of lifting blocks (1, 2; 3, 4; 5, 6; 7, 8; 101, 102; 103, 104; 105, 106; 107, 108) are displaceably arranged in pairs relative to one another, wherein two lifting block pairs (1, 2; 3, 4; 101, 102; 103, 104) are included in a first lifting unit (200) and wherein two lifting block pairs (5, 6; 7, 8; 105, 106; 107, 108) are included in a second lifting unit (201), said units being displaceably relative to one another and each of the respective pairs of lifting blocks (1-8; 101- 108) being displaceable to a position adjacent one of the wheels of a vehicle, such that the two lifting blocks in each respective pairs of blocks are placed on both sides of respective sides of vehicle wheels when a vehicle has been located in a pre-determined position relative to the trans- porting arrangement. 2. A transporting arrangement according to claim 1, char¬ acterized in that the first lifting unit includes a first carriage (112) and in that said second lifting unit in- eludes a second carriage (112 1 ), said carriages (112, 112') being arranged sequentially, one after the other, along the line (C-C) along which a vehicle is intended to be driven on a supporting surface (111) and placed above the car¬ riages (112, 112') with its longitudinal axis along said "5 line; in that each lifting block (101-108) is attached to one end of an arm (113-120) which can be swung about an axle (121-128) connected to respective carriages (112, 112'), from an inwardly swung position in which re¬ spective arms (113-120) and respective lifting blocks (101- 0 108) lie parallel or substantially parallel with said line (C-C) to an outwardly swung position which is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the inwardly swung posi¬ tion; in that in said outwardly swung position the lifting blocks (101-108) of each pair of lifting blocks lie in the 5 close proximity of one another or abut one another; in that when seen in vertical cross-section the lifting blocks (101- 108) 'have a wedge-shaped configuration such that when in their outwardly swung position two mutually lifting co-act¬ ing lifting blocks (101-108) define an upwardly concave 0 surface, where each pair of lifting blocks is intended to be driven from its inwardly swung position to its outwardly swung position, whereby said lifting blocks are moved in beneath a respective vehicle wheel from both sides thereof, therewith to lift said wheel; and in that the distance be- 5 tween the two lifting block pairs of each carriage (112, 112') in the outwardly swung position of said pairs corre¬ sponds to the track width or gauge of a vehicle whose wheels are to be lifted; and in that at least one of the carriages (112, 112') can be displaced along said line (C-C). 0 3. A transporting arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that first lifting blocks (101, 103; 105, 107) of both pairs of lifting blocks on a carriage (112; 112') are arranged to be swung synchronously outwards; and 5 in that second lifting blocks (102, 104; 106, 108) of said both pair-s of blocks are arranged to be swung out synchro¬ nously. 4. A transporting arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that said first lifting blocks (101, 103; ■ • 105, 107) can be swung independently of said second lifting blocks (102, 104; 106, 108) and vice versa. 5. A transporting arrangement according to claim 2, 3 or " 4, characterized in that said carriages (112, 112') are moveably connected to a common third carriage (140), which is intended to transport the carriages (112, 112') and the vehicle. 6. A transporting arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that said first carriage (112) is arranged for limited movement relative to the third carriage (140), said first carriage (112) preferably being held in a neu¬ tral position relative to the third ' carriage (140) by means of springs (149, 150). 7. A transporting arrangement according to claim 5 or 6, characterized by the provision of a drive arrangement (151) for moving said second carriage (112 f ) relative to said third carriage (140). 8. A transporting arrangement according to claim 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that said two carriages (112, 112') can be driven along the supporting surface on which they rest. 9. A transporting arrangement according to claim 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8, characterized in that the lifting blocks (101-108) are provided with rollers (136) intended for abutment with the supporting surface when the lifting blocks are raised above said surface (111). 10. A ^transporting arrangement according to claim 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9, characterized in that said concave surface of said lifting blocks (101-108) is defined by a plurality of rollers (137) . 11. A transporting arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the lifting blocks (1-8) are provided with a lifting arrangement (10, 12) intended for lifting the blocks (1-8) and therewith all vehicle wheels, from a supporting surface (11), such as a floor surface, each of said lifting arrangements as mentioned comprising a wheel or a roller . (10) which is intended to roll against the support¬ ing surface (11) when the vehicle is in a raised position; in that said first and said second lifting unit are con- nected to a first arm (17), wherein each lifting block pair is arranged for individual movement towards and away from said arm in a direction (35, 36) transversely to the longi¬ tudinal direction of the arm (17); in that said arm (17) includes a first part (32) and a second part (33) which can be moved telescopically in relation to one another, wherein the first lifting unit is connected to the first arm part (32) and the second lifting unit is connected to the second arm part (33), whereby each of the respective lifting block pairs (1, 2; 3, 4; 5, 6; 7, 8) can be displaced to a position adjacent one of the wheels of a vehicle, such that the two lifting blocks of each pair are placed on both sides of a respective vehicle wheel when a vehicle is positioned with its longitudinal axis parallel with and above the longitudinal axis of said arm (17). 12. A transporting arrangement according to claim 11, characterized in that at least the two lifting block pairs (1, 2; 5, 6) on one side of said arm (17) are provided with sensors (41-44) intended for sensing the presence of a ve- hide wheel located aside of and in front of a lifting block pair (1, 2 γ 5, 6), which sensors ( k ] - kk ) are connected to a control circuit (40) constructed to activate means (34) for shortening or extending said first arm (17) . 13. A transporting arrangement according to claim 12, characterized in that each lifting block pair (1, 2; 3, 4; 5, 6; 7, 8) is provided with a sensor (52-55) which is in¬ tended to sense a position where the lifting blocks (1, 2; 5, 6) are positioned on both sides of a vehicle wheel, said sensors (52-55) being connected to said control circuit (40) and said control circuit being constructed to activate means (28-31) for displacing each of the lifting block pairs (1-8) in a direction towards and away from said arm (17). 14. A transporting arrangement according to claim 11, 12 or 13, characterized in that said wheel or roller (10) in each of said lifting blocks (1-8) can be moved by means of a hydraulic piston-cylinder device (12) or the like between a position (14) in which the lowermost surface of the roller (10) lies above the lower surface (15) of the lifting block, and a position (16) in which the roller (10) protrudes from the lifting block (1-8), such that its lowermost surface lies beneath the lower surface (15) of said lifting block, the lifting block (1-8) being lifted from said supporting surface in said latter position. 15. A transporting arrangement according to claim 11, 12, 13 or 14, characterized in that each pair of lifting blocks (1, 2; 3, 4; 5, 6; 7, 8) is connected to said arm (17) by means of a second respective arm (22-25) which includes a first part and a second part (26; 27) arranged telescopically in relation to one another, said .parts (26, 27) being movably arranged by means of a pneumatic cyl inder (28) or the l ike. 16. A transporting arrangement according to claim 11 , 12 13, Ik or '15, characterized in that the two parts (32,33) of the first arm (17) are movable in relation to one another by means of a pneumatic cyl inder (3k) or the l ike.

Inventors: FRIBERG HARRY, FRIBERG, HARRY
Applicants: ELIASSON STIG, ELIASSON, STIG
Application year: 1987
Main classification: E04H6
IPC codes: E04H6