A VEHICLE DISPLAY DEVICE

Abstract: A device for displaying a vehicle comprises a platform (12) having integral tracks (14) for receiving the wheels of a vehicle. A supporting base (16) locates on the floor and is coupled to the platform (12) by means of connecting members (18). The platform (12) is operable to tilt front to back or back to front by means of the action of hydraulic rams (24, 26). The base (16) has an outer section (28) and an inner section (30), the latter carrying the hydraulic ram (24) and connecting members (18). The inner section is pivotally connected to the outer section and is operable by means of rams (36, 38) so as to tilt the inner section sideways with respect to the outer section.

Description: A VEHICLE DISPLAY DEVICE This invention relates to a device for displaying vehicles, for example in a car showroom or the like. It is well known in the automotive industry that new vehicles which are mounted in an unusual manner will often catch the eye of potential customers more so than if they were simply situated on the showroom floor. Consequently it is common practice for vehicles, particularly fairly luxurious vehicles, to be mounted such that, for instance, the rear is higher than the front of the vehicle and/or one side is higher than the other. At present this effect is achieved by building fixed concrete blocks up onto which the vehicle is driven or by using several jacks. However, it is troublesome and time consuming to fit several jacks underneath a vehicle and with fixed concrete blocks the angle of inclination of a vehicle cannot be varied. It is an object of the present invention to overcome or reduce the above disadvantages. According to the present invention there is provided a device for displaying a vehicle comprising tracks for receiving the wheels of a vehicle, the tracks being arranged so as to be tiltable in at least one direction once the vehicle is in place. Preferably the tracks are tiltable in two or even three directions, e.g. front to back, back to front, and/or side to side. The tracks may be mounted on and supported by a framework or platform which is preferably tilted by means of hydraulic rams. Preferably the platform is coupled to a supporting base by means of a connecting member. The invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a sectional side view of a device in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view corresponding to figure 1 with the tracks omitted for clarity; and Figure 3 is an end view showing a side tilting mechanism. Referring to the drawings, a vehicle display device 10 comprises a platform 12 having integral tracks 14 upon which a vehicle is driven. A supporting base 16 locates on the floor and is coupled to the platform 12 by means of connecting members 18. The connecting members 18 are typically in the form of a rectangular frame structure and are pivotally connected to the base at point A and to the platform at point B (not shown in figure 2). The connecting members 18 have two interconnecting cross members 20, 22. A first hydraulic ram 24 is fixed to the cross member 22 and has its extending portion connected to the platform 12 at point D. The platform 12 is able to be raised and lowered and tilted front to back and back to front in a hinge type action by extension and retraction of the rams 24, 26. When the rams 24 and 26 are both retracted the platform 12 is lowered and the longitudinal axes of the platform, base, connecting member and rams are substantially coplanar. When the device is in this position a vehicle is able to be driven onto the platform by means of suitable ramps (not shown). The base 16 has an outer section 28 and inner section 30, the inner section carrying the hydraulic ram 24 and connecting members 18. The inner section is pivotally connected to the outer section at points E and F. The inner section 30 has extension members 32, 34, the distal ends of which are attached to the extending portions of hydraulic rams 36, 38 respectively, which hydraulical rair.s are fixed to the outer section 28 at points G and H. Extension and retraction of hydraulic rams 36, 38 causes the inner section 30, and hence the platform 12, to be tilted sideways as can be clearly seen in figure 3. If the vehicle is required to be tilted in the opposite direction, the display device is simply turned around. Alternatively, the pivots E, F could be positioned in the centre of a mid-cross member of the base 16 allowing the transverse tilt in either direction. This may be controlled by double-acting hydraulic rams at the on the inner frame 30. In this case, the inner frame when retracted would not necessarily be coplanar with the outer frame 16. While the invention has been described with reference to a vehicle, it will be appreciated that non- vehicular objects can also be displayed or handled, e.g. by means of multiple skid rollers. The base 16 may be suitably dimensioned for adaptation onto a self-propelled chassis for independant mobility. This transforms the device into a load transfer unit for roll-on/roll-off handling, where two dissimilar modes of transportation are connected, e.g. rail/truck, truck/aircraft, and so on. In this application the combination of lift-pitch and roll features of the device of the invention contribute to a high degree of positional manipulation of vehicular and non-vehicular loads to accomodate loading elevations in more than one plane of various carriers. A distinct advantage of the invention is that it allows a vehicle to be displayed, for example in a car showroom, in a variety of different positions and the display position can be altered quickly and easily.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A device for displaying a vehicle comprising tracks for receiving the wheels of a vehicle, the tracks being arranged so as to be tiltable in at least one direction once the vehicle is in place. 2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the tracks are tiltable in two directions. 3. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the tracks are tiltable in three directions. 4. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 in which the tracks are mounted on and supported by a framework or platform which is tilted by means of hydraulic rams. 5. A device as claimed in claim 4 in which the platform is coupled to a supporting base by means of a connecting member. 6. A device as claimed in claim 5 in which the platform is tiltable front to back and back to front in a hinge type action by extension and retraction of the hydraulic rams. 7. A device as claimed in any either of claims 5 or 6 in which the base comprises an outer section and an inner section, the inner section carrying the hydraulic rams and connecting members characterised in that the inner section is pivotally connected to the outer section and is operable to tilt the inner section in a different direction. 8. A device as claimed in claim 7 in which the inner section is tilted by means of a further hydraulic ram or rams fixed between the inner section and the outer section.

Inventors: HORACEK PETER, HORACEK, PETER
Applicants: H H ENGINEERING LIMITED, H.H. ENGINEERING LIMITED
Application year: 1988
Main classification: B66F7
IPC codes: A47F5, B66F7