Device to lift the wheels of a vehicle off the ground

Abstract: The subject of the present invention is a device which consist of metal plate moulded in the shape of fan with an eccentric external perimeter; this element is installed on the hub of each wheel of vehicle, using special accessories; it is placed on the outside of the tire, with the portion presenting the shortest radius positioned close to the ground; the veicle is then moved until the device is positioned with the part presenting the longest radius perpedicular to the ground; once the device had reached this position ,the radius perpendicular to the ground is longer than the radius of the wheel, meaning that the motor vehicle is no longer resting o.n the wheels but on the device

Description: Scope of the invention The subject of the present invention is a device which, when applied to the hub of the wheels of the vehicle, makes it possible to lift the wheels a few centimetres off the ground, placing the weight of the vehicle on the device, simply by moving the vehicle a few centimetres forward or backward of the position in which the device has been installed. State of the art It is common knowledge that, if a motor vehicle remains stationary for a lengthy period of time, then the wheel tends to deform the tires at the point where these last rest on the ground; in such cases, when the motor vehicle is placed back in operation with the deformed tires, the driving proves uncomfortable, on account of vibrations, in addition to which safety is diminished. The solution currently adopted to avoid this inconvenience involves lifting the vehicle onto specially designed racks, so that the weight does not rest on the tires; obviously, this solution is particularly bothersome, given that, every time the vehicle must be used, it is necessary to lift it with a jack in order to remove the racks, and then perform the operation in reverse the operation when the vehicle must remain stationary for a period of time; this solution also entails the risk of damaging the vehicle if the lifting operation and the positioning of the racks are not performed with sufficient skill. The problem is of significant interest, given that it involves all motor vehicles equipped with tires and used intermittently, such as campers, certain commercial vehicles, trailers and historic automobiles, or automobiles used only in certain periods of the year, such as convertibles. Various attempts have been made over the years to implement devices suitable to lift vehicles in a simple , safe and fast manner , but they have not given the desired results owing to the complexity of the systems that have been conceived and the difficulties being met in making them operational.An example of such an attempt is described in the French patent N° 976.629 which describes a system to lift the wheels of a vehicle based on the presence, on each axis to be raised , of a couple of wedges having a circular sector that may oscillate around the axis on which they are mounted . Each circular sector features a flat section that acts as the bearing surface on the ground . The curved part is eccentric with respect to the axis of rotation and is preferably fitted, with gears to increase its adhesion to the ground. In order to operate the lifting device there are braces comprising a lever fixed onto the chassis and an articulated bar that is set on the circular sector. By pulling the bar , the circular sector rotates until it gets to the vehicle lifting position , i.e. with the flat section resting on the ground. As an alternative , the rotation of the circular sectors may be obtained through a worm screw that fits in a geared circular body that forms an integral part of the circular sector. The device described in said document features a few drawbacks, like the fact that it needs to be permanently installed on the vehicle and that it requires stationary levels and braces that besides being rather complex , also need to be permanently installed on the vehicle . The solutions are definitely unacceptable for today's vehicles , even on account of safety reasons. Description of the invention The subject of the present invention is an assembly of wheels of a stationary vehicle and devices for lifting the wheels of said stationary vehicle including a device which, when applied to the hub of the wheel of the vehicle, makes it possible to raise the vehicle a number of centimetres from the ground, placing the weight of the motor vehicle on the device, simply by moving the vehicle a few centimetres forward or backward of the position in which the device has been installed. Based on the present model, the device consists of a metal plate moulded in the shape of a fan, with an eccentric external perimeter; this element is installed on the hub of each wheel of the vehicle, using special accessories; it is placed on the outside of the tire, with the portion presenting the shortest radius positioned close to the ground; the vehicle is then moved until the device is positioned with the part presenting the longest radius perpendicular to the ground; once the device has reached this position, the radius perpendicular to the ground is longer than the radius of the wheel, which runs from the hub to the outer circumference of the tires, meaning that the motor vehicle is no longer resting on the wheels but on the device. The device, as briefly described, is built from steel or another suitable material and is equipped with a series of reinforcements arranged in a spoke pattern, running from the hub towards the exterior, up the internal wall of the support surface on which the weight of the vehicle rests, in such a way that the weight of the vehicle is equally distributed, discharging itself in the best way possible on the hub of the vehicle. The device, at the point where it attaches to the vehicle, is equipped with a central slot and with a series of holes, placed at a short distance from one another, which allows correct positioning, based on the diameter of the wheel; there are also accessories which enable this attachment, including special bolts, a plate with a toothed hub that engages with the toothed cylindrical element found in the internal side of a second plate attached to this element; and there are bolts and safety stops. Brief description of the drawings The features briefly described up to this point can be better understood from the detailed description which follows and which refers to the enclosed drawings; namely: Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a wheel with the device in position but not in operation; Figure 2 shows a view similar to that in figure 1, but with the device in the operating position; Figure 3 is the exploded version of figure 2; Figure 4 is a side view of alL the elements which make up the device; Figure 5 is a front view of the internal side of the plate; Figure 6 is a front view of the external side of the plate; Figure 7 is a view of the toothed female support; Figure 8 is axonometric view of the toothed female support shown in figure 7; Figure 9 is a front view of the toothed plate for the attachment of the wheel; Figure 10 is axonometric view of the plate shown in figure 9; Figure 11 is a side view of the plate for attachment to the wheel; Figure 12 is an axonometric view of the fixing bolt for attachment with a lever; Figure 13 is a side view of the bolt shown in figure 12; Figure 14 is a cross-section of the element used to lift the wheel; Figure 15 shows an axonometric view of the outer side of the attachment plate; Figure 15a shows a rear view of the plate that appears in figure 15; Figure 15b shows a detail of the toothed element shown in figure 15; Figure 16 shows an axonometric view of the plate for attaching the device, based on a variation installed on a wheel; Figure 17 shows a front view of a different embodiment of the attachment plate that appears in figure 15; Figure 17a shows a detail of a bolt inserted in the larger-size hole on the attachment plate, according to figure 17; Figure 17b shows an axonometric view of the attachment plate, with the detail of the bolt inserted on the larger-size hole found in the plate according to figure 17; Figure 17c shows a detail of a bolt for attachment of the plate to the hub of the wheel, according to figure 17; Figure 18 shows a perspective view illustrating a different embodiment of the lifting device installed on a wheel; Figure 18a shows an axonometric view of the lifting device installed on a wheel according to figure 18; Figure 18b shows a front view of the lifting device installed on a wheel according to figure 18; Figure 19 shows an enlarged view of figure 18a; Figure 20 shows an axonometric view of the device based on the stop without a lever; Figure 21 shows a detail of the lifting device, based on a different embodiment. Detailed description of a preferred design With regard to the above drawings, and in particular figures 1 through 14, the device for lifting the wheels of a vehicle from the ground consists of a part (1) that supports the vehicle, the part (1) being made of metal and moulded in a fan shape, with an external edge (2) that is asymmetric in relation to the centre; in practice, this element functions as an eccenter, making it possible to vary the distance of the hub from the ground, depending on the position it is given. If figures 1 and 2 are compared, it can be noted that, in figure 1, the device does not touch the ground, while, in figure 2, it is the wheel that does not touch the ground. The main element of the device is the lifting part (1), which, as mentioned earlier, is made of extremely resistant metal, and has an edge (2) whose width is capable of stably supporting the weight of the vehicle lifted. A series of stiffening elements (3) contributes to the solidity of the edge (2), in addition to distributing the weight of the vehicle over the hub in a uniform manner. The device (1) is anchored to the hub of the wheel in the following manner: the bolts that anchor the wheel to the hub are replaced with bolts (3a) whose central portion (4) is threaded; positioned above the bolts (3a) is the toothed plate (5), in the centre of which is an element (6) threaded at the centre (7) and toothed (8) on its external circumference; on the plate (5) there are holes (9) which make it possible to attach the lifting device (1) to the toothed plate (5), after having positioned the teeth (8) of this plate in the toothed plate (10) as shown in figures 7 and 8 and part of the same piece with the lifting device (1); the lifting device (1) is then attached with bolts (11), and with the central bolt (14) to the toothed plate (5), after the best possible position has been found, with respect to the diameter of the wheel, using the oblong slot (12). The lever (13) which has to be positioned at the centre of the bolt (14) serves as an anti-theft device. At the point where the distance from the support edge (2) to the hub is greatest, there is an additional internal support base that makes the vehicle more stable when it is in the lifted position. As can be seen in the drawings included as appendices, and as was previously mentioned, both the female toothed support (10) and the toothed plate for attachment to the wheel, and the main element (1) are equipped with a series of holes that make it possible, in combination with the oblong slot (12), to position the element (1) higher or lower, depending on the diameter of the vehicle wheel, in this way making it possible to limit the number of models needed to cover all possible dimensions of wheels and, at the same time, allowing the owner to mount the device on vehicles of different sizes. Obviously, the device described must be installed on each wheel of the vehicle. The presence of the female and male toothed plates (5, 10) makes it possible to transmit the motion of the wheels to the device without any problem, with the device on each of the wheels being set in the same, identical position, so that, once the devices are placed in their operating position, the vehicle rests on the devices in a stable manner, without any discrepancies between one wheel and the other. As mentioned earlier, the device functions in a simple manner; the first operation is to remove the normal bolts from the wheel and to replace them with the bolts (3a) with threading (4) at the centre of their heads; next, the toothed plate (5) is positioned and attached with the proper bolts, and the female and male teeth on the plates (5) and (10) are aligned; at this point, the best position is found for the lifting device (1), with respect to the wheels, by using the different holes found on the element, plus the central oblong slot (12), and the entire device is fixed using the side bolts and the central bolt (14), which is equipped with the theft-prevention closure (13). As is obvious, the disassembly of the device, necessary in order to use the vehicle, does not require complete disassembly of all the pieces, but only of device 1, meaning that it is sufficient to remove the central bolt (14) and the side bolts (11). In a variation to what has been described so far, for the purpose of facilitating the assembly of the device, and in particular for vehicles used more frequently and for which the assembly according to the method described would prove bothersome inconvenient, given that it would have to be repeated frequently, a device has been designed that attaches itself to the wheel and that facilitates the use of the main device. The variation illustrated in figures 15 to 21 consists of a boss (15) made of steel or of another suitable material pressed in a funnel mould (15a), with a hole in the central portion (16); a gear (17), threaded in its inside portion (17a) is welded to the funnel portion (15a). The boss (15) is provided with five holes (18) along its perimeter, one of which - for example hole (18a), will be larger than the others; the boss (15) is attached to the wheel rim (20) with bolts (19) which also attach the rim (20) to the hub of the wheels of the vehicle (15) and the hub to the rim (20) simultaneously; the bolt (19) housed in the largest hole - for example, hole (18a) - attaches the rim (20) directly to the hub of vehicle, without the boss (15) needing to be placed in between. In order to make the attachment of the rim (20) to the hub more secure, the holes (18) on the boss (15) are staggered, thus making it possible for the heads of the bolts (19) to "touch" the rim (20). The boss (15) can, therefore, remain permanently attached to the rim (20) of the vehicle and be ready to hold he device for lifting the wheels (21). A female gear which has a hole at its centre and fits perfectly into the male gear (17) welded onto the boss (15) is welded to the device for lifting the wheels (21), on the portion facing the wheel of the vehicle; a screw knob (22) passes through the centre of the female gear and screws into the threading found in the inner portion (17a) of the gear (17), securely attaching the device (21) to the boss (15), which, as mentioned earlier, is, in turn, attached to the rim of the vehicle. The screw knob (22) is equipped with an anti-theft lever that functions in a manner similar to those used for gasoline tank taps. In this variation, the size of the lifting device (21) is slightly smaller than that described previously, with a raised portion (25) at the point in which the radius, calculated from the centre of the attachment slot and the external circumference of the device (24) is greatest; this serves as a run stopper, alerting the user to the fact that the device has arrived at the maximum lifting point for the wheels while, at the same time, preventing sliding of the wheels. In order to facilitate the insertion of the female gear onto the male gear (17), the external form of the latter present a diameter that is roughly 3-4 mm smaller than the female gear, making it easier to fit the lifting device (21) onto the gear. It is important to note that, when the device is attached to the hub of the wheel, the operating position does not affect the functioning of the shock absorbers, whilst making it possible to limit the length of the largest radius of the device and therefore its bulk and its weight.

Claims: Assembly of wheels of a stationary vehicle and devices for lifting the wheels of said stationary vehicle from the ground, each of the device comprising: a device (1) for supporting the vehicle made of metal and moulded in a fan shape, with a support edge (2) perpendicular to the plane of the device , and in eccentric position with respect to the centre of the wheel upon which the device is mounted, so that variations can be made , following assembly on the vehicle, to the distance of the support edge from the hub of said wheel, depending on the position taken up during the rotation of said wheel; the device (1) is equipped with slots and holes for the insertion of bolts; characterised by a toothed plate (5) whose centre holds a piece (6) threaded at its centre (7) and toothed (8) on its external circumference; the toothed plate (5) is equipped with holes (9) for the attachment of the lifting device (1) to the toothed plate (5); a female toothed plate (10), that is all one piece with the known parts of the lifting device (1), and the teeth of the female toothed plate (10) mesh with the teeth (8) of the toothed plate (5) bolts (3a) which have a central threaded portion and which replace the regular bolts of the vehicle ; bolts (11a) that attach the toothed plate (5) to the bolts (3a) that replace the regular bolts used to attach the wheel; bolts (11) that attach the lifting device (1) to the toothed plate (5); a knob bolt (14) with a lever (13) that functions as an anti-theft device and screws into the threading at the centre (7) of the toothed element (8) of the toothed plate (5). Assembly of wheels of a stationary vehicle and devices for lifting the wheels of said stationary vehicle from the ground according to the preceding claim, and characterised by the fact that said device (1) is mounted by connecting it to the hub of the wheel on the external side of each of the tires, positioning it in an identical manner on each tire, in such a way that it does not touch the ground; later, the vehicle is shifted until the device (1) has reached, rotating together with the wheels of the vehicle, the position in which, thanks to the eccentric external perimeter (2), the wheels of the vehicle no longer touch the ground. Assembly of wheels of a stationary vehicle and devices for lifting the wheels of said stationary vehicle from the ground, according to the preceding claims, and characterised by the fact that the toothed female plate (10) is coupled to the toothed plate (5), after the exact position with respect to the ground has been determined; then the device (1) is attached to the female plate (10) with bolts (11) that are inserted in the side holes, plus a central bolt (14) that is inserted in an oblong slot (12) of said device. Assembly of wheels of a stationary vehicle and devices for lifting the wheels of said stationary vehicle from the ground, according to the preceding claims, and characterised by the fact that, in order to obtain greater stability and resistance, the support edge (2) of the device touching the ground is also present on the inside portion in the area where the radius is greatest. Assembly of wheels of a stationary vehicle and devices for lifting the wheels of said stationary vehicle from the ground, according to the preceding claims, and characterised by the fact that the central bolt (14) is equipped with an anti-theft lock (13). Assembly of wheels of a stationary vehicle and devices for lifting the wheels of said stationary vehicle from the ground ,each of the device comprising: a lifting device (21) moulded in the form of an eccentric fan, with a support surface (23) perpendicular to the plane of the device; characterised by , a plate attached at the top portion of said lifting device with a side facing the wheel, a female gear welded to the side of the plate facing the wheel, and a circular steel boss (15) moulded with a funnel portion (15a) and designed to be attached directly to the rim (20) of the wheel; a male gear (17) threaded internally (17a) is positioned on the funnel shaped portion of said boss (15) ; the boss (15) includes five holes (18-18a) placed along its perimeter and corresponding to holes in the wheel rim (20); said female gear being suitable for being mounted on said male gear (17); screw bolts (19) which attach the boss (15) to the hub (20) of the wheel of the vehicle; a screw knob (22) which passes through the middle of the female gear and screws onto the threading (17a) on the male gear (17), in order to create a connection between the lifting device (21) and the boss (15). Assembly of wheels of a stationary vehicle and devices for lifting the wheels of said stationary vehicle from the ground, according to claim 6 and characterised by the fact that one of the holes (18) on the boss (15) is larger than the others, in this way permitting the bolt (19) to attach directly to the rim (20) of the wheel. Assembly of wheels of a stationary vehicle and devices for lifting the wheels of said stationary vehicle from the ground, according to claims 6 and 7 and characterised by the fact that the holes (18) on the boss (15) present a staggered alignment that allows the heads of the bolts (19) to ouch the rim (20). Assembly of wheels of a stationary vehicle and devices for lifting the wheels of said stationary vehicle from the ground, according to claims 6, 7 and 8 and characterised by the fact that the lifting device (21) presents, at the point in which the radius calculated between the centre of the attachment slot and the external circumference is greatest, a raised portion (25) which represents the maximum distance of the vehicle from the ground, as well as an element preventing slipping of the wheels.

Inventors: RICCARDI FABIO, SILEI ANDREA, RICCARDI, FABIO, SILEI, ANDREA
Applicants: RICCARDI FABIO, SILEI ANDREA, RICCARDI, FABIO, SILEI, ANDREA
Application year: 2001
Main classification: B60S9
IPC codes: B60S9