Abstract:
The invention relates to a vehicle elevator, comprising: at least one carrier with a length direction for carrying a load thereon, such as a vehicle, and a lift under the carrier, which lift comprises at least two rotating components in a single line of assembly, wherein the rotating shaft extends along the line of assembly. The invention also relates to a lift for assembly in a vehicle elevator.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/305,562, filed Feb. 24, 2009, entitled “Vehicle Elevator and Lift Therein”, which was the national stage of International Application No. PCT/NL2007/000147, filed Jun. 12, 2007, which claims priority to Dutch Patent Application No. 1032038, filed Jun. 21, 2006, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a vehicle elevator and a lift in or for such a vehicle elevator. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     It is known for such a vehicle elevator to comprise at least one carrier. Such a carrier has a length direction for carrying a load thereon. Vehicles can for instance be driven onto the carrier, or preferably carriers, of a vehicle elevator. The vehicles can then be displaced upward and then downward in order to create space under such a vehicle for maintenance and so on. For the purpose of lifting and/or lowering the carrier use is made in the known vehicle elevators of a lift. The lift is positioned under the carrier. 
     It is known to make use of diverse types of lift in such vehicle elevators. Use can for instance be made of scissor constructions and half-scissor constructions. In order to provide drive cylinders, pull rods and posts here in good and compact manner for desired operation of the lift, diverse configurations have already been proposed. 
     Reference is made by way of example to the disclosure of and in FIG. 7 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,451. 
     Diverse assembly elements are here provided on the underside of a carrier or wheel track. Each set of assembly elements serves to enclose therebetween an outer end of an element of the lift, such as a pull rod or a drive cylinder. Each outer end of each of these components must be bearing-mounted between the set of assembly elements, which in the known configuration takes the form of a steel plate or side plate welded on the underside of the wheel track. Furthermore, each outer end of these components must be movable or rotatable in a full range of movement. 
     Such a configuration has drawbacks. 
     Such drawbacks are for instance high vertical and horizontal forces on the assembly elements. The cylinder force can for instance amount to more than 40 tonnes, while the vertical load resting on the elevator is less than 10 tonnes. All assembly elements are individually loaded by this high load, whereby heavy wheel track reinforcements are necessary for attachment to the wheel track. In the existing embodiment this takes place by welding the assembly elements individually to the underside of the wheel track, wherein great specialist efforts are required to ensure alignment. 
     It is for instance necessary for many bearings to be provided for individual bearing-mounting of each of the outer ends of the diverse components of which the lift can consist. Many assembly operations also have to be performed in this respect for assembly of the vehicle elevator in question. There is moreover a further drawback that the sets of assembly elements are also aligned very precisely, this requiring great professional skill from for instance a welder for the purpose of arranging the assembly elements. It is the case here that each set of bearings for each outer end of the components must be sufficiently heavy to allow (rotation) movements of the components within a full range of movement under the heavy loading thereof. This results in a high degree of wear, since this wear is related to movement distances multiplied by the magnitude of the load. 
     The present invention has for its object to obviate, or at least reduce, the drawbacks of a configuration according to the known art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Provided for this purpose according to the present invention is a vehicle elevator and a lift therefor, wherein the lift comprises at least two rotating components in at least one line of assembly. The rotating components are mounted together on a bearing-mounted rotation shaft extending along the line of assembly. 
     It is thus possible, instead of using diverse sets of assembly elements, to make use of a single set of assembly elements and associated bearing for the purpose of assembling the lift and the carrier, particularly by means of the rotation shaft. Only vertical loading forces are thus generated, this being favourable for the durability of the vehicle elevators according to the present invention. In addition, a great deal of time and money is saved in assembly, and errors in the alignment of sets of assembly elements can be avoided. 
     The invention has diverse preferred embodiments as defined in the dependent claims. 
     Already stated is that the lift is possibly a half-scissor construction. Use can be made therein of extensible drive elements and pull rods, preferably in combination with a post. It is possible here in very simple and elegant manner to design the extensible drive elements as a drive cylinder. This is for instance a hydraulic cylinder. 
     In a particularly advantageous preferred embodiment the vehicle elevator according to the present invention can have the feature that a slide block is arranged on the outer end of the post directed toward the carrier. Such a slide block can be enclosed in a profile or in a guide track which can be provided on the underside of the carrier for the purpose of guiding the movement of the relevant end of the post. Such a guide track will then be located at a distance from the line of assembly or the rotation shaft. It is however hereby possible to make a subassembly which substantially comprises only the lift. Other measures can however also be taken for this purpose. The slide blocks can in any case be inserted into the guide track and the rotation shaft having the at least two rotating components thereon can then be coupled to the carrier, preferably via the assembly elements to which the rotation shaft can then be coupled. Particularly when the guide track is here open at the outer end directed towards the line of assembly, a slide block can be readily inserted into the guide track at the relevant outer end of the post. A simple assembly can thus be realized. A lift can also be easily exchanged or replaced in a configuration according to the invention. 
     In yet another preferred embodiment one, or more than one, bearing block is arranged pre-mounted on either side of the rotation shaft. This also contributes toward being able to provide a subassembly which can form the lift for the vehicle elevator. A particular advantage of such a subassembly is that exchanging a lift can also take place in simple manner by detaching the rotation shaft and subsequently disassembling the vehicle elevator simply by sliding it out. A new lift can then be placed and mounted once again as subassembly so that the vehicle elevator can then be quickly taken into use again. Only the rotation shaft need be fixed again; the slide blocks need only be pushed or inserted into the guide tracks. 
     This further results in great freedom in assembling a vehicle elevator from one, or more than one, carrier and in herein choosing a lift with a desired lifting height suitable under the circumstances of use. Any random desired lift can then be mounted under any carrier. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a better understanding of the present invention a specific embodiment thereof will be described hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings the same or similar parts and components are designated with the same reference numerals. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a vehicle elevator according to the present invention in operation; 
         FIG. 2  shows a detail of a lift of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 3  shows a cross-sectional view through a carrier with a lift thereunder in a collapsed position of the vehicle elevator in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a vehicle elevator  1 . Vehicle elevator  1  is placed on a ground surface  2  using a number of feet  3 . 
     A post  4  is mounted on each of the feet  3 . Each post  4  comprises an assembly of two profiles  8  per post  4  with a small space between profiles  8 . Posts  4  are arranged pivotally on feet  3 . Pairs of posts  4  support in each case per couple a carrier designed as wheel track  5 . Two wheel tracks  5  are thus provided in vehicle elevator  1 . 
     A car  6  or other vehicle can drive onto wheel tracks  5  when wheel tracks  5  are situated on ground surface  2 . Wheel tracks  5  must for this purpose be displaced downward relative to the situation shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     Use is made for this purpose of the lifts designed as half-scissor constructions  7 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a single half-scissor construction  7  together with a part of wheel track  5  which is shown in broken lines and under which the half-scissor construction  7  is arranged. The post  4  of the half-scissor construction  7  comprises the individual profiles  8  which are each mounted pivotally on feet  3 . A limited space is thus available between profiles  8 . Mounted in this space between profiles  8  of post  4  is a rotation shaft  9  on which engages a drive element in the form of hydraulic cylinder  10 . At the opposite end hydraulic cylinder  10  is fixedly mounted on a rotation shaft  11  which extends between two mounting plates  12  and is connected thereto by means of bearings  11 . 
     Two pull rods  13  are arranged rotatably on the same rotation shaft  11  on either side of cylinder  10 . Pull rods  13  extend from rotation shaft  11  to mounting points  14  on profiles  8  of post  4 . Pull rods  13  are bearing-mounted in mounting points  14 . 
     Because pull rods  13  are bearing-mounted on rotation shaft  11 , the range of movement thereof relative to shaft  11  is considerably smaller, and lighter bearings can be applied in combination therewith than in the case that pull rods  13  are mounted between side plates or plates (the full range of movement). During rotation about the rotation shaft the bearings are for instance rotated not through 55° but only through for instance 15°. 
     Slide blocks  15  are arranged on the outer ends of profiles  8  of post  4  opposite feet  3 . Slide blocks  15  drop into mutually opposite profiles  16  forming C-shaped or L-shaped guide tracks. Profiles  16  can be arranged, in particular welded, against or on the surfaces of L-shaped profiles  20  directed toward each other. 
     Slide blocks  15  are reciprocally slidable along the maximal length of profiles  16 . 
     When hydraulic cylinder  10  is energized and hydraulic fluid is fed thereto, the distance between rotation shaft  11  and rotation shaft  9  is made larger, while the distance between rotation shaft  11  and mounting points  14  remains the same. The post is thus forced to rotate about rotation points in feet  3 , the post rotates about mounting points  14  and slide blocks  15  slide in guide tracks  16 , to the left in the drawing of  FIG. 2 . 
     The position of the half-scissor construction  7  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  is thus reached. If cylinder  10  is then allowed to be emptied again, for instance under the influence of the weight of vehicle elevator  1 , optionally with a vehicle  6  thereon, the collapsed position is reached with wheel track  5  close to the ground surface, or even flat against it. 
     A cross-sectional view of a further developed embodiment is shown in  FIG. 3  in such a collapsed position of vehicle elevator  1 . This shows the compact manner in which a vehicle elevator  1  designed according to the present invention, in particular a half-scissor construction  7  thereof, can be folded down. 
     Cylinder  10  is arranged fixedly on rotation shaft  11 . In addition, locks  17  are arranged. These enclose pull rods  13 , each against a bearing block  18 , for rotation about rotation shaft  11 . Bearing blocks  18  are arranged against supports  19 , of which the mounting plates  12  described above with reference to  FIG. 2  can form part and which are fixed under wheel track  5 , for instance by being welded against side profiles  20  of wheel track  5 . 
       FIG. 3  further shows the profiles  8 , in particular tubular profiles, which form posts  4 . At a distance therebehind can also be seen a strengthening element  21 , which is also shown in  FIG. 2 . This strengthening element  21  extends between side wall profiles  20  of wheel track  5 . 
     Further shown is that extension pieces  22  are arranged on tubular profiles  8 , between which pieces runs a connecting shaft  23 . This is however only optional; profiles  8  can also continue as far as slide blocks  15 . 
     The slide blocks  15 , which are not shown in detail in  FIG. 3 , are arranged on the outer end of tubular profiles  8  shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     The configuration shown in more detail in  FIG. 2 , and in particular in  FIG. 3 , comprises half-scissor constructions  7  which can serve as subassembly. This means that only the rotation shaft  11  and the coupling of posts  4  to feet  3  have to be released to enable release of a lift formed by such a half-scissor construction  7  for maintenance or replacement. The reverse is also the case, that assembly of a thus formed lift can be effected in simple manner. For this purpose slide blocks  15  have to be guided into the guide tracks formed as L- or C-profiles  16 , whereafter rotation shaft  11  and the connection to feet  3  can be energized or created for mounting of the half-scissor construction  7 . 
     Additionally or alternatively, an embodiment which is very favourable in respect of assembly can be provided in which adjusting plates (not shown) can be arranged transversely under the wheel track  5  or carrier. Such adjusting plates are preferably arranged in the vicinity of rotation shafts  11  at the outer ends of wheel track  5 . It is important that the adjusting plates are placed and mounted or welded as well as possible transversely of the lengthwise direction of wheel track  5 . The adjusting plates can then serve as alignment for side wall profiles  20  of wheel track  5  where these side wall profiles  20  are positioned so as to lie against the adjusting plates which are then arranged at the outer ends of wheel track  5 , whereafter side wall profiles  20  can be fixed under wheel track, in particular welded thereto. The C-shaped or L-shaped profiles  16  can then be placed or welded relative to side wall profiles  20 , as can supports  19 , in order to have bearing blocks  18  lie against supports  19  and then fix these supports. Supports  19  can also be omitted so that—in the absence thereof—the bearing blocks can be mounted directly against the adjusting plates, for which purpose it may be found necessary to modify the dimensioning of the bearing blocks. This results in a very advantageous manner of assembling the wheel tracks, and at the same time a certain alignment of the elements thereof for accommodation therein of the lift. 
     More alternative and many additional embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention, although only one specific embodiment has been described in the foregoing with reference to that shown in the accompanying drawing. These additional and alternative embodiments must all be deemed as lying within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. It is thus possible to use a full scissor construction instead of a half-scissor construction  7 . It is however the case here that more floor area under vehicle elevator  1  is used to create or provide the same number of lifts. The driving can be realized in random manner other than by using hydraulic cylinder  10 . It is thus possible for use to be made of an electric motor, for instance in combination with a jack or other similar construction.  FIG. 1  shows that feet are used on a ground surface as structural base for the lifts of the vehicle elevator. It is on the other hand also possible within the scope of the invention to recess such bases into the ground surface. Tubular profiles  8  can be further strengthened, particularly with a connecting beam therebetween for the purpose of holding the profiles  8  parallel, which beam can be arranged particularly above the mounting points  14  in  FIG. 2 . Strengthening can also be arranged at rotation shaft  9  and/or at mounting points  14 . This lies within the reach of the skilled person, and depends on the desired strength of tubular profiles  8  or posts  4  in the light of the loading thereof when a vehicle is located on the vehicle elevator.  FIG. 2  already shows schematically a lock in the form of rods extending along cylinder  10  and having mutually engaging toothings. Such a lock can be provided in the shown manner or in other random manner. Kinematic reversal of the fixed and rotatable connections of the cylinder and the pull rod(s) to rotation shaft  11  is further possible, i.e. the pull rod(s) will then be arranged fixedly on shaft  11  and the cylinder is mounted for rotation round and on shaft  11  within a relatively small range compared to the known art.