Abstract:
An automotive vehicle body lifter jacking system is described which raises a vehicle&#39; body at selective heights from its frame for restoration and repairs. The body lifter has a rectangular frame made of square steel tubing having threaded apertures at each corner. Elongated, threaded jacking bolts are secured to each respective aperture for selectively lifting a body from the frame of a vehicle. The jacking system is actuated mechanically, hydraulically or electrically to raise the lifter. Wheels are secured to the bottom of each corner for mobility and maneuverability the lifting structure.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/299,453, filed Jun. 21, 2001. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates generally to vehicle jacks. More specifically, the invention is an automotive vehicle body lifter or jacking system for removing a vehicle&#39;s body off the frame for restorations and/or repairs.  
           [0004]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0005]    Numerous vehicle jacks have been devised for lifting and supporting various vehicles and portions thereof for making repairs and/or refurbishing respective portions of the vehicle. Early developments of vehicle mounted jacks are described in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,321,180 issued to Hutchinson in 1967. This particular jack is a four-poster-type screw jack system with motor driven belt tracks mounted around sprockets. As with many of the conventional vehicle jack systems herein described, complex gear, train and track mechanisms have been used to remove or displace external body loads or forces from the frames of vehicles. Consequently, these complex features have contributed to increased maintenance and repair costs over the life of conventional jack systems. A vehicle body lifter which is durable, simple in construction and easy to deploy with reduced maintenance repair costs as herein described is lacking in the following conventional vehicle jack systems.  
           [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,536,161 issued to Clarke discloses an overhead frame with four box legs extending downwardly therefrom. Each of the legs has a traveler mounted for movement longitudinally of the leg and raised or lowered with a hydraulic cylinder. At the bottom of each traveler is a wheel to support the lift when the traveler is in the lowered position.  
           [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,689 issued to Bury, deceased et al. discloses a camper body lifting device which includes wheels. The device is substantially rectangular in construction and has a support member connecting a pair of frames at one end. To each side of the frames, intermediate their ends, a pair of mechanical jacks having a rack tooth bar and a hollow post are vertically mounted.  
           [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,202 issued to Peters discloses a similar camper lifting device for supporting and lifting a wheelless vehicle mounted camper.  
           [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,937 issued to Celette discloses an apparatus for a gauge block for the inspection and/or repair of motor vehicle body works. The apparatus comprises two parallel longitudinal members having an I-section. Two cross members are disposed beneath the longitudinal members for movement along the longitudinal members by means of rollers. The extremities of the cross members carry lateral brackets outside the gauge block, and include sliding vertical arms adapted to support the base of the vehicle body.  
           [0010]    U.S. Patents issued to Peyret (4,986,107), Huckabee (5,752,408) and Tomelleri (5,016,464) disclose support structures for accident-damaged bodies and/or automotive body repairs. As disclosed in the Huckabee patent the support structure includes a octagonally shaped structure which is secured to the lateral sides of a vehicle&#39;s body for body repair. The patent issued to Peyret is directed to a lower rack assembly on wheels for inspecting the under portion or chassis of vehicles. However, the apparatus taught by Tomelleri is a synthesis of the previous two patents wherein a repair wrench operatively mounted to a base or rack assembly having a pair of hydraulic jacks mounted thereto is manipulated on lateral sides of a vehicle&#39;s body for effecting repairs or removal from the vehicle&#39;s frame.  
           [0011]    Other Patents respectively issued and granted to Stefan (U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,864), Hine (GB 456,259) and Kusanao (JP 1190535) disclose conventional lift devices which are considered to be of general relevance to the vehicle body lifter as herein described. Thus, none of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0012]    The automotive vehicle body lifter jacking system according to the invention has a rectangular frame made of square steel tubing with threaded receiving apertures disposed therein at each respective corner of the frame. Attached at each corner are respective elongated, threaded jacking bolts used for selectively lifting a body from the frame of a vehicle. A critical lifting height of approximately three inches per bolt is used for providing a predetermined level of rise of the body. The jacking system is actuated mechanically, hydraulically or electrically to raise the lifter in combination with a fixed body. Wheels are secured to the bottom of each corner for mobility and maneuverability of the lifting structure. Each threaded bolt or rod is actuated to provide a lifting height of critical rise per bolt in sequence for fully lifting a body from the frame.  
           [0013]    Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a vehicle body lifter for lifting a vehicle&#39;s body from its supporting frame for body restoration and/or repairs.  
           [0014]    It is another object of the invention to provide a vehicle body lifter which is easy to assemble or deploy.  
           [0015]    It is a further object of the invention to provide a vehicle body lifter which can be actuated by mechanical, hydraulic or electrical means.  
           [0016]    It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which are inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing their intended purposes.  
           [0017]    These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a vehicle body lifter according to the present invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2A is a partial, perspective view of the vehicle body lifter according to the invention, illustrating frame attachment to a body portion of a vehicle.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2B is a partial, perspective view of the vehicle body lifter according to a first embodiment of the invention, illustrating internal lifting features.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2C is a partial perspective view of the vehicle body lifter according to the first embodiment, illustrating a threaded aperture and threaded lifting rod assembly.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the vehicle body lifter according to a second embodiment.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the vehicle body lifter according to a third embodiment, illustrating an attachment extension.  
         [0024]    Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0025]    The present invention is directed to a vehicle body lifter for raising a vehicle&#39;s body B from its frame F. The preferred embodiments of the invention are depicted in FIGS.  1 - 5 , and are generally referenced by numerals  4 ,  5  and  6  respectively.  
         [0026]    As best seen in FIGS.  1 - 2 C, a first embodiment of the vehicle body lifter  4  includes a first lift support member  10  and a second lift support member  12 , which are interconnected by a first and second extension bar  14  and  16 , respectively. Each extension bar  14 , 16  is pre-designed to accommodate specific body lengths of various vehicle models. Fasteners  18  are utilized to attach bars  14 ,  16  to substructure (not shown) of lift support members  10  and  12 . The attachment fastener  18  is preferably a combination nut  18   a  and bolt  18   b . At each corner of the first and second lift supports  10 , 12  are substantially rectangular tube structures  10   c , 10   d  and  12   c,   12   d . Each rectangular tube is adapted to receive therein a solid rectangular post  38  whereby lift members  10 ,  12  may be adjusted up and down on posts  38 . Each structure  10   c ,  10   d ,  12   c ,  12   d  is provided with a respective threaded aperture  20 ,  22 ,  24  and  26 . Each threaded aperture  20 ,  22 ,  24  and  26  is configured and dimensioned to receive a single threaded adjusting rod  28 . The adjusting rods  28  are inserted in a respective threaded aperture and are turned in a clock-wise direction therein until the end of the rods contacts the top of solid post  38 . Further clock-wise turning of adjustment rods  28  will cause lift members  10  and  12  (and consequently  14 ,  16 ) to move upwardly on posts  38  whereby the body B, which is supported on members  10 ,  12 ,  14  and  16 , will be lifted from the frame F.  
         [0027]    The length of each threaded rod fastener  28  is predetermined based upon the lifting height range required for a specific body model of a vehicle. A base plate  38   a  is secured to the bottom of each solid post  38 . A heavy-duty, swivel castor wheel  42  is fastened to each respective base plate. The vehicle body lifter  4  provides lifting support by mechanically fastening at least one lifting member  10 ,  12  to the body B. Lifting is achieved by turning each threaded rod  28  with either mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic or electrical torque devices. As diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1, a technician T is shown operatively manipulating each rod  28  via a pneumatic wrench  50 . It has been determined that a lifting height of three inches per rod is required to adequately separate the body B from frame F for most automobiles.  
         [0028]    FIGS.  2 A- 2 C, further illustrate details of the first embodiment of the invention. In FIG. 2A, the vehicle body lifter  4  is shown attached to the body B via mechanical fasteners  60  at first and second body attachment areas  62  and  64 , respectively. In FIG. 2B, a detailed illustration of the features of the corner portion of lift support member  10  is shown. The features include a structural reinforcement member  40  attached across a diagonal of the lift support member  10  to improve overall structural stability of the vehicle body lifter  4 . Accordingly, a number of structural reinforcement members can be fixedly attached at selective locations of the lifter  4  to reduce the probability of material fracture and/or metal fatigue in areas where localized stress occurs. The method of attachment of the reinforcement members can be by welding or the use of mechanical fasteners depending on the magnitude or load of the body B. As diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 2C, structural reinforcement member  40  is shown attached along a diagonal of lift support member  12 .  
         [0029]    A second embodiment of the instant invention is illustrated in FIG. 3 and is generally indicated at  5 . With respect to lifting, this embodiment operates under same principle as the first embodiment. The instant embodiment provides for a respective vertically-apertured face plate  74  to be attached to each of the rectangular tube structures  10   c ,  10   d ,  12   c  and  12   d . Telescopically adjustable extension arms  70  and  72  are mounted to the face plates  74  and are vertically adjustable therein. Insertable pins  80 ,  82 ,  84  and  86  are employed to mount the adjustable extension arms  70 ,  72  to the face plates. First and second cross-beams  90  and  92  are fixedly attached in parallel to extension arms  70  and  72 . Hook members  100  are slidably mounted on cross-beams  90  and  92  and function as auxiliary support members  100  for body B.  
         [0030]    A third embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 4 and is generally indicated at  6 . The third embodiment incorporates a pair of vertically-apertured, spaced face plates  200  respectively attached to each of the rectangular tube structures  10   c ,  10   d ,  12   c  and  12   d . Extension arms  202 ,  204  are provided with apertured T-shaped ends for adjustably nesting within the spaced face plates. Pins are employed to attach the T-shaped ends to the spaced face plates. Tubes  206  are removably attached by pins  206   a  to partially span the distance between tubular members  12   c  and  12   d . A respective wheel well lifter  208  is attached at opposite ends of each tube  206   a . The lifter functions to fit in the wheel well of the body to enhance the lifting process. Wheel well lifter  208  includes a telescopically adjustable tube  210  which is pivotally mounted on cross-beam  206 . A chain  212  is employed to adjust and lock lifter  208  at an optimum angle. A thick, high density foam pad  214  is secured to the end of tube adjustable  210 . Pad  214  will cushion the effect of the lift to prevent damage caused by lifting stresses. Wedge-shaped plates  216  are attached to members  12   c  and  12   d  on a face opposite to face plates  200 . Plates  216  are provided with spaced apertures  216   a  along an arcuate edge thereof. A U-shaped lifting arm  218  is provided with apertured ends  218   a  such that arm  218  may be adjustably positioned on plates  216 . A removable pin is utilized to accomplish the adjustment. Although shown at only one end of the device, it is obvious that the U-shaped lifting arm arrangement could be installed at both ends if desired.  
         [0031]    It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.