Abstract:
A sliding and locking system is adapted to be mounted around a vehicle straightening bench for supporting a force applying structure. The sliding system includes a pair of spaced rollers adapted to ride on lateral flanges of a vehicle supporting beam, the wheels being mounted at the end of a transverse beam supporting the force applying structure. The transverse beam supports a locking system provided with lever arms adapted to tighten the truss beam on the transverse beam while releasing the roller from the truss beam. The truss beam is subdivided into two superposed transverse beams adapted to pivot relative to one another, one of which pivots relative to the truss beam.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the invention 
     Vehicle straightening benches usually have a force applying structure located on their periphery and are adapted to be moved therealong. Some force applying structures, such as in the present invention, are connected to the vehicle straightening bench and are provided with a system for sliding while being connected to the bench and with a system for locking the movement of this structure around the bench. 
     The present invention is particularly directed to a sliding and locking system for a force applying structure on a vehicle straightening bench having a generally rectangular pathway for supporting a vehicle. The sliding system makes use of rollers engaging a truss beam forming the Pathway. The sliding system is made of a transverse beam disposed crosswise under the pathway and extend outwardly to support the force applying structure. The transverse beam supports a locking system adapted to lock the truss beam against the transverse beam and remove the contact between the rollers and the truss beam. 
     In another embodiment, the force applying structure is supported by a pair of transverse beams, that is, a primary and secondary transverse beam. The two transverse beams are partly superposed under the truss beam, one of which is adapted to pivot relative to the truss beam so as to displace the force applying structure at an angular orientation relative to the truss beam. 
     Prior art 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,335, to Leonard Eck makes use of a force applying structure adapted to be rotatably mounted around a work rack structure for correcting and aligning misshapened vehicle frame. Eck makes use of roller means for sliding the force applying structure wherein one set applies on the upper surface of the lower, external marginal ledge of the rack structure while the other rollers 101 and 102 contact the end surface 30 of the inner and lower flange 24 to provide a horizontal displacement of the force applying structure. 
     In the above-mentioned patent to Eck, the wheels used for moving the force applying structure are automatically brought out of rotatative engagement when a pulling force from the standard to the vehicle tends to swing the force applying structure upwardly, whereby the wheels become disengaged from the outer lower flange and a flange frictionally engages the upper surface of the inner portion of the upper planar member. This automatic system is achieved when the fluid ram pushes down the leverage arm 131 which, at the same time, pulls on the chain 135. 
     Furthermore, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,335, the pin 119 of the standard 16 is provided with a pivotal movement with the base 15 but the axis of the pin 119 is located on the outer periphery of the rack structure 2 and could not allow the force applying structure to move around a corner of a substantially rectangular rack structure and around one leg of a U-shape rack structure. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is directed to a sliding and locking system adapted to support a force applying structure which is intended to move around a vehicle straightening bench. The sliding system is provided with roller means mounted to ride on an outer and an inner marginal ledge provided on the lower face of a truss beam forming a pathway for a vehicle straightening bench. The locking system is mounted on a transverse beam and provides a downward pressure for removing the contact between the roller means and the truss beam and for tightening the truss beam against the transverse beam so as to prevent movement of the transverse beam relative to the truss beam. 
     The locking system includes a pair of interconnected lever arms. One end of one arm is mounted to abut against the truss beam while one end of the other arm is provided with a wheel adapted to rotatably move on a sloping ramp so that the leverage action of both lever arms will provide the desired tightening action on the truss beam. 
     Another characteristic of the invention is directed to a pair of superposed transverse beam which can pivot one relative to the other, one of which relative the truss beam, so that the transverse beam supporting the force applying structure can rotate about a corner of a rectangular pathway of the vehicle straightening bench. Accordingly, the same force applying structure can be used to apply force along two orthogonal directions. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle straightening bench on which is mounted a vehicle and a pair of force applying structures, each supported by a sliding and locking system according to the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a top view along line 2--2 of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a front view along line 3--3 of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the encircled Portion 4 of FIG. 3 showing a side view of the sliding and locking system according to the invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a top view along line 5--5 of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a partly cross-sectional view along line 6--6 of FIG. 5, showing the locking system; 
     FIG. 6a is a view as shown in FIG. 6, in which the locking system is released; 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the sliding and locking system taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 7a is a view as shown in FIG. 7 in which the locking system is released; 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the encircled portion 8 of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 9 is a view taken along line 9--9 of FIG. 5; 
     FIGS. 10 and 11 are enlarged view of encircled portions 10 and 11 of FIG. 7 and 7a respectively; 
     FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 12 of FIG. 4. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 illustrates the general environment of the invention including a car 10 mounted on a straightening bench 12. Two force applying structures 14 and 16 are laterally mounted on the straightening bench 12 through a sliding and locking system 18. A patent application directed to the force applying structure of the type illustrated by figures 14 and 16 is simultaneously filed with the present application. 
     FIG. 2 shows a top view of the vehicle straightening bench 12 comprising a U-shaped pathway 20 around which the force applying structures 14 and 16 are adapted to slide, as shown by reference 14a and 14b and adapted to pivot around the corners as shown by reference nos. 14c and 14d. The locking system is particularly defined in FIGS. 3-6, the sliding system in FIGS. 7, 9-12, and the pivoting system in FIGS. 7 and 8. 
     The pathway 20 is essentially made of a truss beam 22 having a car supporting surface 24. The lower surface 26 of the truss beam 22 has an inner marginal ledge 28 and an outer marginal ledge 30. A post 32 supporting the force applying structure 16 is connected to the truss beam 22 by a primary transverse beam 34 and a secondary transverse beam 36. The secondary transverse beam 36 is welded, as shown in FIG. 12, to a C-shape bracket 38 in a fixed relationship therewith and the primary transverse beam 34 is pivotally mounted to the C-shaped bracket 38 about an axle 40 located substantially below the inner marginal ledge 28. The relative rotation of both transverse beams is prevented by a retaining pin 42 adapted to be simultaneously inserted through both transverse beams 34 and 36. 
     In a stationery position, the upper part of the C-shaped bracket 38 is supported by the inner marginal ledge 28 and the lever 44 of a locking system 46 is adapted to be tightened over the outer marginal ledge 30. In order to obtain a longitudinal sliding movement of both transverse beams 34 and 36, the C-shape bracket 38 is provided with a roller 48 disposed under the inner marginal ledge 28 and a pair of rollers 49 and 50 located to ride on the upper surface of the outer marginal ledge 30. Both rollers 49 and 50 are rotatably mounted on a plate 52 secured to the secondary transverse beam 36. When the lever 44 of the locking system 46 does not apply any pressure on the outer marginal ledge 30, the weight of the force applying structure on the post 32, produces a clockwise torque on the transverse beams as shown by both arrows W in FIG. 7a. The upper end of the C-shaped bracket 38 raises away from the inner marginal ledge 28 while the roller 48 comes in contact with the latter. Simultaneously, the rollers 49 and 50 come in contact with the outer marginal ledge 30 in the position, as shown in FIG. 7a. The transverse beams 34 and 36 become supported by rollers 48, 49 and 50 and can be slidingly moved around the pathway 20. As particularly shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the ledge 28 is spaced from the upper part of the C-shaped bracket 38 and the roller 48 respectively by a distance J&#39; which corresponds to the distance between the roller 48 and the ledge 28 in FIGS. 7, 11 and 10 and between the C-shaped bracket 38 and the ledge 28 in FIGS. 7a and 12. The spacing J&#39; is reflected by a substantially similar spacing J between the rollers 49 and 50 and the outer marginal ledge 30. The rollers 49 and 50 act as fulcrum between the roller 48 and the post 32. As indicated above, the locking system 46 is adapted to remove the contact between the truss beam 22 and the rollers 48, 49 and 50. Such a locking system is generally shown in the front view of FIG. 3 and more specifically illustrated in the enlarged portion of FIG. 4. The structure and the operation of the locking system can be more clearly described by referring to FIGS. 5, 6 and 6a. The plate 52 which pivotally supports the rollers 49 and 50 (FIG. 9) is provided with a pair of lugs 54 and 56 adapted to pivotally support a first lever 58. One end 60 of the first lever 58 is adapted to frictionally abut against the ledge 30 in order to lower the latter by a distance J (FIG. 6a) so that the ledge 28 loses contact with the roller 48 and frictionally abuts against s metal strip 62 welded to the top surface of the transverse beam 36. The other end 62 of the lever 58 is pivotally connected to a second lever 64 at one end 66. The other end of the lever 64 is provided with a wheel 68 adapted to move along a sloping ramp 70 by actuating a handle 72. The ramp 70 is located adjacent the plate 52 and is generally tilted in the direction of the latter. The tilt and the location of the ramp 70 is predetermined so that the rotation of the wheel 68 over the ramp 70 will pivot the first lever 58 and lock the latter in the position illustrated in FIG. 6. In FIG. 6a, the wheel 68 is at the lower end of the ramp and similarly the end 62 of the lever 58 is at its lowest position so that the end 60 of the lever 58 is out of contact with the ledge 30. When the handle 72 is pulled upwardly in the direction of the arrow P in FIG. 6, the wheel 68 moves up the sloping ramp 70 in the direction of the arrow R. This movement raises the end 62 of the lever 68 and lowers the end 60 in frictional abuttment against the ledge 30. When the wheel 68 has reached the vertical portion 74 of the ramp 70, the lever 58 is locked in the position shown in FIG. 6. In this position, both transverse beams 34 and 36 are locked against the truss beam 22 and immobilizes the force applying structure in a fixed position relative to the pathway 20. When the locking system 46 is released, that is, when the handle 72 is lowered as in FIG. 6a, the weight of the truss beams 34 and 36 and of the force applying structure 16 applies a weight W along the arrow shown in FIG. 6a and raises the ledge 30 in contact with the rollers 49 and 50. Similarly, the roller 48 comes in contact with the lower surface of the ledge 28. 
     The force applying structure 14, as shown in FIG. 2, is essentially moving sideways along the legs of the U-shaped pathway 20. In this orthogonal position, the force applying structure 14 can perform corrections on the side of misshapened vehicles such as corrections after a wheel alignment measurement but corrections may also be needed while facing the front or the rear of the vehicle. For this purpose, the present invention is additionally characterized by a transverse beam divided as a primary and a secondary transverse beams 34 and 36. The primary transverse beam 34 has a recess 76 in its upper surface located below the truss beam 22 and extending over a portion outwardly adjacent the truss beam 22. The lower surface of the transverse beam 36 rests in the recess 76 but when the locking system 46 is in a position such as shown in FIG. 6, this releases the pressure between both transverse beams 34 and 36 and facilitates the relative sliding of both of the latter beams. When the primary transverse beam 34 needs to be pivoted relative to the secondary beam 36 about the axle 40, as shown in FIG. 2, the lever 44 is locked on the ledge 30 of the truss beam 22 and the pin 42 is removed from its socket. The secondary transverse beam 36 being welded to the C-shaped bracket 38, it will remain stationery relative to the truss beam 22 considering that the upper portion of the C-shaped bracket 38 rests on the outer ledge 28. The primary transverse beam 34 can be manually pushed around the axle 40 along arrows A or B to reach a position such as shown by 14c or 14d in FIG. 2. When the primary truss beam 34 has reached a position such as shown by 14c and 14d which allows a frontal or rearward pulling and pushing action, it is useful that the force applying structure 16 be secured in a definite position. For this Purpose, the ends 78 and 80 of the legs of the U-shaped pathway 20 are provided with apertures 82, 84, 86 and 88 and locating pins 98 and 100 adapted to be inserted in two of the apertures 82-88 (see FIG. 8). The distance between two of the apertures 82-88 are adapted to correspond to the width of the primary transversal beam 84 so that the locating pins are inserted on each side of the beam 34. The latter is consequently secured between a pair of pins while being pivotable about the axle 40. The same applies to the end 80 of the pathway 20 which has apertures 90, 92, 94 and 96 (FIG. 2) adapted to receive similar locating pins. 
     Although two transverse beams have been described in order to obtain a pivotal action around corners of the pathway, only one combined transverse beam is necessary for the sliding and the locking system perse.