Patent GB-1090693-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to arrangements in garages
IPC: E04H6/36
Filed: 1966-01-31
Abstract: 1,090,693. Mechanical garages. I. A. PLYMOTH. Jan. 31, 1966 [Feb. 9, 1965], No. 4198/66. Heading B8E. [Also in Division B7] A garage comprises a floor 10, Fig. 2, having rails 14 forming a track supporting a parking platform having a rack 36 drivably engaged by a pinion 35, the latter being fixed on the output shaft of a drive unit which is mounted on the . underside of a cover closing a housing 21 disposed in the floor 10. There is a row of platforms such as platforms (13a), (13b), Fig. 1 (not shown), each platform having its own drive unit at (21a), (21b), and the platforms are movable to provide a gap between any two of them or at the end of the row to give access to parking spaces (11) from an aisle (12). One or more vehicles may be parked on each platform and as described the platforms (13a), (13b) provide space for two and three vehicles, respectively. Troughs (15) on the platform each receives a pair of the road wheels of the vehicles. Each platform comprises a channel beam 16 and vehicle supporting surfaces formed by a metal sheet panel consisting of two sections 18a and 18b or 18b<SP>1</SP>, depending upon the platform width. The edge of each panel section is sloped to facilitate the driving of vehicles on to the platform. Wheels 20 support the platform on outer rails 14 and grooved wheels 17 guide it on a central rail 14. The housing 21 has a rib (23), Fig. 5 (not shown), anchoring it in the floor 10, an upper rim (22) flush with the floor and channels (24) which receive adjacent end portions of rail sections (14a), (14b) of the central rail 14. The cover (25) is secured by screws (22<SP>1</SP>) to the housing 21, is flush with the floor and has secured to its upper surface a rail section (14c) adjoining the ends of the rail sections (14a), (14b). A gasket (26) is provided between the cover (25) and the housing 21 to provide a water and dust proof seal. The drive unit comprises a motor (28), Fig. 4 (not shown), connected to a gear-box (29) and the output shaft (32) carrying the pinion 35 extends upwardly through the cover (25). A packing box (33) and an 0-ring (34) seal the shaft opening in the cover. The platform is also guided by rollers (37), Fig. 7 (not shown), which engage opposite sides of the central rail 14. To stop the motor (28) when the pinion 35 reaches each end of the rack 36 a limit switching device (39) is provided, Fig. 6 (not shown), which comprises a spindle (41) rotatably mounted in a fixed housing (40) and driven by a chain drive (43) from the shaft (32), the spindle (41) being threaded at (45) to drive a nut (46) adapted to operate limit switches (49), (50) included in the circuit for the motor. To prevent the platform being pushed out of engagement with the pinion 35 blocks (52), Fig. 5 (not shown), are provided on the cover (25) for engagement with blocks (38), Fig. 8 (not shown), on each end of the platform. Bumpers (53), Fig. 1 (not shown), are formed on the platform by the ends of the beam 16, each bumper having angled metal sheet edges. The bumpers leave a space between two adjacent engaging platforms over the major part of the width of the latter to prevent injury to persons between the platforms.