Abstract:
A support stand for facilitating the repositioning of a work piece undergoing repair includes a base member in which a spindle is journaled for rotation about a vertical axis and affixed to the upper end of the spindle is a generally U-shaped yoke having parallel, spaced-apart arms between which a work piece support member is journaled for rotation about horizontal axis. A detent mechanism is provided for releasably latching the spindle in any one of a plurality of angular positions relative to the base. Similarly, a detent mechanism is provided between the yoke and the work piece support member for latching it in one of a plurality of angular positions.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    None 
       STATEMENT ON GOVERNMENT SPONSORSHIP 
       [0002]    None 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    I. Field of the Invention 
         [0004]    This invention relates generally to apparatus for facilitating repairs of unwieldy machine parts and more particularly to a bench-mounted support stand for use in performing repair operations and that allows ready repositioning of such machine parts. 
         [0005]    II. Discussion of the Prior Art 
         [0006]    In performing repair procedures on heavy and bulky work pieces, manually repositioning them to gain purchase to operating parts is often quite difficult. Most work bench-mounted vises may be used to hold a work piece but, typically, such vises do not permit the work piece to be moved without first opening the vise jaws and shifting the orientation of the work piece before retightening the jaws. 
         [0007]    An early U.S. Pat. No. 1,815,501 to Odin discloses a “universal vise” having an upright vertical rod clamped to a work bench and adjustably mounted on the vertical rod is a horizontal rod on which the vise&#39;s jaws are mounted. The arrangement is such that the horizontal rod can be raised and lowered on the vertical rod and also rotated about the vertical rod through 360 degrees. Likewise, the vise jaws can be swiveled about the horizontal rod, thereby allowing a work piece carried between the vise jaws to be repositioned relative to a worker stationed at the workbench. While the Odin patent discloses a design that allows for reorienting a work piece clamped between the screw-operated jaws of a vise arrangement, its capacity is limited by the span of the horizontal rod. Thus, it is unable to hold and manipulate all but relatively small and lightweight work pieces. 
         [0008]    A need therefore exists for a tool that can allow a work piece having the size, shape and weight of an automobile or truck differential gear assembly, often called a “rear end” or a “removable third member”, and that facilitates positioning same so that a mechanic can readily perform assembly and repair operations thereon. It is the purpose of the present invention to provide such a device. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The support stand of the present invention comprises a base member having a flat plate adapted to be affixed to a planar surface and having a tubular collar affixed to the base plate and projecting perpendicularly upward from it. Journaled for rotation within the tubular collar is a spindle having a sleeve bearing mounted thereon, allowing the spindle to rotate about a vertical axis. Also secured to the spindle is a detent ring, the ring having a plurality of recesses regularly spaced about its periphery. A generally circular bearing retainer plate is affixed to the upper end of the spindle, and joined to the bearing retainer plate is a U-shaped yoke in which a work piece support member is journaled for rotation about a horizontal axis. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The foregoing features, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, especially when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals in the several views refer to corresponding parts. 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the vehicle differential support stand comprising a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged front view of the vehicle differential support stand; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the spindle incorporated into the base member of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing the spindle of  FIG. 3  but with a sleeve bearing and detent ring assembled thereon; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a detailed view of a yoke shown in the perspective view of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the work piece support member of the assembly of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a detent member for releasably locking the work piece support member relative to the yoke. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0018]    This description of the preferred embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description of this invention. In the description, relative terms such as “lower”, “upper”, “horizontal”, “vertical”, “above”, “below”, “up”, “down”, “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally”, “downwardly”, “upwardly”, etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawings under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. Terms such as “connected”, “connecting”, “attached”, “attaching”, “join” and “joining” are used interchangeably and refer to one structure or surface being secured to another structure or surface or integrally fabricated in one piece, unless expressively described otherwise. 
         [0019]    Referring first to  FIG. 1 , the vehicle differential support stand is identified generally by numeral  10  and is comprised of three main parts, namely, a base member  12 , a yoke  14  and a work piece support member  16 . With continued reference to  FIG. 1  and to the view of  FIG. 2 , the base member  12  is seen to comprise a lower, three-legged flat plate  18  to which is welded a tubular collar in the form of a cylindrical tube  20  having a bore  22  and a counter bore  24 . Journaled for rotation within the base  12  is a spindle  26  which is more clearly shown in the perspective views of  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The shaft of the spindle has a lower, relatively small diameter segment  28 , a segment  30  of an intermediate diameter and a segment  32  of a relatively larger diameter. The small diameter portion  28  is adapted to fit within a central hole formed in the base plate  18  and pressed fit onto the intermediate diameter portion  30  of the spindle  26  is a detent ring  34 . A pressed-on sleeve bearing  36  surrounds the larger diameter portion  32  of the spindle. The sleeve bearing  36  is dimensioned to fit within the counter bore  24  of the tubular collar  20  and is held in place by a bearing retainer plate  38 . Those skilled in the art can appreciate that the spindle  26  is thus journaled for rotation in the base member  12 . 
         [0020]    Attached to the upper end of the spindle  26  is a mounting plate  40  to which the yoke  14  is bolted by screws passing through the apertures  42  in a flat, circular portion  44  of the yoke and into tapped, threaded holes in the mounting plate  40 . 
         [0021]    Turning next to  FIG. 5  showing a detail of the yoke, it is seen to comprise the circular center section  44  that is integrally formed with diametrically opposed laterally extending arms  46  and  48  that are bent, as at  50 , at a 90° angle so as to extend upwards and terminating in a semi-circular radius  52 ,  54  ( FIG. 1 ). Gusset strips  56  and  58  are welded to the arms  46  and  48  to impart greater rigidity to the yoke member. 
         [0022]    As seen in  FIG. 5 , a pair of outer tubes  60  and  62  extend through apertures formed in the end portions of the arms  46  and  48  and are welded in place. The outer tube  60  has an aperture  64  formed through its wall surface and fitted into this aperture is a detent tube  66 . 
         [0023]    In  FIG. 6  there is illustrated a perspective view of the work piece support member  16  of  FIG. 1 . It is seen to comprise a flat, semicircular steel plate  68  having an arcuate cutout  70  especially designed to accommodate a shape profile of a work piece. Welded to the plate  68  is a wall  72  that approximates a segment of an octagon  72 . Welded to the wall portions identified by numerals  74  and  76  are inner tube members  78  and  80 . They are referred to as “inner tube members” in that they are designed to concentrically fit within the outer tubes  60  and  62  of the yoke  14 . Tolerances are such that the work piece support member  16  can be made to rotate relative to the yoke arms  56  and  58 . While the cooperation of the inner and outer tubes provides a satisfactory journal for certain smaller differentials, if heavier designs are to be worked on, it is expedient to insert a set of bearings between the inner and outer tubes. Fitted into the interior of the inner tube  80  is a detent member  82 , the shape of which is shown in  FIG. 7 . It comprises a circular plate having grooves  84 ,  86  formed inward from the periphery thereof, the grooves having an arcuate profile and preferably being centered 120° apart. The detent member  82  is press fit into the lumen of the inner tube  80  and designed to cooperate with a spring-loaded detent pin contained within the detent tube  66 . A spherical grip member  88  is attached to one end of the plunger and its other end cooperates with the detent member  82  to releasably lock the angular setting of the work piece support  16 . By pulling rearward on the grip  88 , the plunger is retracted against the force of the spring so that its inner end no longer is fitted within one of the grooves  84 ,  86 , thereby allowing rotation of the work piece support  16  relative to the yoke  14 . Releasing the grip while rotating the work piece support allows the end of the plunger to engage one of the grooves  84  or  86  to lock the work piece at a selected angle. 
         [0024]    Also welded to the end portions of the arms  46  and  48  are stop tabs  83  and  85  that have a horizontal working surface  87  and a working surface  89  whose exterior angle is 120° from the horizontal working surface. Thus, the work piece support plate may be oriented either horizontally or at 120° to the horizontal due to engagement of the steel plate  68  of the work piece support member  16  with the working surfaces of the tabs  83  and  85 . It may also prove expedient to provide a means for adjusting the angle slightly to accommodate wear over time by drilling and tapping a bolt hole through the stop tab  89  and inserting a bolt through the tapped hole. A jam nut on the bolt will maintain the extent of penetration of the bolt beyond the plane of the tab  89 . 
         [0025]    A similar detent device is provided in the base  12  to lock the spindle  26  and therefore the yoke  14  in any one of a plurality of angular dispositions. As seen in  FIG. 2 , a detent tube  90  is fitted into an aperture of the base tube  20  and disposed within the tube  90  is a plunger  92  designed to cooperate with the detent ring  34  and having a spherical grip  94  on a proximal end thereof. A compression spring  96  also contained within the detent tube  90  normally urges the plunger  92  into engagement with the detent ring  34 . However, by pulling rearward on the spherical grip  94  against the force of the spring, the plunger becomes disengaged from a groove on the detent ring  34 , thereby allowing the spindle to be rotated and with it, the yoke  14  and the work piece support member  16 . 
         [0026]    In operation, the device of  FIG. 1  would be bolted to a work bench or other stable surface by suitable fasteners passing through the apertures on the multi-legged base plate  18 . A work piece, such as an automotive differential, can then be fastened by bolts to the work piece support member. The mechanic working on the differential may then set the work piece at a desired angle by first pulling on the plunger&#39;s spherical grip  94  and rotating the assembly about a vertical axis. Next, if desired, the mechanic may orient the work piece at a desired angle by first retracting the plunger contained within the detent tube  66  until the plunger no longer engages with the detent member  82  and then rotating the work piece about the rotational axis that extends between the upper ends of the yoke arms  46  and  48 . 
         [0027]    This invention has been described herein in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent statutes and to provide those skilled in the art with the information needed to apply the novel principles and to construct and use such specialized components as are required. However, it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out by specifically different equipment and devices, and be used with a variety of work pieces. Also, various modifications, both as to the equipment and operating procedures, can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself.