Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to alignment tools, and more particularly to an alignment tool for positioning a cab of a vehicle in alignment with a cargo-carrying box or bed at the rear of the cab. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Cross car alignment of the cab of a truck or similar vehicle to the box has been a continuing problem, with the cab often being out of a flush relationship with the box by as much as 11 mm. Efforts to eliminate or at least minimize the problem have not been successful and have met with understandable customer dissatisfaction. Non-alignment of the cab and the box is not only unsightly but can also result in a build up of dirt along the sides of the vehicle between rear of the cab and the front of the box. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention a cab-to-frame alignment tool has been developed for positioning the cab of a vehicle in alignment with the box. 
     The alignment tool has a tool body provided with a device or holder for securing it to the frame of the vehicle. A contact member carried by the tool body is advanced a predetermined distance into engagement with a contact point on the cab to laterally locate the cab on the frame. The thickness of the contact member determines the lateral positioning of the cab. Two such tools may be employed, one to locate on the left side sill of the cab and the other to locate on the right side sill. 
     Preferably the holder for securing the tool body on the frame comprises a suction cup, with a vacuum producing means for evacuating the suction cup. 
     In the embodiment about to be described, a driver for advancing the contact member comprises a piston reciprocable in a cylinder, and a rod extending from the piston through an end wall of the cylinder. Preferably the contact member is threaded onto the rod so that the contact member may be replaced by one of a different thickness, if desired. 
     One object of this invention is to provide a tool for positioning a cab on a vehicle frame in alignment with the box having the foregoing features and capabilities. 
     Another object is to provide an alignment tool which is rugged and durable in use, and is well suited to the accomplishment of its intended function. 
     Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view showing a cab and a box in broken lines mounted on a frame of a vehicle and also showing two of the alignment tools of this invention secured to the frame and locating on the side sills of the cab; 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view taken on the line  2 — 2  in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an enlargement of a portion of the structure in  FIG. 1 , within the circle  3 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view taken on the line  4 — 4  in  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a view, with parts in section, of one of the alignment tools. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The following description of the preferred embodiment is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. 
     Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a vehicle  10  includes a chassis frame  12  having laterally spaced, longitudinally extending side frame bars  14  and  16  rigidly connected by cross bars  18 . Shown in broken lines are a vehicle engine  20 , a cab  22  and a box  24 . Both the cab  22  and the box  24  are mounted on the frame, with the box to the rear and in general alignment with the cab. 
     The box  24  is mounted on the frame  12  by any suitable means, not shown. The cab  22  is mounted on the frame  12  by several fastener assemblies  30 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , there are at least two such fastener assemblies  30  on each side of the frame  12 . Each fastener assembly  30  includes a flange  32  secured to and extending laterally outwardly from one of the frame bars  14 ,  16 . A rubber bumper  34  on the top surface of each flange  32  has an integral projection  36  that extends through a hole  38  in the flange (see  FIGS. 3 and 4 ). The cab  22  has side sills  40  and  42 , and the side sills have bottom walls  44  that are supported on the bumpers. A tapping plate  46  is affixed to the top surface of the bottom wall  44  of each side sill. A bolt  50  of each fastener assembly  30  extends upwardly through a hole  52  in one of the bumpers  34 , through a hole  54  in the bottom wall  44  of one of the side sills, and threads into one of the tapping plates  46  to fasten the side sills to a flange  32  of the frame  12 . The holes  52  in the bumpers are oversized relative to the bolts  50  to allow for a small amount of lateral adjustment, on the order of a few millimeters, of the cab  22  relative to the box  24  which will become more apparent from the description to follow. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there are shown two alignment tools  60  and  62  which are identical in construction.  FIG. 5  is an enlarged view of the alignment tool  60 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the alignment tool  60  comprises a tool body  64  having a driver  66  for advancing a contact member  68  into contact with a contact point  70  on the side sill  40  of the cab. The driver  66  comprises a piston—cylinder assembly  72  having a piston  74  reciprocable in a cylinder  76 . A piston rod  78  is secured to the piston and extends through an end wall  80  of the cylinder  76 . A threaded pin  82  extends from the free end of the rod  78 . The contact member  68  is detachable and is in the form of a flat, circular pad threaded on the pin  82 . When the piston is advanced a predetermined distance into abutment with the end wall  80  of the cylinder  76 , the pad  68  on the free end of the piston rod  78  abuts the contact point  70  on the side sill  40  as shown in broken lines in  FIG. 5 . The piston  74  is reciprocated in the cylinder  76  by fluid pressure from a source (not shown) through lines  86  and  88  under the control of a valve  90 . When the valve is positioned so that fluid pressure is introduced to the cylinder  76  at the rod side of the piston  74 , the cylinder at the head end of the piston is evacuated and the pad  68  is retracted. When the valve is shifted to pressurize the cylinder at the head end of the piston and evacuate the rod side of the piston, the pad is advanced to the broken line position in  FIG. 5  into abutment with the contact point  70  on the side sill  40 . 
     The tool body  64  has a vacuum canister  92  secured to the wall  94  of the cylinder  76  at the head end of the piston  74 . A suction cup  96  is secured to the canister  92 . The canister  92  has a chamber  98 , and a port  100  in the canister  92  communicates the chamber  98  with the hollow  102  in the suction cup. A vacuum source  104  is connected by a line  106  to the chamber of the canister to evacuate the chamber and apply suction to the suction cup  96 . 
     The alignment tool  62  is exactly like the alignment tool  60  and accordingly the parts of the tool  62  have been given the same reference numbers as corresponding parts of the tool  60 . 
     In use, at least one of the tools  60 ,  62  is applied by suction to one of the frame bars  14 ,  16  and the piston  74  of the tool is fully extended as in broken lines in  FIG. 5 . The cab  22  is laterally shifted to a position such that the pad  68  engages the contact point  70  on the side sill  40  of the cab  22  when the piston is fully extended. If any correction in the lateral positioning of the cab is necessary, the adjustment can be accomplished by replacing the pad  68  with a pad of greater or lesser thickness. The cab  22  should be laterally positioned so that the sides of the cab at the rear corners  110  of the cab are substantially flush with the front corners of the previously mounted box  24 . After the cab is properly laterally adjusted, it is secured to the frame  12  by the fastener assemblies  30 . 
     If desired, both tools  60  and  62  may be employed to laterally position the cab  22 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Technology Category: 7