This patent relates to car hoist systems and more particularly to a lifting bracket assembly and jack screw connector for use in a shallow pit car hoist system.
Car hoist systems may be designed or configured to include a wide selection of synchronized mechanical screw lift components, gear ratios, controls and power options. A typical car hoist system may be designed and configured to accommodate a variety of car types such as, for example, single units, married pairs and/or articulated cars. To accommodate and support the desired variety of car types, the car hoist system and components of the car hoist system can be adapted or arranged to support a wide range of lift heights, vehicle weights and dimensions.
Shallow pit car hoist systems are one type of car hoist system that may be utilized. A typical shallow pit car hoist system may operate and lift a vehicle with a pit depth of only three and a half feet (3′6″). The limited pit depth reduces excavation, construction and installation costs when compared to alternate deep pit designs, Moreover, the maintenance of the shallow pit car hoist system may be simplified when compared to alternate deep pit designs because the lifting screws may be housed in an oil-filled caisson that provides continuous oil bath lubrication to the screw and nut. This configuration protects the screw from environmental contamination and continuously lubricates the lifting screws thereby increasing the wear life of the nut and screw.
It would be desirable to provide a lifting bracket assembly and jack screw connector that may connect the lifting screws and drive mechanisms while allowing and/or compensating for any misalignment between the components.
The exemplary jack screw connector disclosed and discussed herein provides a flexible connection that accommodates lateral movement or misalignment between the lifting or jack screws and the moving components, drive mechanisms, etc. of the vehicle lift equipment. The exemplary jack screw connector is configured to transmit high axial loads in combination with a torque load to the lifting or jack screws which, in turn, actuate a lifting frame to raise the vehicle.
In one embodiment, a lifting bracket assembly system is disclosed. The lifting bracket assembly includes a motor, a pair of gear heads mechanically coupled to the motor such that each of the gear heads is coupled to a jack screw connector, a first and second jack screw, wherein each of the jack screws is coupled to one of the jack screw connectors and one of the gear heads, a first lifting bracket rotatably coupled to the first jack screw, a second lifting bracket rotatably coupled to the second jack screw, wherein the first and second jacks screws are different, a first guide tube fixedly coupled at a first end to the first lifting bracket and coupled to a first rail beam at a second end, and a second guide tube fixedly coupled at a first end to the second lifting bracket and coupled to a second rail beam at a second end.
A method for assembling a lifting bracket assembly is also disclosed. The lifting bracket assembly including a frame, a guide bracket supported by the frame, a jackscrew connected to a jackscrew connector and gearhead, with the gearhead connected to the frame. A lifting bracket is aligned and rotatably coupled to the jack screw. A guide tube is slidably aligned with a guide bracket. The guide tube has a first end and a second end opposite the first end for supporting a beam. The guide tube is aligned and fixedly connected at the first end to the lifting bracket.
Additional features and advantages of the disclosed embodiments are described in, and will be apparent from, the following Detailed Description and the figures.
An exemplary jack screw connector disclosed and discussed herein provides a flexible connection that accommodates lateral movement or misalignment between the lifting or jack screws and the moving components, drive mechanisms, etc. of the vehicle lift equipment. The exemplary jack screw connector is configured to transmit high axial loads in combination with a torque load to the lifting or jack screws which, in turn, actuate a lifting frame to raise the vehicle.
One embodiment of an exemplary jack screw connector may be designed and configured to support, for example, a tensile load of eighteen thousand pounds (18,000 lbs.) and may include a female threaded connector to engage or cooperate with two and seven-eighths inch (2⅞″) diameter threads of a lifting or jack screw. Another embodiment of an exemplary jack screw connector may further include opposite the threaded female connector, a bore for supporting a keyed rod for coupling to a gearbox. Another embodiment of an exemplary jack screw connector may further be coated utilizing a wear resistant and/or lubricating coating such as, for example, a MICROLON® 1052 coating provided by Mircosurface Corporation of Morris, Ill.
Each connector or clevis 102, 104 includes a chamfered or angled portion 112 formed at a distal end of each leg of the U-shape relative to the base of the U-shape. The chamfered portion 112 on each of the clevises 102, 104 ensures or allows for an adequate range of motion without contact relative to each of the clevises 102, 104. The combination and freedom of movement afforded between the pivotably coupled to clevises 102, 104 provides for or allows for a connection to be established and rotatably maintained between a shaft (not shown) coupled along the rotational axis CL1 associated with the lower clevis 102, and a device (not shown) coupled along the rotational axis CL2 associated with the upper clevis 104.
The lower clevis 102 may support a female threaded portion 114 for connecting to a jack screw 400 (see
The load bolt 200 may include a load bolt head 312 formed distal to the threaded portion 204. A keyway 314 sized to accept a substantially rectangular key 316 may be formed adjacent to the load bolt head 312. The key 316 may be accepted within a mating keyway 318 formed in the upper clevis 104. The load bolt head 312, the keyway 314 and key 316 may cooperate with a countersunk portion 320 formed in the upper clevis 104.
The lifting bracket assembly 500 shown in
In operation, the motor 504 may cause the gear box 402 to rotate jack screw 400. The jack screw 400 may, in turn, rotate with respect to the lifting bracket 508. The lifting bracket 508 rides along the jack screw 400 in the direction indicated by the arrow B in
In another embodiment, the lifting bracket assembly 500 may include one or more limit switches 524 configured to detect and communicate the position of the assembly 500. In yet another embodiment, a limit switch may be affixed to, for example, the base frame 502 via a wire. The wire may be part of spring loaded mechanism configured to physically and/or mechanically link base frame 502 to the lifting bracket 508. The wire or lanyard may be kept under constant tension by the spring loaded mechanism and the limit switch may be configured to detect the wire itself or a flag attached thereto. In normal operation, the limit switch may detect and verify the presence of the wire or flag. In the event of a failure such as, for example, a break in one of the jack screws 400, the lifting bracket 508 would move freely relative to the frame base 502. The uncontrolled or free movement would, in turn, separate the wire causing the limit switch to change state. The change in state may be utilized to stop and/or shut down the lifting bracket assembly 500.
It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims
The present patent document claims the benefit of the filing date under 35U.S.C. §119(e) of Provisional U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/389,970, filed Oct. 5, 2010, which is hereby incorporated by reference, and is related to U.S. utility patent application Ser. No. 12/345,151, titled “JACK SCREW CONNECTOR,” filed on Dec. 29, 2008, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
943827 | Hennesy | Dec 1909 | A |
1185199 | Hauer | May 1916 | A |
1522967 | Meyer et al. | Jan 1925 | A |
1993245 | Meron | Mar 1935 | A |
2587324 | Hursh et al. | Feb 1952 | A |
2593635 | Walker | Apr 1952 | A |
RE23687 | Hursh et al. | Jul 1953 | E |
2798303 | Sunnen, Jr | Jul 1957 | A |
2931448 | Boutwell | Apr 1960 | A |
2959395 | Strack et al. | Nov 1960 | A |
3061126 | Robinson | Oct 1962 | A |
3131631 | Haskin, Jr | May 1964 | A |
3279425 | Gottscho | Oct 1966 | A |
3309060 | Villars | Mar 1967 | A |
3416438 | Drace et al. | Dec 1968 | A |
3449781 | French et al. | Jun 1969 | A |
3687234 | Gendreau | Aug 1972 | A |
4031982 | Lindfors | Jun 1977 | A |
4050673 | Nishimura | Sep 1977 | A |
4067543 | Orth et al. | Jan 1978 | A |
4196887 | Tsujimura | Apr 1980 | A |
4272972 | James | Jun 1981 | A |
4830069 | Milyard | May 1989 | A |
4834409 | Kramer | May 1989 | A |
5372339 | Morgan | Dec 1994 | A |
5513538 | Baker et al. | May 1996 | A |
5535637 | Baker et al. | Jul 1996 | A |
5637812 | Baker et al. | Jun 1997 | A |
5920158 | Miller et al. | Jul 1999 | A |
6726435 | Williams et al. | Apr 2004 | B1 |
7131800 | Anderson et al. | Nov 2006 | B2 |
7503744 | Broome | Mar 2009 | B1 |
8052125 | Garceau | Nov 2011 | B2 |
20070200881 | Park et al. | Aug 2007 | A1 |
20080044269 | Pradenas | Feb 2008 | A1 |
20080223805 | Lichinchi | Sep 2008 | A1 |
20090170615 | Horwath et al. | Jul 2009 | A1 |
20110094830 | Lund et al. | Apr 2011 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
201 14 190 | Feb 2002 | DE |
2 584 695 | Jan 1987 | FR |
WO 9618567 | Jun 1996 | WO |
Entry |
---|
International Preliminary Report on Patentability from Corresponding International Application No. PCT/US2011/054557, dated Oct. 18, 2012, 10 pages. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20120193590 A1 | Aug 2012 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
61389970 | Oct 2010 | US |