Support apparatus

Abstract

The invention relates to a support apparatus for supporting a tool, especially a rescue tool as, for example, a spreading cylinder or the like, on an object, especially a vehicle part, which support apparatus has a frame and means on the frame for fixing the support apparatus to the object, wherein the tool is attached to the support apparatus and the latter supports itself against the object, wherein the frame 2 displays an upper 3 and a lower support claw 4 that are effective even in an inclined disposition with respect to the object, the frame 2 including the upper and lower support claws 3, 4 forms a C-shape, and the upper as well as lower support claws 3, 4 are designed such that the holding effect during loading of the support apparatus arises through the canting of the two support claws 3, 4 with respect to a portion of the object located between the two support claws 3, 4.

Description

The present invention relates to a support apparatus according to the preamble of claim 1.

Known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,522 B 1 is a support apparatus belonging to the class. The frame of this known support apparatus includes means for fixing the same to an object, e.g. to a door sill of a vehicle, said means being in the form of a lower and an upper support plate, between which a portion of the object, e.g. the door sill of the vehicle, is clamped in the manner of a vice by means of a hydraulic ram. This support apparatus has variable applicability, but through the necessary use of a hydraulic ram is very complex in a device-technology sense.

Known from DE 198 13 404 A 1 is a support bracket for supporting and shortening the support length of a spreading device. This support bracket is intended for application in the region of the transition between the door beam and the door sill of a vehicle. It therefore has the disadvantage that it can be used only at this predetermined location on the vehicle. If this location becomes greatly distorted due to an accident, the support bracket can no longer be used.

The object of the present invention consists in making available a novel support apparatus that possesses a simple device-technology structure, and at the same time is variably applicable.

The object in question is achieved in the support device according to the class through the following:

• a) The frame displays an upper as well as lower claw that are effective even in an inclined disposition with respect to the object.
• b) The frame, including the upper and lower support claws, has a C-shape.
• c) The upper as well as lower support claws are designed such that the holding effect during loading of the support apparatus arises through the canting of the two support claws with respect to a portion of the object located between the two support claws.

Through the two support claws, by which the support apparatus becomes installed in a canted position with respect to the object, e.g. a door sill, a self-holding effect during loading, i.e. supporting of the rescue tool, is achieved, which effect holds the support apparatus in position on the object. This self-holding effect advantageously strengthens with increasing load on the rescue tool. By virtue of the C-shape, the support apparatus can be attached to any position on the door sill. Thus, with respect to the location of use the support apparatus is variably applicable, and at the same time, due to the self-holding effect, additional structural measures, as for example the use of a hydraulic cylinder, can be eliminated.

The support claw usefully displays at least one narrow, elongated and/or edge-shaped bearing surface. Through this means is achieved, first, a rolling effect in order to ensure the canting, and second, an appropriate holding effect during canting.

The holding effect is increased still further through the fact that the support claw displays toothing. At the same time, a particular holding effect transversely to the main load direction is achieved. A lateral slipping from the sill is thereby prevented.

A further embodiment of the present invention consists in that the support claw in each case displays bearing surfaces bilaterally with respect to the support apparatus, in particular arranged in a so-called mirror-symmetrical manner. This results in the advantage that the support apparatus can be used bilaterally.

Appropriately, the support claw is designed as an angled rail, the mouth of which opens in the direction of the opposing support claw.

Appropriately, the above embodiments can relate to only one of the two support claws to be used, but preferably relate to both the lower and the upper support claw.

Through the fact that the upper support claw displays a bearing surface, especially self-centering, for the tool, the tool can be properly placed onto the support apparatus.

This bearing region is formed, for example, through an additional cross strut, e.g. in the form of a pipe or a bar, which preferably runs parallel to the upper support claw and which the attachment part of the tool can engage.

Appropriately, the attachment part of the tool is formed in a manner corresponding to the cross strut, e.g. with a recess or a gradation.

In order to increase the holding effect of the attachment part on the bearing region of the support apparatus, the bearing region displays a structuring, in particular individual grooves. The effect of the grooves is that, in particular, a lateral slipping (i.e. occurring transversely to the main loading direction) of the rescue tool is prevented.

The cross strut and the upper support claw are connected to each other via a common end plate, whereby a maximum stability of the support apparatus in the bearing region results.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the spacing between the two support claws is adjustable, i.e. the C-shape has a variable opening width. This is advantageous insofar as the user can temporarily fix the support apparatus through adjustment of the opening width, before the rescue tool is placed on. Also, a desired reduction of the inclination angle of the support apparatus on the object can be carried out. Moreover, the variable opening width has the consequence that vehicles having different sill heights can be grasped with a single support apparatus.

Appropriately, to ensure the adjustability of the opening width the frame is divided into a first frame part and a second frame part, the two frame parts being slidable, yet fixable, relative to each other.

The fixing of the two frame parts to each other can be designed in a non-positive manner, for example through a fixing screw, and/or positively through a stop bolt, both of which engage corresponding recesses or holes.

Appropriately, the tool displays an end piece (e.g. a prism-shaped end piece) adapted to the shape of the bearing region. The adapted end piece is appropriately embodied such that a rotational movement of the tool around the bearing region is simplified. In contrast, the risk of a lateral slipping, i.e. occurring transversely to the main load direction, is intended to be avoided.

In the following, an embodiment of the invention is explained in detail with the aid of the drawn figures. For the sake of simplicity, recurring features are provided with reference numerals only once. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective representation of the support apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a sectional representation of a door sill with a support apparatus according to the invention that has been attached but has not yet been placed in the operating position;

FIG. 3 shows a sectional representation of a door sill with a support apparatus according to the invention that has been attached and placed in the operating position;

FIG. 4 shows a representation of the support apparatus according to the invention in the initial state before the loading by a spreading cylinder;

FIG. 5 shows a representation of the support apparatus according to the invention in the initial state during the loading by a spreading cylinder.

Reference numeral 1 in FIG. 1 indicates the support apparatus according to the invention in its entirety. It consists of a frame 2 as well as an upper support claw 3 and a lower support claw 4, which together with the frame 2 form a C-shape.

The frame 2 includes a first frame part 11 as well as a second frame part 12, which can be slid against each other in the manner of a telescope in order to permit the opening width X of the support apparatus to be adjusted. Serving to fix the opening width are individual holes 13 inside the second frame part 12 as well as a fixing screw 14 provided on the first frame part 11, which screw, depending on the adjusted opening width, engages the pertinent hole 13 on the second frame part 12.

The upper support claw 3 as well as the lower support claw 4 are in each case formed as angled rails and display a toothing 6. The angled rails are here arranged such that their mouth in each case opens towards the opposing support claw 3 or 4, as the case may be. Each angled rail includes a narrow, edge-shaped bearing surface 15 [sic].

Provided in the region of the upper support claw 3 is a cross beam in the form of a pipe 8, which together with the upper support claw 3 forms a curved bearing surface 7 for the tool (not shown in FIG. 1) or rather the end piece of the latter. Provided in the pipe 8 are grooves 9 running in the direction transverse to the longitudinal course of the pipe 8, in order to make possible an additional fixing of the end piece (not shown in FIG. 1) of a spreading cylinder.

The manner in which the support apparatus according to the invention is attached to the object is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. Reference numeral 16 shows in cross section the sill of a vehicle door in sectional representation with a sealing profile 18 located on the top side and a T-support profile 19 located on the bottom side.

First, the support apparatus, with enlarged spacing between the two support claws 3, 4, is drawn over the sill 16 and then, according to FIG. 3, is brought into position, i.e. into contact with the sealing profile 18 and the T-support profile 19, through the sliding into each other of the first frame part 11 and the second frame part 12, and fixed in this position by means of the fixing screw 14. Here, the support apparatus 1 is merely fixed, i.e. no clamping, in other words tightening, of the support apparatus to the sill 16 takes place.

The position according to FIG. 3 is represented in FIG. 4 in an overall view involving the object in the form of a vehicle 15. In this position the spreading cylinder 17 engages with its end piece 20 the bearing region 7 of the pipe 8 of the support apparatus 1. At the opposite side of spreading cylinder 17, the latter rests against the frame of the window section of the vehicle 15.

The end piece 20 of the spreading cylinder 17 is here provided with a pointed recess, so that the outer surface of the pipe 8 engages the recess and a rotation of the angular position of the spreading cylinder 17 relative to the support apparatus 1 is possible.

If now the ram of the spreading cylinder 17 is extended, the support apparatus 1 cants—as shown in FIG. 5 - and, through the two support claws 3, 4, causes a wedging and thus a holding effect of the support apparatus 1 on the sill 16. In this position, the support apparatus 1 acts as an effective counter bearing for the spreading cylinder 17 and makes possible a spreading out of the door section in the manner shown in FIG. 5.

The advantages of the support apparatus 1 according to the invention are that it is structurally very simple to produce, that it eliminates the need for a hydraulic cylinder or the like, and yet at the same time any position on the sill 16 can be chosen for attachment of the support apparatus 1. The support apparatus 1 according to the invention thus represents a quite special contribution to the relevant technological field.

Reference Numeral List

• 1 support apparatus
• 2 frame
• 3 upper support claw
• 4 lower support claw
• 5 bearing surface
• 6 toothing
• 7 bearing region
• 8 pipe
• 9 groove
• 10 end plate
• 11 first frame part
• 12 second frame part
• 13 hole
• 14 fixing screw
• 15 vehicle
• 16 sill
• 17 spreading cylinder
• 18 sealing profile
• 19 t-support profile
• 20 end piece

Claims

1. Support apparatus for supporting a tool, especially a rescue tool as, for example, a spreading cylinder or the like, on an object, especially a vehicle part, said support apparatus having a frame and means on the frame for fixing the support apparatus to the object, the tool being attached to the support apparatus and the latter supporting itself against the object, wherein (a) the frame (2) displays an upper (3) and a lower (4) support claw, which are effective even in an inclined disposition with respect to the object, (b) the frame (2) including the upper and the lower support claws (3, 4) forms a C-shape, (c) and the upper and lower support claws (3, 4) are designed such that the holding effect during loading of the support apparatus arises through a canting of the two support claws (3, 4) with respect to a portion of the object located between the two support claws (3, 4).

2. Support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support claw (3 and/or 4) displays at least one narrow, elongated and/or edge-shaped bearing surface (5).

3. Support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support claw (3 and/or 4) displays a toothing.

4. Support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support claw (3 and/or 4) displays bearing surfaces (5) bilaterally with respect to the support apparatus.

5. Support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support claw (3 and/or 4) is designed as an angular rail, the mouth of which opens toward the opposing support claw (3 or 4, respectively).

6. Support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a bearing region (7) for the tool is provided in the region of the upper support claw (3).

7. Support apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the bearing region (7) is formed through a cross strut, especially running parallel to the upper support claw (3).

8. Support apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the cross strut is a pipe (8) or a bar.

9. Support apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the cross strut displays a structuring, especially grooves (9).

10. Support apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the cross strut and the upper support claw (3) lie against a common end plate (10).

11. Support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spacing X between the two support claws (3, 4) is adjustable.

12. Support apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the frame displays a first frame part (11) as well as a second frame part (12), and the first frame part (11) and the second frame part (12) are slidable, yet fixable, relative to each other.

13. Support apparatus according to claim 12, wherein holes (13) as well as a fixing screw (14) or a stop bolt are provided for the fixing of the two frame parts (11, 12).

14. Support apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the tool displays an end piece that corresponds to the shape of the bearing region (7).