Steering wheel turning device

• US 3,895,545 A
• Filed: 01/02/1974
• Issued: 07/22/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lee Hunter
• Original Assignee: Lee Hunter
• Inventors: Hunter, Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, Samuel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Burke, Allan R.
• Application Number:
  US05/429,506
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 180/79.1,77R 74/494,495,625,202,203,212,209,206
• US Class Current: 74/494
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/00 Steering controls, i.e. means for initiating a change of direction of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/255 for testing wheel alignment

Abstract

Steering wheel turning device for moving the wheels of a vehicle as required during wheel testing for alignment and repair. The device is mounted on the seat adjacent the steering wheel and is adjustable to suit the spacing of the wheel above the seat, as well as being capable of operating the steering wheel whether round or oval or other out of round shape.

Claims

1. A vehicle steering wheel turning device comprising a pair of steering wheel engaging members, means operably carrying said pair of steering wheel engaging members in position to move into steering wheel engagement at spaced points of contact, said carrying means comprising a base and a platform, a plurality of screw posts fixed in said base at spaced positions, cooperating rotary nuts engaged in said platform and riding on said posts, a drive member engaged on each rotary nut, common drive means engaged with said drive members to rotate said nuts in unison and effect movement of said platform relative to said base, and reversible motor means operably connected to both of said steering wheel engaging members to rotate said members simultaneously and in the same direction.

2. A vehicle steering wheel turning device comprising a base, a platform, a plurality of screw posts operatively engaged between said base and platform, endless means engaged with all of said posts, means engaged with one of said posts to rotate said one post and activate said endless means to rotate each of the other posts and move said platform relative to said base, a pivot carried on said platform, arms mounted on said pivot and extending in opposite directions, steering wheel engaging members operably mounted on said arms, and resilient means constantly pressing said arms in directions to hold said wheel engaging members in contact with the steering wheel.

3. A vehicle steering wheel turning device cooperative with the steering wheel spaced above the drivers seat and set on a steering column directed at an angle to the pitch of the drivers seat, said cooperative steering wheel turning device comprising the improvement of operative support means positionable on the drivers seat in a predetermined position and providing a surface at a pitch angle approaching the steering column pitch angle, steering wheel turning means operatively pivoted on said support means and adapted to engage the steering wheel for steering wheel turning purposes, spaced threaded posts fixed in said support means and spaced apart, nut and sprocket means engaged with said surface and threadedly Engaged on said posts, operating means engaged on all of said sprocket means to rotate said nut and sprocket means simultaneously, first drive means engaged with one of said nut and sprocket means to rotate the same selectively in opposite directions to move said surface and adjust the steering wheel turning members contact on the steering wheel, said wheel turning means pivoting relative to said support means, resilient means engaged with said wheel turning means and urging the same to move into increasing contact on the steering wheel, other drive means having an axis aligned with said pivot for said steering wheel turning means, and means engaged between said other drive means and said steering wheel turning means to rotate said last means at any positions thereof relative to said pivot means.

4. A vehicle steering wheel turning device comprising a platform positionable in the vehicle adjacent the steering wheel, means engaged with said platform and operable to move said platform toward or away from the steering wheel, arm means operably mounted on said platform from a common pivot and extending in opposite directions, a steering wheel turning drum operably carried on each arm remote from said common pivot such that said drums are spaced from each other, resilient means engaged on each arm and normally operative to urge said arms in a direction to move said drums toward the steering wheel, a common drive operatively connected to said drums to rotate the steering wheel upon drum contact therewith, and means in the device to limit the movement of said arms by said resilient means such that with the device out of the vehicle the movement of said arms is stopped with said drums in spaced relation.

5. A vehicle steering wheel turning device comprising a pair of wheel engaging friction rollers, a pivot having a fixed position, a pair of arms mounted on said pivot and extending in crossed relation, said friction rollers being mounted one on each arm so as to be in spaced relation to each other and engageable with the steering wheel at spaced places, means to move said pivot toward and away from the steering wheel selectively to engage and disengage the steering wheel, means operative upon movement of said pivot away from the steering wheel to retain said friction rollers in a predetermined spaced relation ready to engage the steering wheel, and means to drive said friction rollers in reverse directions for turning the steering wheel in like manner.

6. A vehicle steering wheel turning device comprising a support positionable on the seat of a vehicle adjacent the steering wheel, a pivot fixed on said support, a pair of arms mounted on said pivot and extending therefrom in crossed relation, a wheel turning friction roller on each arm at an outer extremity to engage the steering wheel, motor means connected to each friction roller to drive the same in any position of said arms, resilient means normally urging said arms and rollers into wheel turning positions, means to bodily move said support relative to the steering wheel to accommodate variations in the distance from seat to steering wheel of different vehicles, said last means having a predetermined position in which said friction rollers are retracted from a steering wheel, and means in said device to stop the normal action of said resilient means on said crossed arms upon retraction of said friction rollers.

7. A vehicle steering wheel turning device comprising a fram, a pivot carried by said frame, a pair of steering wheel engaging rollers, arm means engaging each roller and supported on said pivot, said arm means being movable about and oppositely directed away from said pivot to locate said rollers in spaced relation to engage the steering wheel at spaced locations, a drive motor on said frame and having its axis aligned with said pivot, drive means extending from said drive motor axis to each of said rollers to drive said rollers simultaneously in any moved position of said arm means, and resilient means engaged with said arm means to urge said rollers in directions constantly engaging the steering wheel but yieldable to accommodate variations in steering wheel shapes.