Apparatus for transferring a motor vehicle in a multistory parking lot

• US 5,286,156 A
• Filed: 08/20/1992
• Issued: 02/15/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: JFE Engineering Corporation (JFE Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: NKK Corporation (JFE Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Hirofumi, Takeuchi, Haruki, Ikenouchi, Terumasa, Okabe, Niro
• Primary Examiner(s): Huppert, Michael S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KEENAN, JAMES W
• Application Number:
  US07/932,779
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 414/253, 414/255, 414/256, 414/259, 414/260, 414/232, 414/241
• US Class Current: 414/256
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 6/183 without transverse movement of the car after leaving the transfer means

Abstract

An apparatus for transferring a motor vehicle of a multistory parking lot comprises a main carriage which moves under a motor vehicle and carries the motor vehicle, and a first small carriage and a second small carriage, both of which are movably positioned at the forward and rearward portions, respectively, of the main carriage in a direction of movement of the main carriage. Two pairs of swing arms are mounted on each of the first small carriage and the second small carriage, which swing horizontally from the direction of movement of the carriages to a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the carriages, and between which front and rear wheels of the motor vehicle are engaged respectively and which raise the front and rear wheels and thereby raise the motor vehicle.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transferring a motor vehicle in a multistory parking lot, comprising:

a main carriage which is movable to a position under a motor vehicle, and which carries the motor vehicle;

a first small carriage and a second small carriage, both of which are movably positioned at forward and rearward positions, respectively, on said main carriage, and which are movable relative to said main carriage in a direction of movement of said main carriage;

two pairs of rotating shafts mounted on each of said first small carriage and said second small carriage;

two pairs of swing arms mounted on respective said pairs of said rotating shafts on each of said first small carriage and said second small carriage, said two pairs of swing arms of each of said small carriages being swingable horizontally from a first position in a direction of movement of said main carriage to a second position substantially perpendicular to said direction of movement of said main carriage, and between which front and rear wheels of the motor vehicle are engaged respectively when said swing arms are in said second position, said swing arms in said second position pressing against the respective wheels to thereby raise the front and rear wheels of the motor vehicle;

two pairs of fan-shaped spur gears mounted on respective said pairs of said rotating shafts of each said carriage, with the fan-shaped spur gears of each pair coacting with each other so as to simultaneously rotate each corresponding pair of swing arms oppositely relative to each other; and

driving means, associated with each said carriage, for rotatably driving said rotating shafts, each said driving means including one worm, and two worm gears mounted on each of said small carriages, one said worm gear being mounted on one rotating shaft of a pair of rotating shafts, and the other said worm gear being mounted on one rotating shaft of the other pair of rotating shafts of each small carriage, and the worm on each small carriage being engaged with said worm gears of the same small carriage so as to provide simultaneous rotation of said two pairs of swing arms of each small carriage upon rotation of the respective said worm.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said swing arms each include an arm shaft and holding means for engaging and holding a motor vehicle wheel, said holding means being freely rotatable around said arm shafts.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

means for moving at least one of said first small carriage and said second small carriage relative to said main carriage in a direction of movement of said main carriage; and

means for adjusting a distance between a center of a pair of front ones of said swing arms and a center of a pair of rear ones of said swing arms to correspond to a distance between a shaft of front motor vehicle wheels and a shaft of rear motor vehicle wheels.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said swing arms each include an arm shaft and holding means for engaging and holding a motor vehicle wheel, said holding means being freely rotatable around said arm shafts.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a mother carriage on which said main carriage is movably mounted, said main carriage being movable relative to said mother carriage.