Support frame for a lifting bridge with a support plate

• US 5,782,459 A
• Filed: 11/03/1995
• Issued: 07/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Klann, Horst
• Original Assignee: Klann, Horst
• Inventors: Klann, Horst
• Primary Examiner(s): MATECKI, KATHERINE A
• Application Number:
  US08/552,609
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 254/323, 294/67.1, 294/67.4, 294/67.5, 294/67.2
• US Class Current: 254/323
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 5/00 Servicing, maintaining, repairing, or refitting of vehicles vehicles adapted to carry a workshop for servicing or maintenance B60P3/14; servicing rail locomotives B61K
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 19/00 Hoisting, lifting, hauling or pushing, not otherwise provided for

Abstract

The present invention pertains to a lifting bridge for removing and installing motor vehicle components, with at least one support rail on which at least one hoisting gear is arranged, and which has support feet at both ends. The support feet of the support rail can be supported at the top edges of an opened engine compartment of a motor vehicle, wherein the hoisting gear has a flexible pulling element. To make it also possible to use such a lifting bridge for motor vehicle engines with unfavorable arrangement of their lifting straps in space, a support plate extending essentially in a horizontal plane is provided for lifting the motor vehicle parts, and the support plate has at least one coupling element with which the support plate is detachably fastened to the pulling element wherein one or more connection elements which can be fastened at different points of the support plate are provided on the support plate for attaching the motor vehicle parts.

Claims

1. A lifting bridge for an engine compartment, the bridge comprising:

support feet having means for being mounted on edges of the engine compartment;

a support rail arranged on said support feet and extending across the engine compartment;

hoisting means arranged on said support rail and for raising and lowering an object to and from said support rail with a pulling element;

a planar support plate positioned between said hoisting means and the object, said support plate being connected to said pulling element by a coupling element, said support plate and said coupling element having coupling positioning means for adjusting a position where said coupling element contacts said support plate;

connection element means for fastening to a plurality of points on said support plate and for attaching to the object.

2. A bridge in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

said coupling element is a ring bolt and said coupling positioning means fastens said ring bolt to a plurality of positions on said support plate.

3. A bridge in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

said support plate has a substantially rectangular shape and has a central longitudinal axis positionable substantially in parallel with said support rail in an initial position of said support plate;

said coupling positioning means includes an adjusting slot defined by said support plate, said adjusting slot extending substantially perpendicular to said central longitudinal axis;

said coupling positioning means also including an adjusting spindle, rotation of said adjusting spindle moving a position of said coupling element with respect to said support plate.

4. A bridge in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

said connection element means is formed as one of a draw plate, a draw spindle, a pulling chain and a pulling strap

said connection element means includes one of a support fork, a draw hook and a support hole for attaching to the object;

said support plate defines a plurality of support holes for fastening to said connection element means.

5. A bridge in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

said connection element means is adjustable in length.

6. A bridge in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

said hoisting means includes a flexible said pulling element;

said support plate lies in substantially a horizontal plane;

said pulling element is designed to be repetitively detachable from said connection plate without destroying said pulling element, said coupling element and said support plate;

the object to be raised or lowered is a motor vehicle part;

a plurality of said connection elements are attached to said support plate and the motor vehicle part.

7. A bridge in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

said support plate extends into an area of the engine compartment, edges of the engine compartment adjacent said area being unsupporting of said support feet.

8. A lifting bridge for an engine compartment, the bridge comprising:

support feet having means for being mounted on edges of the engine compartment;

a support rail arranged on said support feet and extending across the engine compartment;

hoisting means arranged on said support rail and for raising and lowering an object to and from said support rail with a pulling element;

a support plate positioned between said hoisting means and the object, said support plate being connected to said pulling element by a coupling element, said support plate and said coupling element having coupling positioning means for adjusting a position where said pulling element contacts said support plate;

connection element means for fastening to a plurality of points on said support plate and for attaching to the object;

another hoisting means arranged on said support rail and for also raising and lowering the object to and from said support rail with another pulling element, said another hoisting means connecting to said support plate by another coupling element, said hoisting means and said another hoisting means being spaced from each other on said support rail;

a safety rod positioned between said hoisting means and said another hoisting means, said safety rod being mounted on said support rail in a longitudinally displaceable manner along said support rail, said safety rod being connected to said support plate by a safety coupling element, said safety rod having means for supporting said support plate, said safety rod and said support plate having safety coupling positioning means for adjusting a position where said safety rod contacts said support plate.

9. A bridge in accordance with claim 8, wherein:

said support plate has a substantially rectangular shape and has a central longitudinal axis positionable substantially in parallel with said support rail in an initial position of said support plate;

said safety coupling positioning means includes a safety adjusting slot defined by said support plate, said safety adjusting slot extending substantially perpendicular to said central longitudinal axis;

said safety coupling positioning means also including a safety adjusting spindle, rotation of said safety adjusting spindle moving a position of said safety coupling element with respect to said support plate.

10. A bridge in accordance with claim 8, wherein:

said safety rod is pivotally connected to said safety coupling element.

11. A lifting bridge for an engine compartment, the bridge comprising:

support feet having means for being mounted on edges of the engine compartment;

a support rail arranged on said support feet and extending across the engine compartment;

hoisting means arranged on said support rail and for raising and lowering an object to and from said support rail with a pulling element;

a support plate positioned between said hoisting means and the object, said support plate being connected to said pulling element by a coupling element, said support plate and said coupling element having coupling positioning means for adjusting a position where said pulling element contacts said support plate;

connection element means for fastening to a plurality of points on said support plate and for attaching to the object;

a support element connected to said support plate and extending beyond an edge of said support plate, said support element including means for attaching to said connection element means, said support element and said support plate including means for positioning said support element in a plurality of different directions.

12. A lifting bridge for an engine compartment, the bridge comprising:

support feet having means for being mounted on edges of the engine compartment;

a support rail arranged on said support feet and extending across the engine compartment;

hoisting means arranged on said support rail and for raising and lowering an object to and from said support rail with a pulling element;

a support plate positioned between said hoisting means and the object, said support plate being connected to said pulling element by a coupling element, said support plate and said coupling element having coupling positioning means for adjusting a position where said pulling element contacts said support plate;

connection element means for fastening to a plurality of points on said support plate and for attaching to the object;

said support plate has a substantially rectangular shape and has a central longitudinal axis positionable substantially in parallel with said support rail in an initial position of said support plate, said support plate defining an opening;

said support plate includes an adjusting plate, said coupling positioning means includes an adjusting slot defined by said adjusting plate, said adjusting slot extending substantially perpendicular to said central longitudinal axis;

said coupling positioning means includes an adjusting spindle, rotation of said adjusting spindle moving a position of said coupling element with respect to said support plate in a first direction substantially perpendicular to said central longitudinal axis;

said coupling positioning means includes a guide rail means for guiding said adjusting plate in a second direction substantially parallel to said central longitudinal axis;

said coupling positioning means includes another adjusting spindle, rotation of said another adjusting spindle moving a position of said coupling element with respect to said support plate in said second direction;

said coupling element is positioned in said opening of said support plate and said slot of said adjusting plate.