Coordinated lift system

• US RE41,554 E1
• Filed: 08/04/2005
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gray Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Gray Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Baker, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Benson; Walter
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLON SANTANA, EDUARDO
• Application Number:
  US11/197,724
• Time in Patent Office: 1,846 Days
• Field of Search: 187/224, 187/226, 187/227, 187/233, 187/249, 187/250, 187/247, 187/210
• US Class Current: 187/247
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 3/46 Combinations of several jacks with means for interrelating lifting or lowering movements
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 7/20 by several jacks with means for maintaining the platforms horizontal during movement

Abstract

A lift system that coordinates the raising and lowering of a vehicle relative to a surface by using wireless communications is provided. The lift system includes at least two lift mechanisms each having a post, a carriage, an actuating device and a control device. The carriage is slidably coupled to the post and is adapted to support a portion of the vehicle. The actuating device is coupled with the carriage and is capable of moving the carriage relative to the post. The control device is coupled with the actuating device and is capable of communicating by wireless signals with the other control device. The control devices communicate by wireless signals to coordinate the movement of the carriages relative to the posts to raise or lower the vehicle. Further, a rechargeable battery may provide power to the control device to allow for increased mobility of the lift system.

Claims

1. A lifting device for moving a vehicle relative to a surface, said lifting device comprising:

at least two posts;

a carriage slidably coupled to each of said posts, each of said carriages being adapted to support a portion of the vehicle;

an actuating device coupled with each of said carriages, each of said actuating devices being capable of moving said carriage relative to said post; and

a control device coupled with each of said actuating devices, each of said control devices capable of communicating by wireless signals with the other control device;

wherein each of said carriages supports a portion of the vehicle, and wherein each of said control devices communicate with each other by wireless signals to coordinate the movement of said carriages relative to said posts to raise or lower the vehicle relative to the surface.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said control device includes a transceiver that transmits and receives wireless signals from another control device.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a sensor coupled with said control device for determining the position of said carriage on said post.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said control device includes a stop mechanism that prevents the movement of said carriage relative to said post.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein said control device is adapted to prevent the movement of one or more of the other carriages relative to each of their posts by wireless signals.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said actuating device is a piston and cylinder assembly.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said piston and cylinder assembly is operated by hydraulic force.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein said piston and cylinder assembly is operated by pneumatic force.

9. The device of claim 1, further including a power source that provides power to said actuating device to move the vehicle relative to the surface.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein said power source is a rechargeable battery.

11. The device of claim 1, further including a separate power source for each of said actuating devices that provides power to said actuating device to move the vehicle relative to the surface.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising a remote control capable of communicating with said control box using wireless signals to raise or lower the vehicle relative to the surface.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein said control device has a unique identifier associated therewith which may be transmitted with the wireless signal.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is self-contained and portable.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein said carriages are capable of operating independently of one another.

16. A lift system for raising and/or lowering a vehicle relative to a surface, said lift system including at least two lift mechanisms, each of said lift mechanisms comprising:

a post upstanding from a base;

a carriage slidably coupled engaged with said post, said carriage being adapted to support the vehicle;

an actuating device engaged between said post and said carriage and capable of moving said carriage relative to said post;

and

a control device coupled with said actuating device, said control device capable of communicating by wireless signals with another control device ;

a height sensor engaged between said post and said carriage and communicating a height measurement of said carriage relative to said post to said control device; and

a wireless transceiver coupled with said control device and operable to transmit a wireless signal to a corresponding transceiver of the control device of the other of said lift mechanisms and to receive a wireless signal therefrom;

wherein said carriage supports a portion of the vehicle, and wherein said the control device communicate of one of said lift mechanisms communicates with the other control devices device of the other lift mechanism by wireless signals including height measurements to coordinate the movement of said carriages relative to said posts to raise or lower the vehicle relative to the surface.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said control device includes a transceiver that transmits and receives wireless signals from another control device.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a sensor coupled with said control device for determining the position of said carriage on said post.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein said control device includes a an emergency stop mechanism that prevents selectively operable to prevent movement of said each carriage relative to said its associated post.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said control device is adapted to prevent the movement of one or more of the other carriages relative to each of their posts by wireless signals.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein said actuating device includes a piston and cylinder assembly.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said piston and cylinder assembly is operated by hydraulic force.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein said piston and cylinder assembly is operated by pneumatic force.

24. The system of claim 16, further comprising wherein each lift mechanism includes a power source that provides power to said actuating device to raise and/or lower the vehicle relative to the surface.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said power source is a rechargeable battery.

26. The system of claim 16, further including a separate power source for each of said actuating devices that provides power to said actuating device to raise and/or lower the vehicle relative to the surface.

27. The system of claim 16, further comprising a remote control capable of communicating by wireless signals with said each control box device to raise and/or lower the vehicle relative to the surface in a coordinated fashion.

28. The system of claim 16, wherein said each control device has a unique identifier associated therewith which may be transmitted with the wireless signal.

29. The system of claim 16, wherein said lift mechanisms are self-contained and portable.

30. The system of claim 16, wherein each of said lift mechanisms are capable of operating independently of one another.

31. A lifting device for moving a vehicle relative to a surface, said lifting device comprising:

at least two posts;

support means slidably coupled to each of said posts, said support means being adapted to support a portion of the vehicle;

lifting means associated with each of said support means for moving said support means relative to said posts; and

control means associated with each of said lifting means, said control means capable of communicating by wireless signals with the other control means,

wherein each of said support means supports a portion of the vehicle, and wherein each of said control means communicate with each other by wireless signals to coordinate the movement of said support means relative to said posts to raise or lower the vehicle relative to the surface.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein said control means includes transceiver means for sending and receiving wireless signals to communicate with the other control means.

33. The device of claim 31, wherein said control means includes sensor means for determining the position of said support means relative to said post.

34. The device of claim 31, wherein said control means includes stopping means for preventing movement of said support means relative to said post.

35. The device of claim 34, wherein said control means is adapted to prevent the movement of one or more of the other support means relative to each of their posts by wireless signals.

36. The device of claim 31, further comprising a remote control means for communicating by wireless signals with said control means to raise or lower the vehicle relative to the surface.

37. The device of claim 31, further comprising a rechargeable power source means for powering said control means to move the vehicle relative to the surface.

38. The device of claim 31, wherein said lifting means moves said support means relative to said post by pneumatic force.

39. The device of claim 31, where said lifting means moves said support means relative to said post by hydraulic force.

40. The device of claim 31, further including a separate power source means for each of said actuating devices for powering said control means to move the vehicle relative to the surface.

41. The device of claim 31, wherein said device is self-contained and portable.

42. The device of claim 31, wherein said support means being capable of operating independent of one another.

43. A method for the coordinated movement of a vehicle relative to a surface, said method comprising:

providing first and second lift mechanisms;

placing first and second lift mechanisms in contact with a portion of the vehicle;

sending a wireless signal from said first lift mechanism;

receiving the wireless signal at said second lift mechanism, wherein said wireless signal instructs said second lift mechanism to move the vehicle relative to the surface; and

moving the vehicle using said first lift mechanism in coordination with said second lift mechanism.

44. The method of claim 43 46, wherein said first lift mechanism includes a master control box, and said second lift mechanism includes a slave control box, wherein said master control box and said slave control box communicate by said wireless signals.

45. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

providing height sensors on first and second lift mechanisms; and

determining the height of the vehicle relative to the surface at said first and second lift mechanisms.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising A method for the coordinated movement of a vehicle relative to a surface, said method comprising the steps of:

providing first and second lift mechanisms;

placing said first and second lift mechanisms in contact with a portion of the vehicle;

sending and receiving wireless signals between said lift mechanisms;

moving the vehicle using said first lift mechanism in coordination with said second lift mechanism by means of said wireless signals sent and received between said lift mechanisms;

providing height sensors on said first and second lift mechanisms;

determining the height of the vehicle relative to the surface at said first and second lift mechanisms;

sending the height of the vehicle at said second lift mechanism to said first lift mechanism by a wireless communication;

comparing the height of the vehicle at the second lift mechanism with the height of the vehicle at the first lift mechanism; and

adjusting the movement of the vehicle so that said first lift mechanism moves the vehicle in coordination with said second lift mechanism.

47. The method of claim 43 46, wherein first and second lift mechanisms move the vehicle using a rechargeable power source.

48. The method of claim 43 46, wherein said first and second lift mechanisms move the vehicle using separate power sources.

49. The method of claim 43 46, further comprising operating said first and second lift mechanisms independent of one another.