PORTABLE TWO POST AUTOMOBILE LIFT

• US 20100108445A1
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bendpak Holdings LLC (BendPak, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dannmar Incorporated
• Inventors: Kritzer, Jeffrey Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,256,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 187/218
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 7/28 Constructional details, e.g. end stops, pivoting supporting members, sliding runners adjustable to load dimensions

Abstract

A portable automobile lift includes a plurality of portable lifting columns and a portable power unit. Each lifting column includes a column base, a post extending upwardly from the column base, a lifting carriage moveably mounted on a forward side of the post, and a hydraulic actuator connected to the lifting carriage for movement of the lifting carriage along the post. Each column base comprises a respective base plate connected to a lower end of the respective post. The base plate anchor bolt receiving holes extending therethrough for receiving respective anchor bolts. Each column base further includes a pair of wheels positioned to engage a ground surface rearward of the base plate. The lift also includes a portable power unit for providing hydraulic fluid to the actuators. The power unit is mounted on a cart for easy transportation and storage.

Claims

1. A lifting column for an automobile lift, said lifting column comprising a column base, a post extending upwardly from said column base, a lifting carriage moveably mounted on a forward side of said post, said column base comprising a base plate connected to a lower end of said post, said base plate having at least one edge spaced outwardly from a respective wall of said post to form a first mounting flange, said first mounting flange having at least one anchor bolt receiving hole extending therethrough, said column base further including a pair of wheels positioned to engage a ground surface rearward of said base plate.

2. The lifting column as in claim 1 wherein said base plate includes a front edge, a rear edge, a first side edge and a second side edge, wherein said rear edge is said at least one edge and is spaced outwardly from a rear wall of said post to form said first mounting flange.

3. The lifting column as in claim 2 wherein there are a plurality of said anchor bolt holes extending through said first mounting flange.

4. The lifting column as in claim 2, wherein:

a) said first side edge of said base plate is spaced outwardly from a first side wall of said post to form a second mounting flange;

b) said second side edge of said base plate is spaced outwardly from a second side wall of said post to form a third mounting flange; and

c) said second and third mounting flanges each have at least one anchor bolt receiving hole extending therethrough.

5. The lifting column as in claim 4 wherein said front edge of said base plate is spaced outwardly from a front wall of said post to form a fourth mounting flange.

6. The lifting column as in claim 5 wherein there are no anchor bolt receiving holes in said fourth mounting flange.

7. The lifting column as in claim 1 and further including a pair of arms extending outwardly from said lifting carriage.

8. The lifting column as in claim 1 and further including a hydraulic actuator connected to said lifting carriage for movement of said lifting carriage along said post.

9. The lifting column as in claim 1 wherein no legs extend outwardly from said column base.

10. The lifting column as in claim 1 wherein each of said wheels is captured between respective inner and outer wheel plates extending rearwardly from said post.

11. The lifting column as in claim 10 wherein said outer wheel plates are connected to respective side walls of said post and said inner wheel plates are connected to a rear wall of said post.

12. The lifting column as in claim 10 wherein lower edges of said wheel plates engage an upper surface of said base plate to reinforce the connection between said post and said base plate.

13. The lifting column as in claim 1 in combination with:

a) a concrete slab, said concrete slab having at least one hole bored therein, each said at least one hole in said slab having a respective internally threaded anchor received therein; and

b) at least one anchor bolt inserted through a respective one of said at least one anchor bolt receiving holes in said mounting flange, each said at least one anchor bolt being threadably received in a respective one of said at least one anchors.

14. A portable automobile lift comprising:

a) a plurality of lifting columns, each said lifting column including a column base, a post extending upwardly from said column base, a lifting carriage moveably mounted on a forward side of said post, and a hydraulic actuator connected to said lifting carriage for movement of said lifting carriage along said post; and

b) a power unit selectively supplying hydraulic pressure to said linear actuators;

wherein

c) each said column base comprises a respective base plate connected to a lower end of the respective post and having at least one edge spaced outwardly from a respective side of said post to form a mounting flange, said mounting flange having at least one anchor bolt receiving hole extending therethrough, each said column base further including a pair of wheels positioned to engage a ground surface rearward of said base plate.

15. The portable automobile lift as in claim 14 wherein each said base plate includes a front edge, a rear edge, a first side edge and a second side edge, wherein each said rear edge is said at least one edge and is spaced outwardly from a rear wall of the respective post to form said first mounting flange.

16. The portable automobile lift as in claim 15 wherein there are a plurality of said anchor bolt holes extending through said first mounting flange of each said base plate.

17. The portable automobile lift as in claim 15, wherein:

a) said first side edge of each said base plate is spaced outwardly from a first side wall of the respective post to form a second mounting flange;

b) said second side edge of each said base plate is spaced outwardly from a second side wall of the respective post to form a third mounting flange; and

c) said second and third mounting flanges each have at least one anchor bolt receiving hole extending therethrough.

18. The portable automobile lift as in claim 17 wherein said front edge of each said base plate is spaced outwardly from a front wall of the respective post to form a fourth mounting flange.

19. The portable automobile lift as in claim 18 wherein there are no anchor bolt receiving holes in said fourth mounting flanges.

20. The lifting column as in claim 14 and further including a pair of arms extending outwardly from each said lifting carriage.

21. The portable automobile lift as in claim 14 and further including a hydraulic actuator connected to each said lifting carriage for movement of said lifting carriage along the respective post.

22. The portable automobile lift as in claim 14 wherein no legs extend outwardly from any one of said column bases.

23. The portable automobile lift as in claim 14 wherein each of said wheels is captured between respective inner and outer wheel plates extending rearwardly from the respective post.

24. The portable automobile lift as in claim 23 wherein said outer wheel plates are connected to respective side walls of the respective post and said inner wheel plates are connected to a rear wall of the respective post.

25. The portable automobile lift as in claim 23 wherein lower edges of said wheel plates engage an upper surface of said base plate to reinforce the connection between the respective post and the respective base plate.

26. The portable automobile lift as in claim 14 wherein said power unit is mounted on a cart for portability.

27. The portable automobile lift as in claim 26 wherein said power unit includes an AC electric motor driving a hydraulic pump and a reservoir for hydraulic fluid.

28. The portable automobile lift as in claim 14 and further including a flow divider for dividing flow from said power unit between said plurality of lifting columns.

29. The portable automobile lift as in claim 28 wherein said flow divider is a rotary gear flow divider.

30. The portable automobile lift as in claim 14 in combination with:

a) a concrete slab, said concrete slab having a plurality of holes bored therein, each of said holes in said slab having a respective internally threaded anchor received therein; and

b) at least one anchor bolt inserted through a respective one of said at least one anchor bolt receiving holes in said mounting flange of each said lifting column, each said at least one anchor bolt being threadably received in a respective one of said anchors.