Implements or apparatus for applying pushing or pulling force – Hoisting truck – Single throw lever
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-10
2001-02-20
Watson, Robert C. (Department: 3723)
Implements or apparatus for applying pushing or pulling force
Hoisting truck
Single throw lever
C254S134000, C254S13300A
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189864
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
“Not Applicable”.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
“Not Applicable”.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to support devices for clutches and other automotive components, and more specifically to a support apparatus having a splined sleeve assembly adapted to support and align the components of an automotive clutch during repair and placement.
A lifting device for vehicle parts is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,875, to Craychee, and includes a boom that is supported on a wheeled base for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis between raised and lowered positions, a receiver mounted on a distal end of the boom for receiving a clutch attachment or the like, and a hydraulic jack supported on the device between the base and the boom for permitting movement of the boom between the raised and lowered positions. The clutch attachment includes a splined shaft that is rotatingly coupled to a yoke by providing a slip fit between a receiving bore of the yoke and the mating portion of the shaft. This rotational feature of the clutch attachment allows the splined shaft to cooperatively engage the splined portion of a vehicle clutch while the clutch is attached to the vehicle. The shaft is removable from the yoke to permit many different clutch designs to be accommodated by the device by affixing the appropriately designed shaft to the yoke.
A technical problem experienced in the use of the conventional construction resides in the expense of manufacturing a splined shaft out of metal, and of mounting the shaft on the support device in such a way as to permit rotation of the shaft during use. Another technical problem encountered in the use of the conventional construction resides in the necessity of manufacturing a separate splined shaft for each type of clutch or component to be supported on the device, further increasing the cost of making and owning such a device.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to solve the technical problems left unaddressed by the prior art, and to provide a splined sleeve assembly for use on a component jack or the like, wherein the sleeve assembly includes a shaft secured to the support apparatus and a splined sleeve that is removably supported on the shaft for relative rotation to permit the sleeve to cooperatively engage the splined portion of a vehicle clutch while the clutch is attached to the vehicle.
It is another object of the invention to provide a splined sleeve assembly in which the sleeve is removable from the shaft to permit many different clutch designs to be accommodated by the device by simply sliding the appropriately designed sleeve on the shaft, rendering the need for a relatively complex rotatable shaft assembly unnecessary.
In accordance with these and other objects evident from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, a splined sleeve assembly is provided for use on a component support apparatus. The splined sleeve assembly broadly includes a cylindrical support shaft adapted to be mounted on the support apparatus, and a tubular sleeve presenting a longitudinal axis and including a cylindrical inner surface sized for axial and rotational sliding receipt on the support shaft, and an outer surface that includes a plurality of longitudinally extending splines.
By providing a construction in accordance with the present invention, numerous advantages are realized. For example, by providing a splined sleeve separate from the shaft of the assembly, the cost of producing the assembly is reduced relative to conventional constructions, and it is possible to provide several different types and sizes of sleeves for use with a single shaft such that many different clutch designs may be accommodated.
A support apparatus having particular adaptability for use with the splined sleeve assembly of the present invention includes a base, a lift arm supported on the base for movement between a lowered position and a raised position, and a piston and cylinder assembly connected between the base and the lift arm for moving the lift arm between the lowered and raised positions. A hinge plate is supported on the lift arm for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis between a raised position and a lowered position, and the support shaft is mounted on the hinge plate so that when the hinge plate is pivoted to the raised position, the longitudinal axis of the support shaft is disposed in a substantially horizontal plane, and when the hinge plate is pivoted to the lowered position, the longitudinal axis of the support shaft is disposed in a substantially vertical plane.
By providing a support apparatus in accordance with the present invention, it is possible to remove a clutch from a vehicle and then lower it to a height at which it can be removed from beneath the vehicle for repair and/or replacement. As such, it is not necessary to raise the vehicle in order to remove or repair the clutch.
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Crow Perry A.
Shirk Tony Allen
Gray Automotive Products, Inc.
Shook Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.
Watson Robert C.
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