Material or article handling – Wheel and wheel-type article handler and transporter – Opposed horizontally reciprocable engaging elements
Reexamination Certificate
2003-02-07
2004-05-11
Tran, Khoi H. (Department: 3651)
Material or article handling
Wheel and wheel-type article handler and transporter
Opposed horizontally reciprocable engaging elements
C414S253000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06733226
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to industrial moving devices such as fork-lift trucks, pallet movers and hoists, and more particularly to an automobile moving device for use in an automated garage system.
2. Description of Related Art
My prior patent application sited above teaches an automated, multi-level storage structure or garage for vehicles. The present invention teaches a vehicle moving apparatus that may be employed with the automated garage to great advantage. The following art is related to these subjects.
Examples of such prior art devices are found in:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,680,718 describes a multi-storied garage that is characterized in that a single lift cage is capable of serving a plurality of motor vehicle storage chambers located at a plurality of floor levels, and that appropriate means are provided for holding in position the motor vehicles to be stored in the storage chambers, whereby the motor vehicles can with the utmost safety be let into, kept in, and got out of, the garage.
Go, U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,117 describes a lift-space and multi-storied housing spaces providing on at least one side out of the left side, right side, front side, and rear side of the lift space. A three dimensional housing apparatus comprises a liftable fork unit composed of a pair of liftable forks movable up and down in the lift space, and a plurality of traversable housing forks each reciprocatingly movable between a corresponding housing space and the lift space. An object to be housed can speedily and safely be warehoused in and delivered from a respective housing space by the liftable fork unit and a respective traversable housing fork.
Shahar, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,571 describes an automatic multi-level storage structure including a building structure having at least one entrance and exit station, a main floor directly accessible from the entrance station, and a plurality of storage levels, a plurality of object pallets provided with wheels and adapted to carry objects to be stored. The pallets are movable along, and guide by, a first track fixedly attached to the floor of the levels. There is also provided at least one storage elevator adapted to accommodate the object pallets and to move between the main floor and the plurality of storage levels, and transfer platforms permanently located in the elevator and provided with a second track fixedly attached to the platform. The second track is adapted to accept and guide the wheels of the object pallet, and is furnished with a driver for moving the object pallet onto and off of the transfer platform.
Trevisani, U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,027 describes an underground circular and noncircular, parking place where vehicle parking areas are obtained and arranged radius-like on several underground stories. Vehicles are fed to the areas by a lift truck which moves vertically from ground story to the lower story and simultaneously rotates around a vertical axis together with the whole bearing column, to reach all parking areas; on ground story the lift truck is a continuity element with an incoming and an outgoing area; the lift truck consists of a platform on which an upper plane moves in two opposite directions, the plane has two pairs of chains abreast equipped with staves for motorcar supporting and hooking lists to avoid sliding; the ends of the plane are equipped with a mechanism for engaging with a corresponding mechanism in ground areas and underground spaces; the areas and spaces are also equipped with pairs of chains abreast and staves for motorcar support; a first motor for moving the plane in the two directions with respect to the platform are assembled and a second motor for rotating the chains of the plane and the chains of the parking area or underground space to which the plane is temporarily connected.
Clearly, then, there is a need for an automated vehicle moving apparatus for use with a parking facility to provide greater efficiency of operation. Such a needed mover is not taught in the prior art but is taught in the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.
A vehicle moving apparatus comprises a U-shaped, horizontally oriented, rigid frame having a transverse base frame joined at opposing ends thereof with spaced-apart, longitudinally oriented side frames. Frame wheels are engaged with the rigid frame for support and movement over a surface. The base frame and the side frames, together, define a vehicle space for placement of a vehicle wherein the vehicle is supported on its wheels. Each one of the side frames provides a proximal roller arm and a spaced apart distal roller arm. The arms are able to pivotally rotate between a stowed position within one of the side frames and a deployed position normal to one of the side frames. The arms are facilitated for adjustment of spacing between them, thereby enabling contact between the roller arms and the vehicle's wheels for lifting the vehicle onto the roller arms so that the vehicle may be moved to a designated location, for instance within a parking garage or automobile sales lot.
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method of use of such apparatus that provides advantages not taught by the prior art.
Another objective is to provide such an invention capable of economically, and efficiently parking motor vehicles within a parking facility such as a parking garage or a parking lot.
A further objective is to provide such an invention capable of fully automated operation.
A still further objective is to provide such an invention capable of engaging a motor vehicle, lifting the vehicle by its tires, moving the vehicle over a distance to a selected parking space, lowering the vehicle to the parking surface and disengaging from the vehicle so as to move to engage a further vehicle.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3160393 (1964-12-01), Councilman
patent: 3680718 (1972-08-01), Miyachi
patent: 3954198 (1976-05-01), Sedelmayer
patent: 4919445 (1990-04-01), Robey
patent: 4950117 (1990-08-01), Go
patent: 5024571 (1991-06-01), Shahar et al.
patent: 5173027 (1992-12-01), Trevisani
Gene Scott & Patent Law & Venture Group
Tran Khoi H.
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