Chassis straightening bench

Abstract

A vehicle chassis straightening bench. The bench includes a platform on which a chassis can be secured and have various forces applied to locations on the chassis to assist in repairing collision damage or the like. The bench includes at least one pulling assembly comprising a head movably mounted in a guide. The head is movable by actuation of a double acting hydraulic cylinder. An attachment member is attached to a holder portion of the head and movable thereby. The attachment member can be selectively secured to a portion of a chassis for transmitting force from the hydraulic cylinder to the chassis.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A pulling assembly adapted for coupling to a straightening bench, the pulling assembly including: 
 a frame mountable to a straightening bench;    a driver mounted on the frame, said driver including a guide, a double acting hydraulic cylinder positioned inside the guide, the driver further including a head moveably mounted on the guide and connected to the cylinder to effect longitudinal reciprocal movement of the head relative to the guide; and    an attachment member connected to the head for movement therewith, said attachment member adapted for connecting to a chassis to apply force thereto through movement of the head by the cylinder.    
     
     
         2 . A pulling assembly as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the cylinder is rigidly attached to the guide and to the head.  
     
     
         3 . A pulling assembly as set forth in  claim 2  wherein the cylinder includes a cylinder rod and a housing, a link connects one of the housing and the rod to the head and the other of the housing and the rod is connected to the guide.  
     
     
         4 . A pulling assembly as set forth in  claim 3  wherein the link is secured to the rod adjacent a free end of the rod.  
     
     
         5 . A pulling assembly as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the cylinder has a housing and a rod, the rod having a length outside of the cylinder when fully extended of less than about 5 times a diameter of the rod.  
     
     
         6 . A pulling assembly as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the cylinder includes a piston with a diameter of at least about 2½ inches and a rod having an exposed length when fully extended of less than about 5 times a diameter of the rod.  
     
     
         7 . A pulling assembly as set forth in  claim 1  including a pulling attachment associated with the guide and immovable relative to the head and a pulling member attachable to the head and associated with the pulling attachment such that retraction of the cylinder will effect tension in the pulling member and a lifting or pulling force to an object attached to the pulling member.  
     
     
         8 . A pulling assembly as set forth in  claim 7  wherein the pulling attachment includes a boom with a pulling member guide positioned above the head in both its extended and retracted positions of the head during lifting permitting the application of a lifting force by retraction of the cylinder.  
     
     
         9 . A chassis straightening bench including: 
 a platform;    a support frame coupled to the platform;    a driver, said driver including an extendable and retractable column, said column including a guide and a head carried by the guide and movable relative thereto, the driver including a hydraulic cylinder connected to both the head and guide and operable to selectively effect relative movement of the guide and head and thereby extension and retraction of the column;    an attachment member connected to the head for movement of a portion thereby, said attachment member adapted for connecting to a chassis to apply a force thereto;    anchors associated with the platform for selectively retaining a chassis positioned on the platform against movement on the platform during application of force to the chassis by the attachment member; and    a source of pressurized hydraulic fluid with an output pressure limited to a maximum of about 4,000 psi, said cylinder is connected to the source to receive pressurized hydraulic fluid therefrom to effect at least one of the extension and retraction of the cylinder to apply a straightening force to a chassis on the platform.    
     
     
         10 . A straightening bench as set forth in  claim 9  wherein the cylinder has a piston with a diameter of at least about {fraction (2/12)} inches.  
     
     
         11 . A straightening bench as set forth in  claim 10  wherein the cylinder includes a rod with an extended exposed length of less than about 5 times a diameter of the rod.  
     
     
         12 . A straightening bench as set forth in  claim 9  wherein said guide is tubular and said head has a portion moveably mounted inside said guide, said cylinder is positioned inside said guide with one end attached to said guide and another end attached to said head.  
     
     
         13 . A straightening bench as set forth in  claim 12  including a link rigidly connecting a rod portion of the cylinder to the head.  
     
     
         14 . A straightening bench as set forth in  claim 13 , including a support connected to the cylinder, said support, cylinder and link forming a substantially rigid structure.  
     
     
         15 . A straightening bench as set forth in  claim 9  wherein the cylinder is a double acting piston cylinder and is connected to the head and the guide to effect fluid powered extension and retraction of the column.  
     
     
         16 . A pulling assembly adapted for coupling to a vehicle straightening bench, the pulling assembly including: 
 a frame adapted for mounting to a straightening bench; and    a driver mounted on the frame, said driver including a tubular guide, a hydraulic cylinder positioned inside the guide and extending longitudinally thereof, said cylinder having a housing with a movable rod extending therefrom, a head movably carried by the guide, said head including a sleeve section cooperating with the guide to guide movement of the head relative to the guide, said head also includes an attachment member holder, said cylinder and head being positioned such that the housing is outside of the sleeve throughout movement of the head, said housing being connected to the guide.    
     
     
         17 . A pulling assembly adapted for coupling to a straightening bench and adapted to selectively apply either a straightening force to a chassis or a lifting force to lift an object, the pulling assembly including: 
 a frame adapted for mounting to a straightening bench;    a driver mounted on the frame, said driver including a telescoping column that includes a head movably mounted on a guide, a linear actuator operably associated with guide and the head to effect relative movement between the head and the guide to effect telescoping of the column; and    a boom mounted on the column and having an end movable between a lowered position and an elevated position and being operably connected to an actuator to effect movement between the lowered and elevated position    
     
     
         18 . A pulling assembly as set forth in  claim 17  wherein said boom is pivotally mounted on the head and is pivotally connected to the guide, and said actuator connected to the boom includes said linear actuator whereby contracting telescoping movement of the column effects pivoting of the boom and lifting of a free end of the boom.  
     
     
         19 . A pulling assembly as set forth in  claim 18  wherein the linear actuator is a double acting hydraulic cylinder.  
     
     
         20 . A pulling assembly as set forth in  claim 17  wherein said boom is pivotally mounted on the column and said actuator includes a hydraulic cylinder connected to the boom and column whereby extension and retraction of the hydraulic cylinder effects movement of the boom between lowered and elevated positions and movement to the elevated position can be used to lift an object.  
     
     
         21 . A pulling assembly as set forth in  claim 20  wherein the hydraulic cylinder is pivotally connected to the boom and the guide with the pivot connection to the boom being between the pivot connection of the boom to the column and a free end of the boom whereby extension of the hydraulic cylinder effects movement of the boom to an elevated position and retraction of the cylinder effects movement of the boom to a lowered position.  
     
     
         22 . A chassis straightening bench for use in repair of a chassis, said bench including: 
 a lift including a work platform movable between raised and lowered positions, said lift including a loft mechanism associated with the platform to effect raising and lowering of the platform, said lift mechanism including at least one jack;    at least one pulling assembly associated with the lift and operable to apply a force to a chassis positioned on the platform, said pulling assembly including a driver including a guide, a hydraulic cylinder and a head moveably mounted on the guide and connected to the cylinder to effect longitudinal reciprocal movement of the head relative to the guide; and    an attachment member connected to the head for movement therewith, said attachment member adapted for connecting to a chassis on the platform to apply force thereto through movement of the head relative to the guide.    
     
     
         23 . A chassis straightening bench as set forth in  claim 22  wherein the cylinder includes a housing for its piston, the said head including a pulling arm receivable in and moveable within the guide, said housing being positioned in the guide such that the pulling arm does not travel along the housing during movement of the pulling arm.