Facility Includes Structure (e.g., Ramp, Angularly Related Successive Locations For A Vehicle, Etc.) Necessitating Self-propellability Or Steerability Of Vehicle Patents (Class 414/228)
  • Patent number: 4772172
    Abstract: A low profile vehicle parking apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises a base and a pair of upstanding stanchions. A vehicle parking platform is disposed between and movable along the stanchions. An articulated stabilizer bar assembly comprising a rocker arm and a control arm are pivotally connected to one another and to the parking platform and base respectively. A piston and cylinder assembly extends pivotally from a fixed location to a pivotal location on the articulated stabilizer bar assembly. Thus, the piston and cylinder assemblies do not add to the height of the apparatus and contribute to the stabilization during the lifting of a vehicle on the parking platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1988
    Inventor: Arnold M. Rosen
  • Patent number: 4722476
    Abstract: An apparatus for positioning an automobile in an extremely limited area such as that in a parking lot. The apparatus has a pair of carriages for carrying left and right wheels of the vehicle and movable in the breadthwise direction of the vehicle, a pair of guide bars having inclined portions for progressively engaging the inner or outer surfaces of the vehicle wheels as the vehicle moves onto the apparatus, a spring for urging the guide bars to standard positions where the guide bars are in symmetry with each other with respect to the longitudinal axis of the limited area, and a racks-and-pinion mechanism which is arranged such that, when one of the guide bars is displaced by the vehicle wheel in the breadthwise direction of the vehicle, the other guide bar also is moved in such a manner that both guide bars are always maintained in symmetry with each other with respect to the axis of the limited area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1988
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Shinsei
    Inventor: Yoshisada Inaba
  • Patent number: 4674938
    Abstract: A frame supported by a base has at least an upper platform and a lower platform adapted to be nested together and supported at lower positions by the base. The upper and lower platforms are adapted to be moved upward for supporting vehicles above the ground. Lifting mechanism is provided for lifting the upper platform with a vehicle thereon to a first upper level sufficient to allow a vehicle to be located on the lower platform. Connecting straps extend between the two platforms such that when the upper platform is moved upward beyond the first upper level, the lower platform is pulled upward by the connecting straps. The lifting mechanism is adapted to move the upper platform with a vehicle thereon upward to a second upper level sufficient to pull the lower platform with a vehicle thereon to a level sufficient to allow a vehicle to be driven thereunder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1987
    Assignee: Car Stackers International, Inc.
    Inventors: William Van Stokes, William C. Gooch
  • Patent number: 4668142
    Abstract: Car-carrier with each wheel-train equipped with its own carrying cross-structures.In this car carrier, the load levels (15) and (16) are composed of two side-rails (18) and (19,) which can be moved vertically along frame posts. The said side-rails are fitted with sustaining cross-structures (24) and (25) that can be moved lengthwise and can be blocked in any given position so as to create between the position of two of them a sufficiently wide interval to receive the wheelbase of each car to be carried. The lowest level (4) is realized by vertically mobile platforms, that are hinged together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1987
    Assignee: Lohr S.A.
    Inventors: Christian Fity, Jean-Luc Andre
  • Patent number: 4664580
    Abstract: A multistory parking garage has a central core defined by four vertical columns, and a plurality of pairs of columns, each pair defining a plane parallel to the plane defined by pairs of vertical columns, defined bays containing vertically spaced parking cells, each cell adapted to hold two vehicles. An elevator is contrained to move only vertically within the central core, is enterable from any of four directions, and is capable of carrying two vehicles at a time, preferably in a nose to tail orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1987
    Assignee: Matex Gear and Pump
    Inventor: Nobuhito Matoba
  • Patent number: 4447999
    Abstract: Multiple level, horizontal parking lanes are provided with self park automotive access from intermediate drive lanes inclined transversely to the direction of automotive travel therealong.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1984
    Assignee: Wood Manufacturing Company, Incorporated
    Inventor: Wayne B. Stone, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4265581
    Abstract: An automated parking system includes a multi-story tower having a central elevator shaft. The building is substantially circular in cross section and contains a plurality of parking stalls that radiate from the elevator shaft on each of the stories. An elevator mechanism elevates a turntable, rotatably mounted on the elevator mechanism for rotation about a substantially vertical axis, between the several floors of the building. A shuttle travels from the turntable to an entrance ramp on the ground level of the building, moves a vehicle to be parked from the entrance ramp to the turntable, whereupon the elevator and turntable cooperate to deposit the vehicle in a parking stall on one of the several floors. The elevator and turntable mechanism operate in reverse to carry the vehicle from a parking stall to an exit ramp on the ground floor of the building.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1979
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1981
    Assignee: Venus Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank E. Ives, Albert C. Saurwein