US 10,246,313 B2Granted

Precast concrete pit

AssigneesVehicle Service Group, LLC, Gregory Buccola

InventorsLarry Kendall, Gerry Lauderbaugh, Chuck Luhn, Gregory Buccola, Jonathan J. Westbrook, Jonathan Ross

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A concrete pit for housing the below-floor part of a vehicle lift that is at least partially below floor level is constructed of precast concrete pieces. In one embodiment, a trench is dug slightly bigger than the pit that will be installed, and a precast concrete base slab is placed in the hole. Features around the perimeter of the base slab mate with corresponding features around the bottom of a precast concrete hollow rectangle, which is placed on top of the base slab. Additional precast concrete hollow rectangles may be placed on top. A vehicle lift is placed within the concrete pit and in some embodiments fixed thereto using holes, protrusions, or other features built into the concrete pit. In some embodiments, plumbing, wiring conduit, and other passageways are cast into the pieces of the concrete pit to minimize manual installation work that needs to be done in the pit.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A vehicle lift assembly at least partially installed below ground, wherein the vehicle lift assembly comprises:

(i) a precast vault assembly configured to be placed at least partially into a trench, wherein the precast vault assembly comprises:
(a) a precast slab configured to be placed within a bottom portion of the trench, wherein the precast slab comprises a floor surface, and
(b) at least one precast wall associated with the precast slab such that the at least one precast wall extends above the precast slab, wherein at least a portion of one of the at least one precast wall extends below the floor surface of the precast slab, wherein the at least one precast wall defines an open top and an open bottom such that the at least one precast wall defines a hollow interior, and wherein the at least one precast wall defines an internal plumbing conduit;
and
(ii) a vehicle actuation assembly, wherein the vehicle actuation assembly is at least partially housed within the hollow interior, wherein the internal plumbing conduit is configured for routing one or more service connections to the vehicle actuation assembly housed within the hollow interior, and wherein the vehicle actuation assembly comprises:
(a) a jack frame configured to be fixed relative to the precast vault assembly, and
(b) an actuation member associated with the jack frame, wherein the actuation member is configured to lift a vehicle from a lowered position to a raised position.

4 more elements

A vehicle lift assembly at least partially installed below ground, wherein the vehicle lift assembly comprises:

(i) a precast vault assembly configured to be placed at least partially into a trench, wherein the precast vault assembly comprises:
(a) a precast slab configured to be placed within a bottom portion of the trench, wherein the precast slab comprises a first mating feature, and
(b) a first precast wall defining a first open bottom end and a first open top end, wherein (i) the first precast wall comprises a second mating feature associated with the first open bottom end, (ii) the second mating feature is configured to interface with the first mating feature of the precast slab, and (iii) the first precast wall extends above the precast slab toward an opening of the trench;
and
(ii) a mechanical assembly extending from a top portion of the precast vault assembly, wherein the mechanical assembly is at least partially fixed to the precast vault assembly, wherein the mechanical assembly is configured to raise a vehicle from a lowered position to a raised position such that the precast vault assembly structurally supports the mechanical assembly and the raised vehicle.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/225,027Filed 1 Aug 2016 · us provisional application
Priority: 31 Jul 2015
Published: US 2017/0029255 A12 Feb 2017
Granted: 2 Apr 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

B66F 7/28
Lifting frames, e.g. for lifting vehicles; Platform lifts: constructional details, e.g. end stops, pivoting supporting members, sliding runners…
E04B 2/18
Using elements having specially-designed means for stabilising the position: by interlocking of projections or inserts with indentations, e.g. of…
E04B 2/20
Using elements having specially-designed means for stabilising the position: by filling material with or without reinforcements in small channels…
E04B 2/26
Walls having cavities in, but not between, the elements, i.e. each cavity being enclosed by at least four sides forming part of one single…

Family

Application62/199,740Us provisional application · filed 31 Jul 2015
US 2017/0029255 A1Pre-grant publication · published 2 Feb 2017
US 10,246,313 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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