Apparatus for jacking and dollying an affixed vehicle wheel assembly

Apparatus for jacking and dollying a vehicle wheel assembly while the assembly is affixed to the vehicle, the assembly including a pneumatic tire, a wheel and an axle, the apparatus comprising:

• structural means for constituting the apparatus framework, the structural means including a body section having a first member and a second member, the first and second body section members being movable relative to one another, the structural means also including a first arm member connected to the first body section member and a second arm member connected to the body section second member;
• transport means associated with the framework for rendering the apparatus movable;
• engaging means for interacting with the wheel assembly, the engaging means including a first element connected to the first arm member and a second element connected to the second arm member, at least one of the engaging means elements including a roller assembly which permits the pneumatic tire to ride over the roller assembly as the engaging means interact with the wheel assembly;
• and
• an actuator means which cooperates with the engaging means to form the engaging means first and second elements, together with the apparatus framework, into a carriage for receiving the wheel assembly and which also cooperates with the roller assembly of the engaging means to provide a mechanical advantage for lifting the wheel assembly onto the carriage, the actuator including a lever mechanism having at least a lever element and a linkage element, the lever element being pivotally connected to the body section first member and the linkage element being pivotally connected to the second body section member, the lever element and the linkage element being also pivotally connected to one another, wherein the pivotal connection of the lever element to the body section first member is spaced from the framework by a distance greater than the distance the pivotal connectin of the linkage element to the body section second member is spaced from the framework, so that when the wheel assembly is lifted onto the carriage, at least a portion of the lever element and the linkage element are disposed at respective angles below a line extending between the lever element pivot at the body section first member and the linkage element pivot at the body section second member, and the body section first and second members pass through a position of maximum proximity and, thereafter, diverge so as to lock the body section members in place.