Service lift stand apparatus for small tractors

A service lift stand apparatus, comprising:

• (a) a lift assembly including a pair of spaced lift arms and a pair of individual wheel support pads mounted on each lift arm, each lift arm being separate from and unconnected with one another and said support pad pair on one lift arm being separate from and unconnected with said support pad pair on the other lift arm so as to define an unoccupied work space located between and coextensive with said lift arms through which to reach the underside of a vehicle supported across said lift arms by said pairs of support pads;
• (b) an upright mast assembly supporting said lift assembly and said lift arms thereof in a cantilever fashion from said upright mast assembly for movement therealong between a lowered loading and unloading position and a raised servicing position;
• and
• (c) a base assembly including a base frame rigidly mounting said mast assembly in an upright orientation from one end of said base frame for supporting said mast assembly and said lift assembly therewith above a support surface;
• (d) each said individual wheel support pad having an upper rigid portion which overlies said respective lift arm and projects from opposite sides of said left arm for supporting a wheel of the vehicle thereon, a lower portion mounting said upper rigid portion and coupled to said respective lift arm for slidably adjustable movement therealong, and a mechanism connected to said lower portion and engageable with said respective lift arm to lock said wheel support pad in a desired location along said respective lift arm.

A service lift stand apparatus, comprising:

• (a) a support structure, a pair of spaced lift arms attached to said support structure, and a guide and drive mechanism connected to said support structure;
• (b) an upright mast assembly supporting said guide and drive mechanism of said lift assembly for movement such that said guide and drive mechanism, in turn, supports said support structure and lift arms of said lift assembly from said upright mast assembly for movement between a lowered loading and unloading position and a raised servicing position;
• (c) a base assembly including a base frame rigidly mounting said mast assembly in an upright orientation for supporting said mast assembly and said lift assembly therewith above a support surface, said base assembly further including a platform supported upon said base frame, said platform being composed of a stationary main platform section and a pair of platform end sections placed at a pair of opposite ends of the main platform section and adjustably movable relative thereto to change the size of said platform;
• and
• (d) a follower assembly including a stop element and a fracturable shear pin interconnecting said stop element and said guide and drive mechanism for causing said stop element to follow the movement of said lift assembly between its lowered and raised positions, said shear pin being capable of fracturing to terminate said stop element from following movement of said lift assembly and to free said stop element to prevent accidental descent of said lift assembly as a result of a malfunction of said guide and drive mechanism which makes it incapable of moving said lift assembly toward said raised position.

A service lift stand apparatus convertible between a wheel lift mode and a frame lift mode, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a lift assembly including a pair of spaced lift arms and a pair of individual support pads mounted on each lift arm, each lift arm being separate from and unconnected with one another and said support pad pair on one lift arm being separate from and unconnected with said support pad pair on the other lift arm so as to define an unoccupied work space located between and coextensive with said lift arms through which to reach the underside of a vehicle supported across said lift arms by said pairs of support pads;
• (b) an upright mast assembly supporting said lift assembly and said lift arms thereof in a cantilever fashion from said upright mast assembly for movement therealong between a lowered loading and unloading position and a raised servicing position;
• and
• (c) a base assembly including a base frame rigidly mounting said mast assembly in an upright orientation from one end of said base frame for supporting said mast assembly and said lift assembly therewith above a support surface, said base assembly further including a platform supported upon said base frame, said platform being composed of a stationary main platform section, a pair of removable platform end sections for placement at a pair of opposite ends of the main platform section, and a pair of removable auxiliary platforms for placement in a spaced relation outwardly from opposite ends of said platform;
• (d) said lift assembly further including a support structure movably mounted to said upright mast assembly and supporting said lift arms for slidable movement along said support structure toward and away from one another to adjust the distance between said lift arms so as to permit conversion of said apparatus between the wheel lift mode in which a vehicle is supported by its wheels on said support pads of said lift assembly and the frame lift mode in which said auxiliary platforms placed adjacent said support pads on said lift arms initially support the wheels of the vehicle and said support pads of said lift assembly are aligned, with a frame of the vehicle for engagement thereby to lift the vehicle.