Positioning mechanism for a vehicle
OwnerTommie Carroll Gipsoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention contemplates a selectably operable hydraulic means for laterally shifting one end of a non-moving vehicle in order to provide a desired alignment. The present invention is particularly applicable to vehicle-mounted equipment which has an invariant lateral mounting position on the vehicle and which must be laterally aligned with a stationary workpiece axis. An example of such a need occurs with mobile workover rigs used in well maintenance.
Claims20
A vehicular lateral shifting assembly having a pair of selectably extensible hydraulic cylinders mounted on opposed sides of one end of a body of a vehicle, wherein the cylinders are pivotable in a plane transverse to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and wherein the cylinders are coupled such that when the cylinders are pivoted a first end of each of the two cylinders are laterally displaced in the same direction.
A vehicular lateral shifting assembly comprising:
- a pair of selectably extensible hydraulic cylinders, wherein one cylinder is mounted on a first side of one end of a body of a vehicle and the other cylinder is mounted on a second opposed side of the one end of the body;
- a coupling means for coupling the cylinders;
- a mounting means for mounting a proximal end of each cylinder to the one end of the body;
- a pivotable means for pivoting the coupled cylinders about the mounting means in a plane transverse to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, wherein when the cylinders are pivoted a first end of each of the two cylinders is laterally displaced in the same direction;
- a latching means for securing the cylinders in a designated position in the plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, wherein the cylinders are substantially parallel to each other when secured by the latching means;
- and
- a swivelable bearing plate mounted on a distal end of each cylinder.
A vehicular lateral shifting assembly comprising:
- a pair of selectably extensible hydraulic cylinders, wherein one cylinder is mounted on a first side of one end of a body of a vehicle and the other cylinder is mounted on a second opposed side of the one end of the body;
- a clevis mount for pivotably mounting a proximal end of each cylinder to the one end of the body, wherein the cylinders are pivotable in a plane transverse to a longitudinal axis of the body;
- a joiner pivotably coupling the cylinders, wherein pivoting one cylinder will pivot the other cylinder;
- a latching mechanism for securing each cylinder in one of a number of designated positions in the plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle;
- and
- a swivelable bearing plate mounted on a distal end of each cylinder.
A vehicular lateral shifting assembly comprising a four-bar linkage mounted on one end of a body of a vehicle, the four-bar linkage having a pair of selectably extensible parallel hydraulic cylinders and two interconnecting links, wherein the cylinders are on opposed sides of the four-bar linkage and the cylinders are laterally pivotable in a plane transverse to a longitudinal axis of the body of the vehicle.
A vehicular lateral shifting assembly comprising:
- a pair of parallel selectably extensible hydraulic cylinders, wherein one cylinder is pivotably mounted on a first side of one end of a body of a vehicle and the other cylinder is pivotably mounted on a second opposed side of the one end of the body;
- a mounting structure for pivotably mounting a proximal end of each cylinder to the one end of the body, wherein the cylinders remain substantially parallel to each other as the cylinders are pivoted in a plane transverse to a longitudinal axis of the body;
- a coupling mechanism for pivotably coupling the pair of cylinders, wherein when one cylinder is pivoted the other cylinder is pivoted in the same direction;
- a four-bar linkage including the coupling mechanism on one side, the two parallel cylinders on a second and third opposed sides, and the one end of the body on a fourth side;
- and
- a swivelable bearing plate mounted on a distal end of each cylinder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.