Vehicle Body Dent Puller

Abstract

The present invention may include a base with at least two legs movably mounted to the base, wherein the at least two legs may support the base on a workpiece. A vertical body may be provided that may be rotatably coupled to the base. A pull shaft assembly may be provided with a lifting sleeve on a top end and a tab receiver on a bottom end, such that a portion of the pull shaft assembly may be housed by the vertical body and the base, to provide for guided linear displacement of the pull shaft assembly relative to the vertical body. A handle may be pivotally mounted to the vertical body. The handle may include a lifting cam which may articulate with the pull shaft assembly such that displacement of the handle may cause a displacement of the pull shaft assembly. The result may be a substantially vertically oriented body and handle which may be grasped by a user in a more natural position to transfer force more efficiently from the user to displace the pull shaft assembly, which may remove a dent in the workpiece.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dent puller, comprising:
 a base including at least two legs movably mounted to the base, wherein the at least two legs support the base on a workpiece;   a vertical body rotatably coupled to the base;   a pull shaft assembly with a lifting sleeve on a top end and a tab receiver on a bottom end, a portion of the pull shaft assembly housed by the vertical body and the base to provide for guided linear displacement of the pull shaft assembly relative to the vertical body; and   a handle pivotally coupled to the vertical body, the handle including a lifting cam including an arcuate surface, the lifting cam in mechanical communication with the lifting sleeve, whereby when the handle is rotated with respect to the vertical body, the tab receiver of the pull shaft assembly is moved away from the workpiece by way of the lifting cam displacing the lifting sleeve.   
     
     
         2 . The dent puller of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two legs are adjustably positioned on a beam, the beam being secured to the base. 
     
     
         3 . The dent puller of  claim 2 , wherein the beam is fixed to the base and extends from the base on at least two sides of the base. 
     
     
         4 . The dent puller of  claim 2 , wherein the beam is comprised to at least two beams, each of the at least two beams being releasably secured to the base. 
     
     
         5 . The dent puller of  claim 1 , wherein the vertical body includes a detent ball assembly, the ball of the detent ball assembly being releasably received by one of a plurality of annularly arranged holes in the base, thereby allowing the vertical body to be rotated with respect to the base and releasably indexed in a plurality of positions. 
     
     
         6 . The dent puller of  claim 1 , wherein the lifting sleeve of the pull shaft assembly includes a flange on one end of the lifting sleeve. 
     
     
         7 . The dent puller of  claim 6 , wherein the arcuate surface of the lifting cam is a wear surface which articulates with the flange of the lifting sleeve. 
     
     
         8 . The dent puller of  claim 7 , wherein the wear surface includes an arcuate portion. 
     
     
         9 . The dent puller of  claim 6 , wherein the wear surface includes a rounded tip which articulates with a center portion of the flange when the pull shaft assembly is at its highest position. 
     
     
         10 . The dent puller of  claim 1 , wherein the lifting cam is a two-pronged cam defining an open portion between the two prongs. 
     
     
         11 . The dent puller of  claim 10 , wherein a portion of the pull shaft assembly is positioned in the open portion between the two prongs. 
     
     
         12 . The dent puller of  claim 1 , wherein the pull shaft assembly further includes a screw knob with a threaded portion and a shaft base with a mating threaded portion to the screw knob, whereby rotation of the screw knob relative to the shaft base alters the overall length of the pull shaft assembly. 
     
     
         13 . The dent puller of  claim 1 , wherein the pull shaft assembly further comprises a compression spring positioned between the tab receiver and the base, thereby biasing the tab receiver away from the base. 
     
     
         14 . The dent puller of  claim 1 , further comprising a locking mechanism mechanically communicating with the vertical body and the handle, whereby when the locking mechanism is engaged, the handle is secured in a set position relative to the vertical body. 
     
     
         15 . The dent puller of  claim 14 , wherein the locking mechanism includes a locking arm with a notch, the locking arm pivotally coupled to the vertical body and the notch receiving a pin on the handle. 
     
     
         16 . The dent puller of  claim 14 , wherein the locking mechanism includes a locking arm with a slot, the locking arm coupled to the vertical body and the handle, the locking mechanism further comprising a screw knob being received by the slot, whereby the screw knob provides a frictional force to the locking arm to secure the handle in a position relative to the vertical body. 
     
     
         17 . The dent puller of  claim 1 , further comprising a foot on each of the at least two legs, the foot including a flat surface for supporting the dent puller on the workpiece. 
     
     
         18 . The dent puller of  claim 17 , wherein the connection of the foot to the leg is closer to a first edge of the foot than it is to an opposite edge of the foot. 
     
     
         19 . The dent puller of  claim 1 , wherein each of the at least two legs include a spherical portion on a distal end. 
     
     
         20 . The dent puller of  claim 19 , further comprising a foot including a spherical cavity adapted to be received by the spherical portion of each of the at least two legs, thereby providing three degrees of freedom of movement between each foot and leg.