Auto body and frame straightening device

Abstract

Apparatus is provided to apply pulling forces from any direction from any elevation around a vehicle being repaired and/or serviced. The apparatus is arranged so personnel using it are concerned with minimal physical lifting movements and minimal setup arrangements of the apparatus. Each embodiment of the apparatus utilizes at least one tower assembly equipped with an elongating subassembly to move a tension member, through directional change devices, as it remains secured to some portion of a vehicle, thereby undergoing at least one repositioning pull in a direction opposite to at least one prior force that previously caused some of the damage and/or misalignment. Depending on the magnitude of the restoring force required, the tower, other towers, and/or other structures may be secured together and/or to the vehicle as well, to create a firm basis for anchoring the apparatus and/or the vehicle as one or more reactive forces are controllably created. Depending on the anticipated use of the apparatus and the capital expenditures to be made, the apparatus is made available in different embodiments, ranging from a sole location of a tower to multiple locations of several towers related to overall reactive structures and/or vehicle ramps serving as mutual multiple holding or anchoring places of forces applied to the vehicle, as the elongating subassemblies of the towers are moved to create the restorative pulling forces.

What is claimed: 
     
       1. Apparatus for applying equal and opposite forces to a mechanical structure such as an automotive vehicle body or frame comprising: a. a platform system;   b. means on said platform system for supporting said structure;   c. at least one vertical pull tower means pivotally connected about a vertical axis fixed to said platform system rotatably moveable to a desired position relative to said structure;   d. means to vertically elongate said tower;   e. means to connect a tension member between said vertically elongate means and a first portion of said structure to apply a first force to said structure; and   f. means to apply a second force between a second portion of said structure and said platform system.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus as in claim 1 in which said platform system includes at least one treadway on which said structure is supported. .[.3. The apparatus as in claim 2 in which said treadway comprises a pair of plane, parallel spaced-apart plates, a plurality of spaced elements between, fastened to and supporting said plates, which comprise top and bottom members of said treadway..]. .[.4. The apparatus as in claim 3 and including a plurality of pairs of openings in said top and bottom member, each pair of openings in alignment perpendicular to the plane of said treadway..]. .[.5. The apparatus as in claim 4 including cylindrical rigid 
     
     
        beam means removably received in said openings..]. 6. The apparatus as in claim 2 including means to pivotally connect said pull tower to said treadway. .[.7. The apparatus as in claim 1 in which said platform system includes a vertical pedestal, and including means to pivotally connect 
     
     
        said pull tower to said pedestal..]. 8. The apparatus as in claim 1 including means to lock said pull tower to said platform system in said 
     
     
        desired position. 9. The apparatus as in claim 1 in which said platform system means includes means to support said at least one treadway substantially in a horizontal plane. .[.10. The apparatus as in claim 6 in which said support means includes means by which said at least one treadway can be tilted so as to form a ramp to receive said structure..]. 
     
     
         1. The apparatus as in claim 1 in which said structure comprises a 
     
     
        wheeled vehicle. 12. The apparatus as in claim 1 in which said means to vertically elongate said tower is hydraulically actuable internally of 
     
     
        said tower. 13. The apparatus as claim 1 in which tension member is a 
     
     
        chain or cable. 14. The apparatus as in claim 1 in which said second force comprises a tensile force, and said apparatus includes tension means 
     
     
        connected between said second portion and said platform system. 15. The apparatus as in claim 2 which said second force comprises a compression force .[.and said apparatus includes rigid means removably attached to said second portion of said structure to resist its motion under said first force.].. .[.16. The apparatus as in claim 15 in which said rigid means comprises a cylindrical means removably received in any one of a plurality of vertical openings in said treadway..]. .[.17. The apparatus as in claim 15 including removable locking clip means to adjust the depth 
     
     
        of insertion of said cylindrical means into said opening..]. 18. The apparatus as in claim 2 including two treadways supported by a plurality of cross members in coplanar spaced-apart parallel relation. .[.19. The apparatus as in claim 18 including a plurality of pairs of openings in 
     
     
        said cross members..]. 20. The apparatus as in claim 1 including independent frame means removably attached to said platform system, said pull tower means pivotally attached to said frame means. .[.21. In an apparatus for applying equal and opposite forces to a mechanical structure including work platform and treadway means to support said structure, means to apply a plurality of forces between at least one point on said structure and said platform, the improvement wherein each of a pair of treadways comprises: a. a pair of overlapping plane, parallel spaced-apart top and bottom plates;   b. a plurality of spaced elements between, fastened to and supporting said plates; and   c. a plurality of pairs of openings in said top and bottom plates of said platform, said pairs of openings in alignment perpendicular to the plane of said platform..]. .[.22. The apparatus as in claim 21 in which said spaced elements include a plurality of spaced-apart, parallel, longitudinal members..]. .[.23. The apparatus as in claim 22 in which said longitudinal members comprise I beams in parallel spaced relation..]. .[.24. The apparatus as in claim 22 in which said longitudinal members comprise strips in parallel spaced relation, the planes of said strips perpendicular to said plates..]. .[.25. The apparatus as in claim 22 in which said longitudinal members comprise channels in parallel spaced relation..]. .[.26. The apparatus as in claim 22 in which said longitudinal members comprise rectangular tubes in parallel spaced relation..]. .[.27. The apparatus as in claim 21 in which said spaced elements comprise short lengths of cylinders in a two-dimensional array of positions over the area of said platform..]. .[.28. The apparatus as in claim 21 including rigid cylindrical beam means removably received in said   
     
     
        openings..]. .[.29.  The appartus as in claim 28 including removable locking clip means to adjust the depth of insertion of said beam means in said openings..]. .[.30. The apparatus as in claim 28 in which said beam means are tubular and including rod means removably received in the central opening therein..]. .[.31. The apparatus as in claim 21 in which said openings are rectangular in shape..]. .[.32. The apparatus as in 
     
     
        claim 21 in which openings are circular in shape..]. 33. Pull tower apparatus for use in a system for applying forces to a mechanical structure such as an automotive vehicle body or frame, comprising: a. a vertically supported housing means comprising a cylindrical tube;   b. operating means comprising a cylindrical means reciprocably and rotatably received in said housing;   c. hydraulic actuator means inside said housing below said operating means, one of a cylinder and piston end of said actuator supported by said housing, the other of said cylinder and piston end of said actuator connected to the bottom end of said operating means;   d. a pull chain;   e. means connected to said operating means to receive said pull chain;   f. idler pulley means, to receive said chain, attached to a ring means slidably and rotatably surrounding said housing and including means to lock said ring means to said housing; and   
     
     
       g. means to support said pull tower means in a vertical position. 34. The pull tower apparatus as in claim 33 in which said support means comprises vertical socket means in said system into which said housing is slidably 
     
     
        received. 35. The pull tower apparatus as in claim 33 in which said support means comprises arm means hingedly supported by said system, said 
     
     
        tower fastened to said arm means. 36. The pull tower apparatus of claim 33 in which said means connected to said operating means is an idler pulley and means to secure one end of said chain to said housing means.