Vehicle body-and-frame alignment apparatus

Abstract

A vehicle body-and-frame-alignment apparatus for use in realigning the front inner structures of damaged unitized or unibody constructed vehicles employing sliding strut-shock units as front-end suspension systems, wherein the apparatus is formed by a substantially rectangular adjustable frame gauge defined by upper and lower horizontal gauge bars adjustably interconnected to oppositely positioned vertical side gauge bars by coupling brackets, each gauge bar including a measuring tape disposed along the longitudinal length thereof. The frame gauge is adapted to be supported on the sliding strut-shock units by an adjustable pair of gauge-positioning members slidably mounted to the upper horizontal bar, the lower horizontal bar being provided with a fixed central indicator and a second pair of gauge-positioning members, each gauge-positioning member including a vertically adjustable reference pointer to indicate structural alignment or misalignment of the vehicle structure.

I claim: 
     
       1. A vehicle body-and-frame-alignment apparatus for use in realigning the front-end structures of damaged unitized or unibody constructed vehicles which employ a pair of sliding struct-shock units as a front-end-suspension system, said apparatus comprising a substantially rectangular adjustable frame-gauge structure defined by: an upper horizontal-gauge bar adapted to be positioned transversely over said strut-shock units;   a lower horizontal-gauge bar oppositely positioned to and in parallel relation with said upper horizontal-gauge bar, and adapted to be positioned transversely under said strut-shock units;   a pair of oppositely disposed vertical-gauge bars interconnected between said upper and lower horizontal-gauge bars, and adapted to be located on respective sides of said vehicle body;   means for adjustably mounting said gauge bars to form said substantially rectangular frame-gauge structure about said front-end structure of said vehicle;   a first pair of gauge-positioning members slidably mounted to said upper horizontal bar so as to be selectively positioned on said sliding strut-shock units to support said frame-gauge structure about said vehicle body; and   at least one other gauge-positioning member slidably mounted to said lower horizontal bar to be selectively positioned at a given reference point on said vehicle.   
     
     
       2. A vehicle body-and-frame-alignment apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said first and second gauge-positioning members define reference gauges, including means for locking said reference gauges in selective positions. 
     
     
       3. A vehicle body-and-frame-alignment apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein each of said first reference gauges comprises: a sleeve member adapted to be slidably supported on said upper horizontal-gauge bar;   a vertically adjustable support pin mounted to said sleeve member, said pin being adapted to mount on respective sliding strut-shock units, whereby the distance between said shock units can be determined; and   means for selectively positioning said support pin vertically relative to said upper gauge bar.   
     
     
       4. A vehicle body-and-frame alignment apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein each of said second reference gauges comprises: a sleeve member adapted to be slidably supported on said lower horizontal-gauge bar;   a vertically adjustable reference pointer mounted to the associated sleeve member; and   means for selectively positioning said reference pointer vertically with respect to said lower gauge bar.   
     
     
       5. A vehicle body-and-frame-alignment apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein each of said gauge bars includes a measuring means to determine the position of said reference gauges thereon. 
     
     
       6. A vehicle body-and-frame-alignment apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein said measuring means comprises a scale disposed longitudinally along the length of each gauge bar. 
     
     
       7. A vehicle body-and-frame-alignment apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein said scale is formed having an "0" (zero) point centrally positioned midpoint between the ends of said upper and lower gauge bars. 
     
     
       8. A vehicle body-and-frame-alignment apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein said adjustable mounting means for said gauge bars comprises: a coupling bracket having a pair of fixed cross-sleeve members; and   locking means on each sleeve member to lock said gauge bars in a selective spaced relationship.   
     
     
       9. A vehicle body-and-frame alignment-apparatus as recited in claim 1, including a central alignment indicator and a plurality of fixed pins, said indicator adapted to be mounted to said lower horizontal-gauge bar. 
     
     
       10. A vehicle body-and-frame-alignment apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein said upper and lower horizontal-gauge bars are formed having a pair of half sections removably connected to each other, and latching means provided on said half sections to latch said sections together to form a single gauge bar. .Iadd.11. A vehicle body-and-frame-alignment apparatus for use in realigning the front-end structures of damaged unitized or unibody constructed vehicles which employ a pair of strut-shock units as a front-end-suspension system, said apparatus comprising a substantially rectangular adjustable frame-gauge structure defined by: an upper horizontal-gauge bar adapted to be positioned transversely over said strut-shock units;   a lower horizontal-gauge bar oppositely positioned to and in parallel relation with said upper horizontal-gauge bar, and adapted to be positioned transversely under said strut-shock units;   a pair of oppositely disposed vertical-gauge bars interconnected between said upper and lower horizontal-gauge bars, and adapted to be located on respective sides of said vehicle body;   means for adjustably mounting said gauge bars to form said substantially rectangular frame-gauge structure about said front-end structure of said vehicle;   a first pair of gauge-positioning members mounted to said upper horizontal bar so as to be selectively positioned on said strut-shock units to support said frame-gauge structure about said vehicle body; and   at least one other gauge-positioning member slidably mounted to said lower horizontal bar and positioned at a given reference point on said vehicle. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12. A vehicle body-and-frame alignment apparatus as recited in claim 11 wherein said gauge-positioning member mounted to said lower horizontal bar comprises a central alignment indicator. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13. A vehicle body-and-frame-alignment apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein said central alignment indicator is adapted to be secured to the lower horizontal gauge bar at the central point thereof. .Iaddend.