Automobile body and frame straightening apparatus

Claim 1

An automobile straightening apparatus system adapted to be assembled to stand on a garage floor and to be disassembled when not in use, the system including an erect post of substantially uniform external circular cross section, means for removably fixing the post in the garage floor at any one of a number of spaced locations, said means comprising at least two sleeves fixed in the floor at spaced locations completely below the level of the floor, the axis of each sleeve being vertical, each sleeve being of matching internal circular cross section so that the lowermost end of the post can be slipped into and pulled from any one sleeve, each sleeve having at least one anchor attached to its external surface and adapted to be embedded in the garage floor, and carrying a loop on its external surface completely below the level of the garage floor, and including a lid for covering each sleeve when not in use, said lids being carried by the sleeves at floor level, a collar of circular internal cross section slidable along and rotatable about the post, bolt means for securing the collar to the post at any level along and at any angle with respect to the post, a retainer carried by the post, hydraulically operated piston and cylinder means for shifting the retainer toward and away from the post, a first elongated flexible member comprising a chain fixed to the retainer at one portion thereof and adapted to be fixed to an area on an automobile at another and distant portion, whereby when the retainer is shifted, the flexible member applies pressure to the area on the automobile to which the member is fixed, and a second elongated flexible member comprising a chain adapted to be fixed to another area on the automobile and fixed to the loop of any other sleeve.