US3756432A — Mechanized parking system

Claim 1

Independent Claim 381 words

A mechanized parking system for a multi-story building comprising: a pair of vehicle parking areas on several floors of the building on opposite sides of an elevator area spanning the width of the parking areas, each parking area having a plurality of parking stalls arranged in side by side relation each stall being dimensioned to receive a single vehicle with an end of the vehicle being adjacent the elevator area; a platform elevator spanning the width of said parking areas, the elevator dimension extending between said pair of parking areas being just sufficient to receive the length of the vehicle; a vehicle transporter mounted on said elevator for movement along the length of the elevator so that a vehicle carried by the transporter can be positioned directLy in front of the parking stalls in each of the parking areas; means on said transporter for supporting a vehicle with its ends facing the parking stalls and means for moving a vehicle endwise into one of said stalls; means in each of said stalls for moving a vehicle endwise onto the transporter; said means on said transporter for moving a vehicle comprises a pair of belts rotatably mounted on rollers and spaced to receive the wheels of a vehicle, and motor means drivingly connected to rotate the end rollers; said means for moving a vehicle in each of said stalls includes a pair of endless belts defining a vehicle receiving space, a plurality of rollers supporting the belts including an end roller adjacent the elevator, a gear mounted on the end roller on the transporter and on the end roller adjacent the elevator in each stall, and an assembly for interconnecting said roller gears to drive the stall belts, comprising: a frame pivotally mounted on said transporter adjacent the end roller, a pair of gears rotatably supported on the frame on axes parallel with said adjacent end roller, the assembly gears being radially aligned with said transporter gear, and the distance between said assembly gears being greater than that between said roller gears, a chain loop mounted on said assembly gears, and means for pivoting said frame so that the chain is moved into and out of driving engagement with the roller gears so that the stall belts are driven by the chain.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 381 words

A mechanized parking system for a multi-story building comprising: a pair of vehicle parking areas on several floors of the building on opposite sides of an elevator area spanning the width of the parking areas, each parking area having a plurality of parking stalls arranged in side by side relation each stall being dimensioned to receive a single vehicle with an end of the vehicle being adjacent the elevator area; a platform elevator spanning the width of said parking areas, the elevator dimension extending between said pair of parking areas being just sufficient to receive the length of the vehicle; a vehicle transporter mounted on said elevator for movement along the length of the elevator so that a vehicle carried by the transporter can be positioned directLy in front of the parking stalls in each of the parking areas; means on said transporter for supporting a vehicle with its ends facing the parking stalls and means for moving a vehicle endwise into one of said stalls; means in each of said stalls for moving a vehicle endwise onto the transporter; said means on said transporter for moving a vehicle comprises a pair of belts rotatably mounted on rollers and spaced to receive the wheels of a vehicle, and motor means drivingly connected to rotate the end rollers; said means for moving a vehicle in each of said stalls includes a pair of endless belts defining a vehicle receiving space, a plurality of rollers supporting the belts including an end roller adjacent the elevator, a gear mounted on the end roller on the transporter and on the end roller adjacent the elevator in each stall, and an assembly for interconnecting said roller gears to drive the stall belts, comprising: a frame pivotally mounted on said transporter adjacent the end roller, a pair of gears rotatably supported on the frame on axes parallel with said adjacent end roller, the assembly gears being radially aligned with said transporter gear, and the distance between said assembly gears being greater than that between said roller gears, a chain loop mounted on said assembly gears, and means for pivoting said frame so that the chain is moved into and out of driving engagement with the roller gears so that the stall belts are driven by the chain.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 79 words

The structure of claim 1 including an idler gear mounted on said frame within the interior of the chain loop adjacent the side of the frame which is closest to said roller gears when the assembly is pivoted into operational position, and the idler gears further being located so that it is between said roller gears when the assembly is pivoted into position whereby the idler assists in holding the chain in contract with the gears on the rollers.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 157 words

Vehicle parking apparatus comprising: an elevator; means defining parking stalls adjacent the elevator; a vehicle transporter mounted on the elevator having power driven roller means for moving a vehicle into a parking stall including an end roller adjacent the parking stall; roller means in said parking stall for movably supporting the vehicle including an end roller adjacent the elevator; a gear mounted on said end roller on the transporter and a gear mounted on said end roller in the aligned parking stall adjacent the transporter; a frame supporting a pair of spaced gears interconnected by a chain, means for movably mounting the frame on the transporter adjacent the transporter end roller; and means for moving the frame in a manner such that the chain can be moved into or out of driving engagement with said gears on the end rollers so as to move a vehicle into the parking stall or onto the elevator from the stall.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 157 words

Vehicle parking apparatus comprising: an elevator; means defining parking stalls adjacent the elevator; a vehicle transporter mounted on the elevator having power driven roller means for moving a vehicle into a parking stall including an end roller adjacent the parking stall; roller means in said parking stall for movably supporting the vehicle including an end roller adjacent the elevator; a gear mounted on said end roller on the transporter and a gear mounted on said end roller in the aligned parking stall adjacent the transporter; a frame supporting a pair of spaced gears interconnected by a chain, means for movably mounting the frame on the transporter adjacent the transporter end roller; and means for moving the frame in a manner such that the chain can be moved into or out of driving engagement with said gears on the end rollers so as to move a vehicle into the parking stall or onto the elevator from the stall.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 68 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the gears on the frame and the gears on the rollers are all in approximately the same plane and the gears on the frame are spaced from each other a distance further than the distance between the gears on the end rollers so that the gears on the end rollers engage a portion of the chain between the gears on the frame.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 53 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said frame is mounted for pivotal movement, and said means for moving the frame pivots the frame so that the chain is moved into engagement with the gears on the end rollers and holds the chain in this position while the stall end roller is being driven.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 59 words

The apparatus of claim 3 including one or more additional gears mounted side by side with each of said gears on the frame, and a corresponding number of additional chains mounted on said additional gears so that the stall gear can be driven even when the transporter end roller gear is slightly transversely misaligned with the stall roller gear.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 132 words

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said frame is pivotally mounted and including an idler gear mounteD on the frame on an axis parallel to and midway between the other two gears on the frame, the gears on the frame being positioned so that when the frame is pivoted to cause the chain to engage the gears on the end rollers, the transporter end roller gear engages the chain between the idler gear and the gear on the frame closest to the frame pivotal axis, and the gear on the parking stall end roller engages the chain between the idler and the gear on the frame which is furthest from the frame pivotal axis, whereby the idler gear helps to hold the chain in engagement with the gears on the end rollers.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 61 words

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said frame comprises a pair of spaced side members connected by two spaced parallel stub shafts on which said two frame gears are mounted, one of said shafts forming the pivotal axis for the frame, and including extension means formed on one of said frame members for connection to said means for pivoting the frame.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-09-03	1977-03-05	1977-09-04	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-09-03	1981-03-05	1981-09-04	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-09-03	1985-03-05	1985-09-04	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Mechanized parking system

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