Portable automobile straightening device

Claim 1

Apparatus for clamping a damaged unibody vehicle structure for purposes of straightening, which is adapted to be manually secured to the underside of the vehicle body along the pinch welds, comprising: a lightweight rigid rectangular frame constructed of two parallel side members and two parallel end members, the ends of each side member being attached to the ends of each end member forming a corner; a gusset plate attached to each corner forming a rigid joint, and attachment point means on the gusset plate for supporting force applying apparatus; said side and end member including telescoping means therein to vary the length of said members, the telescoping means on the end members includes at least two sections, a jack screw anchored between the two sections with an exposed lug nut thereon for turning the screw into a fixed nut attached to one of said sections; locking means on each telescoping means for preventing any telescoping movement between said sections; and clamping means attached to the frame at each corner thereof adapted to grip the pinch weld along each side of the vehicle body, the clamping means and frame being sufficiently shallow in depth and light in weight to be manually mounted to an unelevated vehicle.

Claim 6

A method of attaching a rectangular straightening frame with telescoping end members and four clamping means each including an inner and outer jaw member, one at each corner, to the undersurface of a unibody structure having pinch welds running longitudinally along the opposite sides of the body comprising the steps of: opening each individual clamping means; expanding the end members to an approximate position so that the clamping means on opposite sides receives the pair of pinch welds; expanding the end members until the inner jaws of each clamping means come in wedging contact against the inside surface of the opposing pinch welds, thereby holding the frame in place; and closing the outer jaw member of each clamping means thereby gripping the pinch weld between said inner and outer jaws to rigidly hold the frame.

Claim 7

A method of attaching a rectangular straightening frame with telescoping end members and four clamping means each including an inner and outer jaw member, one at each corner, to the undersurface of a unibody structure having pinch welds running longitudinally along the opposite sides of the body comprising the steps of: opening each individual clamping means; expanding the end members to an approximate position so that the clamping means on opposite sides receives the pair of pinch welds; expanding the end members until the inner jaws of each clamping means come in wedging contact against the inside surface of the opposing pinch welds, thereby holding the frame in place; and closing the outer jaw member of each clamping means thereby gripping the pinch weld between said inner and outer jaws to rigidly hold the frame.