Vehicle frame and body alignment apparatus

Claim 1

An alignment checking and measurement apparatus for vehicle frame and body portions comprising: (a) a plurality of measurement scale carriers each comprising an elongate, rigid bar having opposite end portions; each bar having scale indicia extending substantially the length thereof; (b) cooperating mounting means including mounting slide members sleeved about a respective bar and translatable at least on the opposite end portions thereof, each of said mounting slide members respectively having sockets affixed thereto and having connectors extending outwardly from said sockets and pivotally mounted therein, said connectors including finger means for connection to selected vehicle frame and body portions corresponding to vehicle measurement points; (c) said cooperating mounting means being positioned on said opposite end portions for mounting said measurement scale carriers transversely of the longitudinal axis of said vehicle; (d) target means detachably and adjustably mounted on the end portions of a first of said measurement scale carriers and respectively including a target slide member sleeved about a respective bar and translatable thereon and a planar member extended outwardly from a respective target slide member and having target indicia thereon; and (e) a laser beam emitting sighting instrument detachably and adjustably mounted on the end portion of a second of said measurement scale carrier for mounting on said vehicle in longitudinally spaced relationship to said first of said measurement scale carriers with said sighting instrument longitudinally spaced from said target means for longitudinally aligning said sighting instrument and said target means by impinging the laser beam of a sighting instrument on a respective target means planar member whereby the point of impingement of said laser beam relative to a respective target indicia may be seen by an operator; (f) said sighting instrument having mounting means including a carrier member for translating movement on said end portion of said second measurement scale carrier and pivot means located between said second scale carrier member and said sighting instrument; said pivot means facilitating said sighting instrument in swinging about said second measurement scale carrier such that said laser beam sweeps a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said second measurement scale carrier.