Arrangement for benches for measuring and straightening vehicles

Claim 1

An arrangement for determining and, if required, correcting the position of selected reference points on a vehicle body or chassis comprising, a stable set-up device in the form of a rigid, substantially horizontal bench having parallel sides and over which a body which is to be measured and checked is suspended by means connected with the bench in a position which is fixed relative to the bench and also comprising a measuring unit which co-acts with the bench, said arrangement also including a measuring bridge supported on said bench for adjustment lengthwise thereof (x axis), said bridge comprising slide members on which upwardly extending locating tools can be adjustably displaced transversely (y axis) and vertically (z axis), the amount of said displacement being readable on appropriate scales, both the bench and the measuring bridge having co-acting reference surfaces for the accurate orientation of the two components relative to each other so that the position of the measuring tools relative to predetermined reference points on the vehicle body can be adjusted and determined, characterized by another measuring unit in the form of an inverted, substantially U-shaped stand adapted to span said bench transversely, said stand having laterally spaced, upright legs connected at their upper ends by a cross bar, said bench having rigid support members projecting laterally outwardly from opposite sides thereof on which the lower ends of said legs are mounted for adjustment, said supports being adjustably mounted on said bench, at least one auxiliary locating tool mounted on said cross bar for adjustment vertically and lengthwise thereof, the arrangement being such that the auxiliary locating tools extend downwardly from above and towards the body suspended over the bench, said stand and said measuring bridge having fixed abutments thereon adapted to interengage with selected abutments fixed on a rigid orientation gauge extending therebetween to enable adjustment of the stand on the bench to a precise position relative to said measuring bridge so that the positions of the measuring tools on the bridge and stand relative to each other can be precisely determined.