Lifting and maneuvering device for motor vehicles

Claim 1

A lifting and maneuvering device for a motor vehicle having a motor vehicle frame, a vehicle motor for propelling the motor vehicle, a differential transmission, and two sets of vehicle wheels each mounted on an axle for supporting the motor vehicle on a vehicle supporting surface, comprising: a secondary wheel assembly mounted to the motor vehcile frame in proximity to one of the axles of the motor vehicle, the secondary wheel assembly including a maneuvering wheel and vertical drive means for moving the second wheel assembly back and forth between an upper retracted position and a lower operative position, in the operative position the maneuvering wheel comes in contact with the vehicle supporting surface and lifts one set of vehicle sheels off the vehicle support surface, the secondary wheel assembly further including a threaded nut fixed to the motor vehicle frame, a vertical shaft threadedly recieved on the nut and capable of support of the motor vehicle, the vertical drive means comprising a secondary motor having a stator and a rotor, the rotor coupled to the upper end of the shaft for rotating the shaft while the secondary motor is supported by the shaft for vertical movement thereon, the shaft being moved in a vertical direction by the secondary motor simultaneously with the vertical movement of the secondary motor, the secondary wheel assembly further including wheel means which include the maneuvering wheel and secondary axle means, the maneuvering wheel rotatably attached to the secondary axle means as part of the wheel means and having an axis of rotation generally prependicular to the shaft, the wheel means being fixedly mounted on the lower end of the shaft whereby rotational motion of the shaft causes the wheel means to rotate simultaneously with the shaft thereby rotating the axis of the maneuvering wheel with the rotational motion of the shaft, the secondary wheel assembly capable of reciporcal movement between the upper retracted position and the lower operative position upon the energization of the secondary motor, wherein when the secondary wheel assembly is in the operative position operation of the vehicle motor causes the motor vehicle to rotate.