AU701357B2 - Engine removal and mounting apparatus - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a vehicle engine mounting apparatus and in particular to a motor vehicle mounting apparatus which is adaptable for removing the engine from a vehicle and mounting the engine in a manner suitable for repair and/or "bench" testing. Other accessories and features of this apparatus will be described in the specification.

BACKGROUND

Although this description uses as an example the removal of an engine from a motor vehicle, it is only illustrative of the many types of engine removal, repair and "bench" testing configurations to which the apparatus can be applied. For example, such an apparatus with appropriate scaling could be used for removal and repair, etc of marine engines.

Furthermore, the apparatus can be used to semipermanently mount an engine which can be operated in situ for powering a multitude of devices such as for example, an electrical power generator, pumps, etc.

It is illustrative of the advantages of this apparatus to describe the problems with the process of removing an S 25 engine from a vehicle.

A block and tackle is typically used to raise the engine from its vehicle mounted location. The block and tackle is either suspended from a rafter or the like or operated from a S 30 movable A-frame support which is ideally movable while the engine is supported. A gantry arrangement is also used in the trade.

After removal of the engine and transmission from the vehicle it is typical to locate it upon a bench so that it can be worked on or disassembled. Using this arrangement it is not possible to "bench" test the engine. Sometimes the engine is connected to a face plate support assembly so that it can be rotated about its longitudinal axis during disassembly. This is advantageous since being able to rotate the engine at a convenient height greatly assists access to many of the nuts and bolts that need to be released and makes more convenient the application of the required force for loosening and tightening of those nuts and bolts.

Worn and damaged parts are replaced or refurbished and the motor is then re-assembled. Again this process takes place on a bench or a separate floor mounted rotating face plate support assembly.

At no time can the motor be made completely operational since it is not fixed in any secure manner and the necessary accessories are awkward to locate adjacent the engine for operative attachment. Furthermore, it is unusual to be able to re-connect the transmission while the engine is external of the vehicle, nor is the starter motor capable of being fitted since that would require mounting the transmission bell housing before it can be placed into engagement with the flywheel of the engine.

However, the engine may be tested if purpose built benches are available, but these are expensive and require additional labour and expertise to utilise and also are typically only suitable for one type or model of motor.

Even though "bench" testing is an ideal way to test an engine before reinstallation of the engine in the motor vehicle from which it has been removed, the additional movement and stabilisation requirements make it a time consuming and expensive procedure. Therefore, it is not uncommon to repair or replace a suspect part of a removed engine and then find that after reinstallation of that engine another part is also faulty. Thus the motor is removed again for further repair or attention.

Furthermore, existing equipment used for motor engine removal and repair typically lack mobility while the engine is external of the vehicle. It is not uncommon for the vehicle itself to be manipulated back and forth so as to assist engine removal and reinstallation.

Furthermore, it is not typical to connect the transmission to the engine during its time outside of the motor vehicle. However, this would also be a desirable arrangement since the installation can be checked and if the engine can be operated, the various seals, oil pressures and transmission checks can also be thoroughly tested while the engine and transmission are external of the vehicle.

It is an aspect of this invention to reduce or eliminate some or all of the abovementioned problems and to provide some at least of the desirable working conditions described.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In a broad form of the invention, a mounting apparatus for an engine comprises a carriage base assembly comprising a carriage frame having a beam member attached to said carriage frame, said beam member being orientated such that it lies along the longitudinal axis of said engine when mounted, a support means upstanding from said carriage base 25 element which is height adjustable so as to support a first portion of said engine when mounted, to. engine mounting means upstanding from said beam member adjustable along the length of said beam member and engageable to the engine mounting portion of said engine when 30 mounted.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described in some further detail with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying figures. This embodiment is illustrative, and not meant to be restrictive of the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Fig. 1 depicts a perspective view of an assembled gantry; Fig. 2 depicts a perspective view of a carriage base element; Fig. 3 depicts an assembled engine mounting assembly slidably located on the parallel legs of the gantry assembly; Fig. 4 depicts the adjustment of the engine mounting strut assembly; Fig. 5 depicts the placement of straps hanging from the gantry extension arm about the transmission; Fig. 6 depicts the lowering of the transmission to a portable support base; Fig. 7 depicts the face plate assembly fitted to the carriage base assembly as well as to the engine; Fig. 8 depicts the attachment of the starter motor to the engine; Fig. 9 depicts the attachment of the radiator support assembly; and Fig. 10 depicts the engine, transmission and radiator fitted to the assembly ready for "bench" testing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION This embodiment of the invention uses a variety of parts which are designed to make the task of removal and disassembly of a motor vehicle engine easier than previously has been the case. Some of the parts described are adaptions S 30 of parts previously available such as a movable gantry and a rotatable face plate assembly.

mdHowever, it is not known for these parts to have been made to work together in a manner which provides ease of use S" 35 while also ensuring safe working conditions.

Necessarily, there are a multitude of operations associated with removing a vehicle engine, disassembling and re-assembling the engine, removing a vehicle transmission, disassembling and re-assembling the transmission and in ideal conditions attaching all the necessary accessories like the radiator, exhaust and electrical components for "bench" testing of the engine and transmission.

It is an aspect of this invention that a collection of carefully designed parts have been designed to work together so that the majority of those multitude of operations can be performed relatively easily and safely.

Fig. 1 depicts a gantry assembly 10 comprising a gantry base 12 having an upright member 14 braced at its lower end and a hollow tube portion 16 at its upper end as well as a hydraulic ram base pad 18 located intermediate the upper and lower end of the upright member. The gantry base 12 is located at one end of a pair of parallel legs 20 and 22 which are supported off the floor surface by wheel assemblies 24, 26 with 28 and 30 (not shown). Wheel assemblies 24 and 26 at the front end 32 of the gantry assembly are roller type providing forward and backward movement of the gantry legs, while wheel assemblies 28 and 30 are swivel mounted wheels so "that the rear end 34 of the gantry assembly can be easily moved in different directions.

The upright member 14 has contained within it a height extendable upright extension member 36 which moves vertically in the hollow tube portion 16 of upright member 14 and is secured with a pin and clip securing means (not shown). At the upper end of the upright extension a pair of opposite holes on upright tabs is used to secure one end of the gantry arm 38 with a bolt and nut.

Intermediate the ends of the gantry arm a pair of tabs having corresponding spaced apertures 42 along their length is arranged to receive a bolt and the extensible ram portion 43 of an hydraulic ram means 44, the base of which is located and fixed with pin clips (not shown) on the hydraulic ram base pad 18.

A selection of apertures 42 provides for different fulcrum selection positions which increase or decrease the force exertion requirement of the ram means for a particular load and for height adjustment when working on different sized engines.

At the free end of the gantry arm 38 there is positioned a fixing means for a lifting chain or straps. The square profile tubular member 46 located at the free end of the gantry arm is adapted to be fitted with a gantry arm extension, which is to be described in detail later in the specification, and is associated with the support of the transmission during the disassembly and assembly operation.

Preferably, the hydraulic ram means 44 is a long stroke tonne capacity commercially available item. It has lever actuation and a twist release mechanism for ram retraction.

It will be appreciated that the ram means is only preferable and the gantry arm lifting mechanism may not necessarily be hydraulic, it may be a mechanical ratchet assembly or other suitable means.

It is possible for the gantry arm 38 to be fitted with an overload protection device which is designed to visually and audibly alert the gantry operator if greater than a predetermined safe weight is lifted by the gantry arm. This is one example of many types of safety means which may advantageously be fitted to the gantry assembly.

It is also possible to fit a tilting device to the gantry so as to ease the removal and replacement of engines from motor and other vehicles.

Fig. 2 depicts a carriage base assembly 48 which comprises a beam member 50 supported at its ends by front and rear carriage frame end members 52 and 54 respectively which are joined at their ends by carriage frame side members 56 and 58.

The carriage base assembly 48 is designed and adapted for placement on the parallel legs 20 and 22 of the gantry assembly 10, thus in this embodiment, the carriage frame side members are conveniently located over the legs of the gantry.

However, these legs could be located closer or further from the substantially central location of the beam member 50 as determined by the spacing of the gantry legs 20 and 22.

Furthermore, the beam member could conceivably be comprised of two or more elements either segmented across the length of the carriage base assembly 48 or made up of two or more longitudinally arranged members across the length of the carriage base. Importantly though, there is a need for the provision of engine mounting means which can be adjustably located along the length of the beam member so as to ensure those mounting means are fixed at the most convenient location for connection to the engine mounts. These elements will be described in greater detail later in the specification.

S Below the carriage frame side members are positioned Vee: four rollers 57 (not shown) which allow the carriage base assembly 48 to roll along the top of the parallel legs 20, 22 of the gantry assembly 10. Tongues 60 stop the carriage base 25 from rolling sideways off the legs 20, 22 and other stops (not shown) are located on or adjacent the parallel legs to prevent the carriage base from rolling off the ends of the legs 20, 22.

0e 30 The mobility of the engine mounting carriage base element will be seen to be very useful when disassembling the *motor, positioning it for lifting or adapting it to other S. 0 *necessary parts for "bench" testing.

At a first end of the beam member 50 a base member 62 is located for convenient attachment of upstanding sump support means 64, 66 and 68 as depicted in Fig. 3, which are locatable at an extreme end of the beam member 50 to support the engine sump. The base member 62 is preferably adjustable in position along the beam member to accommodate motors of different size but this is not necessarily required and its position may be fixed as depicted in Fig 2.

Referring to Fig. 3 the sump support means comprises a pair of upstanding shafts 64 and 66 secured at their lower end to the base member 62 by nut and bolt while the shape of their upper ends are arranged so as to allow a securely fixed sling comprising a strap 68 to lie between them for supporting the sump of an engine. The strap may also be adjustable so as to support different sized sumps and forms a firm base when lowered towards the carriage base element by the gantry arm.

Height adjustable engine mounting means 70 and 72 are attached at their lower ends to a sleeve 74 arranged to be slidable along the length of the beam member 50. The engine mounts are then locatable somewhere along the length of the beam member dependent on the type and size of the engine, being slidable along the beam member 50 until the engine mounting means and the engine mounts align. The engine mounting means 70 and 72 are pivotally mounted to the sleeve 74 to provide further variability as to engine size and configuration. Sleeve 74 may be secured at any position along the beam member by tightening bolt 76 so as to clamp *the sleeve to the beam member Engine mounting means 70 and 72 in this embodiment comprise two square tubes which telescope one over the other and have an internal screw adjuster mechanism for lengthening or shortening the mounting means as required. The adjuster mechanism is shown being adjusted with an air driven spanner at Fig. 4. Adjustment increases or decreases the length of 35 the engine mounting means until the required length is S" achieved. The free end of the engine mounting means 70 has a pair of lugs 82 which are engaged with the engine mounting lugs on the engine using bolt 86, as is depicted in Fig. 4.

M

The free end of engine mounting means 72 also has a pair of lugs 84 as depicted in Fig 3.

Standard engine mounting blocks and rubber inserts may also be used if desired. Furthermore, for some engine designs, an adaptor plate will be necessary. For example, to adapt the engine mounting means of the motor which comprises a pin and clip fixing, a plate which is connectable to a location spigot arrangement and appropriate rubber mounting inserts will be required.

A further pair of supporting engine mounting means 78 and 80 (Figs 3 and 4) are preferably used in this embodiment to brace the engine mounting means 70 and 72. Lugs 86 and 88 (Figs 3 and 4) located intermediate the ends of the engine mounting means 70 and 72 are used to attach the free end of the supporting means 78 and 80 respectively with a bolt and nut as required. The other end of the supporting means 78 and 80 are pivotally attached to slidable sleeves 90 and 92 respectively so that the support means can be slid along respective carriage frame side members 56 and 58 so they can be aligned with the engine mounting means.

S"Preferably, the supports 78 and 80 are independently S 25 adjustable but they may also be unitary with the engine mounting means. Alternatively, the bracing of the engine mounting means may be provided by a bracing means which is pivotally attached to the engine mounting means, adjustable in length and merely rests against the respective carriage frame side members 56 and 58.

The supports 78 and 80 are constructed in a like manner to the engine mounting means 70 and 72 and therefore may be *.adjusted to positively brace the engine. The strength of the 35 engine mounting means 70 and 72 alone or in conjunction with the support means 78 and 80 and the upstanding engine support means is sufficient to support the engine for "bench" testing. Additionally the engine mounting means according to the invention and a further support means for an operational transmission may be used to support an engine and its transmission for "bench" testing.

Fig. 4 also shows by the dotted line the outline of a mounted engine which has been removed from a vehicle.

Fig. 5 shows a transmission still attached to the engine being supported by gantry extension arm 94 which has been secured to the square profile tubular member 46 located on the free end of the gantry arm 38. Straps 96 are slung from the extension arm 94 below the transmission at both its rear and front ends. The weight of the transmission is then supported while the bolts and nuts about the bell housing and the starter motor are removed.

When all the nuts and bolts are removed the engine can be wheeled along the gantry legs 20 and 22 and separated from the transmission.

Fig. 6 depicts the transmission being placed on a trolley 98 designed specifically for supporting a transmission and for wheeling it away for repair or refurbishment. The trolley has a strap arrangement 100 for adjustably supporting varying sizes of bell housings as well as a rear support bar 102 for supporting the drive shaft housing.

Fig. 7 depicts a face plate assembly 104 comprising an upright member 106 which has a lower end which is square in 30 cross-section and sized so as to slide into a hollow end of the beam member 50 and is fixed thereto by a bolt 108. For strength and safety the length of the inserted end of the upright member extends well into the length of the beam member.

Circular tube 110 is welded at the upper end of the upright member 106 and a tube-shaped spigot member 112 is inserted into tube 110. An aperture 114 is located in one end of the spigot so that when the engine is mounted for rotation, a rod or the like can be inserted through the aperture 114 to provide the necessary leverage for rotating the mounted engine.

The other end of the spigot is welded to a face plate 116 having radially orientated slots 118 through which are located bolts which secure adjustable transmission mounting arms 120 which can be used to bolt the engine onto the face plate assembly in accord with the spacing and location of the transmission mounting holes on the engine.

To assist in the alignment of engine mounts and the like, lifting chains attached to the gantry arm can be located about the rear of the motor and slight lift provided where necessary so as to facilitate alignment.

Referring to Fig. 8 the starter motor 122 may also be attached to the engine by using starter motor jig 123 which is attached to the face plate assembly 104 using arm elements 124 and 126 which are themselves attached to extension plate 128 to which in turn is attached by arms 127 the starter motor 122. Adjustments can then be made so that the teeth of the starter motor engage with the teeth of the flywheel 13 to Senable the motor to be started.

The engine sump cradle and engine mount arms can then be removed from the carriage base assembly 48 thus relying on the face plate assembly 104 to support the total weight of the engine. The engine is thus able to be rotated about the longitudinal axis of the spigot member 112 as required during disassembly and re-assembly so that various parts of the motor can be reconditioned, replaced or renewed.

9 depicts a radiator support bracket assembly 131 S. 35 which is placed in a position forward of the supported engine. The substantially hollow beam member 50 is used as a receptacle for the radiator support bracket 132 and the upright shaft 134 is adjustable in height to locate the radiator at a convenient height with respect to the engine so as to facilitate the connection of fluid hoses.

Bolts 136 and 138 are used to tighten a slidable shaft attached to the upright shaft of the radiator support bracket 132 into position. Cross member 140 comprises a channel into which the base of the radiator is located and bar 142 is used to clamp the base of the radiator by tightening the screws 144.

Fig. 10 depicts a complete engine and transmission supported by engine mounting means 70 and 72 at the engine mounting location and transmission support bracket 146. A support bracket 146 slidably fits into the hollow beam member 50 and supports a rear portion of the transmission. The transmission support bracket 146 has transmission attachment means 148 (not shown clearly) which firmly fixes the transmission to the support bracket 146 during "bench" testing.

Cushioning material may also be used on the engine and transmission attachment means in the same manner as would be done in mounting the engine in a vehicle.

25 The radiator is attached via various hoses to the engine and with the provision of a fuel supply and battery, the engine may be "bench" tested as required.

Some engines may require the use of engine management systems in which case the appropriate looms can be attached to the engine at one end and to the vehicle mounted management systems at the other end. Thus the engine may be tested as if it were installed in the motor vehicle.

35 The appropriate attention to the safe handling of fuel and battery wiring is required so as to maintain a high level of safety while "bench" testing.

Various gauges for temperature, 'rev' counting, pressure, fuel flow and the like may also be incorporated into attachments supported by the engine mounting means.

More particularly these gauges may be advantageously arranged to be supported by the gantry upright in a suitable enclosure. These accessories may also include a remote start button, accelerator and/or gear change controls which may be foot operated where convenient.

The arrangement may also include a means to temporarily fix any adjustment of the controls made during the tests.

For example, the throttle control may be set at a required rpm range while a new engine component is being run-in.

It is a preferable feature of the invention that the engine remains portable during "bench" testing since it is self-contained on the engine mounting apparatus and provided with wheels so that it may be moved from the place of repair to an external location. This allows the "bench" tested vehicle to externally vent exhaust gases and reduce the possibility of hearing damage if the engine is not muffled by the application of exhaust and muffler elements. The arrangement does not however preclude the attachment of these accessories if performance engine tuning is required.

The carriage element of the invention may also be slid off the end of the gantry legs while the engine is intact.

This is preferably achieved by attaching clip-on swivel-type wheels to the carriage element. The wheels when attached, raise the carriage element off the surface of the gantry legs and over any stops which otherwise prevent the carriage element sliding off the gantry legs and allow further mobility without the gantry element of the invention. This would allow the motor to be put aside and reuse of the gantry 35 element with another carriage element for another engine, possibly one being used for parts.

This arrangement also allows self-contained engines to be connected to electrical generators, pumps and other devices as long as a suitable coupling for the engine/ transmission is used. After the engine has served its purpose the carriage element with the mounted engine can then be slid back onto the gantry legs for reinstallation in the originating vehicle or for repair, etc.

The reinstallation procedures are the reverse of the removal procedures previously described.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention is not restricted in its use to a particular application described and neither is the present invention restricted in its preferred embodiment with regard to the particular elements and/or features described herein. It will be appreciated that various modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the invention, therefore, the invention should be understood to include all such modifications within its scope.

e C.o C C. C THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. A mounting apparatus for an engine, comprising a carriage base assembly comprising a carriage frame having a beam member attached to said carriage frame, said beam member being orientated such that it lies along the longitudinal axis of said engine when mounted, a support means upstanding from said carriage base element which is height adjustable so as to support a first portion of said engine when mounted, engine mounting means upstanding from said beam member adjustable along the length of said beam member and engageable to the engine mounting portion of said engine when mounted.

2. A mounting apparatus for an engine according to claim 1 wherein said engine mounting means pivots with respect to said beam member and which are extendable in length so as to be adjustable for attachment to a mounting point on said engine.

20 3. A mounting apparatus for an engine according to claim 2 wherein an engine mounting means is located on each side of said beam member so as to be attachable to each side of said .engine.

4. A mounting apparatus for an engine according to claim 2 wherein said carriage frame has side members, at least one on each side of said beam member, having supporting engine mounting means adjustable in position along the length of said side members and pivotable with respect to said side 30 members and adjustable in position to brace a said engine mounting means.

5. A mounting apparatus for an engine according to claim 4 wherein said supporting engine mounting means are adjustable in length.

Claims (11)

1. 6. A mounting apparatus for an engine according to claim 1 wherein said support means is adjustable along the length of said beam member.
2. 7. A mounting apparatus for an engine according to claim 6 wherein said support means comprises a sling adjustable in length located between a pair of upstanding shafts.
3. 8. A mounting apparatus for an engine according to claim 1 wherein said carriage base assembly is sized so as to be mountable to a pair of horizontally disposed parallel legs which form a base frame for a gantry assembly, said carriage base assembly being movable along said gantry legs.
4. 9. A mounting apparatus for an engine according to claim 8 wherein the underside of said carriage base assembly has rollers for movement along said gantry legs. A mounting apparatus for an engine according to claim 8 wherein said gantry assembly comprises an upright member braced at its lower end to a frame member located to space apart said pair of legs, said upright member having a movable upright extension member so as to provide height adjustment to said upright member having a gantry arm pivotally mounted 25 to an upper portion of said upright extension member and a gantry arm adjustment means for adjusting the angle of the gantry arm with respect to the upright extension member whereby said engine is supportable by said gantry while being .mounted to said mounting apparatus.
5. 11. A mounting apparatus for an engine according to claim 8 wherein said gantry arm is extendable to a position for supporting the gear housing of said engine adjacent said engine during disassembly or re-assembly with said engine. S*
6. 12. A mounting apparatus for an engine according to claim wherein said gantry assembly is mounted on wheels so as to allow a mounted engine to be movable.
7. 13. A mounting apparatus for an engine according to claim 1 further comprising a gear housing support bracket which cantilevers from an end of said beam member being adjustable in length so as to be adjustable in position below a portion of a gear housing of said engine for attachment thereto while the engine and gear housing are mounted on said mounting apparatus.
8. 14. A mounting apparatus for an engine according to claim 1 further comprising an accessory mounting assembly which cantilevers from an end of said beam member being adjustable in distance from said beam member so as to be adjustable in position for attachment of accessories used to "bench" test a mounted engine. A mounting apparatus for an engine according to claim 14 wherein a radiator of a mounted engine is attached to said accessory mounting assembly.
9. 16. A mounting apparatus for an engine according to claim 1 further comprising a face plate assembly which cantilevers from an end of said beam member being adjustable in distance from said beam member so as to be adjustable in position for attachment to a mounted engine having a face plate adapted 25 for attachment to a mounted engine and rotatable about the longitudinal axis of said engine while attached to said engine after said engine is dismounted from said beam member.
10. 17. A mounting apparatus for an engine according to claim 16 wherein said face plate assembly further comprises a starter motor attachment assembly adapted for attachment to a starter motor of said engine. -18. A mounting apparatus for an engine as hereinbefore 35 described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
11. 19. A mounting apparatus for an engine as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying Figs 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 and Dated this 26th day of July 1996. BRUCE KENNETH LEETON By his Patent Attorneys M4ADDERN S 9 6 @00 *be ABSTRACT An engine mounted in a vehicle can be very awkward to repair and it is preferable to remove the engine and work upon it outside of the vehicle. This invention provides an engine mounting apparatus which can be used to remove the engine as well as provide a mount during the period it is being worked upon. Furthermore the engine mounting apparatus is arranged so that the engine can be "bench" tested. The engine mounting apparatus comprises a carriage base (48) having a carriage frame (52, 54, 56 and 58) and a beam member (50) orientated such that it lies along the longitudinal axis of the engine when mounted. A support means (62, 64, 66 and 68) for supporting a portion of the engine is upstanding from the beam member and is arranged to be adjustable along its length and engine mounting means (74, 76, 70, 82 an 86) also adjustable along the length of the beam member are used for mounting the engine. The carriage frame is arranged to be movable along the 20 legs (20 and 22) of a gantry assembly (28) to facilitate the e- removal and installation of the engine from the vehicle as well as allowing for removal from the gantry assembly for storage or isolated "bench" testing of the engine. eeoc. .i