초록 ▼

A preferred embodiment of a system includes a lifting device for lifting a motor vehicle, a support structure for mounting the lifting device in a pit, and a carriage for supporting the lifting device from the support structure and being movable within the support structure. The system also includes

A preferred embodiment of a system includes a lifting device for lifting a motor vehicle, a support structure for mounting the lifting device in a pit, and a carriage for supporting the lifting device from the support structure and being movable within the support structure. The system also includes a cover coupled to opposite sides of the carriage so that the cover extends away from the carriage and continuously between the opposite sides of the carriage.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method for lifting a motor vehicle, comprising: positioning the motor vehicle so that a first axle of the motor vehicle is located directly above a first scissors lift located in an opening in the ground, and a second axle of the motor vehicle is located over a pit having a second scissors lift

1. A method for lifting a motor vehicle, comprising: positioning the motor vehicle so that a first axle of the motor vehicle is located directly above a first scissors lift located in an opening in the ground, and a second axle of the motor vehicle is located over a pit having a second scissors lift located therein, the first and second scissor lifts defining a forward-rearward direction, each of the first scissor lift and the second scissor lift being configured for up and down movement, the first scissor lift being fixed in the forward-rearward direction;positioning the second scissors lift by moving the second scissor lift along the forward-rearward direction in the pit so that the second scissors lift is located directly beneath the second axle, and whereby a cover moves in the forward-rearward direction upon forward-rearward movement of the second scissor lift such that the cover lies over the pit at all positions of the second scissor lift along the forward-rearward direction; andextending the first and second scissors lifts so that the first and second scissors lifts urge the respective first and second axles upward. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein extending the first and second scissors lifts so that the first and second scissors lifts urge the respective first and second axles upward comprises extending the first and second scissors lifts so that an accessory adapter of a mating assembly of the first scissors lift contacts the first axle and exerts an upward force on the first axle, and an accessory adapter of a mating assembly of the second scissors lift contacts the second axle and exerts an upward force on the second axle. 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the first and second scissors lifts so that the first and second scissors lifts release the first and second axles and retract fully below ground. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein extending the first and second scissors lifts so that the first and second scissors lifts urge the respective first and second axles upward comprises extending each of the first and second scissors lifts approximately seventy inches. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein extending the first and second scissors lifts so that the first and second scissors lifts urge the respective first and second axles upward comprises extending the first and second scissors lifts by at least approximately seventy inches. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein extending the first and second scissors lifts so that the first and second scissors lifts urge the respective first and second axles upward comprises extending the first and second scissors lifts so that the first and second scissors lifts urge the respective first and second axles upward to provide personnel access to an underside of the motor vehicle. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said cover is configured to be both fixed and adjustably movable. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the cover includes first and second cover portions, the first cover portion is discrete and spaced apart from the second cover portion, the first cover portion having a proximal end that is coupled to a moveable carriage that houses the second scissor lift, the second cover portion having a proximal end that is coupled to the carriage opposite the first cover portion, each one of the first cover portion having a distal end that is opposite the proximal end, the second cover portion having a distal end that is opposite the proximal end, the distal end of the first cover portion is spaced apart from the distal end of the second cover portion. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein each one of the first and second scissor lifts includes a lower tier comprising: a lower leg structure having a relatively large width at its upper end and a relatively small width at its lower end, and two first leg leaves pivotally coupled to the lower leg structure, the lower leg structure and the lower leg leaves being pivotally coupled to the base; a middle tier comprising: a middle leg structure member pivotally coupled to the lower leg leaves, and two middle leg leaves pivotally coupled to the lower and middle leg structures; an upper tier comprising: an upper leg structure having relatively small width at its upper end and a relatively large width at its lower end, the upper leg structure being and pivotally coupled to the second middle leg leaves, and two upper leg leaves pivotally coupled to the middle and upper leg structures; a cylinder operatively coupled to actuate the tiers from a retracted position to an extended position, and a bolster pivotally coupled to the upper leg structure weldment and the upper leg leave. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein each one of the scissor lifts includes three scissor tiers including a lower tier, a middle tier, and an upper tier; the lower tier pivotably coupled to the base, the lower tier including: a pair of lower leg leaves, anda lower leg structure pivotably coupled to the lower leg leaves, the lower leg structure includes:a pair of parallel legs; each one of the legs having an upper portion having a relatively large width and a lower portion having a relatively small width; each one ofthe upper portions is adapted to receive a first pin; and a cross member rigidly attached between the legs; the middle tier pivotably coupled to the lower tier, the middle tier including: a pair of lower leg leaves; anda middle leg structure; the upper tier pivotably coupled to the middle tier, the upper tier including: a pair of upper leg leaves, andan upper leg structure pivotably coupled to the upper leg leaves, the upper leg structure includes:a pair of parallel legs; each one of the legs having an upper portion having a relatively small width and a lower portion having a relatively large width; each one of the lower portions is adapted to receive a second pin; anda cross member rigidly attached between the legs. 11. The method of claim 10, the cross member in the lower leg structure is located between lower portions of the legs. 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the cross member in the upper leg structure is located between upper portions of the legs. 13. The method of claim 10, the lower leg structure further includes a mid-section having a thickness dimension that is between the relatively large-width upper portion and the relatively small-width lower portion. 14. The scissor lift device of claim 13, wherein the upper leg structure further includes a mid-section having a thickness dimension that is between the relatively small-width upper portion and the relatively large-width lower portion. 15. The scissor lift device of claim 14, wherein the lower leg structure uniformly tapers from the relatively large-width part to the relatively small-width part. 16. The scissor lift device of claim 15, wherein the upper leg structure uniformly tapers from the relatively large-width part to the relatively small-width part. 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the lift is configured to lift heavy vehicles. 18. The method of claim 1, wherein the up and down movement is extension and contraction of the scissor lifts between a fully retracted position and a fully extended position; such that, when the scissor lifts are in the fully retracted position, a lower portion of each scissor lift is located below ground level and an uppermost portion of each scissor lift is near ground level and such that, when the scissor is in the fully extended position, the scissor has a portion below ground level defining a depth of the scissor and a portion above ground level defining a height of the scissor, the depth of the scissor being less than the height of the scissor when in the fully extended position. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the pit has a depth that is less than half the depth of a pit required to accommodate a vertical hydraulic cylinder of a conventional hydraulic vehicle lift having comparable lift height. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein each scissor has a lift capacity of at least approximately 30,000 pounds. 21. The method of claim 1, wherein first and second scissor lifts each (i) include tiers capable of being actuated by a cylinder, (ii) being moveable between a fully retracted position and a fully extended position, and (iii) being capable of being located below ground level when in the fully retracted position such at an uppermost portion of the scissor is near ground level; the pit having less than half the depth of a prior art trench having a vertical hydraulic cylinder of a conventional hydraulically-powered lift of comparable capacity. 22. The method of claim 1, wherein the second scissor lift is supported by a carriage, the cover including a first cover coupled to a first side of the carriage and a second cover coupled to an opposing second side of a carriage, each one of the first cover and the second cover overlying the pit and extending in the forward-rearward direction away from the carriage such that the first cover and the second cover are configured to move in a reciprocal motion with the second scissor lift, the second scissor lift being moveable between the retracted and extended positions at multiple forward-rearward positions. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the pit has a depth below ground that is less the scissor lift height above ground when the scissor lift is in the extended position. 24. The method of claim 22, wherein the lift capacity of each scissor lift is approximately 30,000 pounds. 25. The method of claim 1 wherein the first positioning step includes positioning the motor vehicle relative to additional scissor lifts. 26. The method of claim 1 wherein the first scissor lift is located in a pit that is spaced apart from the pit of the second scissor lift.