US2727638A - Parking structure device - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 20, 1955 A. SESTAN PARKING STRUCTURE DEVICE FiIed Oct. 12, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Aemw? $537M Dec. 20, 1955 A. SESTAN PARKING STRUCTURE DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct, 12, 1954 INVENTOR. ARTHUR S smzv United States Patent PARKING STRUCTURE DEVICE Arthur Sestan, Hoboken, J. Application October 12, 1954, Serial No. 461,849

5 Claims. (Cl. 214-16.1)

' This invention relates to parking structures and, more particularly, has reference to a structure of the open frame type, in which vehicles are adapted to be stored one above another, thereby to economize on ground space and make most efiicient use of said space, when the space is at a premium, as is usually the case in congested city areas.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a generally improved structure of the character referred to, which will be of a portable nature, thus to permit the structure to be transported to a selected location after having been prefabricated at a central point, with said structure being adapted to be temporarily located on an open parking lot, when said lot is to be used for parking a substantial number of vehicles. For example, a'situation of this type is particularly prone to arise when sporting events are held in indoor arenas at periodic or infrequent intervals, or in open stadia. Heretofore, when large convention halls, arenas or gymnasiums in which sporting events are to be held, and like buildings have been, erected, it has usually been necessary to include parking facilities extending over a substantial ground area, despitethe fact that said facilities are used infrequently. When used, however, said facilities are often overtaxed and the. present invention aims to provide a structure which under these circumstances can be transported to a parking area, to adapt said area for temporarily receiving a greater number of vehicles than it ordinarily would be able to accommodate.

Another important object is to provide a structure of the character referred to which need not be necessarily of a temporary, movable nature. Instead, the structure is so designed as to permit the same to be erected on a particular parking area, and left on said area for an indefinite period of time, thus to permanently adapt the parking lot for accommodating a substantial number of vehicles as compared to the size of the lot.

. Another object of importance is to provide a structure of the' type referred to wherein means is provided for elevating vehicles to park the same in open compartments provided in the structure, the structure being so designed as to permit the use of a generally conventional industrial lift truck, rather than ramps or special, built-in elevators that might otherwise be required in the structure were it not for the particular, novel design thereof.

Yet another object of importance is to provide a parking structure as described wherein a novel pallet or support frame is. used, onto which a vehicle may be driven, said pallet being adapted specially for engagement by the forks of a generally conventional industrial lift truck, whereby said truck is enabled to lift or lower a vehicle supported upon the pallet.

Still another object is to so design the pallet relative to thestationary portions of the structure as to permit the opposite ends of the pallet to be engaged in provided channel-shaped supports, whereby the vehicle can be left on. its pallet as longas'said vehicle remains housed in the structure.

2,727,638 Patented Dec. 20, 1955 ice For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly setforth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a vehicle parking structure formed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the structure as seen from the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, an industrial lift truck being shown in position for lifting a supported vehicle.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the pallets, and of the adjacent, associated support members of the parking structure.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 4. e

The reference numeral 10 has been generally applied in the several figures of the drawings to a vehicle parking structure formed in accordance with the present invention. In the illustrated example, the structure is shown of a size that will adapt the same for accommodating twelve vehicles, four on each of three levels of the structure. It will be understood that the structure could be of any other size, the illustrated size and capacity being merely representative of one form of the structure as it could be manufactured.

The illustrated structure is one that can be readily transported from place to place, as for example on a large flat bed truck trailer. In any event, a specially designed trailer can be utilized for transporting the structure, and under these circumstances, the parking structure can be temporarily located at a particular area which it is contemplated will be temporarily overtaxed so far as its automobile handling capacity is concerned. Such a situation might arise, as will be appreciated, where the area is located near an athletic field, sporting area, or the like, at which a sporting event is to be held.

In any event, the illustrated structure includes a pair of bottom longitudinal members 12, extended in parallel, transversely spaced relation. Above the lower or bottom longitudinal members 12 there are provided longitudinal members 14, these being disposed horizontally and being vertically spaced in parallel relation, said members 14 being connected to one another and to the lower members 12 by a plurality of vertical members or standards 16. The entire structure can be of riveted and/ or welded construction, of course, and would be formed of girders, angle irons, or any other type of structural element found desirable and necessary considering the size of the structure and the load to be supported thereby.

To rigidify the rectangular, open framework defined by the longitudinal and vertical members 1.2, 14, 16, cross members 18 are provided, said cross members being extended between and being fixedly connected to the longitudinal members, at selected intervals longitudinally of said members 14, 12. Angular braces 20, at the ends of the structure, extend from the top to the bottom thereof, being connected at their lower ends to the ends of the bottom longitudinal members 12, and bottom cross braces 22 are extended horizontally between the lower ends ofthe angular braces 22 to further strengthen the structure.

Fixedly mounted upon those cross members 18 disposed at the opposite ends of the structure are and pallet support members 24. These are of short, channel shaped formation, and are fixedly secured in a suitable manner upon their associated cross members 18. The. end channel members or pallet supports 24 are arranged" in pairs, as will be readily noted from Fig. 2, said pairs being spaced transversely of the parking structure as shown in this figure of the drawings.

Intermediate the opposite ends of the structure, there are provided middle pallet support members 26. These are approximately twice as long as the members 24, and in effect are double-ended pallet support members, so that the opposite ends of the members 26 can receive pallets on either side of said members 26.

A plurality of pallets generally designated at 28 is provided, each pallet being adapted to support a single vehicle. The construction of each pallet is shown to particular advantage in Fig. 4, in which it is seen that the pallet includes a pair of upwardly facing longitudinal channels 30, onto which the vehicle can be driven. The channels 30 are fixedly connected in transversely spaced,

parallel relation by a pair of downwardly facing support channels 32, the ends of which project laterally beyond the respective sides of the channels 30.

To rigidify the pallet structure, and also to prevent the pallet from accidentally dropping off the lift of an associated industrial truck, there is provided a pair of cross braces 34 welded at their opposite ends to the undersides of and extending between the channels 32. By reason of this construction, the open bottoms of the channels 32 are closed at the opposite ends of the channels, thus to define openings receiving the arms of an industrial truck, to be described hereinafter.

Welded to the undersides of the channels 30, adjacent the oppostie ends thereof, are V-shaped, transversely extending legs 36, said legs in height being equal to the combined height of the cross braces 34 and channels 32.

The vehicles to be parked have been designated generally at 33, and are adapted to be driven upon the respective pallets. So that the vehicles can be driven onto the pallets, plates 39 at the opposite ends of the channels have at one end arcuate projections 41 loosely engaged in openings 43 formed in the webs of the channels. Plates 39 at their other ends have cars 45. In their full line positions of Fig. 5, the plates are supported within the channels in inclined positions to serve as chocks for the vehicle wheels, the cars 45 resting against the upper edges of the side walls of the channels. In their dotted line positions of Fig. 5, the plates serve as ramps beyond the ends of the channels to allow the vehicles to be driven onto or off the pallet.

To facilitate the spotting of the vehicles at the proper locations upon the parking area where they are to be lifted, on the top of the structure there can be provided a large dial 49, mounted upon upstanding posts 42, and

having an index arm :4 adjustable by any suitable remote control means to selected positions, to designate that location upon the parking area at which the next vehicle should stop preliminary to the lifting thereof to a provided compartment.

. Referring to Fig. 2, at one side of the structure there are marked on the ground or concrete directional lines 46, with which arrows 48 are associated. Vehicles entering the parking area are thus directed along the lines 46, and are driven onto pallets, the channels 30 of which are aligned longitudinally with the respective lines 46, and the cross channels 32 of which are aligned with cross lines 50 intersecting the lines 46 at right angles in pairs, as shown in Fig. 2.

The entire structure and the directional lines are contained in a parking area 52 which can be of relatively small size considering the number of vehicles that can be accommodated thereon when the structure is moved onto said parking area. To lift the vehicles into their assigned compartments, or to remove the vehicles from said compartments, there is provided a generally conventional industrial lift truck 54, having fork arms 56 adapted to travel upwardly and downwardly upon an upstanding track 58, which track would be of substantial height, sufficient to lift the vehicle to the uppermost compartments, and which might accordingly be braced as at 60 if necessary. It will be understood, in this regard, that if it is necessary to lift the vehicles a substantial height, a portable crane structure can be utilized, so long as said structure can be moved about upon the ground with relatively little difficulty. In any event, in a comparatively low parking structure such as that illustrated, a heavy industrial truck having a proper rating in respect to the height and weight of the transported loads, is capable of being utilized to advantage.

In operation of the structure, as previously noted the vehicle 30 will be driven onto a pallet 28, while said pallet is supported directly upon the ground, and is properly spotted in respect to the lines 46, 50. The forks 56 of the truck are then extended into the openings at one end of the downwardly facing channels 32, after which the fork lift is raised, as for example, to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3. Then, the truck would be driven toward the structure in the direction of the arrows shown in Pig. 3, so as to spot the pallet 28 above the support channels 24, 26 onto which the pallet is to be placed. Then, the fork lift of the truck is lowered carefully so as to dispose the ends of the channels 30 in the provided supports 24, 26 (see Fig. 4). The forks are then removed, by backing up the industrial truck, the pallet thus being left in supported position within the structure. It will be noted that the legs 36 serve as stops limiting endwise movement of the channels 30, so that said legs 36 assist in properly locating the channels 30 relatively to their associated support channels 24, 26. Further, the legs prevent longitudinal movement of the channels 30 relative to said supports 24, 26.

When the vehicle is to be taken out of the structure, the operation is reversed, and the fork arms 56 are simply extended into the downwardly facing channels 32 of the selected pallet 28, after which the pallet is lifted out of the structure and brought to one side thereof, and thereafter lowered, to permit the vehicles to be driven off the pallet and out of the lot.

It will be appreciated that the construction illustrated and described is such as to permit the structure to be transported from place to place with a minimum of difficulty. Further, the structure can be permanently left at a selected location, to provide a parking structure of the tier type, which structure can be prefabricated at a central location or factory, and then transported to an open area on which it is to be positioned.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction hereindisclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patout is:

1. A parking structure for vehicles comprising an open framework divided into vertically spaced, vehicle-receiving compartments, spaced support means in said compartments, and vehicle-supporting pallets removably positioned on said support means, each of said pallets including a pair of longitudinally extending, upwardly facing channels adapted to receive the wheels of a supported vehicle, said support means including spaced pairs of upwardly facing support channels adapted to receive the opposite ends of the pallet channels.

2. A parking structure for vehicles comprising an open framework divided into vertically spaced, vehicle-receiving compartments, spaced support means in said compartments, and vehicle-supporting pallets removably positioned on said support means, each of said pallets including a pair of longitudinally extending, upwardly facing channels adapted to receive the Wheels of a supported vehicle, said support means including spaced pairs of upwardly facing support channels adapted to receive the opposite ends of the pallet channels, each of said pallets further including a pair of downwardly facing, transversely extending channel members fixedly secured to and extending between the longitudinal channels of the pallet.

3. A parking structure for vehicles comprising an open framework divided into vertically spaced, vehicle-receiving compartments, spaced support means in said compartments, and vehicle-supporting pallets removably positioned on said support means, each of said pallets including a pair of longitudinally extending, upwardly facing channels adapted to receive the wheels of a supported vehicle, said support means including spaced pairs of upwardly facing support channels adapted to receive the opposite ends of the pallet channels, each of said pallets further including a pair of downwardly facing, transversely extending channel members fixedly secured to and extending between the longitudinal channels of the pallet, said downwardly facing channel members having their bottoms closed for at least part of the length of the channel members, to form openings adapted to receive the fork arms of an industrial lift truck, whereby to permit the pallets to be elevated and lowered.

4. A parking structure for vehicles comprising an open framework divided into vertically spaced, vehicle-receiving compartments, spaced support means in said compartments, and vehicle-supporting pallets removably positioned on said support means, each of said pallets including a pair of longitudinally extending, upwardly facing channels adapted to receive the wheels of a supported vehicle, said support means including spaced pairs of upwardly facing support channels adapted to receive the opposite ends of the pallet channels, each of said pallets further including a pair of downwardly facing, transversely extending channel members fixedly secured to and extending between the longitudinal channels of the pallet, said downwardly facing channel members having their bottoms closed for at least part of the length of the channel members, to form openings adapted to receive the fork arms of an industrial lift truck, whereby to permit the pallets to be elevated and lowered, each of said pallets further including depending support legs rigidly secured to the opposite ends of the longitudinal channels, said legs being substantially coextensive in height with the channel members, so as to support the longitudinal channels of the pallet against rocking about a transverse axis.

5. A parking structure for vehicles comprising an open framework divided into vertically spaced, vehicle-receiving compartments, spaced support means in said compartments, and vehicle-supporting pallets removably positioned on said support means, each of said pallets including a pair of longitudinally extending, upwardly facing channels adapted to receive the wheels of a supported vehicle, said support means including spaced pairs of upwardiy facing support channels adapted to receive the opposite ends of the pallet channels, each of said pallets further including a pair of downwardly facing, transversely extending channel members fixedly secured to and extending between the longitudinal channels of the pallet, said downwardly facing channel members having their bottoms closed forat least part of the length of the channel members, to form openings adapted to receive the fork arms of an industrial lift truck, whereby to permit the pallets to be elevated and lowered, each of said pallets further including depending support legs rigidly secured to the opposite ends of the longitudinal channels, said legs being substantially coextensive in height with the channel members, so as to support the longitudinal channels of the pallet against rocking about a transverse axis, said framework including a plurality of horizontally disposed cross members on which the support channels are fixedly mounted, said legs being adapted to constitute abntments engageable with said support channels to limit longitudinal movement of the longitudinal channels of the pallets relative to the support channels,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,594,368 Jacobs Aug. 3, 1926 1,605,220 Cuvillier et al. Nov. 2, 1926 1,874,859 Been Aug. 30, 1932 2,223,962 Mitchell Dec. 3, 1940 2,549,239 Robertson et al. Apr. 17, 1951 2,624,470 Geist Jan. 6, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 499,000 Great Britain Jan. 17, 1939

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