The Auto-Table for Facilitating Overhaul Work.
Page 14
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
VIS NOT a nice job trying to make nder-chassis adjustments lying 011 one's back under the car on the floor, and, although the use of a pit greatly facilitates such work, and avoids the need for assuming a recumbent position, the pit. is mt by any means an unmixed. blessing. Dirty, insanitary, and often rendered dangerous by the collection of Waste petrol and nil and petrol vapour at the bottom, many very serious and even fatal accidents from the. ignition of tho vapours emanating from such waste acctimulations have occurred, and in some localities a pit cannot be kept dry owing to infiltration of water.
An American firm_ have now introduced a method whereby; whilst the use of a pit is obviated, the work of an overhaul, oiling, greasing, repairing, inspeotion, crankcase draining, otc., can be done in safety and comfort and not in semidarkness. The equipment is in use in many large garages and taxi yards, one of which has installed as many as 35. Tho Auto-Table, as it is called, comprises two inclined planes leading up to 14-ft. runways sufficiently wide apart to accom
odate vehicles with tracks of from
-in, to 66-in, width, the runways forming the " table " and being supported on upright posts 2 ft. from the floor. Both inclined planes and runways are channels with strong flanged sides, which prevent a vehiclo•running off them as it is either driven up on to the table-by its own power, ar drawn n by a. winch, which is mounted at the other end. In addition to this winch for geging vehicles with dead engines upon -the-. table, a brake ls provided for easing them down.
When on the table, the underworks of the chess's are elevated about 2 ft. 9 ins., which gives ample room. for. a worker to operate whilst seated in the portable adjustable chair provided. , This chair supports both back and head arid so enables the man to work in comfort. For working on the outside and tipper portions of , the vehicle ihe._ operator stands on footboards, which are adjust
B30 able along the outsides of both the runways and which also form convenient tool. racks.
With this equipment and a set of wheel chocks and stops, the table is complete in its simplest form. But it may also be furnished v ith a 3-in, vice, adjustable to clamp on to any part of the runways, and with a pair of powerful bail-bearing jacks, which slide on and may be fitted to any point on the tracks and may be arranged to work on opposite sides of the platform, or, tandem fashion, on one side only of it As these jacks are designed to support the vehicle by any part of the chassis or axles and are adjustable to the 10,000th part of an :inch in height and in distance apart: from 12 ins. up to the full width of the chassis, the latter may be sjapporled in any way required so as to take the weight of springs, axles, or any part O1. the vehicle, allowing perfect freedom, for adjustment or removal of bolts, nuts, springs, levers, etc A feature of whole design is that it may he readily " knocked down" and removed and re-erected in another loca. The total weight is about half a ton. It is claimed that it Can be erected anywhere in a quarter of an hour, and altogether it would appear to be a very useful equipment in any garage or repair shop.