Straightener

Straightener for motor vehicles

Straightener Abstract
A straightener or guide frame for motor vehicles, with the frame including longitudinal support members connected by transverse support members. The longitudinal support members are provided with mounting or attachment holes spaced at given intervals for enabling an attachment of cross support members or intermediate supports which, in turn, carry the cross members. The cross support members are adapted to support adapting elements which are aligned with points of attachment of the motor vehicle. The intermediate support members are provided with holes which correspond to the attachment or mounting holes of the longitudinal support members as well as additional holes arranged to form a grid for enabling an attachment of the cross support members. The attachment or mounting holes of the longitudinal support members are arranged along at least one lateral side of the longitudinal support members and the holes of each of the intermediate support members corresponding to the attachment or mounting holes of the longitudinal support members are disposed in a plane that extends at an oblique angle with respect to the holes or openings forming the grid.

Straightener Claims
I claim:

1. A straightener for motor vehicles, the straightener including a bench frame having a pair of spaced longitudinal support members interconnected by at least a pair of spaced transverse members, intermediate support members of a length at least substantially equal to that of the longitudinal support members, and cross support members constructed for supporting vehicle aligned adaptor elements, wherein said longitudinal support members are provided with a first hole pattern with a plurality of mounting holes provided at spaced intervals along the length of at least one lateral side thereof for enabling mounting of at least one of the cross support and intermediate support members, wherein said intermediate support members comprise an angle member having a first arm and a second arm disposed at a right angle with respect to each other, wherein said first arm of the intermediate support is provided with a plurality of holes arranged in said first hole pattern for mounting the intermediate support members parallel to the longitudinal support members and said second arm is provided with a plurality of holes arranged in a second hole pattern for enabling attachment of the cross support members thereto.

2. A straightener according to claim 1, characterized in that the second arm is constructed in a manner so that it will be disposed in a horizontal plane when said first arm is mounted to the longitudinal support members.

3. A straightener according to claim 2, characterized in that the plurality of holes on said second arm are arranged at equal intervals in a single row running approximately parallel to an edge thereof.

4. A straightener according to one of claims 1 or 2 or 3, characterized in that each of the longitudinal support members is constructed in a manner which can directly support the cross support members on an upper surface of each of the longitudinal support members.

5. A straightener according to one of claims 1 or 2 or 3, characterized in that the cross support members are provided with means for mounting thereof to the intermediate support members by one of the first or second hole patterns provided in the intermediate support members.

6. A straightener according to claim 1, characterized in that the plurality of holes on said second arm are arranged at equal intervals in a single row running approximately parallel to an edge thereof.

7. A straightener according to claim 3, characterized in that each of the longitudinal support members have a box-shaped cross-sectional configuration.

8. A straightener according to claim 7, characterized in that the mounting holes are provided at both lateral sides of each of the longitudinal support members.

9. A straightener according to one of claims 1 or 2 or 3 characterized in that the mounting holes provided in each of the longitudinal support members are arranged so that the intermediate support members are mountable on each of the longitudinal support members without obstructing an upper surface of the longitudinal support members so as to enable the upper surface of the longitudinal support members to serve as a reference plane.

10. A straightener according to claim 1, characterized in that the mounting holes are provided at both lateral sides of each of the longitudinal support members.

Straightener Description
The present invention relates to a guide arrangement and, more particularly, to a guide frame or straightener for motor vehicles, the straightener including a bench frame having opposed longitudinally extending beams connected by cross beams with the longitudinal beams being appropriate provided with mounting plates disposed at predetermined intervals with respect to each other along the length of each of the longitudinally extending beams, which plates are provided with mounting holes for cross members mounted on them or for intermediate beams supporting cross members and mounted on successive mounting plates so that adapters associated with the vehicle fastening points may be supported on the cross members.

Straighteners of the aforementioned type constitute, for all practical purposes, basic equipment in motor vehicle workshops performing body work and, under normal conditions, the tools designed for use on specific makes or types of motor vehicles are fitted to the bench frame as tool supports. Therefore, to the maximum extent possible, the tools are provided with several hole patterns on the bench frame which correspond to individual positions. However, if the provision of several hole patterns is not possible due to, for example, overlapping in the hole patterns, although the mounting points on the vehicle remain the same as in the