MULTISTORY AUTOMOBILE PARKING FACILITY

STATIONNEMENT A PLUSIEURS ETAPES, POUR VEHICULES AUTOMOBILES

English Abstract

ABSTRACT

The facility consists of a silo module of either reinforced
concrete or steel, built above or below ground level, or
partly above and partly below ground level. The central
section of the silo interior is occupied by a handling u-
nit that can be of an electromechanical type, for the trans-
fer of automobiles onto the lateral storage stalls and their
retrieval. The incoming and outgoing automobile handling o-
perations are carried out by means of metal platforms on
which the automobiles are loaded. The platforms are hoist-
ed and transferred horizontally by the electromechanical
unit. The platform holding the incoming vehicle is hoist-
ed to the level at which a free place is found available
and then moved horizontally and made rest on stationary i-
ron brackets abutting from the silo module walls and locat-
ed on various levels. The module can be provided with a so-
le doorway to be used as both entry and exit, and alterna-
tively, can have two doorways opposing each other, one for
entry and the other for exit. The entry and/or exit door-
way(s) are located at either the bottom level, the top le-
vel or the intermediate level of the silo according to the
construction criterion (totally underground, partially un-
derground or above ground). The silo module plan and ele-
vation sizes can vary according to requirements.

Claims

CLAIMS

1. A vehicle parking facility consisting of one or several
vertical silos made of reinforced concrete or steel and
built above or below ground level. A horizontal moving
mast (3) carries a platform (2) that moves vertically.
This mast, upon the incoming of the vehicle to be park-
ed and upon its delivery, is positioned in the centre
of the silo interior delimited by its side and vertical
walls from which fixed brackets abut (4). The vehicle to
be parked is made to rest on a platform (1) which in turn
is accommodated on the mast platform (2); then, through
a vertical motion of the past platform and a horizontal
motion of the mast, the vehicle platform is accommodated
in a free place on the fixed brackets (4). Thereafter,
the mast, together with its own platform, returns to its
prior central position, seeks a free vehicle platform,
lifts it from its brackets and transfers it onto the
access storey of the parking silo.

2. A vehicle parking facility according to claim 1, charac-
terized by the feature that both vehicles entrance and
exit can be located on the same side of the silo and, al-
ternatively, can be located on opposite sides thereof.

3. A vehicle parking facility according to claim 1, charac-
terized by the feature of the car platform being develop-
ed and equipped so as to provide safe accommodation for
the vehicle to be positioned on it.

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4. A vehicle parking facility according to claim 1, charac-
terized by the feature of a single handling unit (mast
3), a platform (2) that can be used to service several
silo modules placed side by side (figures 8, 9 and 10),
this being made possible through the horizontal shift
of the unit through openings in the partition walls and
into the adjoining module.

5. A vehicle parking facility according to claim 1, charac-
terized by the vertical motion of the movable platform
device (2) that can be chain or rope driven or, alter-
natively, rack or oleodynamically driven, with or with-
out balance weight.

6. A vehicle parking facility according to claim 1, charac-
terized by the feature of said support mast (3) that,
together with its platform (2), transfers horizontally
and parallelely to the fixed brackets (4) by running
on rollers which in turn run on overhead guides (5) and
on base wheels that run on rails (6).

7. A vehicle parking facility according to claim 1, charac-
terized by the feature of the horizontal translation of
the mast being effected by driving wheels or by a pinion-
rack combination located at the base and/or the top of the
mast.

8. A vehicle parking facility according to claim 1, charac-


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terized by the feature of the driving systems for the ho-
rizontal movement of the mast - both when located at the
base and at the top of the mast - that can be mechanical-
ly, hydraulically or electrically synchronized with each
other so as to ensure the mast base and top translation to
occur at the same speed.

9. A vehicle parking facility according to claim 1, charac-
terized by the feature of the above mentioned driving sy-
stems that can be mechanical, oleodynamic or mixed.

10. A vehicle parking facility according to claim 1, charac-
terized by the feature of the movable mast platform (2)
that can be collapsible by turning around an axis locat-
ed near the mast and parallel to the direction of the ho-
rizontal translation.

11. A vehicle parking facility according to claim 1, charac-
terized by the feature that, when the movable mast plat-
form (2) is of the collapsible type, the translation of
the mast, when it is not carrying a vehicle, can occur
(with a collapsed platform) directly from one silo to the
nect without going through the before mentioned openings
in the partition walls.

12. A vehicle parking facility according to claim 1, charac-
terized by the feature that the facility operation can be
automated (computer aided), manual or mixed (automated-
manual).

Description

"A multistory automobile parking facility"

The invention object os a multistory automobile parking
facility.
The invention purpose is to build a simple and easy to ope-
rate multistory automobile parking facility.

The invention consists of an ensilage system in one or se-
veral monolithic modules (silos) made of reinforced concre-
te and/or steel.

Each monolithic module is provided with an automobile entry
doorway; their exit can be on the same side or on the oppo-
site side.

The interior of the module houses ranges of brackets abutt-
ing from the walls on both sides of the entrance.

The brackets (figure 3, no. 1) are arranged on parallel sto-
reys at a distance of about 2 meters from each other. The
vrtical spacing between brackets can be, in all or only se-
veral storeys on one silo, more or less than 2 meters ac-
cording to the type of vehicle to be parked (trailers, ca-
ravans, campers, etc.). The electromechanical handling unittransfers the incoming vehicles into the parking stalls and
retrieves them upon their release from the silo.

The invention is described in detail with the support of
drawings exemplifying execution as follows:



figures 1 and 2: layout of the access area and layout of an
automobile parking storey;

figures 3 and 4: longitudinal view and traverse view of one
portion of the facility;

figures 5, 6 and 7: cross-sectional outline of the sequence
of movement of a vehicle onto its stall;

figures 8, 9 and 10: vertical section, plan of the access
storey and plan of a parking storey in a side to side stall
arrangement design;

figure 11: handling unit.
The invention arises from the idea of accomodating - through
a manually and/or automatically operated electromechanical
system - vehicles inside one or several container silos each
of which provided with two opposed ranks of stationary
brackets (figure 4), abutting from the walls and aligned
and arranged on several storeys. The brackets provide sup-
port to platforms (figure 1, no. 1) on which the vehicles
to be parked are placed.

The vehicle, together with the platform on which it was ma-
de to stand, is picked up and set down by an electromecha-
nical handling unit composed of a movable platform (figure
3, no. 2), a moving mast (figure 4, no. 3), and computer-,
manually or semi-automatically controlled electric motors.




,




The mast (figures 3 and 4, no. 3) consists of a metal struc-
ture. It moves horizontally through rollers running on over-
head guides (figure 3, no. 5) and base wheels running on
rails (figures 3 and 4, no. 6). The horizontal movement of
the mast can also be effected by means of a rack rail.

The mast holds a movable platform running vertically on
guides. The movable platform 2 attached to the mast can run
through a chain- or rope drive; alternatively through a rack
drive with or without a balance weight.

The movable platform (figures 3 and 4, no. 2) accomplishes
vertical motion along the mast and a horizontal transfer
motion solidly with the mast.
The movable platform receives the platform on which the ve-
hicle to be parked is made to rest at the initial step of
the parking procedure.

The movable platform, with its vertical motion, hoists the
car platform to the height of the bracket on which it is to
be accomodated.

Thereafter, the supporting mast (figures 3 and 4, no. 3)
transfers laterally the movable platform supporting the car
plaform onto the supporting bracket. This motion is made
possible by the metal structure of the car platform (figure
3, no. 2) being provided with grooves made to fit onto the


wall brackets (figure 4,no. 4). The car platforms (figure 1,
no. 1) are provided with profiles that prevent any shifts
of the vehicles resting on them, in addition to being en-
dowed with locking and centering devices for their own cor-
rect positioning on the movable mast platform.

The vehicle to be parked A is positioned by the user on the
vehicle platform 1 located on the access storey, correct
vehicle positioning being ascertained through special sen-
sors.

When the user has relinquished the vehicle, the vehicleplatform 1, supported by the movable mast platform 2,
starts to be raised vertically up to the height of the
bracket selected. Thereafter, the supporting mast 3 mo-
ves laterally, thus transferring the platform carrying
the vehicle onto that bracket. At this point, the trans-
fer mast 3 together with its free platform 2 returns to
its central position and repeats the same procedure to
seek a free vehicle platform. upon finding one, lifts
it from the bracket 4 and transfers it to the parking
access storey.
.
The vehicle retrieval and delivery procedure will be ob-
viously the opposite to that described.

When required, a single handling unit can be used to o-
perate more than one silo modules located side by side
(figures 8, 9 and 10), by moving from one to the next




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through a horizontal motion and through special openings
in the partition walls. When the mast and its movable plat-
form move without carrying a vehicle, their horizontal
transfer can occur withour having to go through the par-
tition wall openings located superiorly, when the mastplatform is collapsible by turning around an axis locat-
ed near the mast and parallel to the direction of the ho-
rizontal shift, this resulting in shorter handling cycle
times. The facility can be automated (computer-aided ve-
hicle handling) or operated manually, in addition to mak-
ing use of a mixed automated-manual method.

The disclosure is made by the submittal of a design se-
lected which is not meant to be restrictive or limiting
of all its possible applications. Provided that the in-
vention principle is maintained, the building form and
details can be varied from the descriprion and illustra-
tions supplied without exceeding the scope of the in-
stant invention.

Representative Drawing