Adams Patent Car Elevator

Adams Patent Car Elevator

16th December 2010
Adams Patent Car Elevator
Some reference has been made on this blog before to the Adams Patent Car Elevator purchased recently by the Museum and being restored by the Friends. As some background information to this, the following may be of interest:
Automotor Journal in 1910 reported on a ‘must have’ for any motorist without access to an inspection pit. Two illustrations also appeared in the article (see below). The patent for the elevator was accepted on 26th April 1906, usefully including a number of detailed drawings of the elevator and describing its operation.
The basis of the device are two parallel channels, adjustable in spacing to allow for different card widths, and supported on an inverted ‘A’ frame, set to one side of the centres. This enabled a car to be driven or winched (a winch is fitted) onto the 1:3 sloping frame for inspection and maintenance. If complete access underneath the car was required, the frame could pivot about the tip of the ‘A’ frame and be supported to the rear by a very flimsy looking rod.
Castor wheels were fitted to the frame to enable the whole ensemble to be moved once the car was elevated.
By and large the elevator looks both dangerous and awkward! We haven’t seen any others surviving and sadly do not know the origin of our example. It will, when completed, make an interesting display piece in the Town Garage and will probably be used to elevate (in ramp form) the SHEW car in order to show the remaining articulated features of the latter.
My thanks to Rory and Sinclair and Ian Bean for the information above.