Engine support system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12370880-B2
Application number	US-202318135488-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2023
Priority date	Apr 17, 2023
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to an engine support system and method. The engine support system includes a frame mounted engine support and at least one engine mounted coupler. The engine support includes a frame mount with an elongated body and opposing arms slidably disposed on the elongated boy for releasably engaging a frame of a vehicle, and at least one jack assembly. Each jack assembly includes a collar coupled to and horizontally movable along the elongated body, and a jack rod coupled to and vertically movable relative to the collar. The jack rod includes a ball mount configured to insert into the coupler at an underside of an engine block of the vehicle. Each jack assembly is configured to support and/or lift the engine block relative to the vehicle frame by vertical movement of the ball mount into the coupler and relative to the frame mount engaged with the vehicle frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An engine support system for a vehicle, comprising:
a frame mount comprising:
an elongated body;
a first arm slidably mounted on the elongated body and configured to releasably engage a first side of a frame of a vehicle; and
a second arm mounted on the elongated body and configured to releasably engage

a second side of the vehicle frame;
a first coupler configured to attach to an engine of the vehicle; and
a first jack assembly, comprising:
a first collar slidably mounted on the elongated body and configured to move in a longitudinal direction of the elongated body; and
a first jack rod coupled to the first collar and configured to move generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the elongated body, the first jack rod comprising a body and a ball mount at an end of the body, the ball mount configured to insert into the first coupler at an underside of an engine block of the vehicle.

2. The engine support system of claim 1 , wherein the first coupler is configured to removably attach to the underside of the engine block of the vehicle.

3. The engine support system of claim 1 , wherein the first coupler is configured to removably attach to threaded holes configured to mount an oil drip pan to the underside of the engine block of the vehicle.

4. The engine support system of claim 1 , wherein the first coupler includes a receptacle defining a through hole configured to receive a fastener to removably attach the first coupler to a single threaded hole at the underside of the engine block of the vehicle.

5. The engine support system of claim 1 , wherein the first coupler includes a receptacle fixedly attached to a plate with a plurality of through holes, at least two of the plurality of through holes configured to align with at least two threaded holes at the underside of the engine block of the vehicle.

6. The engine support system of claim 1 , wherein the first arm comprises an opening having a non-circular cross-section, the elongated body having a corresponding non-circular cross-section and being received in and non-rotatable relative to the opening.

7. The engine support system of claim 1 , wherein the first arm comprises an opening through which the elongated body is adapted to slide.

8. The engine support system of claim 7 , wherein the opening has a vertical height in a longitudinal direction of the first arm that is greater than a vertical height of the elongated body.

9. The engine support system of claim 8 , further comprising a spacer attachable to the first arm at a bottom of the opening.

10. The engine support system of claim 1 , wherein the elongated body has a non-circular cross-section and the first collar has non-circular opening, the elongated body being received in and non-rotatable relative to the first collar.

11. The engine support system of claim 1 , wherein the first arm comprises a first flange configured to engage a first upper surface of a first rail of the vehicle frame and the second arm comprises a second flange configured to engage a second upper surface of a second rail of the vehicle frame.

12. The engine support system of claim 11 ,
wherein a first edge of the first flange of the first arm is tapered to increase a contact surface area with the first rail angled relative to a center axis of the vehicle; and
wherein a second edge of the second flange of the second arm is tapered to increase a contact surface area with the second rail angled relative to the center axis of the vehicle.

13. The engine support system of claim 11 , wherein the frame mount further comprises:
a first clamping jaw removably attached to the first arm, the first clamping jaw comprising a first bracket and a first clamping bolt, the first bracket defining a first threaded hole, the first clamping bolt positioned in the first threaded hole and configured to move relative thereto to clamp a portion of the first rail between the first flange and the first clamping bolt; and
a second clamping jaw removably attached to the second arm, the second clamping jaw comprising a second bracket and a second clamping bolt, the second bracket defining a second threaded hole, the second clamping bolt positioned in the second threaded hole and configured to move relative thereto to clamp a portion of the second rail between the second flange and the second clamping bolt.

14. The engine support system of claim 1 , wherein the first jack assembly is configured to lift the engine block of the vehicle relative to the vehicle frame by vertical movement of the jack rod relative to the frame mount engaged with the vehicle frame with the ball mount in the first coupler.

15. The engine support system of claim 1 , wherein the body of the first jack rod is threaded.

16. The engine support system of claim 15 , wherein the first jack assembly further comprises a first threaded cuff attached to the first collar, the first jack rod positioned within the threaded cuff.

17. The engine support system of claim 15 , wherein the first jack assembly further comprises a first threaded cuff fixedly attached to an outer surface of the first collar and offset from a center of the first collar along a center axis of the first collar.

18. The engine support system of claim 1 , wherein the first collar is U-shaped.

19. The engine support system of claim 1 , wherein the second arm is slidably mounted on the elongated body.

20. The engine support system of claim 19 , wherein the second arm comprises an opening having a non-circular cross-section, the elongated body having a corresponding non-circular cross-section and being received in and non-rotatable relative to the opening.

21. The engine support system of claim 1 ,
wherein the first jack assembly is configured to engage the first coupler at a first side of the engine block of the vehicle;
wherein the engine support system further comprises a second jack assembly configured to engage a second coupler at a second side of the engine block of the vehicle, comprising:
a second collar slidably mounted on the elongated body and configured to move in a longitudinal direction of the elongated body; and
a second jack rod threadably coupled to the second collar and configured to move generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the elongated body, the second jack rod comprising a second body and a second ball mount at an end of the second body, the second ball mount configured to insert into the second coupler at the underside of the engine block of the vehicle.

22. The engine support system of claim 1 , wherein the first arm, the second arm, and the first collar are removably mounted on the elongated body.

23. A method of supporting an engine of a vehicle, comprising:
suspending a frame mount of an engine support system across a frame of a vehicle beneath an engine block of the vehicle by moving a first arm slidably attached to an elongated body relative to a second arm attached to the elongated body to an engaged orientation;
sliding a first collar of a first jack assembly of the engine support system in a longitudinal direction of the elongated body to align a ball mount of a first jack rod of the first jack assembly with a first coupler at an underside of the engine block of the vehicle; and
supporting an engine of the vehicle relative to the vehicle frame by moving the first jack rod of the first jack assembly generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the elongated body to

Assignees

• Volvo Truck Corp

Inventors

• Marion Shawn

Classifications

• B66F7/14

  screw operated · CPC title

• B60K5/12

  Arrangement of engine supports · CPC title

• B66F3/46

  Combinations of several jacks with means for interrelating lifting or lowering movements · CPC title

• B60S5/06

  Supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles (exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80) · CPC title

• B60K5/1283 Primary

  Adjustable supports, e.g. the mounting or the characteristics being adjustable · CPC title