Innovative tow truck platform designed at SPbGASU

A new recovery vehicle platform using a truck with a lifting trolley has been patented by SPbGASU. The authors of the invention are Anastasiya Grigoryeva, a graduate of the SPbGASU Department of Land Transport and Technological Machines, and Associate Professor Nikolay Podoprigora, PhD.

“The parking problem is quite acute in St. Petersburg. At the same time, tow trucks are not always able to pick up vehicles that block courtyard entrances, as they are hindered by other cars parked in front and behind. We wanted to find an option that could bring benefit to our city, so we came up with our technical solution developed for such cases," told Nikolay Podoprigora.

The developers studied everything that had been created in this area, including manipulator-based platforms which have a significant drawback of being expensive. The inventors wondered how else they could evacuate cars without disturbing other properly parked vehicles, and came up with a design of a platform that could be installed under a tow truck.

The recovery vehicle comprises a basic chassis with a frame on which a sliding platform with an electrohydraulic winch is mounted, and hydraulic cylinders mounted to the wrecker frame for installing a lift trolley. The wrecker platform has longitudinal guide grooves. The trolley has a platform with wheels, on which scissor lifts with hydraulic cylinders are mounted. The trolley platform has slots with latches for attaching the trolley to the wrecker frame in the transport position.

“This is the prototype of the existing lifting devices of the hydraulic hoists used in car repair shops. The wheeled trolley is mechanically placed under the vehicle, "pulls" it out of place, drives it up to the platform and loads it onto it," explained Nikolay Podoprigora.

Text: Tatyana Petrova
Photos: Sergey Klishis, Nikolay Podoprigora, Anastasiya Grigoryeva 

✔ Learn more about the Department of Land Transport and Technological Machines at SPbGASU