GB2204559A - Vehicle jack - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle jack comprises a channel-shaped leg (10) with a foot (14) and a support arm (16) with a vehicle engaging portion (18) at one end, pivotted at the other by a pin (20) on the leg (10). A screw (26) is in threaded engagement with a nut (30) pivotted on the leg (10) and is mounted for rotation in a support (28) pivotted on the arm (16). The pivot axes (B, C, D) of the nut (30), arm (16), and support (20) are parallel and the screw (26) is mounted for rotation about an axis (A) spaced from the pivot axis (R) of the nut but extending perpendicular to that axis. The construction allows the arm (16) to be retracted substantially completely within the leg (10). Alternatively, or in addition, the pivot axis of the support may be spaced from the screw axis. <IMAGE>

Description

VEHICLE JACK Vehicle jacks are known comprising a leg and a support arm pivotally mounted on the leg, the arm being lifted by a screw to jack up a vehicle. One such jack is described in our copending patent application number 8624150 (Publication No. 2182308).

Jacks of this general type have been found to be satisfactory in performance but when collapsed have been rather bulky in view of the projection of the end portion of the support arm intended to engage the body of the vehicle: collapsing of the jack until the longitudinal axes of the arm and leg are substantially parallel has not been possible.

One of the various objectes of the pre sent invention is to provide an improved jack comprising a leg and a support arm pivotally mounted on the leg.

In one aspect the invention may provide a vehicle jack comprising a leg provided with a foot, a support arm pivotally mounted on the leg, and having a vehicle engaging portion remote from the pivot, a nut pivotally mounted on the arm or leg, and a screw engaged with the nut and mounted for rotation in a support pivotally mounted on the leg or arm, the pivot axes of the arm, nut and support being parallel, the screw being mounted for rotation about an axis which is spaced from the pivot axis of at least one of the nut and support.

Preferably the nut is mounted on the leg with the axis of the screw perpendicular to, but spaced from, the pivot axis of the nut: in this case the support is pivotally mounted on the arm and its pivot axis intersects the axis of the screw.

In a jack as set out in either one of the last two preceding paragraphs, the spacing of the screw axis from the axis of at least one of said nut and support is preferably selected to be such that when the jack is collapsed the support arm is retracted within the channel-shaped leg substantially completely with the screw just clearing the pivot of the support arm.

There now follows a detailed description to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings of a vehicle jack embodying the invention. It will be realised that this jack has been selected for description to illustrate the invention by way of example.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a vehicle jack embodying the invention; and Figure 2 is a view in cross-section on the line II-II of Figure 1.

The illustrative jack comprisesv a leg 10 of generally channel-like section comprising spaced, opposite side members 12. The leg 10 may be made, for example, of a single piece of metal formed into a channel shape or by rigidly interconnecting two separately formed side members 12. A ground engaging foot 14 is secured e.g. by welding to one end of the leg 10.

A support arm 16 having a vehicle engaging portion 18 at one end portion thereof, is pivotted at the other end portion on the leg 10 by a pivot pin 20 extending between the side members 12 and having an axis C.

Adjacent the engaging portion 18 pivot pins 22 having an axis D parallel with the axis C extend between opposite side members 24 of the arm 16 which is also generally of channel-shaped section. An operating screw 26 is mounted for rotaion about an axis A in a thrust bearing 28 carried by a support pivotally mounted by the pivot pins 22 thereof. The screw 26 is in threaded engagement with a nut 30 comprising pivot pins 32 received in the side members 12, the nut 30 thereby being mounted for pivotal movement about an axis B parallel with the axes C and D at an end portion of the leg 10 remote from the foot 14.

The pivot pin 20 for the arm 16 is disposed between the pins 32 and the foot 14, considerably nearer to the pins 32 than the foot 14, as can be seen from Figure 1. The screw 26 is received in a threaded passage 34 in the nut which is offset from the pins 32: thus the axis A of the screw 26 is spaced from the pivot axis B of the nut, the axis A extending perpendicular to the axis B.

Suitable operating means e.g. a handle 36 is attached to the end of the screw remote from the support thereof, by which the screw 26 can be rotated to move the support arm 16 from the collapsed, retracted position in which it is shown in Figure 1 to its operative position.

As can be seen from Figure 1 in which the arm has almost reached its fully collapsed position,, because the screw axis A is spaced from the pivot axis B the arm 16 can be retracted almost completley into the channel section of the leg 10 so that the axes of the arm 16 and leg 10 are substantially parallel, the spacing of the axes A and B being sufficient to ensure that the screw 26 does not foul the pivot pin 20 by which the arm 16 is pivotally mounted.

Retraction of the arm 16 into the leg 10 to the extent permitted by the illustrative jack provides a jack which, while being of similar efficiency to heretofore know jacks of generally similar construction is considerably more compact thereby occupying significantly less storage space when it is stored in the vbeicle, for example in a car boot e.g. housed within the spare wheel.

While this invention has been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing and reference has also been made to our copending patent application No. 8624150, it will be understood that this invention may be applied to other jacks of generally similar construction.

Claims (1)

1. A vehicle jack comprising a leg provided with a foot, a support arm pivotally mounted on the leg, and having a vehicle engaging portion remote from the pivot, a nut pivotally mounted on the arm or leg, and a screw engaged with the nut and mounted for rotation in a support pivotally mounted on the leg or arm, the pivot axes of the arm, nut and support being parallel, the screw being mounted for rotation about an axis which is spaced from the pivot axis of at least one of the nut and support.

2. A vehicle jack according to Claim 1 wherein the nut is pivotally mounted on the leg with the axis of the screw perpendicular to, but spaced from, the pivot axis of the nut.

5. A vehicle jack according to Claim 2 wherein the support is pivotally mounted on the arm with its pivot axis intersecting the axis of the screw.

4. A vehicle jack according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the leg is channel-shaped and the spacing of the screw axis from the axis of at least one of said nut and support is selected to be such that when the jack is collapsed the support arm is. retracted within the channel-shaped leg substantially completely with the screw just clearing the pivot of the support arm.

5. A vehicle jack constructed arranged and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.