GB2256177A

GB2256177A - Vehicle jack

Info

Publication number: GB2256177A
Application number: GB9125843A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gonzalez Alonso Lopez
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-05-30
Filing date: 1991-12-04
Publication date: 1992-12-02
Also published as: FR2676979A1; ES1017728U; JPH0680394A; CA2053790A1; ITTO910852A1; PT8401T; ES1017728Y; GB9125843D0; ITTO910852A0; DE4136454A1; SE9103288D0; SE9103288L

Description

12- 2)) l 77 1 VEHICLE JACK (6 The present invention relates to the f ield

of vehicle jacks. Jacks of this type, currently in use, are items that are normally placed in the boot with other items for use in case of need.

Normally it is very awkward to position the jack on the vehicle chassis to raise the same and it is also awkward to activate the jack once it is in place, using a lever that because of its shape does not aid in correctly positioning the jack and thus an accident may occur.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a jack or support leg for a vehicle, comprising a pair of levers movable between a stowed position and an operative position, the jack or support leg remaining attached to the vehicle body in the stowed position and comprising a screw and nut drive attachable to the vehicle body, the pair of levers each having hingedly interconnected first ends directed towards the ground for supporting the vehicle in use, and second ends whose spacing can be varied by means of the screw and nut drive in order to move the f irst ends of the levers towards or away from the vehicle body.

Preferably, the screw and nut drive includes a nut movable along a longitudinally fixed lead screw, the second end of one of said levers being attached to the nut, or the screw is longitudinally f ixed and includes threaded portions of opposite hand, each engaged with a nut movable thereby, the second ends of the levers being connected to respective ones of the-nuts. The or each nut may be carried by a guide track and is restrained from rotating relative to the vehicle body.

The jack or support leg of the- invention is attachable to, although removable from, the chassis or body of the n Al (or vehicle but is normally carried attached to the vehicle bodv at a location where it may be operated to raise or lower vehicle. Each side of the vehicle preferably has at one jack, for example part way along the lengtl--, vehicle.

Preferably the jack or support leg is activated bv electric motor coupled to the jack and connected electrically, for example, to the battery of the vehicle.

The jack or support leg may be made up of an upper end support plate by means of which the jack is removably ZIC"Ca--hSCl the chassis or body, for example by scraws. Advantageously, the jack or support leg comprises at least ons ground engageable wheel or end roller mounted to the fiz-st- sn( of said levers.

to In a preferred embodiment, on the said support plate is a leadscrew mounted in end bearings and this leadscrew has peculiarity of being formed by two screw portions with in different directions, that is one portion is right handt-ii7 and the other left handed.

Coupled to the leadscrew are two nuts attached to twe, pairs of braces forming said levers. One pair oi'-7 braces is engaged with the other at their first ends by toothed shapas that, being hinged together about a transverse axle a type of connection that makes two end wheels placed on said axle carry out the seating and support of the jack on ground or on any appropriate surface.

The leadscrew has at one end a toothed cro-,,7;--L t connects with a drive pinion of an electric -k-aotor thus causinethe leadscrew to turn in either direction.

On the opposite end of the leadscrew is a, polygonal so that the leadscrew may be turned by a traditional k57, 3 this in case the vehicle engine is not operative at a given moment.

(0 on the support plate is mounted a guide with non-circular or polygonal section. The nuts that move on the leadscrew have shapes of the same section which run in the guide to prevent rotation of the nuts relative to the support surface, and also it avoids the nuts placing the full vehicle weight on the leadscrew.

In order to more easily understand not only the formation but also the use of the invention, reference is made below to a practical embodiment, such being merely enunciative and in no case limitative of the invention, all as shown in the drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 shows a side view of a jack according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows a view under the jack of Fig. 1.

The jack 1 is formed by a support plate 2 with two side prolongations 3, 13 on which are appropriately mounted some bearings 4 to support a leadscrew 5 formed by two portions of thread 6 and 7 one right handed and the other left handed, or vice versa.

on these thread portions 6 and 7 two nuts a are mounted, held to two pairs of braces 9. Each pair of braces 9 is finished at one end by a toothed portion 10 by means of which the braces for each pair engage and cause them to move through a central coupling, in a vertical direction.

Each pair of b races is mounted at its toothed end on an axle 11 on which are attached two end wheels 12 to support the jack on a flat surface,,for example-the ground.

A on one end of the leadscrew is attached a toothed 13 that engages with a drive pinion 14 of an electrIc iiLot--or that is activated by a switch through the electrical current from the vehicle battery, said switch being placed on the vehicle dashboard.

(0 The support plate has a guide 16 on which the nuts -,to7cthrough two grooves in the nuts and these also have a externally directed face which slides on the flat bed 17 of the support plate.

The end of the leadscrew opposite the engine has asformation 18 polygonal in shape to attach a manual!ever bwhich the leadscrew is activated when the engine is operative.

Having sufficiently described the nature of thG invention, and the manner in which it works in practice, i,t-must be stated that the layouts indicated above and represented in the drawings, are susceptible to providing this does not alter their basic principle, as ss-c out in the claims.

Claims

A jack or a support leg for a vehicle. comprising a pair of levers movable between a stowed position and an operative position, the jack or support leg remaining attached to the vehicle body in the stowed position and comprising a screw and nut drive attachable to the vehicle body, the pair of levers each having hingedly interconnected first ends directed towards the ground for supporting the vehicle in use, and second ends whose spacing can be varied by means of the screw and nut drive in order to move the first ends of the levers towards or away from the vehicle body.
2. A jack or support leg as claimed in claim 1 wherein the screw and nut drive includes a nut movable along a longitudinally fixed leadscrew, the second end of one of said levers being attached to the nut.
3. A jack or support leg as claimed in claim 1 wherein a leadscrew of the drive is longitudinally fixed and includes threaded portions of opposite hand, each engaged with a nut movable thereby, the second ends of the levers being connected to respective ones of the nuts.
4. A jack or support leg as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the or each nut is carried by a guide track and is restrained from rotating relative to the vehicle body.
5. A jack or support leg as claimed in any preceding claim comprising at least one ground engageable wheel or end roller mounted to the first ends of said levers.
6. A-jack or support leg as claimed -in any preceding claim wherein the screw and nut drive is electrically operated.
7. A jack or support leg substantially as described---or as shown with reference to the drawings.