GB649102A - Lifting and traversing device for motor vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

649,102. Screw jacks. JEZLER, H. Aug. 18, 1947, No. 22916. Convention date, Aug. 17, 1946. [Class 78 (iii)] [Also in Group XXXI] In a lifting and traversing device for motor vehicles a rotatable disc is lowered vertically to the road surface and its axis of rotation is then tilted so that the disc rolls on its edge over the road surface to traverse the vehicle. A housing 1, Fig. 1, conveniently mounted at the front of the vehicle between the radiator and radiator guard, which has an upper part 9 having an extension 9a of rectangular cross-section, supports a rotatable cone 2 having teeth, cut around its upper end 3, engageable with a worm 18, Figs. 4 and 6. The lower, end of the cone 2 supports a ball nut 4, pivotal about a vertical plane through the cone axis, but restricted from rotation relative thereto,' which nut coacts with a multi-start high pitch screw-thread on a spindle 5, the lower end of which rigidly supports a disc 6 provided with several movable support plates 7. The upper end of the spindle 5 includes a friction clutch drivably connected to a rectangular head 8 slidable within the extension 9a, which head has pairs of notches formed therein on each opposite side. Two lugs 11 arranged on opposite sides of the spindle 5 and connected to the upper part 9, support pins 14 on which are pivoted pawls 10 rotatable by racks 12 operable by a solenoid 13, and the pawls are engageable with the notches on the head 8 as shown in Fig. 2. The spindle 5 is fixed to a cable passing over a sheave 17, Fig. 4, and connected to a spiral spring housed in a casing 16. In operation the energization of a solenoid 19, Fig. 6, caused a sleeve 23 on the shaft 21 of the worm 18 to be coupled with the engine and also engages the worm with the worm-wheel 3 against the resistance of a spring 26. The spindle 5 is thus driven downwardly since the friction coupling prevents the spindle 5 from rotating relative to the head 8, until the support plates 7 of the disc 6 contact with the road. The resistance between the road and plates 7 still prevents rotation of the spindle 5 and the vehicle is raised until the condition shown in Fig. 2 is obtained. One notch on each side of the head 8 then abuts one of the pawls 10, which pawls have been selectively rotated on operation of the solenoid 13, according as to whether it is desired to traverse the vehicle to the left or right. Further movement of the housing 1 upwardly will cause the spindle 5 to pivot with the ball nut 4 and assume the position shown in Fig. 3 in which the disc 6 is inclined to the roadway and its contact area therewith is greatly reduced so that the spindle 5 will now rotate relative to the head 8 owing to the friction clutch, and effect traversing of the vehicle. When the vehicle has been traversed as desired, the solenoid 19 is deenergized to uncouple the shaft 21 from the engine or alternatively a solenoid 24 is energized whereby its armature engages a cam surface 25 on the sleeve 23 so as to effect the uncoupling movement, and the spring 26 disengages the worm 18 from the cone 2. The vehicle then falls with a reverse movement of the nut 4 owing to the high pitch of the spindle thread and the spindle is returned to the position shown in Fig. 1 by the spiral spring in the casing 16.