US1005038A - Floor-jack. - Google Patents

Description

G. HUBBARD.

FLOOR JACK.

APPLICATION FILED 0010.21, 1910'.

Patented 0003,1911.

0% AN m\ [N VEN T OR WITNESSES 0. KM I i v COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO-.WASH NGTON D c UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE HUBBARD, 0F CLARINGTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO FRANK HUMPHREY, OF GLARINGTON, OHIO.

FLOOR-TACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1911.

Application filed October 21, 1910. Serial No. 588,266.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, GEORGE IIUBBARD, a citizen of the United. States, residing at Clarington, in the county of Monroe and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Floor-Jacks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates broadly to acks, and has particular reference to a device of this character especially adapted to be employed in forcing planks into suitable engagement with each other, as is customary in the construction of a floor.

An important object of this invention is to provide a jack of the above character, which may be readily arranged upon a joist to securely grip the same, and which comprises a movable rack-bar for forcing the planks into proper engagement with each other.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of the above character, including adjustable gripping means whereby said device may be employed in connection with different sizes of joists.

A further object of this invention is to provide a jack of the above character, which is simple in construction, cheap to manu facture, and positive in its operation.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent in the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same, Figure 1 is a side view of the floor jack, Fig. 2 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the same, Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows, and Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a latch employed to prevent the accidental back movement of the rackbar, and its associated members.

In the drawing, wherein is illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 1 designates a fiat body portion or casting, having the rear portion thereof reduced in Width, as shown at 2. Upon the upper surface of the forward portion of the body portion or casting 1 is disposed a housing 3, which is substantially U-shaped in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 3. This housing is arranged longitudinally of the casting 1, and midway of the longitudinal edges of the same, as shown. The housing 3 may preferably be rigidly'secured to the body portion or casting 1 by means of screws 4: or the like, which pass through the casting 1 and engage said housing. I do not restrict myself to this manner of securing the housing 3 to the casting 1, as the former my be cast integral with the latter, as may be desired. The housing 3, being substantially U-shaped in crosssectio11, has an axial opening 5 formed therethrough for receiving a longitudinally movable rack-bar 6, having slidable engagement with the upper surface of the casting 1, as shown. This rack-bar is provided upon its upper side with ratchet teeth 7, as shown. The forward end of the rack-bar 6 carries a head 8, for engaging a plank 9 or the like, for urging the same into proper engagement with a plank 10. The reduced portion 2 of the body portion or casting, is provided near its rear end with upstanding spaced cars 11, between which is pivotally mounted the lower bifurcated end of an operating lever 12, by means of a bolt 13 or the like. Disposed between the spaced sections 14; of said lower bifurcated end, is one end of a pawl 15, which is pivotally connected with these sections 14; by means of a bolt 16 or the like. As clearly illustrated in Fig. 1, the pawl 15 gravitates into engagement with the ratchet teeth 7. By the construction of the above referred to parts, it is obvious that by oscillating the operating lever 12, the rack-bar 6 may be moved forwardly.

The body portion 1 is provided upon its upper surface adjacent the forward end thereof and the forward end of the housing 3, with a transverse housing or casting 17, having an opening formed therethrough in registration with the axial opening 5, for receiving the rack-bar 6. The housing or casting 17 is provided upon its rear side with a rectangular vertically disposed recess 18, which is much wider than the axial opening 5, as shown in Fig. 3. Vertically movably mounted within this recess 18', is a latch 19, having the upper portion thereof provided wit-h a head 20 disposed for operation within a recess 21 which leads into the recess 18, as shown. The lower end of this latch is bifurcated, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4:- The latch 19 straddles the rackbar 6 and engages the ratchet teeth 7 for preventing the backward movement of the rack-bar 6, when the operating lever is oscillated rearwardly. The latch 19 is normally held in engagement with the ratchet-teeth 7,

' by a spring 22, which has its inner end bent downwardly, as shown in Fig. 4. The inner end of this spring engages a pin 23 which is secured to the central portion of the latch 19, and the outer end of this spring is embedded or suitably secured to the material of the housing or casting 17.

The forward portion of the casting 1 tapers forwardly, as shown, and is provided upon its lower surface adjacent its longitudinal edges with substantially L-shaped tracks or guides 24, the horizontal portions of which extend inwardly, as shown. These tracks or guides may be secured to the casting 1 by any suitable means or may be cast integral therewith. The space between the tracks or guides 24 is in the shape of a wedge, as shown in Fig. 2. Longitudinally movably mounted within each of the tracks or guides 24, is a wedge 25 provided upon its inner side with teeth'26, as shown. The inner side of the wedge 25 is parallel with the longitudinal axis of the body porton or casting 1, and remains in such parallel relation when moved longitudinally of the track 24 to be advanced toward or moved away from said longitudinal axis. Each of the wedges 25 is provided centrally thereof with an outwardly extending pin or bolt 27, which is rigidly! connected with the wedge and disposed to operate within an elongated slot 28 formed longitudinally of the track 24:. The outer end of the bolt 27' is screw threaded for receiving a thumb-nut 29, whereby the wedge may be clamped in a desired position to the track 24.

In the use of the ack, the body portion or casting 1 is disposed upon a joist 80, and the wedges 25 moved longitudinally until they suitably grip the joist for holding said body portion in locked engagement there-' with. The thumb-nuts 29 are then rotated to lock the wedges 25 to the tracks 24. The adjustable wedges 25 permit of the jack being rigidly secured upon different sizes of joists. By oscillating the operating lever 12 the rack-bar 6 is moved forwardly as above described, to engage the plank 9. The latch 19 normally prevents the backward move ment of the rack-bar 6, but this latch may be raised to permit of said backward movement when it is desired to elfect the disengagement of the rack-bar and the plank 9.

I do not restrict myself alone to the use of the jack as above recited, as the same may be employed in a great many different ways.

I wish it understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that certain changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a floor jack of the character described, a body portion comprising a portion approximately U-shaped in cross-section and a reduced portion extending therefrom, the portion approximately U-shaped in crosssection comprising spaced depending tracks substantially L-shaped in cross-section, the space between the inner longitudinal walls of said tracks being in the shape of a wedge, a pair of wedges longitudinally movably mounted within said tracks to grip a joist, said wedges being adapted when moved longitudinally within said track to have their inner gripping faces remain parallel to the joist, said tracks being provided wit-h longitudinally disposed slots, bolts rigidly connected with said wedges and disposed to operate within said slot, thumb nuts carried by said bolts, a housing disposed longitudinally of and connected with the upper surface of said body port-ion, a rack-bar movably mounted within said housing, an operating lever pivotally mounted upon said body portion, a pawl carried by said lever to engage therack-bar, and a second vertically movable pawl to prevent the back movement of the rack-bar.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE HUBBARD.

' Witnesses:

S. C. GRIFFITH, M. E. FLAHERTY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, Washington, D. C.

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