US1457145A - Jack prop - Google Patents

Description

May 29, 1923. I 1,457,145

5. 1.. BUCHANAN ET AL JACK PROP Filed July 1'7. 1922 A T TORNE Y.

Patented May 29, 1923.

STEPHEN L. BUCHANAN AND FRANK J. LYTroNjor GOEBURKTVIIRGIVEINIAIT 1' JACK rnor. w 7

Application filed July 17,

Toalllwhomz'tmay concern: A. Be itknown that we, STEPHEN L. BU- QHA ANandFRANK J. LY'r'roN, citizens ofv the United States, residing at Coeburn, in the county of Vise and Stateof Virginia, have invented certain new and useful ,Improve-, ments in Jack Props, of which the following. is a specification. M

This inventionrelates. to adjustable mine props, and has for one of its objects to provide a device of this character including a stock member havingrmeans forquickly increasing -its' length to correspond to the loca-- tion which it is to occupy and with additional and separate-means for imparting a powerful longitudinal strain to rigidly support the device in position.

Another object of the invention is to pro-. vide, a device of this character including a stock member having means for quickly increasing its length tocorrespond to the location whichit is to occupy, and with additional and separate means for. imparting a powerful longitudinal'strain to rigidly'sup'-' port the device in position, and with means for holding the stock in its adjusted position; With these andother'objects in View the invention consists in certain novel features of "construction as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointedout in the claims, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodimentof the invention:-

Figure 1 is a vertical elevation in section on the line 11 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation. Fig. 3 is a section. on the line 3-3 of Fig.4.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of the lower portion of the device.

In operating coal mines when the cutting niachineis tobe located at the face of the gallery or the like. the miner is required to place at least two or more timbers ,or props under the roof as a precautionary measure, to insure the safety of the miner. The mining timbers thus employed are rather heavy and cumbersome and much time and labor is required to place them in position and to move them from place to place.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable device to be employed in place of the ordinary mine tim- 1922. Serial m. 53,705.)! I

ber orv jack rops, be quickly adapted to galleries} or driftslj ofi varying heights, and which may be repeat-= edly used or;moved' fromplace to placev as required and withoutdetachingany of the parts.

tubular supportingbody including a :rear portion10, spaced side portions .11 and- 12 back '10 and sides 11- and 12'to form a tubular guideway to 'slidably receive a stock member'15."

At its upper end the stock is'pro The improved device comprises a hollow vided with a bearing head 16 and is' formed, with gear teeth 17 in one side face and ratchetteeth 18 in another-side face; i .1

Formed in the inner face o-f-the side portion-:11 isan elongated pocketor seat .19 .-to

receive a bar 20'having ratchet teeth 21 corresponding. to and adaptedto be engaged by the ratchet teeth 18 of the stock 15 when in one position as shown. in'Fig. :2; or-with-j drawn. from engagement with the teeth of.

the stock when in in'Fig. 3.v

A; spring22 is disposedin the seat 19 and constantly-{engages thewbar 20 to holdit another position, as shown yieldably in its extended position with its teeth 20in engagement with the teeth 18 of the stock and thus hold the stockin adjusted position. i I I A; heavy wire fU-shaped loop 23 engages the bar 20 1and"extends'through the side 11 of thes'upport and is coupled at 21 to an operatil'ig lever 25 "whereby thebar 20 may be-movedi'bodily into its seat '19 against'the resistance of the spring 22 and thus disconnect the teeth 21 of the bar from engagement with the teeth 18 of the stock and release the latter and permit it to fall by gravity into its lower position.

Extending through the sides 11 and 12 of the support is a shaft 26 carrying a gear wheel 27 in constant engagement with the crank wheel 28 externally of the'side member 12 to actuate the gear'wheeh and thus rapidly move the stock 15 upwardly. EX-

, tending through the sides 11 and 12 of the teeth 17' of the stock .andxprovided with a The short end of the lever 30 is formed into a gear segment 32 adapted to engage the teeth 17 of the stock when the lever is in its inner position as shown in Fig. 1, and disconnected from theteeth when in outer position as shown in Fig. 5.

By this arrangement a strong leverage force may be imparted upwardly to the stock 15 a distance equal to the throw of the lever, the adjusted position being held by the ratchet barQO until the lever can be released by drawing it outwardly the length of the slot 31 and again applied to the stock. Thus a step by step movement of this stock may be accomplished to apply a strong longitudinal strain to the device to firmly hold it'in position.

Thus in applying the device the crankwheel 28 is actuated to rapidly move the stock upwardly to correspond to the distance between thefloor and roof of the gallery, and the lever 30 then operated to forcibly a'nchor the device in place.

When the stock is to be released it is only necessary to disconnect the lever 30'by drawingit outwardly, the length of its slot 31 and forcing the lower end of the small lever 25 inwardly "to cause the withdrawal of the bar 20 and release the stock 15 which will then fall-by gravity into its lower position.

The #device can then be removed for use in another location, or stored for future use.

Attached to the face member 14 is a ring 33 to which'a pull cable may be attached if there be-dafnger of the roof falling. In that event' a cable is attached at one end to the ring 33 and the otherend to a mine car at a safe distance, the miner having withdrawn to a position of the mine car when out of the danger'line. The car is then started and the ifmlproved prop pulled out from beneath the a ing roof without danger to the opera tors.

The jack body on the sides 11 and 12 thereof, near the top or upperend of the same carries loop handles 34 which serve to permit the lifting of the jack in its entirety by hand when occasion requires. It is of course understood that'these handles may be of any desirable type and are fastened in any manner to the body of the jack.

The improved device, which is technically called a jack prop, can be constructed of any suitable material and of any .suitable size and strength, and a number can be carried on the motors of the mining cars and used as an emergency prop or timber in any part of the mine.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in thedmwings and set forth in the specification, but it will be understood that modifications within the scope of the claimed invention may be made in the construction without departing from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new isz- 1. A mine prop comprising a tubular support, a stock provided with a bearing head and movable in said support, said stock having gear teeth in one face and ratchet teeth in another face, a bar movable in said support and having ratchet teeth adapted to be engaged withthe ratchet teeth of the stock, an operating appliance carried by said sup port and engageable with the gear teeth of the stock, and means carriedby said support for disengaging the bar from the stock. 2. A mine prop comprising a. tubular support, a stock provided with a bearing head and movable in said support, said stock having gear teeth in one face and ratchet teeth in another face, a bar movable in said support and having ratchet teeth adapted to be engaged with the ratchet teeth of the stock, a gear wheel mounted in the support and engageable with'the gears ofthe stock and operating to quickly actuatethe stock, a lever pivoted in the support and having gear teeth engageable with the gear teeth of the stock whereby a powerful lifting force may beapplied' to the stock.

In testimony whereof,we affix our signatures hereto.

STEPHEN L. BUCHANAN. FRANK J. LYTTON.

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