US2589404A

US2589404A - Flooring jack

Info

Publication number: US2589404A
Application number: US142669A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leo H Lab
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1950-02-06
Filing date: 1950-02-06
Publication date: 1952-03-18
Anticipated expiration: 1969-03-18

Description

| H. LAB

FLOORING JACK March 18, 1952 Filed Feb. e, 1950 I /JY A npenor LEO H. LAB n y Patented Mar. 18, `1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates in general to an im- 'A proved flooring jack, and more particularly to a type thereof for positioning and holding a floor board against an adjacent board and upon means, such as rafters or a subfloor, to which said floor board is to be secured.

Persons, such as carpenters, have long recognized the need for an easily operable, inexpensive, positive acting device, herein referred to as a flooring jack, for positioning and holding a floor board against an adjacent board and upon a supporting means, such as rafters or a subfloor, while being secured thereto, as by nailing. Such a flooring jack is particularly desirable in laying oor boards of the tongue and groove type. Previous attempts to produce such a flooring jack have either failed or have resulted in a device receiving very limited acceptance at best.

Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is the provision of an improved flooring jack for positively engaging, positioning and holding a floor board against an adjacent board andupon supporting means, such as rafters or a subfloor, upon which said floor board is to be secured.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a `flooring jack, as aforesaid, which can be easily operated by unskilled workmen and which affords a high mechanical advantage.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a flooring jack, as aforesaid, which can be quickly assembled or disassembled for easy transport.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a flooring jack, as aforesaid, which is safe to operate and adequate in structure under severe conditions of operation.

Other objects and purposes of this invention will become apparent to persons familiar with this type of equipment upon referring to the accompanying drawings and upon reading the following specification.

In meeting those objects and purposes heretofore mentioned, as well as others incidental thereto and associated therewith, I have provided a flooring jack comprising a body member having a cylindrical passage therein opening through one end thereof, and a crossbar secured to the opposite end. One end of a thrust bar is slideably disposed within the passage in said body member and extends therefrom, the extended end being provided with a weight and a plurality of pointed pins extending substantially radially from said bar. A lever handle is pivotally supported near one end thereof upon said body member so that said near end is engageable with said bar, and further so that said handle extends in the opposite direction to the extent of said pins.

Thus, when said flooring jack is assembled, a

movement of said lever handle will effect a cor,

vresponding movement of said thrust bar within said passage. The lever handle is pivoted upon the body member byvmeans permitting complete disengagement of the thrust bar and the lever handle from the body member.

For illustrations of a preferred embodiment of my invention, attention is directed to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation view of the flooring jack to which this invention relates.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the line .II-II of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a sectional view substantially as taken along the line III-III of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view substantially as taken along the line IV-IV of Figure 3.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the flooring jack I is comprised of a T-shaped body member II, a thrust bar I2 and a lever handle I3. The body member II has a stem I4, which is substantially cylindrical in this embodiment of the invention, and a flange, or crossbar I5, which is preferably integral intermediate the ends thereof with one end of the stem I4, and perpendicularly disposed with respect thereto. The crossbar I5 is provided with a groove I6 extending along the side thereof remote from the stem I4. Said groove is preferably slightly deeper and slightly Wider than the average length and thickness of the` tongue I'I On a standard tongued and grooved oor board I8.

A strike boss 2| (Figure 2) may be provided on the cross bar I5 on the opposite side thereof from the groove I5 for purposes hereinafter discussed in detail. The strike boss 2I preferably, but not necessarily, extends in the same direction as the stem I4, and is disposed intermediate said stem and one end of said crossbar I5.

The stem I4 is provided with a pair of spaced,`

substantially parallel and co-extensive, lever bosses 22 and 23 (Figures 2 and 4) which are integral with said stem I4 and extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to a plane defined by the stem I4 and the crossbar I5. Said lever bosses are provided with a pair of co-axial through the opposite end of the stem. An elOngated lever slot 21, parallel with and radially penetrating the Wall of the stem I4 and communicating with the passage 26 therein, is pro-.-

3 vided in said stem between the

lever bosses

22 and 23.

The thrust bar I2 (Figures 1 and 3) is comprised of an elongated cylindrical portion 28, which is snugly but slideably receivable within the cylindrical passage 25 in the stem I4, and is slightly longer than said passage 26. A Weight portion 29, whichis preferably integral with said cylindrical portion 28, is disposed at that end thereof which extends out of the passage 26. A plurality, here three, of gripping pins 3l are secured to the weight portion 2d so that they extend therefrom in substantially the same direction, which direction is preferably, but not necessarily, at an angle of approximately 70 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical portion 28, and preferably inclined away therefrom. The cylindrical portion 28 of the thrust bar I2 is provided with a diametrically disposed lever opening 32 (Figures 3 and 4) which is preferably perpendicularly disposed to an imaginary line through the points or" the gripping pins 3l. The lever opening 32 is positioned in the cylindrical portion Z8 for alignment with substantially any portion ofthe lever slot 2, when said portion 28 is disposed within the passage 2B.

If the body member II and thrust bar I2 are cast from a relatively light and soft material,

such as aluminum or magnesium, the lever opening 32 in the thrust bar I2 is preferably provided with a steel insert 33 at the end thereof adjacent tothe weight 2S.

The lever handle I3 (Figures 1, 3 and 4 is comprised of a relatively long, handle portion 34, and a relatively short, lever portion 35 integral and co-axial with said handle portion 3d. The lever portion 35 is designed for insertion through the lever slot 2l and into the lever open ing 32 in the thrust bar l2, said lever portion being snugly engaged by the end walls of the lever opening 32. The lever handle i3 is provided with a pivot opening 35 at the junction of the handle and lever portions thereof, which is alignable with the pivot openings 25;- and 25 in the

lever bosses

22 and 23, respectively, when the lever portion 35 is disposed within the lever opening 32 in the thrust bar l 2. A pivot pin 3l, which is inserted through the

pivot openings

24, 25 and 38, is sufficiently long to be engaged by means, such as a cotter pin 38, for retaining said pivot pin 3l in place.Y

When thus assembled, the lever handle i3 is pivotable through an arc in excess of 90 degrees, including Zi5 degrees to either side of a vertical position.

When the flooring jack Iii is assembled, as above described, it is ready for operation. In

using said flooring jack, the crossbar I5 is preferably nrst placed against the edge of a floor board I8 (Figure l). rThe upper end of the lever handle i3 is then moved in a direction away from said floor board, I8, thereby causing the If the ooring jack I is being used with floor boards I8 of the tongue and groove type, engagement between the tongue Il and the groove I5 in the crossbar i5 may be weightV 2g on the thrust bar l2 to be drawn tor -ward the stem lf.

insured by tapping the extended end or" the strike The effecting a tendency for the extension of the thrust bar I2 out of the cylindrical passage 26 in the stem Id. However, since the gripping pins SI are imbedded in the sub-floor 39, movement of the thrust bar is substantially prevented. Thus, said movement of the lever handle I3 toward the floor board IB causes the crossbar I5 to bear tightly against the floor board I8, thereby pressing said loor board firmly against the board, or other means, adjacent to that side of the door board I8 remote from the crossbar I5.

After the floor board I8 has been permanently placed in position, as by nailing, the ooring jack may be disengaged from said floor board i8, for use with the next floor board to be laid, by simply moving the upper end of the lever handle I3 toward the Iweight 29, or away from the floor board I8. The operation above described may then be repeated with said next floor board.

After the use of the flooring jack IIB has been completed, it may be disassembled for easy transportation by removing the pivot pin Sl, thereby permitting the disengagement oi' the lever handle I3 and 'the thrust Ybar I2 from the body member.

Although the above mentioned drawings and description appy to one particular, preferred embodiment of the invention, it is not my intention, implied or otherwise, to eliminate other variations or modifications which do not depart from the scope of the invention unless specically stated to the contrary in the hereinafter appended claim.

claim:

In a device for positioning a floor board against an adjacent board and upon a supporting means, the combination comprising: a cylindrical body member having a coaxial passage therein opening through one end thereof, said member having an axially aligned slot extending thereinto and communicating with said passage intermediate its ends; a pair of parallel, coextensive bosses secured to said member along opposite longitudinal edges of said slot; a cross bar secured to the other end of said member and defining therewith a plane perpendicular to said bosses, said cross bar having a groove along that side remote from said member and having a boss on the opposite side thereof spaced from said member; a thrust bar having one end slidably disposed within said passage and having an opening therethrough near said one end and aligned with said slot, the other end of said bar being weighted and having gripping means extending therefrom in a direction substantially perpendicular to said plane and remote from said slot; and a lever having one end extending through said slot and into said opening, and pivotally supported near said one end upon said bosses, whereby movement of said lever toward said cross bar effects movement of said thrust bar with respect to said member.

LEO H. LAB.

REFERENGES CL'TED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Y 214,078 Austin Apr. 8, 1879 975,566 Norton Nov. 15, 1910 1,851,489' Brook. Mar. 29, 1932