US2874935A

US2874935A - Automobile bumper jack

Info

Publication number: US2874935A
Application number: US340617A
Authority: US
Inventors: Mitchell C Caster
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-03-05
Filing date: 1953-03-05
Publication date: 1959-02-24
Anticipated expiration: 1976-02-24

Description

Feb. 24, 1959 M. c. CASTER:

AUTOMOBILE BUMPER JACK 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 5, 1953 INVENTOR.

MITCHELL G- GASTER ATTORNEY Feb. 1959 M. c. CASTI'ER AUTOMOBILE BUMPER JACK 4 ,Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 5, 1953 INVENTOR. MITCHELL 6. GASTER ATTORNEY Feb. 24, 1959 Filed Maioh 5, 1953 M. c. CASTER AUTOMOBILE BUMPERJACK 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I INVENTOR.

MITCHELL a. GASTE/i A T TOR/(EV M. c. cAsTER AUTOMOBILE BUMPER JACK Feb. 24, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 5. 1953 F/a a llul lln I INVENTOR. MITCHELL 0. OASTEI? A TTORIVE Y United States Patent F AUTOMOBILE BUMPER JACK Mitchell C. Caster, Akron, Ohio Application March 5, 1953, Serial No. 340,617

3 Claims. (Cl. 254-99) This invention relates to lifting jacks, and in particular relates to bumper-type lifting jacks for vehicles.

Heretofore, there has been available on the market a bumper-type lifting jack in which one leg of a tripod constitutes a housing for a screw rod which carries a bumper-engaging lifting member adapted to be raised and lowered by turning the screw rod. One difliculty encountered with this type of jack has been that said casing and screw rod usually extend at an angle to the vertical and a load on the lifting member tends to flex or bend the screw rod, thereby causing a binding action between the lifting member and the rod which seriously hampers raising and lowering of the lifting member.

One object of the present invention is to provide a lifting jack of the character described having improved means for preventing a load on the lifting member from flexing or bending the screw rod which carries the same, and thereby obviating binding action between the parts which would otherwise prevent free-movement of the lifting member longitudinally of the screw rod.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved lifting jack of the character described including a screw rod rotatably mounted in an elongated housing or hollow support, and a lifting member carried by the screw rod in threaded connection therewith to be moved longitudinally of the support upon rotation of the screw rod, the improved structure including anti-friction means between the lifting member and said housing whereby a minimum of manual effort is required to rotate the screw' rod for moving the lifting member with a load thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lifting jack of the character described in the last paragraph, wherein the lifting member has a freely projecting loadengaging hook portion which is readily removable to make the jack more compact, as for shipping or storage purposes, without disturbing the screw connection between the lifting member and screw rod.

Other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following brief description and the accompanying drawings.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of the lifting jack embodying features of the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly broken away and in section, of the lifting member portion of the jack shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal cross-section taken substantially on the line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevation corresponding to Figure 2, but illustrating parts of the jack in exploded condition.

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-section of a portion of a lifting jack of the type shown in Figures 1 to 4, but illustrating a modified form of lifting member.

Figure 6 is a horizontal cross-section taken substantially on the line 6--6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a view similar to the upper portion of Figure 5, illustrating another modified form of lifting mem- 2,874,935 Patented Feb. 24, 1959 her for the same general 'type of lifting jack as described above.

Figure 8 is a horizontal cross-section taken substan tially on the line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Referring first to the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 5, the numeral 10 designates a lifting jack having a lifting member 11 supported in threaded connection on a screw rod 12, which is manually rotatably mounted to extend longitudinally within an elongated tubular support 13. The jack shown is of the collapsible tripod type, wherein the support 13 constitutes a forward leg thereof, braced or supported at an upward inclination to the horizontal by a pair of rearwardly extending

legs

14, 14 pivotally connected to

downturned lugs

16, 16 on a head plate 17 welded or otherwise attached to the upper end of support 13. Lengths of

chain

18, 18 between

adjacent legs

13 and 14, 14 limit outward separation of the legs in the operative condition of the jack, as shown in Figure 1. Feet or

base members

19 and 20, 20 are pivoted on the lower ends of the front leg or support 13 and

rear legs

14, 14, respectively, to provide requisite solid positioning of the jack on supporting surfaces of various kinds.

For rotatably mounting the screw rod 12 within the tubular leg or support 13 the same may be suitably suspended from a thrust bearing 22 between an enlarged head 23 on the upper end of the rod and the head plate 17, which is apertured to receive the rod. Rod 13 is restrained against wobbling action by the lifting member in a manner which will be apparent later. A suitable handle 24 pivotally attached to the head 23 is manually operable to rotate the screw rod.

As best shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the lifting member 11 may be of segmental construction, including a freely projecting bumper-engaging lifting hook part 25, a nut 26, and a retaining plate 27. The nut 26, which has the screw rod 12 threaded therethrough, may be of square horizontal cross-section corresponding to horizontal crosssection of the tubular support 13, and has a reduced forward extension 28 protruding through a longitudinally extending slot 29 in the support defining opposite inturned flanges 3t), 30 in the forward wall of the support, said extension 28 providing laterally

opposite shoulders

31, 31 on the nut which slidably engage the inner faces of said flanges 3t), 30. Extension 28 is of rectangular vertical cross-section to be relatively non-rotatably received through a correspondingly shaped slot 32 in said retaining plate 27, which is slidably retained against the upwardly inclined forward faces of said support flanges 3th, 30, across said slot 29. Lifting hook 25 may be formed of sheet metal to provide a narrow upper web portion 33 and laterally spaced

downturned sidewalls

34, 34 adapted to have inner end portions thereof embrace the extension 28 protruding through the plate 27 (see Figure 2). For retaining plate 27 against the support flanges in this manner, aligned

apertures

35 and 36, 36 are provided in the nut projection 28 and

walls

34, 34 of the lifting hook 25 to receive a bolt 37 therethrough, so that straight inner edges 38 of the walls engage flatly against the outer face of plate 27. Thus the three principal elements of the lifting member 25 are assembled as a unit to be in vertically slidable tongue-and-groove relation as to the

forward flanges

30, 30 of the support 13, as best illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. The lifting hook 25 may have a rearwardly projecting tang 39 engageable between the top face of nut 28 and the upper end of the slot 32 in plate 27, to make sure that the parts of the lifting member will be held in firmly assembled relation. As best shown in Figure 2, the web portion 33 of lifting hook 25 extends forwardly of the support 13 at an upward inclination from a point of supporting engagement of tang 39 with the top of the nut 28, so

3 7 that if t bolt 37-'lhas a loose fit in the aligned aper- EQ IF iq'q the twins $109k; .shQWn a s bsta ia proportion of a load pressnre on the lifting hook'will be translated into rearward pressure of the inner edges as o id w l s a ai st the etai Plate 2 Thi the load on the lifting hook is "substantiallyself narratin to m int in a isi e degree friqiotlal engagement between the retaining

plate andlsupport flanges

30,59 to assure smooth, uniform vertical move a e of h li t n emb r in operation or use'of the lifting jack described above it 'is positioned in the extended condition 'shown in Figure l to have the lifting book 25 of lifting member '11 under the bumper of an automotive vehicle, for example. Next, the operator manually turns handle 24 to rotate screw rod 12 in proper direction to urge the lifting member upwardly, first to engage the bumper (nOtshQ'Wn) and then to lift the vehicle, in known manner. Because there is a certain degree of flexibility between the lifting hook 25 and nut 26, and the load to a substantial extent being carried by the support 13 through the inclined retaining plate. 27, as-described, frictional binding action due to the tendency of such load on the hook to apply rod is r'educed to a minimum. 7 The above described jack has a further advantage of being economical to ship or store, in that the lifting hook 25 is detachable from nut 26 upon removal of the bolt 37, thereby to obviate the projection of said hook from the support 13 Swhich would otherwise occnpy a substantial space necessarily extending the full length of ,rnoments to the nut which would flex or bend the screw the usual shipping container for the jack.

Referring to Figure'sf5 and 6 there is illustrated a porti n oflifting jack "40 which is similar to'the jack '10 sh n inFigures 1 to 4, except ,that it has incorporated therein a modified form of lifting member 41. As before a tubular support .42 of square cross-section constitutes an inclined forward leg of a tripod type of jack, as shown in Figure said support having an elongated slot 143 .in the forward wall thereof defining oppositely disposed

flanges

44, 44.

The lifting member 41 may include a square nut 45 threaded on a screw rod 46, corresponding to screw rod 12, and a lifting hook having an integral bifurcated portion 47 in sliding .tongue-and-groove connection with said flanges 44, laterally

opposite sidewalls

48, 48 of the bifurcationembracing the nut 45 and being apcrtured to receive opposite

pivot pin extensions

49, 49. In vother ,Words, and for purposes to be described, the nut 45 has ga requisite degree of pivotal action with respect to the lifting member 41, in the direction of a plane at right angles to a laterally extending axis through the pivot pin e ten ons The jack shown in FiguresS and 6 is operated substantiallyas before. Upon application of load to lifting hook 42 however, the pivotal connection between the same ;and nut 45 is self-operating upon application of bending ,or flexing stresses to the screw rod to prevent binding action tending toretardmanual turning of the screw rod.

Referring now to Figures 7 and 8, there is shown another modified form of liftingmexnber 51 forra jack of the type previously described, said lifting member having an enlargement 52 received within a channelshape'd upright support 53 and apertured for-somewhat ;loose slidin'greception of ascrew rod 54. Theenlargenient '52 is supported on top of a nut threaded on screwro-d 54 and is held in axial alignment with the ,;screwrod by a roller Sdbetwe'en spaced lugs 57, .57 integral with said enlargement and extending rearwardly ,at iopposite sides of the support, said roller being in J engagement witharear wall 58 pr thesupport ashit substantially ,ahove the level bfan integral rwardly extendingioadmngaging hook .59. [For preiyent'in rota tion,ofnut-55 with -respect tosrodqs4, the y gbe cylindrical with =fiat opposite. ends .60, .60

in sliding engagement with "opposite side flanges '61, '61 of support 53.

In operation of the structure described in connection with Figures 7 and 8 the lifting member 51 is carried vertically by the nut 55 upon rotation of screw rod 54, the roller 56 allowing such movement without substantial frictional resistance. Any possible wobbling action of the lifting member 51 under load will not be transmitted to the nut, and hence bending of the screw rod which would cause binding action between the nut and the rod is thereby obviated.

Obviously features of the several forms of invention shown may be interchanged. As an example, the roller type lifting member 51 shown in Figures 7 and 8 may be provided with the pivoted nut construction shown in Figures 5 and 6, or with the separable segmental construction shown in Figures 1 to 4, or with combinations of both of these constructions. Similarly, the lifting member 11 shown in Figures -1 to 4 may have the pivoted nut construction of Figures 5 and '6 or the separablenut construction shown in Figures 7 and 8.

'Other modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the-scope of the appended claims.

' ,What is claimed is:

l. A lifting jack comprising an elongated hollow support having laterally spaced sides and a front .wall proyided with a longitudinally extending opening in the same, means for supportingsaid support with said front lyvall presented at an angle to the horizontal, a threaded post ,r' otatably mounted on said support to extend longitudinally between said sides, a nut threaded on said post, alifting member having spaced portions within said hollow support ,non-rot'atably embracing laterally 'oppos'itesides of said nut and'to vbe non-rotatable with ,r espectthereto in direction about the axis of the post, "said member-being ,pivotally connected to said embracing portions to pivot relatively of the same in direction of a plane through said;axis of the post and said opening, thereby to obviate binding action between the nut and said post with bending of the post under a load on the member, said member having a work-engaging hook portion extending freely outwardly of said longitudinal v(apening,said spaced portions of the member having opfpo site sides ,thereof longitudinally slidably engageable ,wi'th'said laterally spaced sides of said support toprevent relative rotation of the same and said nut about the axis of the post as the post is rotated, and means for rotating Ysaid'post' about said axis and thereby to move said nut and member in [either direction longitudinally of the support, said .member having portions bearing downwardly against said front wall of said support to support some offthe load onthe element. 7

'2. A lifting jack comprising anelongated hollow support having" laterally spaced sides and a front wall pro- ,vided with ,a longitudinally extending opening in the .s'ame me'ansfor supporting said support with said front wan presented at an upward inclination to the horizontal, a threaded post rotatably mounted on said support to extend longitudinally between said sides, a nut threaded on said post, a lifting member having spaced integral ,portions received within said .hollow support and embracing laterally opposite sides of said nut and to .be non-rotatable with respect thereto indirection about the axis of the .post, said .nut being pivotally connected to said embracing portions to pivot relatively of the sameindirection ofa plane through said axis of the post and saidlopening, thereby to obviate binding action between the nut and said post with bending of the post under a load on the member, said member having a Work-engaging 'hoo'k portion extendinglf'reely outwardly of 'saidlongitudinal opening, said spaced portions of the member having opposite side's thereof longitudinally 'slida'blyen' gageable with said latefally'spaced sides of "said support to prevent relative rotation" of the same and" said nut nemesis about the axis of the post as the post is rotated, and means for rotating said post about said axis and thereby to move said nut and lifting member in either direction longitudinally of the support, said member having portions bearing downwardly against said inclined front wall of said support to support some of the load on the memher and thereby to relieve a corresponding degree of the load on said nut.

3. A lifting jack comprising an elongated hollow sup port having laterally spaced sides and a front wall provided with a longitudinally extending opening in the same, means for supporting said support with said front wall presented at an angle to the horizontal, a threaded post rotatably mounted on said support to extend longitudinally between said sides, a nut threaded on said post, a lifting member having spaced portions within said hollow support non-rotatably embracing laterally opposite sides of said nut and to be non-rotatable with respect thereto in direction about the axis of the post, said nut being pivotally connected to said embracing portions to pivot relatively of the same in direction of a plane through said axis of the post and said opening, thereby to obviate binding action between the nut and said post with bending of the post under a load on the member, said member having a work-engaging hook portion extending freely outwardly of said longitudinal opening, said spaced portions of the member having opposite sides thereof longitudinally slidably engageable with said laterally spaced sides of said support to prevent relative rotation of the same and said nut about the axis of the post as the post is rotated, and means for rotating said post about said axis and thereby to move said nut and member in either direction'longitudinally of the support, a load on said member thereby through said nut tending to bend said post, said member having portions bearing downwardly against said front wall of said support to support some of the load on the member, said longitudinal opening being defined by opposite inturned flanges on said post, and said member having longitudinally extending grooves slidably receiving said inturned flanges of the lifting element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS France May 2,