US3350063A

US3350063A - Hydraulic jack for camper bodies

Info

Publication number: US3350063A
Application number: US580407A
Authority: US
Inventors: Sr Reginald J Thurlow; Iii Reginald J Thurlow
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-09-19
Filing date: 1966-09-19
Publication date: 1967-10-31
Anticipated expiration: 1984-10-31

Description

1967 R. J. THURLOW, sR.. ETAL 3,350,063

HYDRAULIC JACK FOR CAMPER BODIES Filed Sept. 19, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. REGINALD J. THURLOW SR. REGINALD J. THURLOW Ill 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'I g I FIG.

INVENTOR. REGINALD J. THURLDW SR. REGINALD J. THURLDW l BY Oct 1967 R. J. THURLOW, SR, ETAL HYDRAULIC JACK FOR CAMPER BODIES Filed Sept. 19, 1966 United States Patent 3,350,063 HYDRAULIC JACK FOR CAMPER BODIES Reginald J. Thurlow, Sr., 685 26 Road, and Reginald J. Thurlow III, 685 /2 26 Road, both of Grand Junction, Colo. 81501 Filed Sept. 19, 1966, Ser. No. 580,407 7 Claims. (Cl. 254-45) This invention relates to hydraulic lifting apparatus and, more specifically, to a retractable ground supporting device carried on camper bodies and the like for loading and unloading the camper body into and out of the bed of a pickup truck.

With the increased national popularity in outdoor recreation, the usage of coach or camper bodies mounted on trucks has become extensive. They provide mobile compact living quarters and are highly regarded by both sportsmen and vacationing families alike.

For the most, pickup trucks of this type are used for general utility when not being used to haul a camper. The loading and removal of these heavy camper bodies has always been a major problem. Various systems of jacks and lifting devices have been developed, but have not proven satisfactory for various reasons. Some stationary systems have been devised that are hung from garage rafters or other permanent structures which have obvious mobility limitations. One of the most prevalent methods presently being used is a series of screw-type jacks, one mounted at each corner of the camper. It is not safe to raise or lower a camper unless there is a person at each jack so that the jacks are moved simultaneously. Raising one corner at a time would also be damaging to the lightweight structure of the camper body. Therefore, the necessity of four persons to operate the individual jacks limits the usefulness of the system.

The present invention provides a series of retractable hydraulic jacks mounted on the camper which are operated from a common power source. The system is operated by a single person rather than one person at each jack. By reason of the single power source, all four of the hydraulic cylinders can be raised simultaneously, thus avoiding the above-mentioned problems. Since the lifting apparatus is carried on the camper, its removal is not limited to a single location.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved portable lifting device, in connection with a camper body to be loaded onto and unloaded from the bed of a pickup truck.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a hydraulic lifting device including a series of hydraulic cylinders operated simultaneously by a single power source.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a ground supported lifting device for camper bodies which can be easily operated by a single person.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a portable lifting device which can be readily attached to or removed from a camper body or various other types of truck mounted bodies.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive lifting device which can be installed on all types of truck mounted camper type coaches.

Further objects are to provide a lifting apparatus which can be safely operated by a single person with a minimum of time and effort.

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out specifically hereinafter in connection with the description of the drawings that follows, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a right side elevational view of the camper suspended by its lifting jacks;

FIGURE 2 is a left side elevational view of the camper 3,350,063 Patented Oct. 31, 1967 body suspended on its jacks with a pickup truck in loading position under the camper;

FIGURE 3 is a right side elevational view showing the camper mounted on the truck and the lifting jacks pivoted into their retracted traveling position;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the left forward lifting cylinder and combined manifold and power source;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary section taken along line 55 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic view of the hydraulic circuit and the associated operating elements used with the structure disclosed in FIGURES 1 through 4.

Referring now to the drawings for a detailed description of the present invention, and initially to FIGURES 1 through 3 for this purpose, it will be seen that the reference numeral 10 generally designates a conventional truck mounted coach, more popularly identified as a camper. The coach 10 includes a roof portion 12, a rear end 14 having a door (not shown in the drawings), side panels 15 and a front end portion 16 which overhangs the cab 18 of the pickup truck. If the coach is constructed for use as living quarters, a series of conventional windows 20 are provided on the sides and ends thereof. Camper bodies of this type are constructed so as to make full use of the overall interior dimensions of the truck body 22 as seen in FIGURE 2. While the width of the lower portion 24 of the camper is limited by the interior width of the truck body 22, the upper portion 26 extends outward over the side walls 28 of the truck to a maximum permissible road width for a truck of this type. Although there is a variety of different types and sizes of coach bodies which the present invention can be used with, the specific coach body shown in FIGURES 1 to 3 is shown for purposes of illustration.

In order to place the coach 10 in the truck bed and remove it from the bed, retractable ground engaging lifting apparatus generally designated by numeral 30 are provided at each of the four corners of the coach 10. The lifting apparatus 30 comprises four hydraulic cylinders 32 which are pivotally attached to the side wall 26 of the coach by means of mounting plates 34. Integrally formed on the side of each cylinder 32 is a pivotal mounting bolt 36 and corresponding nut 37 which allow the cylinder 32 to rotate from a horizontal retracted position to its vertical operative position as seen in FIGURES 2 and 3.

The cylinders 34 are of a single action type having hydraulic connections 38 located at the capend 40 of the cylinders. The mounting plates 34 are formed with a load supporting flange 42 along the lower edge thereof .as seen in FIGURE 4. The plates are attached to the side wall 26 of the coach by a pair of bolts 44 and spacer washers 46, the latter of which maintains the plates 34 and side wall 26 in spaced relation. Located on the outer face of the mounting plates 34, in the plane of movement of the cylinders 32, is a pair limiting lugs or stops 48. The lugs 48 are positioned so as to prevent rotary movement of the cylinders 32 in one direction from their vertical position. In viewing FIGURE 1, the lugs 48 on the cylinder located on the left side of the figure prevent the cylinder from rotating in a clockwise direction past the vertical position. The lugs 48 on the right cylinder, in the same figure, prevent the cylinder 32 from rotating in a counterclockwise direction. The lugs do not prevent the respective cylinders 32 from being rotated in the opposite direction to their retracted positions as shown in FIGURE 3. The purpose of the lugs is to prevent any longitudinal sway of the camper 10 while it is being supported on the jacks 32. For example, in FIGURE 1, if the camper would sway to the right, the lugs 48 on the left hand cylinder would restrain the camper, whereas the reverse movement would 58 is operating,

be limited by the lugs on the right hand cylinder 32. When the cylinders are not in use, they are rotated to the retracted traveling position and held in place by brackets 50. Attached to outer extremity of the rod member 52 of cylinder 32 is a bearing plate 54. The bearing plate 54 is of sufiicient size to carry the static load of the camper on normal soil without sinking in an appreciable amount.

The source of hydraulic pressure which supplies the four cylinders 32 with their lifting force is derived from a hand-operated system 56 which is carried on one of the mounting plates 34 as seen in FIGURE 4. The power source includes a hand-operated pump 58 supplied by a fluid reservoir 60 connected to the working cylinders 32 by means of a manifold 62 and series of hydraulic lines 640:, b, c and d. The pump 58 is a single acting piston type which is operated by a pivoted hand lever 66 which is in turn pivotally connected to the piston shaft 68. Connecting intake port 69 and the fluid reservoir 60 is an intake line 72. Connecting the discharge port 70 and the distribution manifold 62 is a discharge line 74. Positioned in the intake line 72 is a check valve 75 which prevents flow back into the reservoir. Located in the discharge line 74 is an additional check valve 76 which prevents flow back into the pump 58. When the pump fluid flows through the intake line 74 into the manifold 62. The fluid in turn flows out each of the four connecting

lines

64a, 64b, 64c and 64d to the

respective cylinders

32a, 32b, 32c and 32d. Located in each of the connecting lines 64a, b, c and d, respectively, are four shutoff valves 78a, b, c, and d. By the manipulation of valves 78, various operations can be accomplished, for example, certain pistons can be lowered while retaining others extended or the converse. Once the cylinders 32 have been fully extended and it is desirous to retract same, valve 80 is opened allowing the fluid in the cylinders 32 to flow back through manifold 62 and line 82 to the reservoir 60. Since the cylinders 32 are only single acting, they must be retracted by exerting an outside force on the individual piston rods 52.

In briefly summarizing the operation of the lifting apparatus, the hydraulic jacks 32 are held in the retracted position by locking brackets 50 while the coach is being transported as seen in FIGURE 3. To prevent any possible movement of the piston rods 52 while in transit, valves 78a, b, c and d can be closed, thereby preventing any fluid from entering the cylinders 32. When it is desirous to remove the coach 10 from the truck, the jacks 32 are released and pivoted downward to the vertical position shown in FIGURE 2. When the individual cylinder valves 78a, b, c and d are opened, the weight of the piston rods 52 alone will extend the rods downward until the bearing plates 54 come in contact with the ground. The uneven surface of the ground is compensated for by the rods extending varying distances until contacting the ground. The return valve 80 being closed, the coach 10 is ready to be lifted off the truck body 22. As the pump 58 is activated by reciprocal movement of handle 66, fluid is introduced into manifold 62 which in turn flows into each cylinder 32. The cylinders 32 being exposed to equal pressure will begin to extend, lifting the weight of the coach body off the truck. As previously mentioned, the movement of each separate cylinder 32 can be controlled by the individual shutoff valves 78a, b, c and d. Once the coach is lifted a few inches off the truck bed, the truck can be driven out from under the coach, leaving it supported on the jacks 32. The coach can be stored on the jacks 32 or, after the truck has been removed, it can be lowered onto rigid support objects placed thereunder. To reload the coach, the truck is merely backed into position and return valve 80 is opened, allowing the coach to settle back on the truck bed.

By reason of the simplified mounting structure, the lifting apparatus of the present invention can be easily adapted for use on any type of unified load.

Having thus described the several useful and novel features incorporated in the lifting apparatus of the present invention, it will be seen that the many worthwhile objectives for which it was designed have been achieved. Although but a single specific embodiment and application of the lifting apparatus has been illustrated and described herein, we realize that certain changes may well occur to those skilled in the art within the broad teaching thereof; hence, it is our intention that the scope of the protection afforded hereby shall be limited only insofar as said limitations are expressly set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Lifting apparatus for loading and unloading a substantially rectangular coach body onto and off the bed of a pickup truck, said apparatus comprising: four vertically positioned mounting plates adapted to be releasably attached one at each corner of any type coach body, a horizontal load supporting flange extending from the lower edge of said plate and positioned to support the weight of the coach, fastening means for releasably attaching the mounting plates to the coach body; a series of four hydraulic cylinders having pistons with elongate portions extending therefrom, ground supporting foot means located at the end of the elongate portions for transmitting the weight of the coach to the ground; mounting means pivotally attaching each of said cylinders to a respective mounting plate for maintaining the cylinders in vertical ground engaging position and upon retraction permitting the cylinders to be pivoted to a horizontal position; bracket means attached to the coach body for maintaining the cylinders in a horizontal position when lifting apparatus is not in use; and, a single hydraulic power means attached to one of said mounting plates, hydraulic lines connecting each of said cylinders with said power means whereby all of said cylinders may be activated in unison.

2. Lifting apparatus for loading and unloading a coach body onto and off of a pickup truck as defined in claim 1 in which; the mounting means includes one or more lugs attached to each of the mounting plates extending outward into the plane of movement of the cylinders whereby the cylinders are maintained in a vertical load supporting position.

3. Lifting apparatus for loading and unloading a coach body onto and off of a pickup truck as defined in claim 1 in which: the mounting means includes an angular limit means attached to each of the mounting plates which maintains the cylinders in a vertical load supporting position, the limit means of the two cylinders positioned at the forward corners of the coach permits the cylinders to be pivoted only in a counterclockwise direction from the vertical position, and the limit means of the two cylinders positioned at the rear corners of the coach permits the cylinders to be pivoted only in a clockwise direction from the vertical position.

4. Lifting apparatus for loading and unloading a coach body onto and off of a pickup truck as defined in claim 1 in which: the mounting means includes a pivoting journal and bearing, a pair of lugs attached to each of the mounting plates equi-distantly spaced from the axis of rotation of the cylinders extending outwardly into the plane of rotation of the cylinders on opposite sides thereof, the lugs on the two cylinders at the forward end of the coach are positioned on respective sides of the cylinders to permit the cylinders to be pivoted only in a counterclockwise direction from the vertical position and the lugs on the two cylinders positioned at the rear of the coach are positioned on opposite sides of the cylinders to permit the cylinders to be pivoted only in a single direction from the vertical position.

5. Lifting apparatus for loading and unloading a coach body onto and off a pickup truck as defined in claim 1 in which: the power means includes a hand-operated hydraulic pump having a discharge port and an inlet port, a manifold means connected to the discharge port of the pump, said hydraulic lines connecting each of said cylinders to the manifold means whereby fluid entering the manifold is equally dispensed to the connecting cylinders, a hydraulic reservoir connected to the inlet port of the pump and to the manifold means, and a first valve means located between the manifold and the reservoir whereby when open the cylinders are permitted to retract and the fluid allowed to flow back to the reservoir.

6. Lifting apparatus for loading and unloading a coach body onto and off of a pickup truck as defined in claim 1 in which: the power means includes a hand-operated single action hydraulic pump having discharge and inlet ports, a manifold means connected to the discharge port, said first hydraulic lines connecting each of said cylinders to the manifold, a hydraulic reservoir connecting to the inlet port of the pump to the reservoir, a second hydraulic line connecting the reservoir and the manifold, first valve means located in the second hydraulic line, and second valve means located in each of said first hydraulic lines whereby actuation or retraction of one or more separate cylinders may be accomplished independent of the remaining cylinders.

7. Lifting apparatus for loading and unloading a coach body onto and off of a pickup truck as defined in claim 1 in which: the fastening means for releasably attaching the mounting plates to the coach body include a pair of mounting bolts and resilient means positioned between the mounting plate and the side of the coach body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 746,389 12/ 1903 Schmidt. 2,023,336 12/1935 Moore et al. 25486 3,198,486 8/1965 Allen 254-45 3,243,193 3/1966 Fulmer et al. 25445 3,248,083 4/1966 De Geunaro et al. 254-47 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

20 MILTON S. MEHR, Examiner.

Claims

1. LIFTING APPARATUS FOR LOADING AND UNLOADIG A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGUALR COACH BODY ONTO AND OFF THE BED OF A PICKUP TRUCK, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: FOUR VERTICALLY POSITIONED MOUNTING PLATES ADAPTED TO BE RELEASABLY ATTACHED ONE AT EACH CORNER OF ANY TYPE COACH BODY, A HORIZONTAL LOAD SUPPORTING FLANGE EXTENDING FROM THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID PLATE AND POSITIONED TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE COACH, FASTENING MEANS FOR RELEASABLY ATTACHING THE MOUNTING PLATES TO THE COACH BODY; A SERIES OF FOUR HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS HAVING PISTONS WITH ELONGATE PORTIONS EXTENDING THEREFROM, GROUND SUPPORTING FOOT MEANS LOCATED AT THE END OF THE ELONGATE PORTIONS FOR TRANSMITTING THE WEIGHT OF THE COACH TO THE GROUND; MOUNTING MEANS PIVOTALLY ATTACHING EACH OF SAID CYLINDERS TO A RESPECTIVE MOUNTING PLATE FOR MAINTAINING THE CYLINDERS IN VERTICAL GROUND ENGAGING POSITION AND UPON RETRACTION PERMITTING THE CYLINDERS TO BE PIVOTED TO A HORIZONTAL POSITION; BRACKET MEANS ATTACHED TO THE COACH BODY FOR MAINTAINING THE CYLINDERS IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION WHEN LIFTING APPARATUS IS NOT IN USE; AND, A SINGLE HYDRAULIC POWER MEANS ATTACHED TO ONE OF SAID MOUNTING PLATES, HYDRAULIC LINES CONNECTING EACH OF SAID CYLINDERS WITH SAID POWER MEANS WHEREBY ALL OF SAID CYLINDERS MAY BE ACTIVATED IN UNISON.