JPH0427159B2 - - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle jack 10 has a body 18 with a ground-engaging foot 24 and a vehicle engaging member 28 mounted on the body 18 for movement relative to the body 18 in the operation of the jack by a drive assembly 12 to engage and move part of a vehicle. The assembly 12 comprises a shaft 14 rotatable about an axis A and a headed member 30 secured to the shaft 14. A handle 36 for rotating the shaft 14 about the axis A is carried by the member 30 with part of the member projecting through a slot in the handle 36 so that the handle 36 can be moved relative to the axis A to adjust the operational position of the handle 36 e.g. to avoid a hand of an operator striking the ground when using the jack.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle jack, and more particularly to a drive assembly for rotating a rotating member, such as an operating shaft of a vehicle jack.

"Prior Art" Various handles have been proposed as means for rotating a rotary member in order to manually operate a vehicle jack. Some of these are removable and others are permanently connected to the rotating member.

In operating such a rotating member, the rotating member is rotated to lift the vehicle by jacking means, so that the position of the rotating member changes and the operating handle may contaminate parts of the vehicle or touch the ground. Problems arose so close that the operator had to take great care not to injure himself.

For example, West German Patent No. 3510196 and U.S. Patent No.
No. 4,586,696 proposes a vehicle jack having a handle that can adjust the distance from the axis of the rotating member to the handle.

``Problem to be Solved by the Invention'' The assembly of these already proposed jack parts only increases the complexity, is cumbersome in use, considerably increases manufacturing costs, and jacks are undesirable in some vehicles. Further complexity is added as the jack is often housed in a condition that prevents it from functioning as intended, especially when not used according to instructions. For example, West German patent no.
No. 3,510,196, the handle and the remainder of the handle are fitted with a complex type of universal joint, which results in a construction that is difficult to manufacture and which can cause the joint to become inoperable during storage. Similarly, in US Pat. No. 4,586,696 there is an added complexity in the manufacture of the jack, and the means for adjusting the handle to the desired position may become inoperable, for example due to capture of the operating part of the handle.

"Means for Solving the Problem" According to the object of the present invention, the present invention includes a ground engaging portion, a vehicle engaging portion, and a moving means for moving the vehicle engaging portion relative to the ground engaging portion. In the vehicle jack, when operating the jack, the moving means includes a rotating member that rotates around the axis A, a relay means fixed to the rotating member, and a rotating member that rotates the rotating member around the axis A on the relay means. a handle for rotating the handle; the drive assembly is configured to move the handle relative to axis A and adjust the distance from axis A to the handle of the handle; The means comprises a relay member projecting perpendicularly to the axis A of the rotating member;
A vehicle jack is provided in which the handle is provided with a slot extending in the longitudinal direction of the handle at a location away from the handle, and a relay member is inserted into the slot and held.

Preferably, this handle is captured in the relay member.

Preferably, the handle is free to move relative to the relay means when adjusting to the unloaded condition and thus to the optimum operating position, but is locked in its operating position when rotating about the axis. Preferably, the handle is locked by frictional engagement with the relay means.

Preferably, the relay member includes an annular groove in which the slotted handle portion is slidably received. Preferably, the relay member includes a main body portion fixed to the rotating member, and a location apart from the rotating member.
and a head portion for holding the slotted portion of the handle.

In a preferred assembly, the head extends through the slot and is in the form of a fixed headed stud projecting at right angles to the axis of rotation.
The handle is configured to be slidable along the slot and in the desired operating position the handle of the handle is parallel to the axis of rotation. This arrangement allows the handle to be rotated about the axis of the stud (perpendicular to the axis of rotation) and for storage the handle can be folded or stowed approximately parallel to the body of the jack.

The handle according to the invention is made from a steel rod bent into the desired shape.

"Embodiments" Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The jack 10 includes a drive assembly 12 that rotates a rotating member called a threaded shaft 14 about an axis A. The shaft 14 is screwed into a threaded nut 16 attached to the main body 18 of the jack 10. Jyatsuki 10
has an arm 20 mounted in a known manner at a portion remote from the drive assembly and pivotally mounted to the body 18 between the ground engaging portion 24 and the nut 16 by an axle 26. A bearing assembly 22 is rotatably mounted to the end of the shaft 14 near the end remote from the shaft 26 of the arm 20 .
Therefore, the rotation within the nut 16 of the shaft 14 is
It is effective to move the bearing assembly 22 toward or away from the nut 16, thus causing the arm 20 to pivot about the axis 26. The arm 20 has a vehicle engaging member 28 attached to the end furthest from the shaft 26 . Axis 2 of arm 20
By pivoting about 6, when the ground engaging part 24 is placed on the ground, the vehicle engaging part 28 engages a part of the vehicle and thus lifts the vehicle off the ground, e.g. in a known manner. You can change tires.

A drive assembly 12 that rotates the shaft 14
includes a relay means including a relay member 30 secured to the outer end of the shaft 14 remote from the bearing assembly 22. This relay member 30 is
It has a head portion 32 arranged to form an annular groove 34 around it. This annular groove 34
The central axis X of the shaft 14 is located at right angles to the axis of rotation A of the shaft 14. A handle 36 for rotating the shaft 14 about axis A is carried by the relay member 30. The handle 36 is movable relative to the axis of rotation A, and the handle 38, which normally projects at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the handle 36, can be moved towards or away from the axis of rotation A, thus adjusting the operating position of the handle 38. , and thus the structure and arrangement to adjust the operating radius about axis A.

To allow for this relative movement, the handle 36
, a slot 4 extending generally in the longitudinal direction of the handle 36 through which a portion of the relay member 30 protrudes;
0 is formed. The handle 36 has an inner peripheral surface of the slot 40 accommodated in the groove 34, and the relay member 3
The relay member 30 is held in place by a head portion 32 extending through the slot 40 at right angles. Therefore, the handle 36 is connected to the slot 4
0, and the handle 38 may be moved away from or closer to the axis X of the relay member 30. A portion of the handle 36 slides along the groove 34. 1 and 2, a handle 36 is shown having a handle 38 located at the maximum radius from the axis X of the relay member 30 and the axis of rotation A of the shaft 14. When it is desired to rotate the shaft 14 to operate the jack 10, the handle 36 is positioned so that the handle 38 lies parallel to the axis A, as shown in FIG. Handle 38 rotates about axis A, thus rotating shaft 14 and driving shaft 14 via relay member 30 . If handle 38
If you want to shorten the operating radius of the handle 36
slides the protruding portion of the relay member 30 along the slot 40 to the selected operating position along the slot while holding the handle 38 parallel to the axis A. When a driving action is applied to the handle 38,
Frictional engagement with various portions of the handle 36 and the relay member 30 prevents the handle 36 from sliding relative to the relay member 30.

In the accompanying drawings, the handle is formed from a steel rod bent into the desired shape. However, the handle 36 may alternatively be formed from a flat metal member cut with a slot of suitable shape or by other means. In the illustrated jack, as long as the handle is made of steel, the rod may be bent in place around the former after it is in place along the groove 34 of the relay member 30. However, if requested, slot 4
0 is first formed and the handle is connected to the relay member 30
after being placed on the protruding shaft portion 33 protruding from the body 31 of the relay member 30, the handle secures the head 32 thereto and the groove 34
1 and a shaft portion 33 bordering one side of the head 32. In FIG. 1, handle 36 is made from two metal bars welded together. The first part of these metal bars is usually formed by a straight part and one end part bent to form a handle, and the second part is usually formed by a piece of bar bent into a U-shape. formed,
A U-shaped arm is welded to the straight section to form a slot 40. In the handle variation shown in FIG. 3, a single piece of steel rod is bent to form the handle 36 and slot 40. This prevents the slot 40 from opening if an excessive load is applied to the jack.
The welded structure is slightly stronger.

The handle 38 comprises a sleeve rotatably carried by a section of the rod bent at right angles to the main straight section of the handle 36. When this jack is not used, the arm 20 occupies the position shown by the dashed line in FIG.
0 and shaft 14 occupy the position indicated by the dash-dotted line in FIG. In this position, the handle 36 is rotated about axis X and occupies a position lying generally parallel to the body 18 of the jack. This ensures that the jacket can be folded compactly for storage. When it is desired to use the jack, handle 36 is rotated about axis
Rotate the handle to the preferred position as long as it lies perpendicular to axis A of 4.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION The illustrated jack is inexpensive, simple to operate, and the handle 36 does not separate from the rest of the jack and is not lost when changing tires, for example.
The ability to adjust the operating position of the handle 36, particularly the handle 38, allows the operator to select an operating position as long as the risk of injury from contact with the ground or with the vehicle being jacked up is minimized. .

In particular, the vehicle jack of the present invention has a rotary member 14
Since a slot 40 extending in the longitudinal direction of the handle 36 is slidably fitted into an annular groove 34 having a central axis X perpendicular to the axis A of the The rotating member 14 can slide along an imaginary plane parallel to the rotating member 14 (centering on the central axis X). As a result, when using the vehicle jack of the present invention, the handle 36 is slid in a direction perpendicular to the rotating member 14, and the handle 38 is attached to the rotating member 14.
The operating position of the handle 38 can be adjusted by moving it closer to or farther away from the handle. Moreover, when storing the vehicle jack of the present invention, by rotating the handle 36 about the central axis
The handle 36 can be positioned parallel to 4. Therefore, according to the vehicle jack of the present invention, the operating position of the handle 38 can be adjusted to a position that is easy to use when in use, and can be folded compactly when stored, satisfying both the demands for usability and storage. be able to.

If desired, other jacks, including a drive assembly with a rotating member and an actuated handle, may be constructed, for example, according to a jack of the type described in the Applicant's British Patent No. 1341363. may be done.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a jack according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a front view of the jack shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a side view of a portion of the jack handle having a modified structure.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A vehicle jack 10 comprising a ground engaging portion 24, a vehicle engaging portion 28, and means 12, 20 for moving the vehicle engaging portion 28 relative to the ground engaging portion 24. , the means 12 and 20 include a rotating member 14 that rotates around the axis A during operation, a relay means 30 fixed to the rotating member 14, and a relay means 30 that rotates the rotating member 14 around the axis A on the relay means 30. The drive assembly 12 includes a handle 36 for rotating the drive assembly 12 around the
The handle 36 is configured to be movable relative to the axis A, and the distance from the axis A to the handle 38 of the handle 36 is adjusted, and the relay means 30 projects at right angles to the axis A of the rotating member 14. The handle 36 has a slot 40 extending in the longitudinal direction of the handle 36 at a portion remote from the handle 38, and the relay member 30 is inserted into the slot 40 and held therein. The slot 40 of the handle 36 is slidably fitted into the annular groove 34 of the relay member 30, and the central axis X of the groove 34 is orthogonal to the axis A of the rotating member 14. The vehicle jerks. 2. The relay member 30 has a main body portion fixed to the rotating member 14, and a part separated from the rotating member,
2. A jack according to claim 1, further comprising a head portion (32) for holding the portion of said handle (36) in which said slot (40) is formed. 3. When the handle 36 is in an unloaded state, and therefore when adjusting to the optimum operating position, the handle 36 is connected to the relay member 3.
A jack according to any one of claims 1 to 2, which is movable freely with respect to zero, but is locked in its operating position when rotated about the shaft. 4. The jack according to claim 3, wherein the handle 36 is locked by frictional engagement with the relay member 30. 5. The jack according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the handle 36 is captured by the relay member 30. 6 The handle 36 is rotatable about an axis X of the relay member 30 disposed perpendicular to the axis A of the rotating member 14 for storage, and the handle 36
The jack according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the jack is arranged substantially parallel to the main body 18 of the jack 10. 7. A jack according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the handle 36 is made from a steel rod bent into a desired shape.