Patent ID: 9630086
Date: 2017-04-25
CPC Classifications: A63D

Claim:
1. A jack comprising: a circular base disk having an upper surface; a circular upper disk having a lower surface; a circular gear wheel disposed between said base disk and upper disk and having a center hole, said gear wheel having a lower surface opposing said base disk upper surface to form a first pair of opposing surfaces, and an upper surface opposing said upper disk lower surface to form a second pair of opposing surfaces, said gear wheel further including gear teeth about the circumference of said gear wheel; a hub projecting from a first disk of said base disk and upper disk and extending through said center hole of said gear wheel, said gear wheel being rotatably mounted to said hub and being capable of axial motion thereon; a hub engagement member projecting from a second disk of said base disk and upper disk for engaging said hub to lock said base disk and upper disk rotationally in relation to each other; a plurality of grooves in said upper surface of said base disk, said grooves following a circular arc along the longitudinal centerline of said base disk grooves, and having a radius extending from the center of said base disk upper surface to said centerline; a plurality of grooves in said lower surface of said gear wheel, including one groove for each of said base disk grooves, said lower gear wheel surface grooves following a circular arc along the longitudinal centerline of said gear wheel lower surface grooves, and having a radius extending from the center of said gear wheel lower surface to said centerline, said radius being equal to said radius of said base disk upper surface grooves; a plurality of grooves in said upper surface of said gear wheel, said grooves following a circular arc along the longitudinal centerline of said gear wheel upper surface grooves, and having a radius extending from the center of said gear wheel upper surface to said centerline; a plurality of grooves in said lower surface of said upper disk, including one groove for each of said upper gear wheel surface grooves, said upper disk grooves following a circular arc along the longitudinal centerline of said upper disk grooves, and having a radius extending from the center of said lower surface of said upper disk to said centerline, said radius being equal to said radius of said gear wheel upper surface grooves; wherein each said groove in said base disk, said gear wheel and said upper disk has a deep end and a shallow end, and a ramp extending between said ends; wherein said radius of said gear wheel lower surface grooves and said radius of said gear wheel upper surface grooves are unequal; wherein each said groove in said base disk, said gear wheel and said upper disk cooperates with an opposing groove in said base disk, said gear wheel or said upper disk to form a first and second opposing pair of grooves wherein the first opposing pair of grooves is between said base disk and said gear wheel and the second opposing pair of said grooves is between said gear wheel and said upper disk; said jack further including: a ball disposed in each said first and second pair of opposing grooves for rolling movement therein; a worm gear having threads in geared connection with said gear teeth of said gear wheel; and wherein rotating said worm gear in a selected clockwise or counterclockwise direction causes said gear wheel to rotate in a corresponding selected direction which in turn causes each ball to roll in each first and second pair of opposing grooves and axially move said first and second opposing surfaces either towards each other or away from each other, thereby enabling an axial lowering or lifting movement of said jack.