Patent ID: 6443413
Filing Date: 2002-09-03
Classification: B66F,F16M,Y10T

Abstract:
A jack stand, comprising:a jack stand body defining a base member and a neck member connected to said base member; an elongated ratchet bar defining at one end a cradle and defining a distal end opposite said cradle, one elongated side edge of said ratchet bar defining a plurality of teeth disposed side-by-side along most of the length of said ratchet bar; said base member defining at least one foot member configured to rest against a floor surface; said neck member defining a slide opening configured to slidably receive therethrough said elongated ratchet bar in a manner that orients said elongated ratchet bar with its axis of elongation parallel to the vertical direction when said foot member is resting on the floor surface; a pawl pivotally connected to said jack stand body; a lifting handle connected to said pawl and configured and disposed for biasing said pawl in a manner so that said pawl engages at least one of said teeth when said ratchet bar is disposed in said slide opening and thereby prevents said ratchet bar from movement toward said foot member; said lifting handle being further configured and disposed to be selectively positionable so as to release said pawl from engaging said teeth of said ratchet bar; said ratchet bar defining a plurality of holes disposed transversely therethrough and spaced at predetermined distances along the length of said ratchet bar, each said hole having an entrance and an exit disposed opposite said entrance; a safety pin configured to be removably received within each of said plurality of holes of said ratchet bar and positionable to protrude beyond each said entrance and said exit of each said hole when removably received therein; said body defining at least one pair of pin support sections, a first said pin support section being disposed on one side of said slide opening and a second said pin support section being disposed on the opposite side of said slide opening and aligned with said first said pin support section, each said pin support section being configured to receive and support said safety pin when said safety pin is positioned to protrude beyond each said entrance and said exit of each said hole; and wherein the locations of said holes of said ratchet bar and the locations of said teeth of said ratchet bar are coordinated with one another and with said pawl in a particular spatial relationship so that any engagement between said pawl and one of said teeth of said ratchet bar ensures that one of said holes in said ratchet bar is precisely aligned with said pair of pin support sections in said jack stand body.