Abstract:
The trailer axle jack stand relates generally to a trailer axle jack stand for lifting a recreational vehicle, boat, trailer, military equipment, and the like, off the ground, such as for use in changing flat tires, thrown tracks or other repair of the vehicle. The jack stand includes an upstanding support member that is adjustable in height and terminates with a cradle capable of engaging an axle of the vehicle. The jack stand includes a base having a generally arcuate front portion that allows the jack stand to pivot in order to raise the vehicle.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR A JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention. 
     This invention relates generally to a trailer axle jack stand, and more particularly to a combination jack and jack stand for lifting a recreational vehicle, boat, trailer, military equipment, and the like, off the ground, such as for use in changing flat tires, thrown tracks or other repair of the vehicle. 
     2. Description of the Related Art. 
     A wide variety of vehicle jacks are known in the art. Jacks are employed to lift items of substantial weight to include vehicles. In some instances, once an item is lifted it may be desired to maintain the item in the elevated position for an extended period while activity is conducted about the item. In these instances, there exists a hazard that the particular jack may lose lifting force engagement, permitting the weighty item to unexpectedly lower. This presents a particularly serious hazard to activity being conducted underneath the item. For this reason the field of art practices placing rigid supports or jack stands under items to prevent the item from lowering in case the jack loses lifting force. 
     While the use of jacks is known in the art, there remains a need for a trailer axle jack stand that has certain improvements to the art by providing a jack having a base plate with a rear portion and an arcuate front portion with protruding traction spikes for biting into the ground to prevent slippage. 
     Various other advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the claims. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In general, in a first aspect, the invention relates to a trailer axle jack stand having a base plate with a generally arcuate front portion and a rear portion. The front portion of the base plate has a plurality of traction members, such as removable protruding spikes. The jack stand also has an upstanding support member connected to the rear portion of the base plate. The upstanding support member has a locking pin aperture for receipt of a locking pin. A rear support member, such as a V-shaped support member that is angled downwardly, is connected between the upstanding support member and the rear portion of the base plate. In addition, a removable upright cradle support member is telescopically received within a central bore of the upstanding support member. The upright cradle support member has a plurality of spaced pin apertures and an upper cradle. 
     The rear portion of the base plate may include a generally U-shaped rear portion having a pair of opposed upstanding wall sections separated by a planar base portion that is oriented generally perpendicular with the upstanding wall sections. Additionally, a prone base support member may be connected between the upstanding support member and the arcuate front portion of the base plate. 
     In a first aspect, the invention may include a cleat that is removably attachable to the jack stand using at least one cleat retaining member during use, and a cleat storage retainer is configured to removably attach the cleat to the jack stand during non-use. The cleat may include a generally C-shaped planar bracket having opposed stop shoulders. The cleat retaining member can include a cleat recess having a cleat lower shoulder and a generally arcuate upper shoulder. More particularly, the cleat retaining member may be a pair of opposing cleat retaining members configured to attach the removable cleat, with the stop shoulders of the cleat being received within the cleat retaining member. The cleat retaining member can include a cleat recess having a cleat lower shoulder and a generally arcuate upper shoulder. During use, the stop shoulders of the cleat engage the cleat upper shoulders and the lower shoulders. Moreover, the cleat storage retainer may include an upper generally L-shaped attachment member axially spaced and coaxially aligned with a lower attachment bracket. 
     In a second aspect, the invention can include a detachable, enlarged base member configured to be removably attached to the rear portion of the base plate. The enlarged base member has a surface area greater than a surface area of the rear portion of the base plate. The enlarged base member may have a main planar portion and a terminal downwardly angled portion, with the main planar portion having a pair of parallel support members and a base plate retainer positioned intermediate of the parallel support members. Furthermore, the detachable base member is configured to be slidably engaged with the rear portion of the base plate such that the rear portion is received between the base plate retainer and an upper surface of the enlarged base member and the parallel support members are aligned along and span the rear portion of the base plate. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of an example of a trailer axle jack stand in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the jack stand shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a front elevation view of the jack stand shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a rear elevation view of the jack stand shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of another example of a trailer axle jack stand in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of an example of a trailer axle jack stand having a removable cleat in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention disclosed herein; and 
         FIG. 7  is a rear perspective view of another example of a trailer axle jack stand having a detachable, enlarged base member in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention disclosed herein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The devices and processes discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific manners in which to make and use this invention and are not to be interpreted as limiting in scope. 
     While the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be noted that many modifications may be made in the details of the construction and the arrangement of the elements and components of the devices and/or in the sequences and steps of the processes without departing from the scope of this disclosure. It is understood that the devices and processes are not limited to the embodiments set forth herein for purposes of exemplification. 
     The description of the invention is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description of this invention. In the description, relative terms such as “front,” “rear,” “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawings under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the machine be constructed or the process to be operated in a particular orientation. Terms, such as “connected,” “connecting,” “attached,” “attaching,” “join” and “joining” are used interchangeably and refer to one structure or surface being secured to another structure or surface or integrally fabricated in one piece. 
     Referring to the figures of the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate like elements throughout the several views, a trailer axle jack stand  10  is constructed of a base plate  12  having a generally arcuate front portion  14  and a generally U-shaped rear portion  16 . The arcuate front portion  14  of the base plate  12  includes a plurality of traction members  18 , and for example as exemplified, the traction members  18  may be removable spikes. The U-shaped rear portion  16  of the base plate  12  includes a pair of opposed upstanding wall sections  20  separated by a planar base portion  22  that is oriented generally perpendicular with the upstanding wall sections  20 . Intermediate of the front portion  14  and the rear portion  16  of the base plate  12  is a pair of opposing cleat retaining members  24 . Each of the cleat retaining members  24  includes a cleat recess  26  having a cleat lower shoulder  28  and a generally arcuate upper shoulder  30 . 
     An upstanding support member  32  is connected to the base plate  12  of the jack stand  10 . As illustrated in the figures, the upstanding support member  32  is a tubular member connected along a centerline of the planar base portion  22  of the U-shaped rear portion  16 . An upper end of the upstanding support member  32  includes a locking pin aperture  34  enforced with a pin aperture support  36 . In addition, a prone base support member  38  is connected between the upstanding support member  32  and the arcuate front portion  14  of the base plate  12 . 
     The upstanding support member  32  may include a cleat retainer  40  for removably attaching a cleat  42  to the jack stand  10 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 through 9 . The cleat retainer  40  may include an upper generally L-shaped attachment member  43  that is axially spaced and coaxially aligned with a lower attachment bracket  44  along the upstanding support member  32 . The cleat  42  may be constructed as a generally C-shaped planar bracket  46  having opposed stop shoulders  48 . As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the cleat retaining members  24  are capable of receiving the removable cleat  40 , such as for use in sandy or muddy conditions. During use, the stop shoulders  48  of the cleat  42  are received within the cleat recesses  26  and engage the cleat upper shoulders  30  and the lower shoulders  28 . 
     Moreover, at least one rear angled support member  50  is connected between the upstanding support member  32  and the U-shaped rear portion  16  of the base plate  12 . As illustrated, the rear angled support member  50  is a V-shaped, angled support members that are angled downwardly from the upstanding support member  32  to the base plate  12 . A handle  52  may be attached to the angled support members  50 . 
     A removable upright cradle support member  54  is telescopically received within a central bore  64  of the upstanding support member  32 . The upright cradle support member  54  includes a plurality of spaced pin apertures  56  capable of receiving a locking pin  58  when the locking pin  58  is passed through the locking pin aperture  34  of the upstanding support member  32 . The upright cradle support member  54  also includes an upper cradle  60  attached to the cradle support member  54 , and may be reinforced with at least one gusset  62 . As illustrated, a front gusset  62 A and a rear gusset  62 B are respectively attached to opposed sides of the cradle  60  and the upright cradle support member  54 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 7 , the jack stand  10  may also include a detachable, enlarged base member  66  capable of being removably attached to the rear portion  16  of the base plate  12 . The enlarged base member  66  has a larger surface area than the rear portion  16  of the base plate  12  for providing additional stability and/or rigidity to the jack stand  10  during use. The enlarged base member  66  may include a main planar portion  68  and a terminal downwardly angled portion  70 . A pair of parallel support members  72  may be attached to an upper surface of the main planar portion  68  of the enlarged base member  66 . The upper surface of the enlarged base member also may include a base plate retainer  74  positioned intermediate of the parallel support members  72 . During usage, the detachable base member  66  is slidably engaged with the U-shaped rear portion  16  of the base plate  12 , and in particular, the planar base portion  22  of the U-shaped rear portion  16  is received between the base plate retainer  74  and the upper surface of the enlarged base member  66 . The parallel support members  72  are aligned along and span the upstanding wall sections  20  of the base plate  12 . 
     Whereas, the devices and processes have been described in relation to the drawings and claims, it should be understood that other and further modifications, apart from those shown or suggested herein, may be made within the scope of the invention.