Patent Publication Number: US-2005126856-A1

Title: Screw jack socket

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The invention resides in the field of scaffolding and particularly in making adjustments in the various sections of the scaffolding to place the different sections at the desired respective levels relative to other sections to produce an entire level scaffolding.  
      In the case of most scaffolding, it is erected to rest on the ground and it is built up in various levels according to the height of the work to be done, as in building a house.  
      In many cases, the ground on which the structure is to be built is not level, and on different sides of the structure, the ground would be higher on one side than another side, or in one location relative to another location, and jacks are utilized for leveling the scaffolding notwithstanding the different levels of the ground.  
      Heretofore the jacks were adjusted by manually manipulating them, but this was very slow and tedious work.  
      Many times the extent to which the jack is adjusted, may be a foot, a foot and a half, or more, and to make the desired adjustments of the jacks to this extent requires an objectionable length of time.  
      A main object of the present invention is to provide a socket for applying to the jacks and driven by a power drill at a relatively high speed so as to adjust the various jacks to the desired respective heights according to the non-level condition of the ground.  
      Another object of the invention is to provide a socket of the type referred to that is very easy to apply to the jack in position for adjusting the jack.  
      It is very light in weight, which facilitates its use.  
      It includes a design, and construction, to readily adapt it to jacks that are universally in use at the present time.  
      It has an entirely clear interior, without obstruction, to easily and quickly be fitted over the corresponding component of the jacks, which is of substantial length. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INDIVIDUAL FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a side view of the device of the invention.  
       FIG. 2  is perspective view of the lower portion of the device, taken at an angle indicated at the arrow  2  in  FIG. 1 .  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the upper end portion of the socket, as indicated by the arrow  3  of  FIG. 1 .  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a portion of a scaffolding erected in position for use.  
       FIG. 5  is a face view of the lower portion of  FIG. 4 , oriented according to the arrow  5  of  FIG. 4 .  
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a jack of known kind used in the scaffolding of  FIGS. 4 and 5 .  
       FIG. 7  is a face view of a socket shown in  FIG. 1  applied to the jack, and with an electric cordless drill applied to the socket.  
       FIG. 8  is a sectional view taken at line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 1 .  
       FIG. 9  is an exploded view of the elements making up a different form of socket.  
       FIG. 10  is a sectional view, oriented according to  FIG. 8 , of the form of the upper end of the socket of  FIG. 9 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a side view of a socket  20  made according to the present invention. The socket includes a tube or barrel  21 , which is of a length for accommodating the jack as referred to below. At the top of the tube is a cap  22  and at the bottom end, the tube is provided with two notches  24  opening out through the end, and extending longitudinally into the tube a short distance, such as an inch or two. These notches are preferably two in number and disposed at opposite sides of the tube along a common diameter  26 , as shown in  FIG. 2 .  
      The tube  20  is of uniform diameter from the bottom end up to the cap  22  and entirely unobstructed, by any protrusions, or elements in the interior, leaving the tube entirely hollow.  
      In the preferred form of device, the tube and the cap are molded together into a single integral piece as shown in  FIG. 8 , the tube  20  extending into the cap and becoming integral therewith. The cap has a lower portion (as oriented in  FIGS. 1, 8 )  28  next to the tube  20  and an upper portion  30  which is slightly larger in diameter than the lower portion  20 , providing great strength for maintaining the integrity and shape of the tube as well as to hold the drill bit  32 , described below.  
      All of the socket, except the drill bit  32 , is made of plastic, preferable of pvc type plastic. This plastic is of known kind and need not be described in detail.  
      The drill bit  32  is of steel and is of non-circular shape. Its lower portion is embedded in the material of the cap, and its upper portion extends upwardly through the end of the cap, and thus out of the socket.  
      This drill bit is adapted for application thereto of a drill  34  ( FIG. 7 ), which is preferably cordless, and is of known kind. It is of a suitable size to firmly grip the drill bit for rotating the entire socket, when applying it to the jack and operating the jack.  
      Having thus far described the socket itself, attention is directed to the scaffolding with which it is used. This scaffolding, in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , is indicated at  40 . The scaffolding is of known kind, having pipes  42  forming legs at spaced apart locations. The legs of course are hollow, and the jacks  44  ( FIGS. 4, 5 ,  6 ) are inserted in the lower ends thereof. Such a jack is shown in  FIG. 6  and is of known kind. It includes a base plate  46  on which the lower end of a threaded shaft  48  is secured, which extends upwardly.  
      Threaded on the shaft  48  is a support  50 , which includes a pair of fingers  54 , radiating on a common diameter  56 .  
      The scaffolding is shown set up in position on the ground with the jacks  44  inserted in the posts  42  and resting on the ground.  
       FIG. 5  shows a ground surface  57  having a high spot  58  and a low spot  60 . The dot-dash line  62  indicates a level plane including the high spot, and of course through the middle of the jack on the low spot. The jack, at the left, on the low spot, is in elevated position so as to place the lower end of the pipe thereon on a level  64 , which contains lower end of the jack on the high level.  
      The foregoing description of the scaffolding, as indicated above, is well known, and in setting up the scaffolding, the jacks are placed at the locations where the pipes of the scaffolding will be located, and all of them are turned up or down, in order that the fingers  54  will all be at as close to common level plane as can be determined by visual judgment.  
      Heretofore, the jacks were so adjusted manually which is extremely time consuming. The purpose of the device of the present invention is to perform this step in the setting-up operation at a much greater speed. For performing this step according to the present invention, the socket  20  is placed over the jack as represented in  FIG. 7 . It is fitted down on the jack with the fingers  54  inserted in the notches  24  and this will provide a complete interlock between the socket and the support  50 . Thereupon, the drill  34  is energized, and thus turning the socket at a spinning speed, and this turns the device  50  at a corresponding speed and lifts or lowers the support  50  accordingly. In this step, it is determined by observation of the surrounding ground what a common height will be so that all of the supports  50  will be as close as possible to a common height. Thereupon, the scaffolding is put in place. As this step progresses, and if it is found that certain jacks are not at an optimum height, the operator then manually a adjusts the support  50  and until it reaches the exact level plane with the other jacks.  
      In order to fully appreciate the nature of the device, and its use, and the result in the scaffolding as intended, the following is a description of various ones of the dimensions of the device, compared with those of the scaffolding itself.  
      The fit between the vertical posts  42  and the jack  44  is very snug. The dimensions of these parts vary according to the scaffold manufacturers preferably, however, most jacks  44  range from 1″-2.5″ in diameter. With the vertical posts  42  being slightly larger to perform a tight fit around the jack once it is inserted. In the case of the socket  20 , the tube  21  may be of larger dimensions than the jack  44 , to ensure that it can be universally used on many different sized jacks  44 . The approximate outer diameter of the socket  20  is 3″-3.5″ with the inner diameter being 2.5″-3″.  
      The commonly known jack  44  may be in the neighborhood of two feet in height (as viewed in  FIG. 6 ). Accordingly, the tube  21  of the jack is of nearly that height.  
      In performing the operation, the socket is over the threaded shaft  48  and pushed down thereon until the lower end of the tube engages the support  50 . It is turned, if necessary, to align notches  24  with the fingers  54  so that an interlock is established, and then the socket is operated to turn the support  50  in the proper direction.  
      The hollow character of the tube  21  ensures that the socket can easily be inserted over the threaded shaft. The shaft may be on the order of 1.25″ in diameter, and the tune  21  is substantially greater than that. It is not necessary to establish perfect alignment, but simply to fit it over the threaded shaft.  
      Attention is now directed to the alternate form of  FIGS. 9 and 10 , in which the device  69  is made up of separate parts later secured together.  
      A tube  70  is similar to the tube  21  from the bottom up to the top but has an opening at the top. A cap  72  having a top element  74  and a surrounding depending skirt  76 . The top element has a center hole  78  receiving the drill bit  32 , and the cap with the drill bit as a unit is glued to the upper end of the tube at  80 . The tube and cap are of plastic and the drill bit is of steel.