Improvements in Lifting Jacks.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 31st Mar., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lifting Jacks.
We, HOLMAN MEANS ANDERSON, Mechanical Engineer, and JAMES JOHN
BARKLEY, Railway Contractor, both of 1133 The Rookery Building, Chicago,
Illinois, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained, in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to lifting jacks of the class generally designated as track-
jacks, which are designed more especially for use in levelling railroad tracks.
The object of our invention is to provide a track-jack which can be applied on
the inside of the track, and which, when in use, will be wholly out of the way of
passing trains.
Our lifting jack, speaking generally, consists of a lifting bar provided with a
foot adapted to engage with the flange of a rail, said lifting bar being provided,
on the side opposite to that earrying the foot, with notches adapted to be engaged
by the end of an ordinary flat pointed bar or lever, said lifting bar being mounted
in a standard which is provided on one side with a slot through which the foot of
the lifting bar extends, and on the other side with a slot for the insertion of the
lever or bar, said standard being also provided with a suitable fulcrum for the
lever or bar, the lifting bar being retained in position by a frictional retaining
device which is adapted to be released instantaneously through the agency of a
tripping device. The special features of novelty which constitute our invention
are more particularly described and set forth in the claims.
Our invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing my lifting jack placed between the ties inside
of the track with the foot under the base of the rail to be lifted, dotted lines
indicating the position to which the rail may be raised.
Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view of my lifting jack upon line 2-2 of Fig. 3.
Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view thereof upon line 3-3 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the releasing tappets between the tripping
lever and the friction roller.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of my lifting jack as seen from section line 5-5 of
Fig. 2.
Fig. 6 is an elevation of one of the friction rollers.
Like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference throughout the different
figures.
Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it will be seen that the moving parts are mounted
in a standard A, provided with base flange a on which the jack rests, between ties,
when in use.
The standard is made with a perpendicular opening fitted to guide a lifting bar B,
and is provided with two vertical slots on opposite sides, one slot being for the
foot of the lifting bar and extending to and through the base of the standard,
the other slot being for the admission of any suitable lever, or bar D, which may
be used to pry up the lifting bar, said slot, however, not extending to the base of
the standard. Below this slot the rear walls of the standard extend outward to
provide a support, or fulcrum C, for the lever.
The perpendicular opening in the standard is enlarged near the top for the
insertion of frictional gripping devices, hereinafter described, and passages which
may open inte the perpendicular opening, serve to carry releasing tappets adapted

page_text: to be actuated in a manner hereinafter described by a tripping lever pivoted to
the standard. The standard is also provided with a handle E, for carrying the
jack, which is preferably of a D shape, and the same is attached through the ends
thereof to the side walls on each side of the slot provided for the admission of the
hand lever; the bolt for attaching the handle may serve, when suitably supported,
as the actual fulcrum, as shown.
As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the lifting bar B is provided at one side with a
foot b, which extends a suitable distance beyond the standard to engage with the
flange of the rail to be lifted. Said foot is preferably of such proportions that
when engaged with the rail flange there will be a sufficient space between the upper
end of the standard and the head of the rail to allow the passage of the flanges of
the wheels of cars that may be passing on the track.
The opposite of the lifting bar is provided with a series of indentations, openings
or notches, 61, 62, 63, &c., adapted to receive the end of any suitable flat pointed bar,
or lever, D, that may be used to pry up the lifting bar. It is the express intention
to avoid such construction as would require a special form of lever to operate the
jack, as the ordinary equipment of trackmen's tools always embraces a number of
bars, or levers, suitable for this purpose. The length of lifting bar B is preferably
equal to the height of the standard A.
As shown in Fig. 2, the perpendicular opening through the standard is enlarged
at the upper end and formed with inclined side walls a', al so as to leave a wedge-
shaped opening between said side walls and the sides of the lifting bar, in which
opening are placed frictional gripping rollers F, which in their lower position
will act to prevent the lifting bar, when once raised, from descending. The
greater the weight on the lifting bar, the tighter will the rollers be wedged
between the inclined side walls and the sides of the lifting bar; when, however,
the lifting bar is moved upward there is practically no resisting friction upon the
rollers to such upward movement. Thé mere starting of the lifting bar to descend
always brings back the frictional engagement so that the downward movement
is checked just as it begins. Thus, whatever the distance it is required to raise
the rail, within the range of the jack, the lifting bar can be retained at precisely
the required elevation, utilizing as many movements of the lever employed as may
be necessary.
For the purpose of releasing the frictional gripping device and allowing the
lifting bar to be lowered, we provide releasing tappets G, G, carried in vertical
passages in the standard. The upper ends of said releasing tappets are normally
out of engagement with the friction rollers, but are enlarged suitably to engage
the friction rollers and drive them upwards when desired. The lower ends of said
releasing tappets rest on the tripping lever H, by means of which they are
actuated. Thus, when it is desired to lower the lifting bar B, the tripping
lever H is struck, raising the releasing tappets G, thereby causing them to strike
with considerable force against the friction rollers F, driving said rollers up to
instantaneously release the lifting bar B, the latter being thereby permitted to
descend instantly without impediment.
It should be noted that if the lifting bar has been at all raised the operation of
lowering it can always be accomplished without regard to its particular position,
and without regard to its position relative to the gripping device, in short, without
manipulation or adjustment of any parts except the tripping lever. With the
construction shown and described it is requisite to provide means to limit the
movements of the lifting bar, also to limit the upward movements of the frictional
gripping rollers, which may be accomplished preferably by a bolt i extending
through a slot provided in the lifting bar and through the walls of the standard A
above the rollers; but modifications of this limiting device may be made without
departing from the scope of my invention.
It will also be practicable to modify the form of the rollers, since any rounded
device which will, when left free, act by rolling to lock the lifting bar by exerting
frictional pressure against the lifting bar, and which may be lifted from such

page_text: frictional engagements by the releasing tappets, might be substituted for the rollers.
shown without departing from the scope of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven--
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we-
claim is:
1. The lifting bar, provided on one side with a foot, adapted to engage with the
weight to be lifted, and on the opposite side with notches adapted to receive the
end of a common lever, in combination with the standard, provided with a
fulcrum for a common lever, and a frictional rolling gripping device adapted to-
retain said lifting bar at any place to which the same may be raised, substantially
as described.
2. The slotted lifting bar, provided on one side with a foot adapted to engage.
weights to be lifted, and on the opposite side with notches adapted to receive the
end of a common lever, in combination with the standard, and parts secured to said
standard and entering the slotted lifting bar to limit the movement thereof,.
substantially as described.
3. In a lifting jack, the standard provided with a base flange, and with a
vertical opening extending through the top and through the base, and adapted to
guide the lifting bar, said standard being also provided with a vertical slot
extending through the top and through the side thereof for the foot of the lifting.
bar, substantially as described.
4. In a lifting jack, the standard provided with a base flange, and a vertical
opening extending through the base adapted to guide the lifting bar, and a
vertical slot through one side of the standard extending to the top thereof, for
the foot of said lifting bar, and on the opposite side at the lower end of another
vertical slot, a fulcrum adapted for use with a common lever, substantially as.
described.
5. In a lifting jack, the combination of the standard, having a vertical opening.
guiding a lifting bar, and provided with an enlargement of the vertical opening
having inclined side walls, with the lifting bar, frictional gripping rollers, and
releasing tappets normally out of engagement with said gripping rollers, substan-
tially as described.
6. In a lifting jack, the standard with a vertical opening guiding a lifting bar,
and interior passages guiding releasing tappets, in combination with frictional
gripping rolls between and acting upon the inclined side walls of the standard and
the lifting bar, said rolls being on diametrically opposite sides of said standard,.
substantially as described.
7. In a lifting jack, the standard with a vertical opening guiding a lifting bar,
and interior vertical passages guiding lifting tappets, in combination with the
lifting bar, the frictional gripping rollers acting between the surface of the lifting
bar and the side walls of the standard, the lifting tappets normally out of
engagement with the gripping rollers, and the tripping lever pivoted on the
standard to act on the lifting tappets, substantially as described.
8. The combination in a lifting jack, of a standard forming a guide for the lifting
bar, of said lifting bar adapted to be raised and lowered therein, said standard
being provided with an open slot through which a foot provided on the lifting bar
projects, and a bolt passing through the upper portion of the standard to prevent
said open slot from spreading, the lifting bar being provided with a slot through
which the said bolt passes, whereby the foot is adapted to be raised above the
standard while the movement thereof is limited by the length of the slot in the
lifting bar, substantially as described.
9. The combination with the standard forming the guide for the lifting bar, of
said lifting bar adapted to be raised and lowered therein, the top of the lifting bar
being, when in its lowest position, at substantially the same height as the top of
the standard, said lifting bar being provided with a foot projecting laterally
through a slot provided in the standard, whereby when the foot is under a rail to

page_text: be lifted the train may pass over the track above the jack, substantially as
described.
10. The combination with the standard provided with the base flange of the
lifting bar placed in said standard and guided thereby, a lever adapted to be
inserted in notches of the lifting bar to raise the same step by step, a pair of
friction rollers on opposite sides of said lifting bar, and an upwardly flaring bearing
surface for each of said rollers, and tripping mechanism for positively lifting said
rollers simultaneously, substantially as described.
11. The combination with the standard having a slot open at the top, of a bolt
passing through the upper portion of said standard to prevent the same spreading
apart at the slot, the lifting bar guided by said standard and provided with a slot
through which passes said bolt, means for raising and lowering the lifting bar and
automatically locking the same in any position to which it is moved, and the foot
provided on said lifting bar and projecting through said slot, substantially as
described.
12. The combination with the standard, of a vertical movable lifting bar placed
thereon, the bolt of the handle adapted to serve as a fulcrum, a lever adapted to
engage with notches on the lifting bar one after the other to raise the lifting bar
when operated on said fulcrum, a foot provided on the lifting bar projecting
laterally through a slot provided in the standard, said slot extending to the top of
the standard, a bolt inserted through the standard near the top to prevent the same
from spreading at the slot, said bolt also passing through a slot provided in the
lifting bar, said slot in the lifting bar limiting the vertical movement thereof,
and frictional gripping mechanism for locking the lifting bar in the position to
which it is moved by the lever, and a tripping lever for positively moving the
said frictional mechanism to unlock the lifting bar, substantially as described.
13. The combination with the vertical movable lifting bar and a guide for the
same provided with bevelled or angular bearing surfaces a¹ a, of friction
rollers F, F, on opposite sides of said lifting bar adapted to bear against said
surfaces a a¹, the tripping lever and the releasing tappets G, G, between said
tripping lever and said rollers, whereby the lifting bar is locked in position to
which it is adjusted, and released by operating the tripping lever to raise the
rollers, substantially as described.
14. In a lifting jack, the combination with the lifting bar, and lever mechanism
for raising the same, of the standard having a bolt passing through the same and
through the slot provided in the lifting bar, the friction rollers placed under said
bolt on opposite sides of the lifting bar and provided each with a groove, said
rollers being adapted to press against angular bearing surfaces a' a', and with lever
mechanism for positively and simultaneously raising the rollers to remove the
friction thereof from the lifting bar, substantially as described.
Dated this 26th day of January 1801
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.