A SELF-LOCKING JACK FOR CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES
Year: 1885

page_text: We, MICHAEL JOHN ROWLEY, of 14 Blandford Square, Portman Square, and
CHARLES ALEXANDER WHEELER; of 22 Euston Street, Euston Square, both in the
County of Middlesex, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of our invention
for " A SELF-LOCKING JACK FOR CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES," to be as
follows:-
--
The object of our invention is the introduction of an improved construction of
carriage jack, and relates more particularly to the adaptation of the elevating lever
to its particular work, and also to making the Jack self-locking at the moment the
weight of the carriage is allowed to come upon the elevating lever:
In carrying out our invention, we make the central standard of a suitable section,
and mount it upon a base of the necessary size to maintain a proper degree of
stability. This standard is perforated transversely at equidistant points to receive
a pin which, passing at the same time through the elevating lever, serves to adapt
the range of the Jack to the particular vehicle to be operated upon, and also
provides a fulcrum for the lever to work upon.
The short end of the lever is forked at its extremity where it carries a small
wheel.
A metallic shoe is free to slide up and down the standard above the lever, and
has a groove formed in its under face for the wheel above mentioned to work in.
The toe, i.e., the particular part of the shoe which is to be applied to the vehicle,
may be extended therefroin at any convenient point for the purpose of our
invention, and may be finished in any well-known style for fairly holding the
weight it has to carry without damaging the same.
The action of our improved carriage Jack is as follows. The height of the
fulcrum is adjusted by means of the pin before described being placed in the proper
hole, & the short end of the lever is depressed until the toe of the shoe is under its
work. The long end of the lever is then depressed, the small wheel above
mentioned moving in the groove of the shoe as the latter is raised. But so soon as
the band is removed from the lever, the weight depresses the toe, and tends to pull
the shoe over, as well as to force it upwards by pressing the part of the longer half
of the lever next the fulcrum against it, thus locking the Jack automatically by
effecting a balance of two opposed strains.
The material of which our improved Jack is constructed is preferably iron,
although we do not confine ourselves to that material as others such as steel or
wood may be employed.

page_text: ་
We, MICHAEL JOHN ROWLEY and CHARLES ALEXANDER WHEELER, of N° 14,
Blandford Street, Portman Square, London, do hereby declare the nature of our
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
The object of our invention is the introduction of an improved construction of
carriage jack and relates more particularly to the adaptation of the lifting lever to
its particular function, and also to making the jack self-locking at the moment
the weight of the carriage or other object is allowed to bear upon it.
In carrying our invention into effect, we make the jack-standard of a suitable
height and section, and mount it upon a sufficient base. The standard has holes
formed in it at suitable distances. A pin enters one of these holes, thereby
affording a fulcrum for the lever to work upon.
The short end of the lever carries a small friction-roller at its outer extremity,
which works in a groove in the under side of a moveable shoe capable of sliding
freely up and down the standard above the fulcrum.
The hole in the shoe is longer than the width of the standard, and its toe is
extended to enable it to gain a sufficient hold of the vehicle or other object to be
jacked, and is covered with india-rubber or similar material to prevent it damaging
painted surfaces.
The groove on the under side of the shoe is made gradually deeper as it
approaches the standard, and is then deepened to receive the antifriction-roller
before mentioned, while the parts of the shoe forming the sides are hollowed to
receive the nose of the short end of the lever.
In order that our invention and the means by which the same can be carried
into practical effect may be thoroughly understood, we will proceed to describe the
same in detail referring in so doing to the accompanying drawings which are to be
taken as part of this specification and read therewith, and in which like parts are
marked throughout with the same reference letter.
Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section, shewing the jack at the moment the
haud of the operator is about to be taken off the lever.
Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively elevation and plan, on a larger scale, of a modified
form of shoe. Figs. 4 and 6 are plans of modified forms of base. Fig. 5 is a plan
of a modified form of base made to revolve.
A is the standard, and B, the base.
The height of the standard is decided by the extreme range of height to which
the shoe may require to be raised; and its sectional area, by the strain to which
it will be subjected when in use. The shape of the base is immaterial, provided
that its area is sufficient to afford the necessary stability. It may be attached to
the standard rigidly, or the latter may be made to turn in the base as shewn in
the figures 4 and 5. The advantage of this latter arrangement is that the lever
can be readily moved in a circular direction so as to bring the jack to bear upon
another part of the vehicle or other object without it being necessary to move the
base and readjust its position on, perhaps, uneven ground,

page_text: Dis the lever. The long arm, d, may be detachable, if desired, by means of a
Bocket (or any other equivalent fitting, d¹.
E is the adjustable fulcrum, furnished by a loose pin passing through the forked
ends, e, of the lever and one of a series of holes, e, in the standard. It is con-
veniently attached to the lever by means of a piece of chain, e². The forked
ends, e, are not straight, but curved upwards, and carry between them, and at
their extremity (but a little away from the centre line as shewn), an antifriction
roller, e³.
F is the sliding shoe. The hole which allows it to slide freely up and down the
standard, is long enough to permit of the toe, f, being depressed by the weight to
be jacked up, sufficiently to make the angles, f', f, bite against the respective
adjacent edges of the standard.
A groove, f³, wider at the bottom than at the top, is formed on the face of the
shoe, into which a piece of india-rubber or similar material, f4, is cemented. When
our improved jack is to be used for heavy weights, this groove and padding may
be dispensed with.
The pin, E, having been inserted in the proper hole, the jack is placed in
position, and the shoe raised with the weight on it. The lifting force and the
weight being opposed to each other, the shoe rises vertically without jamming.
But as soon as the lifting force is removed, the weight of the vehicle, or other
object, pulls pulls the shoe over, and makes the angles f¹, ƒ³, bite against the
respective sides of the standard, at the same time that it settles down upon the
nose of the lever, and the groove, ƒ³, upon the antifriction roller.
The act of raising the weight is much facilitated by the inclined part of the last
mentioned groove.
To lower the weight, the shoe is raised sufficiently to take off the “bite," and
the handle, d, gradually raised.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1. In a jack for lifting the bodies of vehicles, and other objects, for washing,
repairs, and the like; making the small end of the lever forked and fitting it with
an antifriction roller to engage with a sliding shoe, which also is capable of bearing
by means of a suitably shaped semi-circular cavity upon the nose of said lever,
the face of the shoe being furnished with padding if required; the whole
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying figures.
2. In combination with the lever fitted with the antifriction roller as above
described and claimed in claim 1, the sliding shoe having its hole longer than the
width of the standard, so as to be capable of "biting" thereat under unbalanced
pressure; and a groove on its under side, partly inclined and partly semicircular;
the whole substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 17th day of Octobre 7005