Improvements in and relating to Lifting Jacks.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application. 22nd Nov., 1892-Accepted, 31st Dec., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Lifting Jacks.
A communication from abroad by GEORGE HORACE BRYANT, residing at Forest
Street, in the City of Newton, County of Middlesex and State of
Massachusetts, Commercial Agent, and VICTOR BEAUREGARD, residing at
No. 287, Blue Hill Avenue, in the City of Boston, County of Suffolk and
State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Machinist.
I, PETER JENSEN, of No. 77 Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a lifting jack embodying this invention.
Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the jack.
Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of the arc-shaped curved standard and its
base.
Figure 4 is a detached sectional view of the carriage partly in section.
Figure 5 is a detached view of the eccentrically journaled drop roller.
Figure 6 is a sectional view of a modification of the standard, binding roller, &c.
Like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur.
This invention relates to the construction of rack and pinion lifting jacks in
general, but has been especially devised as a "track jack" for use in raising and
adjusting railway tracks.
In the use of jacks for raising and adjusting railway tracks, it frequently happens
that the track has to be suddenly lowered for the passage of a train, when by
reason of lack of time, or on account of nervousness on the part of the laborers, the
jack is not removed, and as a consequence disastrous wrecks have followed from the
standards of the jack being struck and the jack drawn or thrown beneath the wheels
of the train.
The object of this invention is, therefore, the production of a small compact jack
of great power, quick drop action, and one in which the rack or standard will
drop 'with the carriage and present little or no obstruction to a passing train.
To this end I combine with an inclined or curved rack standard, a traveling
carriage having a power pinion and an eccentrically journaled or drop roller, which,
or its equivalent embodies the first feature of the invention.
I also combine with a carriage and power pinion, a pivoted curved or arc-shaped
rack standard, which, or its equivalent, embodies a second feature of this
invention.
There are other minor features of invention, all as will hereinafter more fully
appear.
I will now proceed to describe the invention more fully, so that others skilled in
the art to which it appertains may apply the same.
In the drawing 1, indicates a suitable base, and 2, a standard pivoted thereto, as
at 3. Said standard is preferably of arc-shape or curved form, having a rack, 4, on
its periphery or convex face to engage with a power pinion mounted on the
carriage, 7, which travels on the standard 2. The opposite or concave face of said
standard, 2, is made smooth or plain, as indicated at 5, to afford a friction surface
and coact with the binding roller and eccentrically journaled drop roller of the
carriage when a quick drop action of the jack is desired; and when, in addition
thereto it is also desired to at times control and retard the fall of the carriage, a
unken rack, 6, is formed in or attached to one longitudinal half of the concave face
of the standard, as shown in Figure 3.
'a

page_text: 7 indicates the jack carriage arranged to travel on the standard 2, and is
provided with a power pinion 8, adapted to engage the rack on the convex or
curved face of the standard, and with a bearing or binding roller, 9, arranged to
bind on the smooth portion 5, of the concave face of the standard. In addition to
the plain roller 9, which is all that is necessary when only a quick drop of the
carriage 7 is required (see Figure 6) I may secure to the shaft of said roller, a
pinion 10, adapted to engage the sunken rack 6 on the concave face of the
standard 2, as a means for controling the descent of carriage 7. The shafts of said
rollers and pinions are provided with ratchet wheels 8, 9, or equivalent means for
rotating said shafts and pinions by a wrench 11 or otherwise, as may be preferred.
Eccentrically journaled in the carriage 7 above the binding or bearing roller 9,
is a roller 12, adapted by its eccentricity to be moved to and from the concave face
of the standard 2, so as to force the standard 2 away from the bearing roller 9, and
thus permit the sudden drop or descent of the carriage 7. Owing to the function
of the roller 9, I term it the "binding roller" and for a similar reason I term the
roller 12 the "drop roller."
The construction being substantially of the character hereinbefore specified, the
devices will operate as follows.
The carriage 7, being placed beneath the track or other object to be raised and
the power pinion 8 rotated the carriage will travel up or outward on the rack being
bound and held from reverse movement by the binding roller 9, which bears on the
concave face of standard 2.
The pivoted rack will gradually rise or approach the vertical with the upward or
outward travel of the carriage until the carriage has reached the desired height or
the extreme outward limit of its travel on rack 4. The carriage may then be
gradually lowered by means of pinion 10 and the rack on the concave face of
standard 2, or it may be quickly dropped by throwing forward the eccentrically
journaled, or drop-roller, 12, so as to force the concave or inner curved face of the
standard 2 out of contact with the binding roller 9, and its rack out of gear with the
pinion 10.
For many purposes, and especially in track jacks, the pinion 10 and the rack in
the concave face of the pivoted standard 2 may be omitted, and though an arc-
shaped pivoted standard is the preferred form, as one calculated to give the
greatest movement with most compact form, yet a straight pivoted standard may
be used if preferred.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is --
1. In a lifting jack, the combination with a pivoted standard, of a carriage adapted
to travel thereon, and rotating means for propelling the carriage along the
standard, said means mounted on the carriage; substantially as and for the purposes
specified.
.
2. In a lifting jack, the combination with a pivoted rack standard, of a carriage
adapted to travel thereon, and a power pinion journaled on the carriage and
arranged to engage the rack of the pivoted standard, substantially as and for the
purposes specified.
3. In a lifting jack, the combination with a pivoted rack standard, of a carriage
adapted to travel thereon, said carriage provided with a power pinion, and a
binding roller which engages the pivoted standard; substantially as and for the
purposes specified.
4. In a lifting jack, the combination with a pivoted rack standard, of a carriage
adapted to travel thereon, a power pinion for moving the carriage along the
standard, and a drop roller for causing the fall of the carriage; substantially as
and for the purposes specified.
5. In a lifting jack, the combination with a pivoted standard having racks 4 and 6,
and plain surface, 5, of a carriage adapted to travel thereon and provided with

page_text: pinions 8 and 10, and binding roller 9; substantially as and for the purposes
specified.
6. In a lifting jack, the combination with a pivoted, curved or arc-shaped
standard, of a carriage adapted to travel thereon, and means for propelling
the carriage along the curved standard; substantially as and for the purposes
specified.
Dated this 22nd day of November A.D. 1892.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.