Patent ID: 7708244

Claim:
A vehicle stabilization device for use in auto extrication and other stabilization operations, comprising: a base plate for enabling emplacement of the device on an underlying support surface beneath the vehicle to be stabilized; first and second extender members, each having a base end and a distal end, said members being hingedly connected to each other at their distal ends; the said base ends of said members being rotably mounted to said base plate and the base ends being moveable toward each other from an initial spaced position; said reduction of spacing between the said base ends in conjunction with the hinged attachment of said distal ends increasingly inclining said extender members with respect to said base plate and thereby increasingly elevating the said distal ends above the base plate; a vehicle contact and support member being secured to the distal hinged ends, which member elevates with the elevation of said distal ends, whereby said contact and support member contacts the overlying portion of the vehicle; means to retain the drawn together base portions in the position where contact with the vehicle is achieved, to provide stabilizing support to the vehicle; a spring biasing means connected to provide a force enabling said movement of said base ends toward each other, and further including a locking means for preventing said movement in the absence of manual release of the locking mean by an operator; a one way movement means for allowing the released spring biased member ends to move toward each other until contact with the overlying vehicle is achieved, while preventing reversal of the movement, whereby the support of the vehicle automatically holds or adjusts to a more elevated position without further operator attention; and said base plate having a U-shaped cross-section, said one-way movement means comprising saw teeth extending along the bottom of longitudinally directed slots formed in the sides of said U-cross sectioned base plate, which teeth are engaged by a horizontal slide pin at the base end of the first of said extender members sliding into a notch between the saw teeth.