Lifting jack

Claim 2

For use with a vehicle, a lifting jack comprising a vertical rack bar, a housing slidably mounted thereon, a lifting member pivotally mounted on said housing fOr engaging said vehicle during raising and lowering thereof, a handle, a pivot for pivotally mounting said handle on said housing, a holding pawl pivotally mounted on said housing and operative to engage said rack bar to at times support the weight of said vehicle, a toothed wheel member in mesh with said rack bar and operative to rotate upwardly and downwardly thereon to raise and lower said vehicle, linkage means pivotally mounted on an end portion of said handle apart from said pivot and extending to the axis of said toothed wheel member, a driving pawl pivotally connected to said linkage means and operative to engage said toothed wheel member to cause said wheel member to rotate to move along said rack bar in response to manual movement of said handle, spring means operatively connected at the respective ends thereof to said driving and holding pawls, and selector means for tensioning said spring means to cause said spring means to urge said driving and holding pawls toward said rack bar and said wheel member, respectively.

Claim 3

For use with a vehicle, a lifting jack comprising a vertical rack bar, a housing slidable therealong, a lifting member pivotally mounted on said housing for engaging said vehicle during raising and lowering thereof, a handle pivotally mounted on said housing, a holding pawl pivotally mounted on said housing and operative to engage said rack bar to at times support the weight of said vehicle, a toothed wheel member in mesh with said rack bar and operative to rotate upwardly and downwardly thereon to raise and lower said vehicle, linkage means between an end portion of said handle adjacent the pivotal mounting thereof and the axis of said toothed wheel member, a driving pawl pivotally connected to said linkage means and operative to engage said toothed wheel member to cause said wheel member to rotate to move along said rack bar in response to manual movement of said handle, spring means operatively connected at the respective ends thereof to said driving and holding pawls, and selector means for tensioning said spring means to cause said spring means to urge said driving and holding pawls toward said rack bar and said wheel member, respectively, to raise said vehicle upon lowering said handle, and for untensioning said spring means to permit said spring means to urge said driving and holding pawls away from said rack bar and said wheel member, respectively, to lower said vehicle upon raising said handle.

Claim 4

For use with a vehicle, a lifting jack comprising a vertical rack bar, a housing slidable therealong, a lifting member pivotally mounted on said housing for engaging said vehicle during raising and lowering thereof, a handle pivotally mounted on said housing, a holding pawl pivotally mounted on said housing and operative to engage said rack bar to at times support the weight of said vehicle, a toothed wheel member in mesh with said rack bar and operative to rotate upwardly and downwardly thereon to raise and lower said vehicle, linkage means between an end portion of said handle adjacent the pivotal mounting thereof and the axis of said toothed wheel member, a driving pawl pivotally connected to said linkage means and operative to engage said toothed wheel member to cause said wheel member to rotate to move along said rack bar in response to manual movement of said handle, spring means operatively connected at the respective ends thereof to said driving and holding pawls, and selector means for tensioning said spring means to cause said spring means to urge said driving and holding pawls toward said rack bar and said wheel member, respectively, to raise said vehicle upon lowering said handle, and for untensioning said spring means to permit said spring means to urge said driving and holding pawls away from said rack bar and said wheel member, respectively, to lower said vehicle upon raising said handle.

Claim 5

For use with a vehicle, a lifting jack comprising a vertical rack bar, a housing slidable therealong, a lifting member pivotally mounted on said housing for engaging said vehicle during raising and lowering thereof, a handle pivotally mounted on said housing, a holding pawl pivotally mounted on said housing and operative to engage said rack bar to at times support the weight of said vehicle, a toothed wheel member in mesh with said rack bar and operative to rotate upwardly and downwardly thereon to raise and lower said vehicle, a first straight linkage member pivotally connected at one end thereof to an end portion of said handle, a second linkage member having an intermediate bend portion formed thereon pivotally connected between the other end of said first linkage member and the axis of said toothed wheel member, a driving pawl pivotally connected to said second linkage member and operative to engage said toothed wheel member to cause said wheel member to rotate to move along said rack bar in response to manual movement of said handle, a contoured spring member operatively connected at the respective ends thereof to said driving and holding pawls, and selector means for alternately tensioning and untensioning said spring member to cause said spring member to alternately urge said driving and holding pawls toward and away from said rack bar and said wheel member, respectively.

Claim 6

For use with a vehicle, a lifting jack comprising a vertical rack bar, a housing slidable therealong, a lifting member pivotally mounted on said housing for engaging said vehicle during raising and lowering thereof, a handle pivotally mounted on said housing, a holding pawl pivotally mounted on said housing and operative to engage said rack bar to at times support the weight of said vehicle, a toothed wheel member in mesh with said rack bar and operative to rotate upwardly and downwardly thereon to raise and lower said vehicle, a first straight linkage member pivotally connected at one end thereof to an end portion of said handle, a second linkage member having an intermediate bend portion formed thereon pivotally connected between the other end of said first linkage member and the axis of said toothed wheel member, a driving pawl pivotally connected to said second linkage member and operative to engage said toothed wheel member to cause said wheel member to rotate to move along said rack bar in response to manual movement of said handle, a contoured spring member operatively connected at the respective ends thereof to said driving and holding pawls, and selector means for alternately tensioning and untensioning said spring member to cause said spring member to alternately urge said driving and holding pawls toward and away from said rack bar and said wheel member, respectively.

Claim 7

For use with a vehicle, a lifting jack comprising a vertical rack bar, a housing slidable therealong, a lifting member pivotally mounted on said housing for Engaging said vehicle during raising and lowering thereof, a handle pivotally mounted on said housing, a holding pawl pivotally mounted on said housing and operative to engage said rack bar to at times support the weight of said vehicle, a toothed wheel member in mesh with said rack bar and operative to rotate upwardly and downwardly thereon to raise and lower said vehicle, first and second linkage members pivotally connected between a pivotable end portion of said handle and the axis of said toothed wheel member, a driving pawl pivotally connected to said second linkage member and operative to engage said toothed wheel member to cause said wheel member to rotate to move along said rack bar in response to manual movement of said handle, spring means operatively connected at the respective ends thereof to said driving and holding pawls, selector means for alternately tensioning and untensioning said spring means to cause said spring means to alternately urge said driving and holding pawls toward and away from said rack bar and said wheel member, respectively, and a fixed abutment member for at times directing said driving pawl into mesh with said wheel member.

Claim 8

For use with a vehicle, a lifting jack comprising a vertical rack bar, a housing slidable therealong, a lifting member pivotally mounted on said housing for Engaging said vehicle during raising and lowering thereof, a handle pivotally mounted on said housing, a holding pawl pivotally mounted on said housing and operative to engage said rack bar to at times support the weight of said vehicle, a toothed wheel member in mesh with said rack bar and operative to rotate upwardly and downwardly thereon to raise and lower said vehicle, first and second linkage members pivotally connected between a pivotable end portion of said handle and the axis of said toothed wheel member, a driving pawl pivotally connected to said second linkage member and operative to engage said toothed wheel member to cause said wheel member to rotate to move along said rack bar in response to manual movement of said handle, spring means operatively connected at the respective ends thereof to said driving and holding pawls, selector means for alternately tensioning and untensioning said spring means to cause said spring means to alternately urge said driving and holding pawls toward and away from said rack bar and said wheel member, respectively, and a fixed abutment member for at times directing said driving pawl into mesh with said wheel member.

Claim 9

A lifting jack comprising a base, a vertically disposed rack bar having teeth and intermittent notches formed therealong and mounted in said base, a housing slidable along said rack bar, a handle pivotally connected to said housing, a lifting member pivotally connected to said housing, a holding pawl pivotally connected to said housing and operable to engage said notches of said rack bar, a wheel having teeth and intermittent notches formed around the outer periphery thereof, said teeth meshing with said notches of said rack bar below said holding pawl, a first linkage member pivotally mounted on said handle apart from the pivotal connection of said handle on said housing, a second linkage member pivotally interconnecting said wheel and said first linkage member, a driving pawl pivotally connected to an intermediate point of said second linkage member and operable to engage said notches of said wheel, a contoured spring resiliently interconnecting said driving and holding pawls, a selector tab for alternate engagement and disengagement with an intermediate point of said contoured spring, and first and second fixed abutments for at times being contacted by said driving and holding pawls, respectively.

Claim 10

A lifting jack comprising a base, a vertically disposed rack bar having teeth and intermittent notches formed therealong and mounted in said base, a housing slidable along said rack bar, a handle pivotally connected to said housing, a lifting member pivotally connected to said housing, a holding pawl pivotally connected to said housing and operable to engage said notches of said rack bar, a wheel having teeth and intermittent notches formed around the outer periphery thereof, said teeth meshing with said notches of said rack bar below said holding pawl, a first linkage member pivotally mounted on said handle apart from the pivotal connection of said handle on said housing, a second linkage member pivotally interconnecting said wheel and said first linkage member, a driving pawl pivotally connected to an intermediate point of said second linkage member and operable to engage said notches of said wheel, a contoured spring resiliently interconnecting said driving and holding pawls, a selector tab for alternate engagement and disengagement with an intermediate point of said contoured spring, and first and second fixed abutments for at times being contacted by said driving and holding pawls, respectively.

Claim 11

The lifting jack described in claim 5, wherein said first linkage member is straight and said second linkage member includes a bend portion intermediate the ends thereof, with said driving pawl being pivotally mounted at said bend portion.

Claim 12

For use with a vehicle, a lifting jack comprising a base, a vertically disposed rack bar having teeth and intermittent notches formed therealong and mounted in said base, a housing slidable along said rack bar, a handle pivotally connected to said housing, a lifting member pivotally connected to said housing, a holding pawl pivotally connected to said housing and operable to engage said notches of said rack bar, a wheel having teeth and intermittent notches formed around the outer periphery thereof, said teeth on said wheel meshing with said notches of said rack bar below said holding pawl, a straight linkage member pivotally mounted on said handle apart from the pivotal connection of said handle on said housing, a bent linkage member pivotally interconnecting said wheel and said straight linkage member, a driving pawl pivotally connected to an intermediate portion of said bent linkage member and operable to engage said notches of said wheel, a contoured spring resiliently interconnecting said driving and holding pawls, a selector tab movable into engagement with an intermediate portion of said contoured spring for urging said holding pawl into engagement with the adjacent notch of said rack bar and for urging said driving pawl into engagement with the adjacent notch of said wheel, and movable out of engagement with said contoured spring, means freeing said spring to urgE said holding and driving pawls away from said teeth of said rack bar and wheel, respectively, and a fixed tab for urging said driving pawl into engagement with said adjacent tooth of said wheel while said selector tab is out of engagement with said spring upon downward movement of said handle, said downward movement of said handle simultaneously moving said spring to move said holding pawl back into engagement with said rack bar while said spring selector tab is out of engagement with said spring.

Claim 13

For use with a vehicle, a lifting jack comprising a base, a vertically disposed rack bar having teeth and intermittent notches formed therealong and mounted in said base, a housing slidable along said rack bar, a handle pivotally connected to said housing, a lifting member pivotally connected to said housing, a holding pawl pivotally connected to said housing and operable to engage said notches of said rack bar, a wheel having teeth and intermittent notches formed around the outer periphery thereof, said teeth on said wheel meshing with said notches of said rack bar below said holding pawl, a straight linkage member pivotally mounted on said handle apart from the pivotal connection of said handle on said housing, a bent linkage member pivotally interconnecting said wheel and said straight linkage member, a driving pawl pivotally connected to an intermediate portion of said bent linkage member and operable to engage said notches of said wheel, a contoured spring resiliently interconnecting said driving and holding pawls, a selector tab movable into engagement with an intermediate portion of said contoured spring for urging said holding pawl into engagement with the adjacent notch of said rack bar and for urging said driving pawl into engagement with the adjacent notch of said wheel, and movable out of engagement with said contoured spring, means freeing said spring to urgE said holding and driving pawls away from said teeth of said rack bar and wheel, respectively, and a fixed tab for urging said driving pawl into engagement with said adjacent tooth of said wheel while said selector tab is out of engagement with said spring upon downward movement of said handle, said downward movement of said handle simultaneously moving said spring to move said holding pawl back into engagement with said rack bar while said spring selector tab is out of engagement with said spring.