Camper lifting system and removable jacks therefor

Claim 2

For use in elevating and lowering a heavy body, said body being removably mounted upon a vehicle above the ground surface upon which such vehicle operates, and said body further having portions which extend horizontally at least to the edges of the sides of said vehicle; removable jack lifting means to elevate said body and supportingly to assume at least a portion of the weight of said body, and to enable said body to be lowered, said means comprising: A. A plurality of jack supporting plates disposed around the sides of said body, each of said plates being secured to one of the body sides and having a rigid vertical web protruding laterally from said body, each said web being provided with a pair of parallel notches spaced from each other by a predetermined distance, each said notch extending inwardly from the outer entrance opening at the outer edge of the web; B. A plurality of jacks, each of said jacks including inner and outer tubular members which are telescopable and extendable with respect to each other, power and valve means for effecting such extension and telescoping, the outer of said telescoping members being provided with a pair of laterally extending parallel bracket elements secured about said outer member, each of said elements having secured thereto in its lateral extension thereof, a transverse stud, each said stud being of such diameter as to fit slidably in one of the notches in said web, and the studs of each pair of bracket elements being disposed parallel to, and spaced from each other by said predetermined distance between each pair of notches in said web; Whereby each said jack may be removably attached to one of said jack supporting plates by pressing the studs into the notches in the web to where they are disposed therein; each jack is then operated by its power means to extend its inner telescoped member to said ground surface; whereupon, with further powered extension of the latter member, the side of the body to which the jack supporting plate is attached is elevated with respect to portion of the vehicle upon which such body side is supportedly mounted; and conversely, upon telescoping the inner member into the outer member to where it does not touch the ground surface, the jack may be removed from the supporting web.

Claim 3

The jack lifting means as described in claim 1, wherein the body which said means is designed to elevate is a rectangular camper.

Claim 4

The jack lifting means as described in claim 2, wherein each jack supporting plate is provided with a further vertical plate which is perpendicular to said jack supporting plate, whereby the latter may be more securely attached to the corner of a camper body.

Claim 5

The jack lifting means as described in claim 1, wherein the extremity of the inner telescoping member which extremity contacts the ground surface is provided with a pivotably secured foot, whereby said means may receive the fullest support from the ground surface despite any irregularities in the latter.

Claim 6

The jack lifting means as described in claim 1, wherein the power means for causing the extension and telescoping of the tubular members ia a manually actuable hydraulic pump, attached to the top of the outer tubular member, said pump being operable by a hand pumping lever.

Claim 7

The jack lifting means as described in claim 5, wherein said pump is provided with a valve, said valve having an elevating position and a slow release lowering position, thereby to permit the members to telescope slowly and controllably when the valve is set in its release position.

Claim 8

The jack lifting means as described in claim 1, wherein each bracket element is comprised of a rigid metal band looped about the outside tubular member and secured thereto to prevent sliding relative to such member, the ends of said metal band extending perpendicularly from said member and being secured in spaced parallel relationship to each other by very slightly greater distance than the width of the notched web and the transverse stud extends between said ends and is secured thereto.

Claim 9

The jack lifting means as described in claim 7, wherein the ends of the rigid metal band of each bracket are secured in spaced relationship to each other by additional stud means.

Claim 10

The jack lifting means as described in claim 7, wherein both of each jack supporting plate web and the ends of each metal band are provided with orifices which register when said ends are pushed into engagement with said web, whereby the brackets and webs may be secured against disengagement by passing through the registering orifices a screw type stud and fastening the same by means of a nut.

Claim 11

The jack lifting means as described in claim 1, wherein the innermost area of each notch includes a recessed portion at a level above the entrance opening, thereby to prevent the studlike elements of the jack from inadvertently slipping out of the notches.

Claim 12

For use in elevating and lowering a heavy body, said body being removably mounted upon a vehicle above the ground surface upon which such vehicle operates and said body further having portions which extend horizontally at least to the edges of the sides of said vehicle, a jack and support system, said system comprising: A. A plurality of plates secured at predetermined locations about the sides of said body, each of said plates having a plurality of vertical webs protruding laterally from said plate and said body, and said webs being spaced from each other, each said web being provided with a pair of parallel notches spaced vertically from each other by a predetermined distance, each said notch extending from an entrance opening at the outer edge of the web inwardly toward the plate; B. A plurality of telescoping vertical support elements, each of said elements being comprised of inner and outer tubular members which are telescopable and extendable with respect to each other by manual adjustment and when adjusted to any position, remain in such position until further manually adjusted, each of said elements being provided with a pair of laterally extending parallel bracket elements secured about said outer member, each of said bracket elements having secured thereto in its lateral extension thereof, a transverse stud, each said stud being of such diameter as to fit slidably in one of the notches in one of said webs, and the studs of each pair of bracket elements being disposed parallel to, and being spaced from each other by said predetermined distance between each pair of notches in said web; and C. At least one jack, said jack including inner and outer tubular members which are telescopable with respect to each other, power and valve means for effecting such extension and telescoping, and the outer of said telescoping members being provided with a pair of laterally extending parallel bracket elements similar to those bracket elements provided each vertical support element, and similarly secured to the outer tubular member of the said jack; Whereby said body may be elevated by first attaching the jack to the body by means of its bracket-held transverse stud members which are insertable in the notches in a web; extending the jack tubular members to a point slightly above the desired level of elevation; attaching an extended tubular support member to the body by its bracket-held transverse stud members being inserted in another web in the same plate as the web to which the jack is attached; and after attaching the tubular support member, lowering and removing the jack so that the telescoping tubular support member sustains the weIght theretofore sustained by the jack; and repeating the process at each other supporting plate location with an additional telescoping tubular support member.

Claim 13

For use in elevating and lowering a heavy body, said body being removably mounted upon a vehicle above the ground surface upon which such vehicle operates and said body further having portions which extend horizontally at least to the edges of the sides of said vehicle, a jack and support system, said system comprising: A. A plurality of plates secured at predetermined locations about the sides of said body, each of said plates having a plurality of vertical webs protruding laterally from said plate and said body, and said webs being spaced from each other, each said web being provided with a pair of parallel notches spaced vertically from each other by a predetermined distance, each said notch extending from an entrance opening at the outer edge of the web inwardly toward the plate; B. A plurality of telescoping vertical support elements, each of said elements being comprised of inner and outer tubular members which are telescopable and extendable with respect to each other by manual adjustment and when adjusted to any position, remain in such position until further manually adjusted, each of said elements being provided with a pair of laterally extending parallel bracket elements secured about said outer member, each of said bracket elements having secured thereto in its lateral extension thereof, a transverse stud, each said stud being of such diameter as to fit slidably in one of the notches in one of said webs, and the studs of each pair of bracket elements being disposed parallel to, and being spaced from each other by said predetermined distance between each pair of notches in said web; and C. At least one jack, said jack including inner and outer tubular members which are telescopable with respect to each other, power and valve means for effecting such extension and telescoping, and the outer of said telescoping members being provided with a pair of laterally extending parallel bracket elements similar to those bracket elements provided each vertical support element, and similarly secured to the outer tubular member of the said jack; Whereby said body may be elevated by first attaching the jack to the body by means of its bracket-held transverse stud members which are insertable in the notches in a web; extending the jack tubular members to a point slightly above the desired level of elevation; attaching an extended tubular support member to the body by its bracket-held transverse stud members being inserted in another web in the same plate as the web to which the jack is attached; and after attaching the tubular support member, lowering and removing the jack so that the telescoping tubular support member sustains the weIght theretofore sustained by the jack; and repeating the process at each other supporting plate location with an additional telescoping tubular support member.