Terminal elevating mechanism

Claim 1

A terminal lifting apparatus comprising a large-area support plate having a top surface which carries a terminal, and a bottom surface which is adapted to be disposed adjacent to a support table, a first cross bar and a second cross bar mounted parallel to each other adjacent to the lower surface of said plate, a threaded shaft coupled to said first and second cross bars for driving them toward and away from each other, said cross bars being transverse to said shaft, a first spool and a second spool, both rotatably supported on said support plate on one side of said shaft, said first spool being mounted close to said first cross bar and said second spool being mounted close to said second cross bar, a first leaf spring having one end wound around said first spool and the other end secured to said second cross bar, a second leaf spring having one end wound around said second spool and the other end secured to said first cross bar, a third spool and a fourth spool, both rotatably supported on said support plate on the other said of said shaft, said third spool being mounted close to said first cross bar, and said fourth spool being mounted close to said second cross bar, a third leaf spring having one end wound around said third spool and the other end secured to said second cross bar, a fourth leaf spring having one end wound around said fourth spool and the other end secured to said first cross bar, and a plurality of support legs pivotably secured to said support plate in front of said cross bars and resting on said cross bars so that, as the cross bars are driven toward and away from each other, the legs pivot and bear against a support table to raise and lower the terminal with respect to the user.