US3365159A

US3365159A - Jack block

Info

Publication number: US3365159A
Application number: US562181A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leonard O Corneliusen
Original assignee: PRAIRIE IND Inc
Current assignee: PRAIRIE IND Inc; PRAIRIE INDUSTRIES Inc
Priority date: 1966-07-01
Filing date: 1966-07-01
Publication date: 1968-01-23
Anticipated expiration: 1985-01-23

Description

Jan. 23, 1968 o, CORNELIUSYEN JACK BLOCK Filed July 1, 1966 IN V EN TOR.

ZEOA/AQD wa/wzw United States Patent 3,365,159 JACK BLOCK Leonard O. Corneiiusen, Prairie Industries, Inc., Terry, Mont. 59349 Filed July 1, 1966, Ser. No. 562,181 Claims. (Cl. 248-346) This invention relates to a block for supporting hydraulic and mechanical lifting jacks at different levels above the surface upon which the jacks are normally placed.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a unitary, eflicient, and easily used device of the kind indicated, the use of which eliminates the need for and the inefficient and sometimes dangerous use of one or more makeshift or other blocks, piled up on the ground, upon which jacks are commonly placed, so that the jacks may have the desired heights of vertical reach, for the jobs at hand, above their normal vertical reach when placed on the ground or other surface.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character indicated above, which is easily portable and transportable, and can be used to support objects elevated above their normal positions, as by means of jacks; and which can be used to hold a jack when not in use.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character indicated above, which has a wide flat base, having a ground-engaging surface of several times the areas of the bases of hydraulic or mechanical jacks, with which the device is adapted to be used, whereby sinking into the earth or into paved surfaces, such as asphalt, is eliminated, both when the jacks are used with the device, at ground level, and when the jacks are installed on the device at higher levels.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character indicated above, having a plurality of vertically spaced steps, and having a combnation carrying handle and jack support, which is adapted to be applied to the device at the dilferent levels of the steps on which a jack may be placed on the device, which serves to support the device in conjunction with the selected step; and which serves as a handle for carrying the device from place to place.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic perspective view of a device of the invention, showing a jack, in phantom lines, installed thereon;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical transverse section, taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1, showing, in full and in phantom lines, adjusted positions of the combination handle and jack support;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal section, taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view, on a reduced scale, showing a jack installed in the device, to provide a compact unit for carrying and storage.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the illustrated device comprises a substantially square fiat base plate 12, along opposite sides of which lies perpendicular parallel spaced side plates 14, which are spaced inwardly, at equal distances from said sides. The side plates 14 are preferably of vertically elongated rectangular shape, and are parallel spaced from the remaining sides of the base plate 12. The base plate 12 has a ground-engaging area several times that of the base 16 of a hydraulic lifting jack J, the base being of a dimension to fit between the side plates 14. Reinforcing triangular gusset plates are fixed to the side plates 14 and the base plate 12, outside of the side plates. The side plates 14 are shorter than the height of any jack I for which use of the device 10 is intended.

3,365,159 Patented Jan. 23, 1968 Jack-supporting steps 18, herein shown as being three in number, extend between and are fixed to the side plates 14, and are preferably positioned at equally spaced intervals, above the base plate 12, and above each other, with the top step 18 spaced downwardly from the upper edges 20 of the side plates 14. As shown in FIGURE 3, the steps 18 reach forwardly from the rear edges 22, of the side plates 14, and terminate in abbreviated forward edges 24, which are spaced rearwardly from the forward edges 26, of the side plates. The steps 18 are formed in their forward edges with similar and registered, relatively Wide and deep notches 28. The notches 28 preferably have rearwardly converging side edges 30, which, at their rear ends, merge into the ends of an arcuate concave rear edge 32. The notches 28 expose the central area of the base plate 12.

At locations between the forward edges of the several steps 18, and the forward edges of the side plates 14, the side plates are formed with horizontally aligned round holes 34, the tops of which are on the same level as the upper surfaces of the steps 18. A combination handle and jack support unit 36 has a horizontal support bar 38, longer than the distance across the side plates 14, which merges, at one end thereof, as indicated at 40, into a shorter lateral bar 42, which, at its outer end, merges, as indicated at 44, into the adjacent end of a handle bar 46, which parallels the support bar 38. The handle bar 46 is long enough to reach across the side plate 14, and merges, at the end thereof remote from the lateral bar 42, as indicated at 48, into a short stop terminal 50, which parallels the lateral bar 42, and extends toward the support bar 38. The support bar 38 is designed to be extended through holes 34, of the side plates 14, related to the various steps 18, and the stop terminal 50 engaged with the outer side of the related side plate 14, so that the unit 36 is positively held in place.

In use and operation, when it is desired to compactly combine the device 10 and a jack J, or to use the device, with the associated jack J, at ground level, the jack is simply installed with its base 16 resting upon the base plate 12, of the device, with the body of the jack rising through the notches 28 of the overlying steps 18 to a level about the upper ends of the side plates 14 of the device. As shown in FIGURE 4, the combined jack J and device 10, can be easily carried about by installing the support bar 38 of the unit 36 through upper holes 34, and swinging the unit 36 upwardly, so as to position the handle bar 46 for carrying the combined jack and device.

Where a jack J is to be supported on a step 18, above the base plate 12 of the device, the support bar 38, of the unit 36, is passed through the side plate holes 34, related to the selected step 18, as shown in FIGURE 2, whereupon the base 16 of the jack is rested upon the selected step and upon the support bar 38, the unit first having been allowed to fall to a position in which the handle bar 46 rests against the forward edges 26 of the side plates 14, and the stop terminal 50 is engaged with the outer surface of the related side plate. Because of the location and arrangement of the stop terminal 50 and the lateral bar 42, relative to the side plates 14 of the device, the unit 36 cannot shift, under severe service conditions, in a manner to permit of dislocation of the support bar 38 and toppling of the jack I out of position on the device.

What is claimed is:

1. A jack block comprising a base plate larger in area than the base of a jack, a pair of vertical side plates fixed to and upstanding on said base plate, the side plates being spaced from each other to accept the base of a jack therebetween, at least one step extending between and fixed to said side plates and spaced above the base plate, said step being formed with a notch opening to one edge thereof dimensioned to pass the body of a jack resting =3 upon the base plate, and support bar means supportably associated with and extending between the side plates, said support bar means being located on a level with a step and positioned across the notch thereof and spaced from said one edge of the step.

2. A jack block comprising a base plate larger in area than the base of a jack, a pair of vertical side plates fixed to and upstanding on the base plate, said side plates being spaced to receive the base of a jack therebetween, said side plates being shorter than the height of the body of a jack, said side plates having upper edges and first and second vertical edges, a plurality of steps extending between and fixed to the side plates, said steps being vertically spaced from the base plate and from each other and from the upper edges of the side plates, said steps having second edges spaced from the second vertical edges of the side plates, said plates being formed with horizontally aligned holes, said holes being severally related to the steps, and a removable support bar selectively engageable through aligned holes, the top of the support bar being on a level with the upper surface of a related step.

3. A jack block according to claim 2, wherein the second edges of the steps are formed with notches adapted to pass the body of a jack.

4. A jack block according to claim 2, wherein the second edges of the steps are formed with notches adapted to pass the body of a jack, said support bar being a component of a combination handle and support bar, said unit comprising said support bar, a lateral bar on one end of the support bar, a handle bar spaced parallel from the support bar, said handle bar being on the end of the lateral bar remote from the support bar, the support bar and the handle bar being longer than the distance across the side plates, said handle bar terminating in a lateral stop terminal, the said terminal and said lateral bar being located outwardly of the related side plates.

5. A jack block according to claim 2, wherein the second edges of the steps are formed with notches adapted to pass the body of a jack, said support bar being a component of a combination handle and support bar, said unit comprising said support bar, a lateral bar on one end of the support bar, a handle bar spaced parallel from the support bar, said handle bar being on the end of the lateral bar remote from the support bar, the support bar and the handle bar being longer than the distance across the side plates, said handle bar terminating in the lateral stop terminal, the said terminal and said lateral bar being located outwardly of the related side plates, said lateral bar being dimensioned so that said handle bar rests gravitationally against the second vertical edges of the side plates while the support bar is engaged through side plate holes related to a step and the stop terminal is engaged with the outer side of a related side plate, the

said unit being adapted to be swung upwardly to position the handle bar above the support bar for carrying the block.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,051,144 1/1913 Manny 254134X 1,064,538 6/1913 Quickel et a1 254134 X 1,513,334 10/1924 Maino 254-1 X 1,521,764 1/1925 Graver 248346 X JOHN PETO, Primary Examiner.

FRANK DOMOTOR, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A JACK BLOCK COMPRISING A BASE PLATE LARGER IN AREA THAN THE BASE OF A JACK, A PAIR OF VERTICAL SIDE PLATES FIXED TO AND UPSTANDING ON SAID BASE PLATE, THE SIDE PLATES BEING SPACED FROM EACH OTHER TO ACCEPT THE BASE OF A JACK THEREBETWEEN, AT LEAST ONE STEP EXTENDING BETWEEN AND FIXED TO SAID SIDE PLATES AND SPACED ABOVE THE BASE PLATE, SAID STEP BEING FORMED WITH A NOTCH OPENING TO ONE EDGE THERE OF DIMENSIONED TO PASS THE BODY OF A JACK RESTING UPON THE BASE PLATE, AND SUPPORT BAR MEANS SUPPORTABLY ASSOCIATED WITH AND EXTENDING BETWEEN THE SIDE PLATES, SAID SUPPORT BAR MEANS BEING LOCATED ON A LEVEL WITH A STEP AND POSITIONED ACROSS THE NOTCH THEREOF AND SPACED FROM SAID ONE EDGE OF THE STEP.