Abstract: A jack assembly for altering the height of an object such a recreational vehicle. The jack includes an outer tube secured to the vehicle and an inner tube having a ground engaging portion and telescopingly received within the outer tube. An axial screw operably connected to a crank at the top of the jack extends through the tubes for altering the length of the jack. The screw threadably engages a screw nut mounted within the inner tube. In order to reduce the material volume of the screw nut, the nut is positionally captured within a retainer seated within the lower tube The retainer is configured to seat within the upper end of the lower tube and includes a slot for receiving the screw nut. The nut and the retainer include corresponding flats to prevent rotation of the nut within the retainer.

Abstract: An inner leg telescopically fits within an outer leg and includes a motor coaxially mounted to an end remote from the outer leg. A drive screw is coupled to the motor shaft and extends through a drive nut in an axially extending drive nut riser. As the motor rotates the drive screw, the inner leg extends and retracts from the outer leg. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the drive nut riser is a hollow cylindrical tube extending substantially the length of the outer tube to position the drive nut near the intersection between the inner and outer legs when fully extended. Such an arrangement allows a motor to be coaxially mounted within the inner leg and, therefore, concealed and provides the desired extension and retraction of the legs for adjustment to different operative positions.

Abstract: A vehicle leveling assembly is provided to assist in the support of the weight of a vehicle on a ground surface. The vehicle leveling assembly having a leg, a bracket, and a housing.

Abstract: A jack assembly for raising and lowering an object such as a trailer. The jack includes telescoping jack tubes which are expanded and contracted through operation of an axial screw. The screw is drivably connected to a gear drive mounted in an upper end of the jack. A crankshaft is supported within the upper end of the jack tube by a pair of end bushings and includes a hexagonal intermediate portion. A first pinion gear having a hexagonal throughbore is drivably mounted to the intermediate portion of the crankshaft. The first gear is in driving engagement with a screw gear connected to the axial screw. At least one of the end bushings is removable to facilitate disassembly of the gear drive. Rotation of the crank transmits rotation to the crankshaft and the first pinion gear in turn transmitting rotation to the screw gear and the axial screw for telescoping movement of the jack.

Abstract: A motor-driven trailer swivel jack is described that includes a detachable steering assembly. The steering assembly is fastened to the jack by both electrical and mechanical fasteners. The mechanical fastener allows the steering assembly to freely pivot in the vertical direction, which allows the user to maintain a grip on the steering as the jack moves over rough terrain. The mechanical fastener provides a rigid connection in the horizontal direction, which allows steering forces to be transferred to the jack without loss. The electrical connector is mounted between the motor and its power source. All the wiring necessary to connect the motor to the power source and the switch to control the motor is located in, or attached to, the removable steering assembly. When the steering assembly is removed, the de-energized motor effectively brakes the wheel of the jack, which complements the absence of a steering mechanism to make the jack difficult to accidentally move or tamper with.

Abstract: A vehicle leveling assembly for supporting the weight of a vehicle on a ground plane having a leg extendable to same. A housing is provided adjacent a bracket and the leg to support the weight of the vehicle. In addition, a gear in operable communication with the leg is configured to move along the edge of a side panel thereby moving the leg relative to the bracket between stowed and use positions.

Abstract: The swivel jack assembly is used with trailers to vertically position a trailer tongue for mounting onto a hitch of the towing vehicle. The swivel jack assembly includes a jack-mounting bracket welded to an outer housing of the jack, and a tongue-mounting bracket mounted onto the tongue portion of a trailer. The jack also includes a novel swivel mechanism for pivoting the mechanism in either an upright support position or a horizontal stowed position. A cup-shaped section of the jack-mounting bracket nests within a cup-shaped section of the tongue-mounting bracket. When in the upright position, the jack extends vertically and may be used to raise or lower the tongue and support the trailer. The swivel jack assembly keeps the trailer in a level position when the trailer is disengaged from the towing vehicle. The swivel jack assembly is pivotally mounted onto the trailer tongue such that they can be pivotally repositioned to a stowed position when not in use.

Abstract: Trailer jack attachment assemblies which do not extend below the lowermost frame member of the trailer body so as to avoid increasing obstruction from roads and rough terrain. Attachment is made to the trailer frame without destroying its structural integrity. Cross braces between laterally opposite attachments minimize localized twisting of individual frame members.

Abstract: A jack assembly includes two lower arms each having an upper end portion and a lower end portion pivotally attached to a base, two upper arms each having an upper end portion pivotally mounted to a support bracket and a lower end portion pivotally mounted to the upper end portion of one of the two respective lower arms, a drive shaft having two end portions each rotatably extending through the connection of the lower end portion of one of the two respective upper arms and the upper end portion of one of the two respective lower arms, and an drive device including a drive gear train driven by a motor so as to rotate the drive shaft electrically, and a drive nut driven by a tool such as a socket so as to rotate the drive shaft manually. In such a manner, the jack assembly can be operated manually or electrically.

Abstract: A motorized jack for reducing the amount of labor needed to lift up a vehicle. The motorized jack includes a housing with a motor provided in the housing. A threaded shaft is also provided in the housing. A top end of the threaded shaft is upwardly extended through a hole in the top of the housing. A ring gear is disposed around the threaded shaft. The ring gear has a toothed inner perimeter engaging the threaded shafts. An interconnected set of gears is provided in the housing to connect the ring gear to a rotating shaft of the motor. A lifting head is coupled to the top end of the threaded shaft.

Abstract: A jack of the type having inner and outer legs and a screw for extending and retracting the inner leg relative to the outer leg. The screw is mounted on a base fixed to the outer leg for rotating and limited endwise movement between the upper and lower positions relative to the base such that the screw and inner leg can move downwardly to the lower position when the inner leg is out of ground engagement and the inner leg moves the screw toward the upper position when the leg engages the ground. A rotary drive member is mounted for rotation relative to the base about the axis of the screw and a transmission mechanism responsive to rotation of the drive member drives the screw at a high speed ratio when the screw is in the lower position and at a low speed ratio when the screw is in the upper position.

Abstract: An improved trailer tongue jack including an outer tube and an inner tube which is slidable within the outer tube. The lower end of the inner tube carries a terrain engaging member, such as a caster wheel or sand shoe. A nut is mounted within the inner tube and is threaded on a screw and the upper end of the screw carries a bevel gear which meshes with a second bevel gear mounted on a handle. The bevel gears are supported within a polymeric cup mounted in the upper end of the outer tube and the cup also serves to rotatably support the handle as well as the upper end of the screw and further functions, along with a thrust washer, as a thrust bearing for the screw. The jack also includes an improved locking mechanism for locking the jack in either a vertical or horizontal position. A U-shaped swivel bracket is secured to the outer surface of the outer tube and the lower end portion of a locking member is mounted for movement within aligned openings in flanges of the swivel bracket.

Abstract: Landing gear for a vehicle comprising a tubular body for attachment to the vehicle, an adjustable-length leg slidable and finely adjustable in the body comprising an inner member slidable and coarsely adjustable in an outer member, two locking pins for locking the inner member in coarse adjusted position relative to the outer member, and a combination handle and spring biasing the pins to their locking position and movable to move them to retracted position.

Abstract: This invention relates to a power lift hitch device comprising a frame fixedly attached to the underside of a vehicle near the rear end thereof and further comprising an elongate member having an end rotatably attached to the frame and having an extension member for selective adjustment rearward of the vehicle, and further comprising a motor connected to gearing which is connected to a threaded elongate rod extending downwardly therefrom and threaded through the elongate member for raising and lowering one end of the elongate member to connect to a tongue member of a pullable device to be towed or moved. The motor can be remoteably energized to drive gearing which drives and rotates the threaded elongate rod either clockwise to raise or lift the end of the elongate member or counter clockwise to lower the end of the elongate member to the ground for conveniently and easily hitching to the tongue member of the pullable device.

Abstract: A vehicle body or chassis is raised and lowered on an associated suspension coil spring by a device including a screw, a motor and motor controller, and a gear drive. The device enables adjustment of body or chassis height by the vehicle operator while the vehicle is in motion. Locknuts determine a limited range of adjustment. A particularly advantageous application is adjustment of race cars for specific conditions pertaining to a particular race track or race event. In a preferred embodiment, major components of the device are readily removable from the vehicle, enabling the vehicle to be adjusted prior to a race, then modified to meet, illustratively, NASCAR rules operative during the race.

Abstract: A jack for lifting a camper from the bed of a pick-up truck includes a ram with a foot which is normally disposed in a retracted position spaced above the ground to provide clearance during travel of the truck. After the foot has been lowered into contact with the ground, a hand crank is turned and rotates a ball screw which coacts with a ball nut to cause the ram to lift the camper from the truck. By releasing a latch, the retracted foot may be lowered quickly into contact with the ground without turning the crank and simply by stepping on and pushing downwardly against the foot to effect turning of the ball screw.

Abstract: For supporting a motorcycle in place, a motorcycle stand comprising a substantially H-shaped tubular frame defining therein two cylindrical side chambers vertically disposed at two opposite side with a cylindrical cross chamber transversely disposed therebetween, which cross chamber has set therein a transmission gear set to drive two driving bevel gears to rotate, which two cylindrical side chambers have each an extendible support, which is comprised of a socket, a transmission tube, a T-shaped driving rod, a driven screw bolt, a tube-shaped movable coupling, a movable tube and a shoe, driven by said driving bevel gears to extend out of or received inside said two cylindrical side chambers so as to support said motorcycle in place or permit said motorcycle to be driven to move.

Abstract: An electric leveling and stabilizing jack for recreational vehicles having a vertical ground-engaging position and pivotable to a horizontal stowed position. The jack has a rigid double retraction arm which is connected on one end to a retraction sleeve and at the other end to a U-shaped housing for the motor and gear assembly. The jack has telescoping tubular members, the inner member being connected to the footpad and an expandable boot connecting the footpad to the retraction sleeve.

Abstract: A gear box trailer support having axially fixed gears in the gear box, including axially fixed larger and smaller input means on an input shaft, and axially fixed smaller and larger output gear elements of a gear cluster on the output cross shaft to the bevel gear drive for the elevating screw in the telescopic leg subassembly. The input gears are in constant engagement with their mating respective output gears. Shifting between high speed low torque output and low speed high torque output is achieved by axial movement of the input shaft within and relative to the hubs of the input gears. This input shaft has a male transverse drive pin which selectively engages cooperative transverse female sloped wall drive slots in the facing inner axial ends of the axially fixed input gears.

Abstract: A tongue mounted rack and pinion jack for a trailer wherein a pair of die-cast gear box segments are bolted together for supporting a handle driven worm gear and a pinion gear in self-contained bearing surfaces formed in the gear box segments. When the gear box segments are secured together a gear box, a rack receiving passage and a leg receiving passage are formed therein. A common wall formed in the molded gear box segments separates the gear box from the rack receiving passage and has a window formed therein through which teeth on a pinion gear extend into the rack receiving passage and engage teeth on a rack extending longitudinally through the rack receiving passage and secured to a leg extending through the leg receiving passage.

Abstract: An apparatus for adjustably supporting a portion of a wheeled vehicle, which apparatus may be retracted or disengaged from a supporting surface when the wheeled vehicle is put into use. A tubular outer housing is provided for attaching to the vehicle, with second and third tubular members slidably disposed therein. A locking mechanism is provided adjacent an aperture in a wall of the second tubular member for positioning a pin in selectively alignable apertures in a wall of the third tubular member, thereby preventing relative movement between the second and third tubular members. A tension spring engaging both second and third tubular members and located within the third tubular member is provided for biasing the third tubular member toward a retracted position with respect to the second tubular member. A cranking rod and threaded screw member are also disclosed for moving the second tubular member with respect to the tubular outer housing.

Abstract: A leveling jack mounted on the frame of a vehicle with a horizontal stowed position and a vertical actuated position, including, a pair of telescoping tubular members, telescoping between open and closed position, a ball screw actuator including a ball member and a screw member supported within the tubular members and with one of the tubular members attached to the ball member for producing telescope movement of the one tubular member relative to the other tubular member in accordance with longitudinal movement of the ball member, a drive spindle coupled to the screw member for providing rotational movement of the screw member to produce longitudinal movement of the ball member, a motor and associated gear train coupled to the drive spindle and with the gear train providing a substantial reduction of speed of rotation of the drive spindle, an outer housing for mounting on the frame of the vehicle and with the tubular members, ballscrew actuator, drive spindle and motor and gear train forming a pivotable porti

Abstract: An electrical lift for use with a fifth trailer a housing being supported to the trailer and having a vertically and telescopically downwardly extending support post, a horizontal shaft extending from the housing and connected by gear means within the housing so that the rotation of the horizontal shaft retracts or extends the support post, a gear on the horizontal shaft externally of the housing, a gear motor having a shaft extending from it with a gear and including a chain drive connecting the two gears together so that the gear motor rotates the horizontal shaft, a battery, and a reversible switch means connecting the battery to the gear motor so that the vertical support may be extended to raise the trailer forward portion or withdrawn to lower the trailer, thereby facilitating the coupling of the trailer fifth wheel portion to a towing vehicle.