VEHICLE JACK STAND

Abstract

A jack stand for supporting a vehicle in a lifted position to allow work on the vehicle. The jack stand has a supporting base, an upstanding hollow socket and a post reciprocal within the socket. A pair of holes are provided in a horizontal plane on the post spaced from a pair of holes in one or more horizontal rows spaced vertically in the post. A pair of holes in a horizontal row are provided on the socket aligned with the holes in one horizontal row on the post so a locking member can be inserted therethrough.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The invention relates to jack stands; and, more particularly, to jack stands used under vehicles to support a vehicle in a lifted position to allow work on the vehicle.

2. General Background

Jack stands are used under vehicles at strategic locations to support the underside of the vehicle so a mechanic or the like can work on the vehicle. Conventional lifting jacks may be used to raise the vehicle, then lower it so it is supported on the jack stands.

Conventional jack stands have an apertured post movable up and down within the socket. Generally, a single locking pin is inserted through the apertures in the socket, then through one set of aligned apertures in the post. This retains the post in a fixed position in the socket. In U.S. Des. 513,819, there is a disclosed design of a jack stand that suggests two aligned holes on the post but no specific structure is claimed.

In any event, single locking pins do not provide the necessary stability to preexisting jack stands. There is a need for locking such posts within a socket in a jack stand distributing the weight on the saddle support tube evenly.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved jack stand having weight placed thereon evenly distributed thus adding extra strength and stability to the stand.

It is a further object of this invention to carry out the foregoing object by providing a plurality of horizontally aligned spaced holes in the jack stand socket aligned with spaced holes in the jack stand post.

These and other objects are preferably accomplished by providing a jack stand having a supporting base, an upstanding hollow socket and a post reciprocal within the socket. A pair of horizontally aligned holes are provided in a horizontal plane on the post spaced from a pair of holes in one or more horizontally aligned rows spaced vertically on the post. A pair of holes in a horizontal row are provided on the socket aligned with the holes in one horizontal row on the post so a locking member can be inserted therethrough.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a prior art conventional single locking pin jack stand;

FIG. 2 is a exploded view of one element alone of the prior art jack stand of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a jack stand in accordance with the teachings of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a exploded view of the jack stand of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a conventional jack stand 10 having a base 11 and an integral upstanding hollow socket 12. Base 11 may be compromised of a plurality, such as 4, of A-shaped sections 13, each section having a pair of slanted side legs 14 interconnected at bottom by a horizontal member 15. These sections 13 may be welded or otherwise secured together, having socket 12, which may be square in cross-section, extending upwardly at the apex of sections 13. A pair of aligned holes 16 (only hole 16 on one side of socket 12 visible in FIG. 1) extends through socket 12.

A support tube 17, configured similarly to the interior of socket 12, reciprocates up and down within socket 12. A support saddle 18 is provided at the upper and of tube 17 and may be concave, as shown, for supporting a component of a vehicle understructure thereof.

A plurality of aligned vertically spaced holes 19 extend through tube 17, which may be solid or hollow. As seen in FIG. 2, a locking pin 20 is shown having a generally cylindrical main body portion 21 with a throughbore or hole 22 at one end and a Flange 23 at the other end. An extension portion 24 of pin 20, coaxially aligned with body portion 21, is provided having a throughbore or hole 25 through which a pull wire 26 extends for pulling pin 20.

As seen in FIG. 1, pin 20 is inserted through aligned holes 16 in socket 12, then through one of the aligned holes (19) of post 17 (FIG. 2). Flange 23 abuts against the wall of socket 12 surrounding hole 16. A resilient locking clip 27, having a loop portion 30 (FIG. 1), with a first elongated integral portion 28 and a second integral portion 31 spaced from portion 28 is provided. Portion 28 is generally straight and extends through hole 22 (FIG. 2) in pin 20 with the resiliency of the integral raised portion 29 of clip 27 abutting against pin 20. Resilient V-shaped portion 31 surrounds pin 20 and abuts against portion 28 as shown. In this manner, clip 27 resiliently biases against pin 20 and pin 20 cannot be withdrawn from hole 19 until clip 27 is removed.

The foregoing has described a conventional jack stand. The actual configuration of the base 11, saddle 18, post 17, and socket 12 may vary as may the total number of holes 19.

As particularly contemplated in the invention, it is desired to distribute the weight placed on the jack stand evenly. This is not possible with the single pin arrangement of the prior art shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Thus, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, a jack stand 32 is shown in FIG. 3. Stand 32 may have a plurality of A-shaped sections 33, such as 3, also joined at their apices to form a hollow socket 34. Tube 35 is reciprocal in socket 34 and is configured simultaneously to socket 34, such as square-shaped in cross-section. Tube 35 terminates at top in a saddle 42 and, in accordance with the teachings of the invention, has a plurality of holes therethrough. Tube 35 may be solid or hollow and a pair of holes 36, 37 may be in a first horizontal row spaced vertically from a pair of holes 38, 39 in a second row, and so on as shown. Socket 34 has a pair of spaced holes 40, 41, (see also FIG. 4), in a generally horizontal row, adapted to coincide with a like set of holes in tube 35, eq, holes in one horizontal row, such as holes 38, 39.

A U-shaped member 43 is provided (FIG. 4) secured in place by a resilient clip 45, FIG. 3., identical to aforementioned clip 27, in end hole 46 (FIG. 4) of member 43. Member 43 thus has a pair of spaced legs 44, 47 with hole 46 in one leg thereof, such as leg 44 (FIG. 4). Clip 45 holds member 43 in position.

In this manner, jack stand 32 can be secured in a manner that distributes the weight placed on stand 32 horizontally along the tube and socket thus providing extra strength and stability. A wire 49 (FIG. 4), through hole 50 (FIG. 1) in the bail portion of member 43, can be used to pull the same out of holes 40, 41.

There thus has been disclosed a new arrangement for jack stands that distributes the weight evenly in a horizontal plane and provides extra strength and stability. Although a particular embodiment of the invention is disclosed, variations may occur to an artisan and the scope of the invention should only be limited by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A jack stand comprising:

a base;

an upstanding hollow socket mounted on said base;

a tube reciprocal within said socket terminating at top in a saddle, said socket having a plurality of spaced holes on a horizontal plane therein, said tube having a plurality of spaced holes therethrough, at least two of said holes in said tube being in a first horizontal plane spaced from two of said holes in a second horizontal plane, and two of said holes in said first horizontal plane being aligned with said holes in said socket when said tube is inserted therein; and

a locking member extending through said spaced holes in said socket and through said holes in said tube aligned with the holes in said socket.

2. The jack stand of claim 1 wherein a resilient clip extends through a hole in said locking member retaining the same in fixed position to said socket.

3. The jack stand of claim 1 wherein said locking member is U-shaped having a bail portion with integral spaced legs, said legs extending through said aligned holes.

4. The jack stand of claim 3 wherein one of said legs has a terminal end with a hole therethrough, and a resilient clip having a first leg extending through said hole retaining said member in fixed position to said socket, and said clip having a second leg resiliently biased against said one of said legs of said member.

5. The jack stand of claim 4 wherein said bail portion has a hole therethrough receiving a wire member therein