JACK STAND WITH INTERCHANGABLE SUPPORT TUBES

Abstract

A jack stand comprising a base, a stem, and a plurality of interchangeable support tubes. Each support tube of the plurality of interchangeable support tubes is receivable within the base. Once one of the support tubes of the plurality of support tubes is in place within the base, the stem is then receivable within the interchangeable support tube.

Claims

1. A jack stand comprising: a base; a stem; and a plurality of interchangeable support tubes, wherein each support tube of said plurality of interchangeable support tubes is receivable within said base and wherein said stem is receivable within each said interchangeable support tube of said plurality of support tubes.

2. The jack stand of claim 1, wherein the base comprises a substantially flat bottom, a collar having a tube receiving aperture, and a plurality of gussets connecting said collar and said flat bottom.

3. The jack stand of claim 1, wherein said stem comprises a stem body, a plurality of locking pin holes extending transversely through said stem body, and a ram head extending from one end of said stem body.

4. The jack stand of claim 3, further comprising: a locking pin receivable within one of said plurality of locking pin holes in said stem body to support said stem in a position relative to said support tube of said plurality of support tubes received within said base.

5. The jack stand of claim 4, wherein each support tube of said plurality of interchangeable support tubes comprises a tube body having an open end.

6. The jack stand of claim 5, wherein said tube body has a top edge that defines said open end and wherein said top edge includes two locking pin recesses diametrically opposed to one another.

7. The jack stand of claim 6, wherein said plurality of interchangeable support tubes comprise a first support tube having a height smaller in comparison to a height of a second support tube.

8. The jack stand of claim 7, wherein the first support tube has a height of between about 4 and about 10 inches and wherein said second support tube has a height of between about 14 and about 20 inches.

9. The jack stand of claim 8, wherein said stem has a height of between about 7 and about 14 inches.

10. The jack stand of claim 9, wherein the base comprises a substantially flat bottom, a collar having a tube receiving aperture, and a plurality of support arms connecting said collar and said flat bottom, wherein the first support tube is receivable within the tube receiving aperture of the base, wherein the stem is placed within the open end of the first support tube, and wherein the locking pin is received within one of said plurality of locking pin holes in said stem, and then the locking pin rests within the two locking pin recesses of the first support tube.

11. The jack stand of claim 9, wherein the second support tube is receivable within the tube receiving aperture of the base, wherein the stem is placed within the open end of the second support tube, and wherein the locking pin is received within one of said plurality of locking pin holes in said stem, and then the locking pin rests within the two locking pin recesses of the second support tube.

12. A jack stand for supporting a load, comprising: a base having a bottom with an axially extending collar having a receiving aperture; at least one support tube having an open end defined by a top edge and sized to be slidably received in said receiving aperture, wherein said top edge has a pair of diametrically opposed recesses; a stem having a plurality of pin holes extending transversely therethrough, said stem receivable in said at least one support tube; and a locking pin receivable in one of said plurality of pin holes such that said locking pin rests in said pair of diametrically opposed recesses.

13. The jack stand according to claim 12, wherein said at least one support tube comprises a first support tube and a second support tube which has a different height than said first support tube.

14. The jack stand according to claim 12, wherein said bottom has a base handle extending therefrom.

15. The jack stand according to claim 12, wherein said at least one support tube has a tube handle extending therefrom.

16. The jack stand according to claim 12, wherein said bottom has a base handle extending therefrom and wherein said at least one support tube has a tube handle extending therefrom such that said base and said at least one support tube are rotatable with respect to each other by grasping and moving at least one of said base handle and said tube handle.

17. A jack stand kit comprising: a base having a bottom with an axially extending collar having a receiving aperture; a first support tube having a first height and a second support tube having a second height different than said first height, each support tube sized to be slidably received in said receiving aperture, each said support tube having a top edge with a pair of diametrically opposed recesses; a stem having a plurality of pin holes extending transversely therethrough, said stem receivable in either of said support tubes; and a locking pin receivable in one of said plurality of pin holes such that said locking pin rests in said pair of diametrically opposed recesses, wherein said first and second tubes are interchangeable so that the jack stand can be configured for different ranges of heights depending upon where said locking pin is received in said pin holes.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] For a more complete understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention, reference is now made to the detailed description of the invention along with the accompanying figures in which:

[0011] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a jack stand with a small support tube according to the concepts of the present invention;

[0012] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the jack stand with a large support tube according to the concepts of the present invention;

[0013] FIG. 3 is an elevational view, in partial cross-section, of the jack stand utilizing the small support tube according to the concepts of the present invention; and

[0014] FIG. 4 is an elevational view, in partial cross-section, of the jack stand utilizing the large support tube according to the concepts of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a jack stand is designated generally by the numeral 10. FIGS. 3 and 4 show an alternative jack stand designated generally by the numeral 10′. Both jack stands 10 and 10′ generally include a base 12, a stem 14, at least one support tube 16a or 16b, and a locking pin 17. The jack stand 10 of the present invention is designed to be used with a plurality of support tubes having various heights. For example, jack stand 10 may use a support tube 16a, which is of a smaller height as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, whereas jack stand 10′ may use a support tube 16b of relatively larger height as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0016] For both embodiments, base 12 includes a substantially flat bottom 20 from which axially extends upward a collar 21 which forms a receiving aperture 22. A plurality of gussets 24 may interconnect an upwardly facing surface of bottom 20 with a radial outer surface of collar 21. Gussets 24 provide radial and axial support to the collar 30 as to distribute any load forces applied to the collar into the bottom 20. At least one handle 26 may extend upwardly from the bottom 20 to allow a mechanic to move jack stand 10, 10′ as needed.

[0017] Each support tube 16a, 16b includes a tube body 28 having an upwardly facing open end 30 opposite a bottom facing open end 32. Open end 30 is defined by a top edge 33 of body 28. At least one handle 34 may extend radially and be oriented substantially lengthwise from support tube 16a, 16b as shown; however, skilled artisans will appreciate that other handle orientations and configurations may be used as long as they do not interfere with receipt of tube 16a, 16b in aperture 22 or operation of jack stand 10, 10′. Each support tube 16 may include locking pin recesses 36 diametrically across one another formed in top edge 33 at open end 30. Although not shown, skilled artisans will appreciate that additional pairs of diametrically opposed recesses 36 may be included in top edge 33. As will be discussed, this feature facilitates quick re-orientation of stem 14 with respect to tube 16a, 16b.

[0018] Stem 14 includes a stem body 38 having a top end 40 opposite a bottom end 42. Body 38 may be a solid or tubular construction. Extending transversely through body 38 may be a plurality of locking pin holes 44. In the embodiment shown, pin holes 44 are all aligned in the same direction, but in other embodiments, pin holes 44 may be in different angular orientations with respect to each other. Moreover, the pin holes 44 may be spaced in equal predetermined increments. A ram head 46 may be located at top end 40. The ram head 46 directly contacts and supports a raised load. In some embodiments of the present invention, edges of ram head 46 may have one or a pair of opposed raised flanges 48. The raised flanges 48 may be used to assist the mechanic in visually centering the head with respect to the load and to prevent the load from slipping off the jack stand.

[0019] Locking pin 17 may have a pull ring 18 at one end and at least one spring detent 19 at an opposite end. Pull ring 18 and spring detent 19 assist with the removal and retention of pin 17 in locking pin holes 44. It will be appreciated that pin 17 is sized to be slidably received in pin hole 44. Moreover, in the present embodiment, pin 17 has a circular cross-section and its' radius is substantially the same as the radius of the recesses 36. Other cross-sectional shapes of the pin may be employed in conjunction with a corresponding size and shape change for recesses 36.

[0020] To use jack stand 10, flat bottom 20 of base 12 is placed against a flat surface such as a garage floor. Then, end 32 of one of the support tubes 16a, 16b is placed into the tube receiving aperture 22 of base 12. Skilled artisans will appreciate that there may be a frictional fit between the outer surface of the tube body 28 with respect to the inner surface of the collar 21. A looser fit may be provided if desired. In any event, the rotational position of tube 16a, 16b with respect to base 12 may be adjusted by grasping one or both corresponding handles 34 and 26 and rotating one component with respect to the other. Next, the bottom end 42 of stem 14 is placed into the open end 30 of the support tube 16a, 16b. The position of stem 14 can vary within the support tube 16a, 16b by inserting the locking pin 17 into the appropriate locking pin hole 44 and then letting the locking pin 18 be received and rest within the locking pin recesses 36 located at top edge 33 of the support tube 16a, 16b. When pin 17 is received in pin hole 44 and rests in recesses 36, stem 14 and ram head 46 are rotationally set with respect to support tube 16a, 16b. However, the rotational position of head 46 can still be adjusted by rotating tube 16a, 16b within collar 22.

[0021] In use, the load to be supported by jack stand 10 is lifted to a predetermined height by a lift jack or other means, wherein the jack stand is configured to be set at a slightly lower height by pre-positioning the jack stand to a desired location and at a desired height. At this time, the lift jack may be slowly lowered so that the load is engaged and then supported by jack stand 10, 10′. Prior to the lowering of the load, the rotational position of stem 14 and/or tube 16a, 16b may be adjusted so that the load is properly seated on ram head 46 and between flanges 48. The way in which base 12, support tube 16a, 16b, and stem 14 interact with one another allows for jack stand 10 to provide a rigid structure that can support its load in an immobile manner.

[0022] Dependent upon how high the load has been raised by a jack or other means, the mechanic will choose to place either support tube 16a or 16b within the tube receiving aperture 22 of base 12. In one or more embodiments, support tube 16a is smaller in height than support tube 16b. In one or more embodiments, support tube 16a has a height of between about 4 and about 10 inches, in other embodiments, between about 5.5 and about 8.5 inches, and in yet other embodiments, between about 6 and about 8 inches. In one or more embodiments, support tube 16b has a height of between about 14 and about 20 inches, in other embodiments, between about 15.5 and about 18.5 inches, and in yet other embodiments, between about 16 and about 18 inches. In one or more embodiments, stem 14 has a height of between about 7 and about 14 inches, in other embodiments, between about 8.5 and about 12.5 inches, and in yet other embodiments, between about 9 and about 12 inches. In one or more embodiments, tube receiving aperture 22 has a height of between about 1 and about 5 inches, in other embodiments, between about 2 and about 4 inches, and in yet other embodiments, between about 2.5 and 3.5 inches. The dimensional relationship between the heights of the support tubes 16a and 16b and their respective pin holes is noteworthy. The difference in height is the same as the distance between the top and bottom holes 44 in stem 38. This allows the height of support tube 16b to “take over” exactly where the height of support tube 16a leaves off (6 inches, in this case). In other words, pinning the bottom hole 44 in stem 38 in support tube 16a and pinning the top hole 44 in support tube 16b, by design, results in the same overall height of the jack stand. This makes incremental height adjustments consistent from the shortest height using support tube 16a to the greatest height using support tube 16b.

[0023] In light of the foregoing, it should be appreciated that the present invention significantly advances the art by providing a jack stand with interchangeable support tubes that is structurally and functionally improved over the art in a number of ways. The primary advantage of the present embodiment is that the jack stand provides for interchangeable support tubes 16a, 16b that can be easily replaced to accommodate holding loads at different heights. The invention is also advantageous in that the base 12, and the stem 14 and support tube 16a, 16b sub-assembly are rotatable with respect to each other so as to ensure proper position of the jack stand prior to a load being placed thereon. Still another advantage is that the tubes 16a, 16b provide for recesses 36 at a top edge thereof that are sized and shaped to receive the height adjustment pin 17 after it is inserted into an appropriate locking pin hole 44 of stem 14. This allows for a secure rotational position of ram head 46, but also a quick disassembly of stem 14 from tubes 16a, 16b, as locking pin 17 does not need to be retracted from engagement with tube 16a, 16b. In other words, stem 14 can be axially withdrawn from tube 16a, 16b without first having to radially withdraw pin 17 from tube 16a, 16b. However, seating of pin 17 in recesses 36 while a load is supported by jack stand 10 helps prevent inadvertent rotational movement of stem 14 in the event of minor shifting or repositioning of the load. Skilled artisans will also appreciate that the jack stand is not a “telescoping device”. Telescoping components do not provide the lateral stability that is critical for jack stands of a telescopic device. Each additional “link” added to increase the height makes the assembly more unstable, side-to-side and front-to-back. This “flexibility” in a jack stand is not a plus with this kind of tool. Instead, the present jack stand is advantageous in that it provides interchangeable supports that are very stable so as to hold any type of load in an immobile position.

[0024] While particular embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail herein, it should be appreciated that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby inasmuch as variations on the invention herein will be readily appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art. The scope of the invention shall be appreciated from the claims that follow.