Lifting apparatus

Linton, Francis E.; Lewis, Richard;

Lifting apparatus in which a hydraulic cylinder-piston unit is adjustably mounted on a vehicle or other object to be lifted by replaceable pins to facilitate rapid changes in position of the unit to accommodate varying distances between the object and the surface above which it is to be supported.

This invention pertains to lifting apparatus, and particularly to such apparatus useful for the jacking up of a vehicle when leveling and/or supplemental support of it is desirable.

Several types of vehicles are now in service, such as cranes and hole boring machines, which require support by external jacking apparatus so that the vehicle is level, and/or supplemental support outboard of the wheels or tracks of it is provided to avoid tipping over.

The particular object of this invention is to provide lifting apparatus of the aforesaid type which is readily adjustable into a carrying position and into a plurality of operating positions. The latter feature is to permit a unit according to the invention to be operative for different circumstances wherein differing distances exist between the object to be lifted, e.g., a vehicle, and a surface above which it is placed, e.g., the surface of the ground or pavement over which the object is positioned.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing and the detailed description which follows. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 shows a general view of the illustrative embodiment attached to a vehicle,

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the illustrative embodiment,

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the illustrative embodiment in a raised position, and

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the illustrative embodiment in a lowered position.

With reference to the drawing, the lifting apparatus designated generally as 10 is shown with a vehicle 12 (in chain line) as the object to be lifted. A main component of the lifting apparatus is an extendable device 14 having a first or lower end 16 for engaging the ground or other surface, and a second or upper end 18 for connection to the vehicle. Device 14 is an elongated hollow structure in which a hydraulic cylinder of conventional type is positioned. The cylinder, designated 20, has its piston rod 22 terminating in a pad 24 mounted by pin 26 to adapt to non-level surfaces. The usual hydraulic line connections (not shown) will be used to actuate the piston up and down within the cylinder. The upper end of cylinder 20 is mounted by cross bars 28 to posts 30 which are welded to two sides of device 14.

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Extendable device 14 has a portion thereof extending to one side and constituted by rails 32 and 34. A plurality of aligned apertures 36 are provided in rails 32 and 34, the apertures 36 being spaced apart equal distances from one another.

A fixture made up of two side-by-side plates 38 and two bails 40 is fastened to the vehicle, as by welding plate 38 to the vehicle. The bails 40 encircle the device 14 so that the latter may be retained by the fixture but readily moved up and down in the fixture. The side plates 38 are provided with two sets of aligned apertures 42 through which pins 44 may be inserted. The apertures 42 are spaced apart the same distance as the spacing of apertures 36, wherefore pins 44 may be passed through the apertures 42 and also a set of apertures 36, thusly enabling the mounting of the extendable device in the fixture at various positions.

When not in use, as when the vehicle is en route to a job site, pins 44 may be placed in the lowermost pair of apertures 36, to raise the device 14 up and clear of the ground. Upon parking the vehicle at the job site, the device 14 may be lowered as required to permit the pad 24 to engage the ground somewhere in the range of extension of the piston rod 22, and pins 44 placed in the nearest set of apertures 36 that will coincide with apertures 42.

The invention thusly permits the use of a hydraulic cylinder-piston device, or other extendable device, of given range of extension, over a wider range of distances from the vehicle to the ground than otherwise could be realized from the extendable device. In this way the use of unusually long hydraulic cylinders is avoided, with long piston rods that would not afford adequate stability against lateral shifting forces.

The foregoing embodiment of the invention is described only for purposes of illustration, and the true scope of the invention is to be determined from the appended claims.