Not Applicable
Not Applicable.
The present invention relates to a device for supporting and positioning automotive components during service on an automobile. More particularly, this invention relates to a mobile, dual cylinder post jack with a plurality of vehicle component jigs designed to be interchangeable therewith. The interchangeable jigs are designed to cooperate with specific parts of a vehicle, for example, a clutch or a flywheel.
Various jacks or devices for lifting and supporting items have been developed to assist in the automotive industry. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,875 to Craychee et al. discloses a lifting device designed to assist with the installation and removal of various vehicle parts. As can be seen, these types of prior art jacks are designed to be used with vehicles which are not lifted very far off the ground during service thereon and are designed to permit the part being worked on to be lowered very close to the ground surface so the part may be removed from beneath the lowered vehicle. By having a proximal end of a pivot or lift arm pivotally coupled with a frame adjacent the ground surface, the distal or free end of the lift arm cannot readily be raised to a height sufficient to permit the jack to be used on a vehicle which has been raised high enough to allow the person making the repairs to comfortably walk thereunder. Additionally, because these jacks of the prior art use only hydraulic cylinders to position the free end of the lever arm prior to coupling with the part being worked on, substantial effort and time is needed to move the free end of the arm from its lowermost position to a raised position ready for use.
A further drawback of the lifting devices of the prior art is the amount of floor space they take up. As can be seen in the device of Craychee et al., the jack has a base frame which takes up a considerable amount of floor space. The reason for the long base, apart from stability, is a function of the length of the lever arm. In order to properly support the part being lifted, the base must be at least as long as the lever arm so that the weight of the part being lifted is positioned over the base. Accordingly, the higher one wants the jack to lift the part, the longer the lever arm must be and, in turn, the longer the base must be. Further, because of the configuration of these type prior art jacks, it is difficult to provide a plurality of attachments for the jack to permit the same lifting apparatus to be used to assist in the repair of several different vehicle components.
Therefore, there is a need for a jack which permits use on vehicles which have been raised off the ground far enough to allow a user to comfortably walk under vehicles during service thereon. There is also a need for a jack which can quickly and easily be raised and lowered from a lowermost position to an upper use position. A need also exists for a jack which does not have a large footprint and is therefore more agile. A need is also present for a jack which can readily be converted for use in connection with a number of different vehicle service operations. The present invention overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art and fills these and other needs.
In order to overcome the above-stated problems and limitations, and to achieve the noted objects, there is provided a dual cylinder jack with interchangeable attachments.
In general, the jack broadly includes a jack assembly, a vehicle part jig and a device for coupling the jack assembly to the vehicle part jig. The jack assembly has a mobile base with a jack portion positioned generally centrally thereon and supported in an upright position. The jack portion has a first pneumatic stage having a cylinder and a piston, and a second hydraulic stage, also having a cylinder and piston. The first pneumatic stage provides for rapid up and down movement of a distal end of the jack assembly. The hydraulic stage, on the other hand, provides for more precise movement of the distal end of the jack assembly. Preferably, both stages are designed to provide approximately equal lifting forces. The jack assembly terminates in the distal end, which is the highest point of the jack assembly off the ground and is opposite the base. The distal end presents a post upon which the device for coupling the jig attachment to the jack assembly is received.
In a first embodiment, where the jack is being used to work on a clutch assembly, and in a second embodiment, where the jack is being used to work on a flywheel assembly, the device for coupling the vehicle part jig to the jack assembly is a jig carriage having a base plate with a bore therethrough. The bore receives the distal end of the jack assembly and is supported thereon. The jig carriage further has opposing upstanding side walls for supporting a pivot pin. Extending from the pivot pin is an arm having a distal end which is coupled with and supports the particular vehicle part jig that is being used. The arm is pivotal from a generally horizontal position to a generally vertical position during use.
When the jack is used to work on a clutch assembly, the vehicle part jig is a clutch jig having an elongate shaft with a proximal end coupled with the distal end of the arm of the jig carriage. A splined sleeve rotatably received on the shaft for sliding engagement with the clutch assembly and handles connected to the sleeve permit the user to rotate the sleeve about the shaft and thereby align the sleeve with the clutch assembly.
When the jack assembly is used to work on the flywheel of a vehicle, the vehicle part jig is a flywheel jig. The flywheel jig, like the clutch jig, includes a shaft, which is releaseably coupled at a proximal end with the distal end of the arm of the jig carriage, and a sleeve, which is rotatably received on the shaft. At an end of the sleeve opposite the arm of the jig carriage, a to plurality of mounting bars are coupled therewith and extend radially therefrom. The mounting bars facilitate the coupling of the flywheel jig to the flywheel.
Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention over the prior art will become apparent from the detailed description of the drawings which follows, when considered with the attached figures.