Hydraulic pit jack and related procedure for using

Abstract

The hydraulic pit jack (1), comprising: - at least one carriage (2) mounted, in use, at least partly within a pit (3) in the ground, said carriage (2) being movable, in use, along a first horizontal direction of movement (A); - at least one movable body (4) mounted on said carriage (2), said movable body (4) being coupled by sliding to said carriage (2) in a movable manner along a second horizontal direction of movement (B) substantially transverse to said first direction of movement (A); - at least one lifting member (5) mounted on said movable body (4) and adapted, in use, to lift a load placed on top of the pit (3); characterized by the fact that it comprises recirculating ball guiding means (6) positioned between said carriage (2) and said movable body (4) and adapted to promote the movement of said movable body (4), said guiding means (6) extending substantially parallel to said second direction of movement (B), so as to move said movable body (4) substantially along the same second direction of movement (B).

Description

[0001] HYDRAULIC PIT JACK AND RELATED PROCEDURE FOR USING

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a hydraulic jack and related use procedure for lifting loads. In particular, the hydraulic jack is a pit jack.

[0004] Background Art

[0005] Various types of hydraulic pit jacks are known in the background art. In particular, known hydraulic pit jacks can be divided into two broad categories: suspended jacks and wheeled jacks.

[0006] Suspended jacks feature a lifting member and a frame that can be installed and secured to the walls of the pit in such a way that the lifting member is partly positioned inside the pit itself. The lifting member is movable with respect to the frame by a user to lift a load positioned on top thereof.

[0007] However, wheeled jacks are generally more versatile.

[0008] In particular, wheeled jacks of known type employ a wheeled carriage on which the lifting member is mounted.

[0009] These jacks are also arranged inside the pit so that the wheels of the carriage rest directly on the ground or on specific guides or rails, thus allowing the carriage to be displaced along one or more directions. In addition, the lifting member of this category of jacks is movable with respect to the carriage along an additional axis of movement so that the user may position it correctly and precisely below the load to be lifted.

[0010] In particular, the carriage of known jacks comprises guides along which the respective wheels of the lifting member slide when the latter is moved by the user. However, the movement of the lifting member with respect to the carriage is manually controlled by the user, which is generally not very precise, and requires the user to perform this movement in small steps.

[0011] Finally, known systems comprise brakes that can be manually activated and deactivated by the user to block the positioning or allow movement of the carriage with respect to the pit and of the lifting member with respect to the carriage. In particular, in the background art, the user is required to deactivate the brakes to change the position of the hydraulic jack and then reactivate the brakes to lift the load safely.

[0012] However, it may happen that a user, once the brakes have been deactivated and the jack positioned in place, forgets to reactivate the brakes, causing the hydraulic jack to operate in dangerous and insufficiently controlled conditions.

[0013] Therefore, hydraulic pit jacks do have limitations in terms of practicality, versatility of use and safety and, therefore, are susceptible to some improvements. Description of the Invention

[0014] The main aim of the present invention is to devise a hydraulic jack and a procedure for using such a jack that allow the jack to be moved inside the pit with greater precision and safety.

[0015] An additional object of the present invention is to devise a hydraulic jack and a related procedure for using that allow the jack to be automatically returned to a safe configuration after it has been moved.

[0016] Yet another object of the present invention is to devise a hydraulic jack and a related procedure for using that allow the jack to be safely and quickly moved inside the pit along at least two directions which are perpendicular to each other. A further object of the present invention is to devise a hydraulic jack and a related procedure for using that can be used to lift loads and / or vehicles of different types and weights.

[0017] Another object of the present invention is to devise a hydraulic jack and a related procedure for using that allow the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art to be overcome within the framework of a simple, rational, easy and effective to use solution which is also affordable.

[0018] One or more of the aforementioned objects are achieved by the hydraulic jack having the characteristics of claim 1.

[0019] One or more of the aforementioned objects are achieved by the procedure for using a hydraulic jack according to claim 9.

[0020] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment, illustrated by way of an indicative, yet non-limiting example, in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0022] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hydraulic jack in a working condition in accordance with the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 is a partial perspective view of a detail of the hydraulic jack of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a detail of the hydraulic jack in accordance with the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 is a view from below of the hydraulic jack of Figure 1;

[0025] Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a detail of the hydraulic jack of Figure 1.

[0026] Embodiments of the Invention

[0027] With particular reference to these figures, reference numeral 1 globally denotes a hydraulic jack, particularly a hydraulic pit jack. The hydraulic jack 1 may be adapted to lift heavy vehicles and / or for servicing and maintaining the latter. The hydraulic jack 1 can be placed inside a pit, e.g. in a workshop or laboratory, to be used in maintenance operations on different types of vehicles.

[0028] The jack 1 comprises at least one carriage 2. The carriage 2 is adapted to be mounted, when in use, at least partly within a pit 3 in the ground. The carriage 2 is positioned on the floor of the pit 3 and can be configured to move along one or more directions of movement.

[0029] In particular, the carriage 2 is movable along a first direction of movement A. In detail, the first direction of movement A is horizontal. More specifically, the first direction of movement A is parallel to the floor of the pit 3.

[0030] In one embodiment, the hydraulic jack 1 may comprise at least two movement assemblies 12, 13 arranged on opposite sides of the carriage 2. In particular, the two movement assemblies 12, 13 are mounted and / or connected laterally to the carriage 2.

[0031] The two movement assemblies 12, 13 are arranged laterally to the carriage and spaced apart from each other, e.g. parallel to a second direction of movement B defined afterwards. The two movement assemblies 12, 13 are arranged, in use, resting on the ground and / or on respective guiding portions constrained to the ground to move the carriage 2 along the first direction of movement A. Each of the movement assemblies 12, 13 can be coupled to a respective rail constrained to the ground and extending along the first direction of movement A.

[0032] According to one aspect, each movement assembly 12, 13 comprises at least one respective wheel configured to be coupled to a tail or to contact the ground. The carriage 2 is configured to be moved along the first direction of movement A by means of these wheels.

[0033] More specifically, each movement assembly 12, 13 comprises a respective casing connected to the respective wheels to prevent accidental access or contact by the user with such wheels.

[0034] In one embodiment, the hydraulic jack 1 comprises at least one blocking element 14 operationally connected to the movement assemblies 12, 13 to block the operation of such movement assemblies 12, 13 and, therefore, prevent the respective wheels from rotating and the carriage 2 from moving along the first direction of movement A. In detail, the jack 1 comprises a pair of blocking elements 14, wherein each blocking element 14 is associated with a respective movement assembly 12, 13.

[0035] In addition, each blocking element 14 comprises a respective command lever for manually activating and / or deactivating the respective blocking element 14 and blocking the respective wheels. Each command lever can be grasped by the user to manually activate and deactivate the respective blocking element. Advantageously, the positioning of the command lever varies depending on the activation / deactivation status of the respective blocking element 14, allowing the user to easily and quickly visually perceive the activation status of each blocking element, thus increasing the safety of use of the hydraulic jack.

[0036] The hydraulic jack 1 comprises at least one movable body 4 mounted on the carriage 2. The movable body 4 and the carriage 2 are coupled together in such a way that the movable body 4 is movable by sliding with respect to the carriage 2. In particular, the movable body 4 is movable along a second direction of movement B. The second direction of movement B may be horizontal and substantially transverse to the first direction of movement A. In detail, the second direction of movement B is parallel to the floor of the pit 3. In other words, the first direction of movement A and the second direction of movement B lie on a plane parallel to the floor of the pit 3 and are perpendicular to each other.

[0037] In addition, the hydraulic jack 1 comprises at least one lifting member 5 connected to the movable body 4. The lifting member 5 is particularly mounted on the movable body 4. In detail, the lifting member 5 is adapted to lift a load positioned above the pit 3. The lifting member 5 may be of the hydraulic jack type. In other words, the lifting member 5 is hydraulically operable.

[0038] According to one aspect, the lifting member 5 is provided with at least one rod which defines a fluid supply chamber and at least one sleeve that slides around the rod along a direction of work. The direction of work is vertical and, preferably, perpendicular to the ground.

[0039] The lifting member 5 also comprises a fluid pumping assembly configured to send the fluid into the supply chamber and to move the sleeve along the direction of work. In particular, the fluid can be air or oil. The rod and the sleeve of the lifting member 5 are substantially cylindrical in shape and are coupled to each other to form a piston mounted on the movable body 4 and substantially vertical and operable along the direction of work for lifting / lowering the load.

[0040] In one embodiment, the lifting member 5 is configured to lift, relative to the pit, loads with a maximum weight of between 1 ton and 100 tons, preferably between 10 tons and 50 tons, and even more preferably between 15 and 30 tons.

[0041] According to one aspect, the lifting member 5, in use, may have a maximum extension along the direction of work of between 500 millimeters and 900 millimeters, preferably between 600 and 800 millimeters.

[0042] The hydraulic jack comprises guiding means 6 positioned between the carriage 2 and the movable body 4. The guiding means 6 are of the recirculating ball type. In particular, the guiding means 6 are adapted to promote the movement of the movable body 4.

[0043] In fact, this type of guiding means drastically reduces the impact of the vertical load operating on the movable body 4, allowing loads that are difficult to move using jacks of known type to be moved easily and comfortably.

[0044] In addition, these guiding means significantly increase the stability of the movable body 4 compared to the jacks of known type, thereby reducing the risk of overturning.

[0045] In fact, these guiding means make the load capacity substantially unchanged regardless of the axis on which the vertical load is applied.

[0046] In detail, the carriage 2 and the movable body 4 are connected to each other through the guiding means 6.

[0047] Specifically, the guiding means 6 extend substantially parallel to the second direction of movement B so as to allow and promote the movement of the movable body 4 substantially along the same second direction of movement B. Advantageously, the recirculating ball guiding means 6 allow the movable body 4 to be moved quickly and precisely along the second direction of movement B, while also requiring reduced maintenance.

[0048] Appropriately, the guiding means 6 comprise at least one guiding assembly 6a, 6b provided with at least one longitudinal guiding member and at least one guided member, coupled to move longitudinally along the guiding member.

[0049] In particular, the guided member comprises a guided body coupled to move longitudinally along the guiding member and one or more spherical members moving in rotation inside the guided body.

[0050] More specifically, the spherical member protrudes at least partly from the guided body and is arranged between the latter and the guiding member.

[0051] In this way, during the movement of the guided member, the spherical member rotates in contact with the guiding member, thus promoting the sliding of the same guided member longitudinally along the guiding member.

[0052] Furthermore, it cannot be ruled out that the guided body may define a guiding channel inside it defining a predefined path along which one or more spherical members are movable during the movement of the guided element along the guiding element.

[0053] In other words, the spherical member is free to rotate substantially on itself and is free to travel along the predefined path.

[0054] According to one aspect, the guiding means 6 comprise at least two recirculating ball guiding assemblies 6a, 6b arranged at opposite sides 4a, 4b of the movable body 4. In particular, the two guiding assemblies 6a, 6b are arranged spaced apart from each other parallel to the first direction of movement A.

[0055] In one embodiment, the hydraulic jack 1 comprises fastening means 7 for fastening the position of the movable body 4 substantially along the second direction of movement B. In other words, the fastening means 7 are configured to block the mutual positioning between the movable body 4 and the carriage 2. The fastening means 7 are configured to prevent the movable body 4 from moving along the second direction of movement B.

[0056] The fastening means 7 comprise at least a first coupling member 7a and at least a second coupling member 7b connected to the carriage 2 and to the movable body 4, respectively, and / or coupled to each other.

[0057] The first coupling member 7a and the second coupling member 7b are movable between at least one fixed configuration and at least one free configuration.

[0058] In the fixed configuration, the first coupling member and the second coupling member are coupled to each other and fix the mutual positioning between the movable body 4 and the carriage 2. In detail, in the fixed configuration, the movement members 7a, 7b fix the position of the movable body 4 substantially along the second direction of movement B.

[0059] In the free configuration, the first coupling member 7a and the second coupling member 7b are decoupled from each other and allow the mutual movement between the movable body 4 and the carriage 2. In particular, in the free configuration, the movement members 7a, 7b allow the free movement of the movable body 4 substantially along the second direction of movement B.

[0060] The fastening means 7 may comprise an actuating assembly 8 operable and / or activatable by a user to move the coupling members 7a, 7b in the free configuration. In other words, the actuating assembly 8 can be used by a user to move the coupling members 7a, 7b towards the free configuration so that the movable body 4 is freely movable with respect to the carriage 2. In other words, the hydraulic jack 1 can be configured to require the user to operate the actuating assembly 8 before moving the carriage 2 and / or the movable body 4.

[0061] Advantageously, the fact of requiring the user to necessarily interact with the actuating assembly 8 in order to move the movable body 4 allows increasing the safety of the hydraulic jack 1 and preventing unintentional and potentially dangerous displacement of the movable body 4 with respect to the carriage 2.

[0062] According to one aspect, the fastening means 7 also comprise at least one spring assembly. The spring assembly is adapted to keep the coupling members 7a, 7b in the fixed configuration. In other words, the spring assembly is configured to elastically oppose the movement of the coupling members 7a, 7b in the free configuration.

[0063] The spring assembly is adapted to move the first and second coupling members 7a, 7b automatically and elastically in the fixed configuration when the user stops actuating the actuating assembly 8. In other words, the elastic assembly is configured to return the first coupling member 7a and the second coupling member 7b to the fixed configuration as a result of their movement in the free configuration by the actuating assembly 8.

[0064] The spring assembly may be operationally connected to the actuating assembly 8 and / or directly to the coupling members 7a, 7b to return the latter to the fixed configuration automatically. The spring assembly may comprise an electronic controller configured to operate on the actuating assembly 8 and / or on the first and second coupling members 7a, 7b.

[0065] Advantageously, the spring assembly is configured to keep (in the absence of actuation of the actuating means 8) the first and second coupling members 7a, 7b in the fixed configuration, thus preventing the two coupling members from remaining unintentionally in the free configuration and the movable body 4 from moving with respect to the carriage 2 without being requested and controlled by the user.

[0066] In one embodiment, the first coupling member 7a comprises at least one elongated element 9 extending substantially parallel to the second direction of movement B. The elongated element 9 extends along the same second direction of movement B. The elongated element 9 may be tubular in shape.

[0067] The elongated element 9 may extend between the two movement assemblies 12, 13. In particular, the elongated element 9 is positioned between the two movement assemblies and allows the movable body 4 to move closer to / away from each of these movement assemblies.

[0068] In particular, the second coupling member 7b comprises at least one coupling element 10. The coupling element 10 is configured to be coupled to the elongated element 9 along the extension of the latter at least in the fixed configuration of the two coupling members 7a, 7b. In detail, the coupling element 10 is configured to be fixed to the elongated element 9 when the first coupling member and the second coupling member are in the fixed configuration. The mutual movement between the coupling element 10 and the elongated element 9 is blocked when the coupling members are in the fixed configuration. In detail, the elastic assembly is adapted to keep the coupling element 10 and the elongated element 9 fixed to each other when the actuating assembly 8 is not activated by the user. According to one aspect, the second coupling member 7b is coupled by sliding to the first coupling member 7a in a movable maimer, with such movement being possible when the two coupling members are in the free configuration. The second coupling member 7b can be coupled in the fixed configuration to any point of the first coupling member 7a along the extension of the latter. In detail, the second coupling member 7b is configured to be fixed at any point of the first coupling member 7a along the extension of the latter when the two coupling members are in the fixed configuration. In other words, the second coupling member 7b is configured to block at any point of its movement along the first coupling member 7a.

[0069] The coupling element 10 can be configured to slide along the elongated element 9. In particular, the coupling element 10 can be cylindrical in shape and tubular to accommodate the elongated element 9. In other words, the coupling element 10 wraps around the elongated element 9, which serves as a guide, and slides along it when the coupling members 7a, 7b are in the free configuration.

[0070] The coupling element 10 may also have respective blocking means activated to block the mutual position between the coupling element and the elongated element when the coupling members are in the fixed configuration.

[0071] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the movable body 4 comprises at least one gripping portion 11 usable by the user to move the movable body 4 and / or the carriage 2.

[0072] For example, in use, a user grasps the gripping portion 11 to move the carriage 2 along the first direction of movement A and / or the movable body 4 along the second direction of movement B.

[0073] Preferably, the grip 11 surrounds, at least partly, the lifting member 5.

[0074] According to one aspect, the actuating assembly 8 is mounted on the movable body 4 in the proximity of the gripping portion 11, in particular, to promote the movement of said movable body 4 and / or its activation by the user.

[0075] Conveniently, the actuating assembly 8 is mounted on the gripping portion 11. Advantageously, the actuating assembly 8 is easily operable by the user while holding the gripping portion 11. The positioning of the actuating assembly 8 where the gripping portion 11 is located allows increasing the ergonomics of the hydraulic jack 1 by promoting the displacement and positioning thereof inside the pit 3.

[0076] According to one aspect, the actuating assembly 8 can be defined at least partly by a control handle connected to the gripping portion 11. The user interacts with this handle of the actuating assembly 8 to bring the coupling members 7a, 7b to the free configuration. For example, the actuating assembly may be configured to bring the coupling members to the free configuration whenever the user grasps the handle by pressing it towards the gripping portion 11 of the movable body. In other words, the coupling members are configured to remain in the fixed configuration as long as the control handle of the actuating assembly is not pressed by the user.

[0077] According to a further aspect, the present invention relates to a procedure for using the hydraulic jack 1 in accordance with any of the embodiments described herein.

[0078] In particular, the procedure comprises the step of providing at least one hydraulic jack 1 according to any of the embodiments described herein.

[0079] The step of providing at least one hydraulic jack 1 may comprise the sub-step of placing the hydraulic jack 1 inside a pit 3. The step of placing the hydraulic jack in the pit 3 may comprise placing the movement assemblies 12, 13, in particular their respective wheels, at the point where guides and / or rails constrained to the floor of the pit are located.

[0080] The procedure also comprises the step of: moving the carriage 2 along the first direction of movement A, and / or moving the movable body 4 along the second direction of movement B.

[0081] In particular, the phase of moving the carriage 2 and / or the phase of moving the movable body 4 are carried out manually by a user.

[0082] The phase of manually moving the movable body 4 may comprise at least the sub-steps of: holding the gripping portion 11, and operating the actuating assembly 8.

[0083] In detail, the step of actuating the actuating assembly 8 is carried out at the same time as the step of holding the gripping portion 11. In particular, the step of actuating the actuating assembly 8 comprises the sub-steps of moving the first coupling member 7a and the second coupling member 7b to the free configuration. The step of operating the actuating assembly may comprise the sub-step of grasping the handle and pressing it towards the gripping portion 11. According to one aspect, the step of moving the carriage 2 along the first direction of movement A comprises the sub-step of deactivating the respective blocking elements 14 of the movement assemblies 12, 13, preferably by means of the respective levers.

[0084] The procedure comprises the phase of activating the respective blocking elements 14 of the movement assemblies 12, 13, preferably by means of the respective levers. The step of activating the blocking elements 14 is carried out after the step of moving the carriage 2 whenever the latter step is carried out. In other words, the user can carry out the following actions in succession: deactivating the blocking elements, moving the carriage 2 along the first direction of movement A, reactivating the blocking elements.

[0085] In one embodiment, the procedure comprises the step of lifting the load with respect to the pit 3. The step of lifting the load comprises: activating the pumping assembly of the lifting member 5, moving the rod and / or sleeve of the lifting member 5 along the direction of work.

[0086] Preferably, according to the invention, the steps or phases comprised in the procedure for using are one or more of the operations carried out by one or more components of the hydraulic jack 1 and are generally anticipated in this description by the term “configured to” or equivalent terms. These phases or steps are preferably, but not necessarily, carried out by the same components in question and / or by the hydraulic jack 1 and / or by a user of said hydraulic jack 1 for the execution of the procedure itself. It has, in practice, been ascertained that the described invention achieves the intended objects.

Claims

CLAIMS1) Hydraulic pit jack (1), comprising: at least one carriage (2) mounted, in use, at least partly within a pit (3) in the ground, said carriage (2) being movable, in use, along a first horizontal direction of movement (A); at least one movable body (4) mounted on said carriage (2), said movable body (4) being coupled by sliding to said carriage (2) in a movable maimer along a second horizontal direction of movement (B) substantially transverse to said first direction of movement (A); at least one lifting member (5) mounted on said movable body (4) and adapted, in use, to lift a load placed on top of the pit (3); characterized by the fact that it comprises recirculating ball guiding means (6) positioned between said carriage (2) and said movable body (4) and adapted to promote the movement of said movable body (4), said guiding means (6) extending substantially parallel to said second direction of movement (B), so as to move said movable body (4) substantially along the same second direction of movement (B).2) Hydraulic jack (1) according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said guiding means (6) comprise at least two recirculating ball guiding assemblies (6a, 6b) arranged at opposite sides (4a, 4b) of said movable body (4).3) Hydraulic jack (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that it comprises fastening means (7) for fastening the position of said movable body (4) substantially along said second direction of movement (B), said fastening means (7) comprising: at least a first coupling member (7a) and at least a second coupling member (7b) associated with said carriage (2) and with said movable body (4) respectively, said first and second coupling members (7a, 7b) being movable between at least one fixed configuration, wherein they are coupled to each other and fasten the position of said movable body (4) substantially along said second direction of movement (B), and at least one free configuration, wherein they are decoupled from each other, allowing the free movement ofsaid movable body (4) substantially along said second direction of movement (B); at least one actuating assembly (8) operable by a user to move said members (7a, 7b) in said free configuration; at least one spring assembly adapted to keep said members (7a, 7b) in said fastening configuration, elastically opposing their movement in said free configuration, said spring assembly moving said first and second members (7a, 7b) automatically and elastically, in said fixed configuration when the actuation of said actuating assembly (8) stops.4) Hydraulic jack (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that: said first coupling member (7a) comprises at least one elongated element (9) extending substantially parallel to said second direction of movement (B); said second coupling member (7b) comprises at least one coupling element (10) which, in said fixed configuration, is coupled to said elongated element (9) along the extension of the latter.5) Hydraulic jack (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said second coupling member (7b) is coupled by sliding to said first coupling member (7a) in a movable maimer.6) Hydraulic jack (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that: said movable body (4) comprises at least one gripping portion (11) which can be gripped by a user to move the movable body (4); said actuating assembly (8) is mounted on said movable body (4) in the proximity of said gripping portion (11) to promote the movement of said movable body (4), said actuating assembly (8) being operable by the user while holding said gripping portion (11).7) Hydraulic jack (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that it comprises at least two movement assemblies (12, 13) mounted on opposite sides of said carriage (2) and arranged, in use, restingon the ground and / or on respective guiding portions to move said carriage (2) along said first direction of movement (A).8) Hydraulic jack (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said lifting member (5) is a hydraulic jack. 9) Procedure for using a hydraulic pit jack (1), comprising at least the steps of: provision of at least one hydraulic jack (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims; manual movement of said movable body (4) along said second direction of movement (B). 10) Procedure according to the preceding claim, characterized by the fact that said step of manual movement of said movable body (4) comprises at least the sub-steps of: holding said gripping portion (11); operating said actuating assembly (8), the sub-step of operating the actuating assembly (8) being carried out at the same time as the sub-step of holding said gripping portion (11).

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