Telescoping Wall Jack With U-Shaped Sections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wall raising devices are often large, heavy, and require two people to handle, with designs like nylon strap-tubular and cylindrical shafts lacking sufficient strength and safety, and being costly or hazardous, while cable designs are more practical but may fail under heavy loads.
Innovation Solution
A wall jack with a U-shaped cross-section design comprising a center, lower, and upper elongated section, pivotally connected with removable pins, allowing for easy folding and unfolding, and incorporating a cable winding mechanism for lifting walls, providing strength and safety without excessive material cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional cylindrical shafts or tubular designs are used, then the device can be compact, but the strength and stability are insufficient for heavy walls
Solution Approach 1:
The wall jack is divided into multiple sections (first section, second section, third section) that can be telescoped relative to each other. Each section has a U-shaped cross-section with channels that allow the sections to slide within one another, providing both strength and compactness when retracted.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescoping mechanism allows the first, second, and third sections to be nested within each other when in the retracted position, creating a compact form factor while maintaining the structural integrity of each individual section through their U-shaped channel designs.
2Strength
If heavier materials are used to increase strength, then the wall jack can handle heavier walls, but the device becomes harder to handle and transport
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the structure into multiple telescoping sections, the patent distributes the load across multiple components rather than requiring a single heavy structure. This allows for lighter individual sections that can be combined to achieve the necessary overall strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescoping mechanism provides dynamic adjustment capability, allowing the wall jack to extend when needing maximum strength for heavy walls and retract when less strength is required, thereby reducing the effective weight during transport and handling.
3Ease of operation
If the wall jack is designed to be collapsible for easy transport, then it can be easily stored, but the locking mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is segmented into discrete locking members associated with each telescoping section. Each locking member independently secures its section to the adjacent section, providing simple and reliable locking without requiring a complex centralized locking system.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking members are designed to automatically engage and disengage as the telescoping sections are extended or retracted, providing self-locking functionality that eliminates the need for complex manual locking mechanisms while ensuring secure positioning.
4Adaptability or versatility
If nylon straps are used instead of cables, then the design can be more flexible, but the straps do not feed out or retract as easily and may fail under heavy loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies that the cable should have a diameter within a range of about 0.25 to 0.5 inches, optimizing the balance between flexibility and strength. This parameter optimization ensures the cable is flexible enough for easy handling but strong enough to reliably support heavy wall loads without snapping.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design enables a safer, labor-saving, and cost-effective wall raising solution that can be easily transported and stored, allowing one person to handle it, with enhanced strength and safety features, accommodating various wall heights and weights.
Implementation Method 1
a cable winding mechanism connected to the center section; and cable engaging the cable winding mechanism, the cable extending over the pulley and having a distal end with a wall engagement member
Implementation Method 2
cable extending over the pulley
Data Source
AI summary
A wall jack includes a center elongated section, a lower elongated section having a distal end portion pivotally connected to a proximal end portion of the center section and an upper elongated section having a proximal end portion pivotally connected to a distal end portion of the center section. The wall jack is movable between an extended and collapsed position. In the extended position, the lower section is releasably locked to the proximal end portion of the center section and the upper section is releasably locked to the distal end portion of the center section such that the center, lower and upper sections form a longitudinally extending wall jack. In the collapsed position, the upper section is rotated in a first direction into the center section, and the lower section is rotated in a second direction that is opposite the first direction into the center section.