Patent Application
20120256060
The present invention relates to a jack system for supporting wall displays, and in particular, a jack system positionable between a movable load-bearing position and a stationary position.
Display arrangements such as wall displays or vignettes provide customers an idea of what items being displayed will look like when installed in their home, apartment, or office. Retail stores often use wall displays to showcase different domestic and commercial environments, such as kitchens, bedrooms, living rooms, bathrooms, washrooms, and offices.
Wall displays may typically be erected on-site at the store location. Such on-site erection, however, is time-consuming, noisy, and generally disruptive.
In other examples, wall displays may be constructed off-site in whole or in part in an effort to reduce on-site erection time. This requires the wall displays to be transported to the store, loaded onto dollies, and rolled to a particular store location for display. Oftentimes, many workers are needed to load and then remove the preconstructed wall displays and position them at the correct locations.
Additionally, many dollies used to transport the wall displays do not have a proper braking mechanism for maintaining and stabilizing the wall display at a particular location. Lack of a braking mechanism may cause cumbersome transport requiring the workers' constant attention so as to assure the wall display and the dolly do not roll away.
Other types of dollies may include a brake mechanism used in association with attached caster assemblies. These types of brake mechanisms provide braking action by locking the caster assemblies thereby preventing rolling movement. These types of braking mechanisms, however, may not provide sufficient braking force when the dolly is positioned on an inclined surface or when supporting heavier loads such as wall displays.
Accordingly, improvements in support and transport of wall displays are still being sought.
A jack system useful for supporting and transporting wall displays used at stores or residences is provided. The jack system includes a display support for supporting the wall display, at least one caster assembly carried by the support and positioned underneath for providing rolling movement of the display support and a jack mounted to the support. This permits a user to transport the wall display to various locations for display and anchor the display in place.
The jack system includes a jack stand, connected to the display support and having a jack securely mounted thereto. Together, the jack stand and the jack function as a brake for shifting the jack system between a movable load-bearing position capable of rolling movement and a stationary, braked position. In some embodiments, the jack system can include upstanding jack stands removably connected to opposite ends of the display support.
Many different types of jacks can be used within the jack system including traditional mechanical and hydraulic jacks. In one example, the jack can be an axially translating screw jack having a generally elongate, cylindrical, telescoping body. A first upper portion of the jack includes a crank handle and is securely mounted to the jack stand. A second lower portion of the jack includes a pad or a braking foot and is capable of upward and downward telescoping movement relative to the first upper portion. In this example, the jack is actuated by rotation of the crank handle causing the braking foot to move downwardly and contact a surface below the display support, e.g., the ground. The contact with the ground causes the jack assembly to be supported, at least in part, by the braking foot, and thereby causes resistance to rolling movement of the display support. Continued rotation of the crank handle elevates the display support and the at least one caster assembly thereby further inhibiting rolling movement while providing a sturdy support for the jack system as well as the wall display carried by the display support.
In the drawings,
The invention disclosed herein is, of course, susceptible of embodiment in many forms. Shown in the drawings and described herein below in detail are the preferred embodiments of the invention. It is to be understood, however, that the present disclosure is an exemplification of the principles of the invention and does not limit the invention to the illustrated embodiments.
A jack system 10, as generally shown in
The jack system 10 can be used to support and transport loads other than wall displays as well. For example, furniture, hardware supplies, timber or any other type of load or material may be supported and transported by the jack system 10.
The jack system 10 provides support for wall displays and is capable of moving between a movable load-bearing state and a stationary state. While in the movable load-bearing state, the jack system 10 is capable of rolling movement for transporting the wall display. Once the wall display is transported to a desired location, the jack system 10 can be shifted from the load-bearing state to the stationary state. While in the stationary state, a brake is engaged, and the jack system 10 is sturdily positioned so as to generally resist rolling movement. The wall display can then either be removed from the jack system 10 and configured for a desired display or it can be displayed while the jack system 10 remains in place.
Referring to
As best seen in
As shown in
The jack 36 can be any type of jack known in the art such as a traditional mechanical jack, screw jack, hydraulic jack, rack-and-lever jack, and the like. In this example, the jack 36 is an axially translating screw jack having a generally elongate and cylindrical body. An upper portion 48 of the jack is securely mounted to the jack stand 24 and includes a crank handle 40 for operating the jack 36. The crank handle 40 is capable of rotation in a generally clockwise or counterclockwise direction for raising or lowering the display support 12. Any other type of handle, crank or actuator known in the art can be used for operating the jack.
A lower portion 50 of the jack can be adapted for movement relative to the upper portion 48 and terminates at a distal end 52 in a braking foot or pad 42. The braking foot 42 can have a generally rectangular or round configuration and a lower surface adapted for firm engagement with the ground, and for positioning the jack system 10 between a movable load-bearing state and a stationary state.
As shown in
In this illustrated example, the jack 36 can be used to transition the jack system 10 from a movable, load-bearing state to a stationary and braked state. The upper portion 48 of the jack is securely fastened to the jack stand 24 while the lower portion 50 of the jack is capable of either upward or downward movement in response to turning of the crank handle 40. As the crank handle 40 is rotated in a particular direction, the lower portion 50 moves downwardly causing the braking foot or pad 42 to contact the underlying surface. The contact with and the associated frictional force between the braking foot or pad 42 and the underlying surface reduce the ability of the caster assemblies 22 and 23 to provide rolling movement to the jack system 10. Continued rotation of the crank handle 40 causes the display support 12 and the caster assemblies 22 and 23 to rise, thereby inhibiting rolling movement while providing further stability to the jack system 10. This effectively positions the jack system 10 from the movable load-bearing state to the stationary and braked state. The turning of the crank handle 40 in the opposite direction causes the pad 42 to move upwardly, and lowers the caster assemblies 22 and 23 as well as the display support 12, thereby returning the jack system 10 to the movable load-bearing state.
More than one jack assembly, such as jack assembly 21, can be used with a particular display support if desired. As shown in
As shown in
The foregoing description and the accompanying drawings are illustrative of the present invention. Still other variations and arrangements of parts are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.
