Vehicle jack

Abstract

A leveling jack mounted on the frame of a vehicle with a horizontal stowed position and a vertical actuated position, including, a pair of telescoping tubular members, telescoping between open and closed position, a ball screw actuator including a ball member and a screw member supported within the tubular members and with one of the tubular members attached to the ball member for producing telescope movement of the one tubular member relative to the other tubular member in accordance with longitudinal movement of the ball member, a drive spindle coupled to the screw member for providing rotational movement of the screw member to produce longitudinal movement of the ball member, a motor and associated gear train coupled to the drive spindle and with the gear train providing a substantial reduction of speed of rotation of the drive spindle, an outer housing for mounting on the frame of the vehicle and with the tubular members, ballscrew actuator, drive spindle and motor and gear train forming a pivotable portion of the leveling jack all pivotable around a first pivot point within the outer housing between the horizontal and vertical positions, and a bracket pivotablly mounted to the outer housing at a second pivot point off center to the first pivot point and with the bracket actuated when the tubular members are telescoped to the closed position to provide rotation of the pivotable portion of the leveling jack from the vertical position to the horizontal position.