SAGAR INSTITUTE OF

RESEARCH &
TECHNALOGYEXCELLENCE, BHOPAL
BRIEF STUDY OF SCREW JACK
BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING
IN
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

BY
INDRAJEET MANKER

SCREW JACK
A screw jack is a portable device consisting
of a screw mechanism used to raise or lower
the load. The principle on which the screw jack
works is similar to that of an inclined plane.

PRINCIPLE OF SCREW
JACKS
Main components of screw jacks are; trapezoidal
lifting screw, worm screw, worm gear and gear
housing. Worm screw is rotated manually or by
motor. Worm gear is rotated by worm screw. The
lifting screw moves through the rotating worm gear.
The linear motion speed of lifting screw depends on
thread size and rotation ratio of worm gears.

TYPES OF JACKS
Jacks are of mainly two types-

Mechanical Jack
a.
b.

Scissor Jack
Bottle (cylindrical) Jack

Hydraulic Jack

MECHANICAL JACK
A mechanical jack is a device which lifts
heavy equipment. The most common form is a
car jack, floor jack or garage jack which lifts
vehicles so that maintenance can be performed.

Scissor
Jack

Bottle (cylindrical)
Jack

HYDRAULIC JACK
Hydraulic jacks are often used to lift
elevators in low and medium rise buildings.
Hydraulic jacks are typically used for shop
work, rather than as an emergency jack to be
carried with the vehicle.

SELF-LOCKING PROPERTY
OF SCREW JACK
The large frictional forces due to the large
area of sliding contact between the threads
cause most screws to be "self-locking", also
called "non-reciprocal" or "non-overhauling".
This means that applying a torque to the shaft
will cause it to turn, but no amount of axial load
force against the shaft will cause it to turn back
the other way, even if the applied torque is
zero.

CONSTRUCTION OF
SCREW JACK
Screw jack consists of a screw and a nut. The
nut is fixed in a cast iron frame and remains
stationary. The rotation of the nut inside the
frame is prevented by pressing a set screw
against it. The screw is rotated in the nut by
means of a handle, which passes through a hole
in the head of the screw. The head carries a
platform, which supports the load and remains
stationary while the screw is being rotated. A
washer is fixed to the other end of the screw
inside the frame, which prevents the screw to
be completely turned out of the nut.

FUNCTION
The basic function of a screw jack is to
lift a portion of a vehicle. Typically this is
used to change a tire although other
maintenance is sometimes performed.

FEATURES
All jacks have safety features to protect
the user from accidental injury. Wide bases
help to stabilize a jack and prevent tilting or
sinking into soft soil. Most car jacks also
come equipped with their own handle or
cranking mechanism, but alternately many
of these also will accept the flat end of a tire
tool to jack up a vehicle.

ADVANTAGES
Have very high efficiency
Could be used in applications which require

precise and repeatable movement

Could be easily preloaded to eliminate
backlash
Smooth movement over full travel range
Can use a smaller size for same load
Has a longer life for thread
Easy maintenance
Self-locking feature

CONCLUSION
Screw Jacks are the ideal product to push,
pull, lift, lower and position loads of anything
from a couple of kilograms to hundreds of
tonnes. The need has long existed for an
improved portable jack for automotive vehicles.
It is highly desirable that a jack become
available that can be operated alternatively
from inside the vehicle or from a location of
safety off the road on which the vehicle is
located.

REFERENCES
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_(device)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackscrew
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screw_(simple_machin

e)
http://hubpages.com/hub/Automobile-Jacks
http://www.powerjacks-de.com/Screw-JacksFAQ.html
http://www.radicon.com/screw-jacks.php
http://www.powerjacks.com/PowerJacks-HistoryThe-Screw-Jack-Story.php
http://www.scribd.com/doc/38577261/Screw-JackDesign

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