Railroad Screw Jack?

[Jay Zbroski]

Does anyone know the application for this screw jack? Has a pin configuration on top. Is this for railroad applications?

Thanks.

 

[bubinga]

Sorry, Guess No One Knows.
When I was growing Up, we had something like it at home,
It was a little shorter and fatter, and just had a wide round platform type of deal on it.
With the hole in it, to crank it up.
I used it as a jack stand.
wish I still had it now, Just for sentimental value.
Kind o looked like this.
don't recall if it had a handle, I'm thinking it did not.
But then again, It may have.

 

[Jay Zbroski]

Thanks Bubinga. Too bad know one knows. Oh my.

 

[zendriver]

I always thought they were used to jack up railroad cars locomotives and other heavy items, before the invention of the ratchet Jack.

Granted, they don't have a lot of height travel, but I would imagine that they would use wood or other materials for blocking as the Jack was repositioned.

I have never seen one with a pin at the top of it, maybe at serve some specialized purpose.


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[PCMusicGuy]

They have many applications. I've heard them called house jacks, barn jacks, screw jacks, railroad jacks, and jack screws. I think some of the name comes from typical regional uses. They are designed to support very heavy loads, but not necessarily lift them. That similar design can still be had at Northern Tool. Just a few years ago, they looked nearly identical to bubinga's pictures.

 

[wolf_from_wv]

I've heard stories from years ago about raising a house with those in order to add a couple more rows of blocks so you could stand up in the basement. I guess they had to work a little bit faster when the wind started blowing...

 

[SonofnIrishman]

It would seem that it was designed to lock into a specific point on a unit to keep it from slipping. I've used other variations in home foundation work and various tasks, they don't have any o-rings to fail or leak, but they are also slow in operation. Not necessarily a bad thing when lifting heavy loads.