[TheForge] Conestoga wagon jack

[Peter Fels & Phoebe Palmer]

Walt...was the hole used to anchor a wound spring? Common on later 
mechanical jacks..pf

wmullett at bright.net wrote:
> I've been given the opportunity to make a new ratchet gear for a Conestoga wagon jack.  The owner has two - the one with the missing ratchet is dated 1787 and the other one he gave me to use as a pattern is dated 1819.
> 
> The 1819 one has a 1/8" hole on the gear side - not sure why - but through that I was able to determine the gearing.  The crank has a 4 tooth gear engaging another gear that lays just beneath the face plate and it has 18 teeth.  On the same shaft, is a gear with 3 teeth that engages the rack.  Thus the mechanical advantage is 6 to 1.
> 
> Looking at these two and the 5 shown in Plummer's "Sorber Collection", I wonder if the gears were bought?  None of the shafts run front to back so there has to be a separate box inside.  
> 
> Does anyone on-line know any more about these?
> 
> Walt - Ohio  
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