[TheForge] Conestoga wagon jack

[wmullett at bright.net]

No - I don't see how it could have been used for something like that.  The hole is through the side in the wood.

In Plummer's book, they show 5 different jacks and none seem to have a spring like you describe.

---- Original message ----
>Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:12:07 -0700
>From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net (on behalf of Peter Fels & Phoebe Palmer <artgawk at thegrid.net>)
>Subject: Re: [TheForge] Conestoga wagon jack  
>To: Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
>
>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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