[TheForge] Conestoga wagon jack

[wmullett at bright.net]

If you have never seen a Conestoga wagon jack, you should google it.  These were made from 1750+/- to 1830+/- and they are not a lever but geared.

After thinking about this more and looking at the 5 shown in Plummer's book, I am sure that the gear was a bought item.  I would bet it was manufactured in England or elsewhere in Europe.  

All of the ones shown in this book are almost identical in the location of the gearing.  It would appear that the blacksmith made the rack, handle, the ratchet and pawl as well as the thin metal cover front and back.  

The main cover over the gear box seems to have been worked some by the smith because the top of that has a different decorative edge for each of these.

---- Original message ----
>Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2009 01:08:52 -0600 (CST)
>From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net (on behalf of dann at wctatel.net)
>Subject: Re: [TheForge] Conestoga wagon jack  
>To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
>
>
>I remember seeing an antique  wagon jack that essentially looked like a
>half moon with an offset handle in the manner of an eccentric (with a long
>heavy wooden handle).  No gears were involved.
>
>Or.. is
>
>Jack is a donkey with a Spring woody?
>
>Dann
>
>> Sorry, it's spring and i couldn't help it.
>>
>> wmullett at bright.net wrote:
>>> 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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