If you have nothing else in your shop, you’ll have a jack. Indispensable and versatile, the jack has ancient origins. The Romans used a screw mechanism to press wine. In the 1400s, Leonardo da Vinci sketched a jack designed around the screw as a lift. It took another 400 years for people to get serious about jacks, but when the action commenced, it was a party. Joseph Bramah invented the hydraulic press in Britain, leading to William Curtis patenting a design for a hydraulic jack, in turn causing Richard Dudgeon – a Scot living in the US – to devise his own version of the same machine. Joseph Whitworth, master of mechanical devices, was making precision screw-driven tools in England, which inspired Frank Henry Sleeper, a 24-year-old in Quebec, to invent a screw jack. Meanwhile, Josiah Barrett, a boat captain, invented a ratchet jack for moving barges. All of this happened in the 1800s. This ebullience continued and accelerated in the 1900s, pollinating the earth with jacks of all types! Here on eBay is a selection of five screw jacks priced at $119.99 plus $77 for shipping, unless you want to pick up the lot from Webster, New York.
The principle of a screw jack is simple – a worm gear is turned against a screw using a lever, raising the load. The jack on the left was factory-delivered with the Model T. The right-hand jack is possibly an Ajax Model A jack. Speaking of Ajax, Ford contracted with several foundries over the years to make its tool kit items. Walker Manufacturing, Noblit-Sparks, Elite Manufacturing, W.E. Pratt, and Auto Specialty – all made screw jacks for Ford. Most were made of cast iron.
The little guy on the left was made by Auto Specialties Manufacturing (AUSCO); it’s their No. 21 made during the 1920s. The jack on the right is also an AUSCO item. Many of these jacks are missing the “lever” portion of the equation – though for the Ford items, it’s likely you can purchase a reproduction handle. The seller emphasizes that these jacks should be used for display only, but I think most could be reinstated to light service after generous applications of WD40 or other emollients. That said, I wouldn’t trust a car on these teetery old machines.
Screw jacks are just one type of lifting device – the roster includes bottle jacks, scissor jacks, pneumatic jacks and hydraulic jacks, for elevating transmissions, cars and trucks, boats, buildings … you name it. This guy used a Model T jack to extract the tub from his washing machine. In my shop, I have a ratty old jack I abuse for dirty jobs, two low-profile jacks, and a transmission jack – all hydraulic. What’s in your shop?
You are tempting fate with this crowd, my dear, but to start this on a civil manner, it may interest you, I read these weren’t really intended for cars at all. Originally intended as a house or building jack, or the RR and wagons used screw jacks. They seemed to filter into automotive, early HD trucks used them, as driving became more popular, along with flat tires, and aside from a tree branch, there was nothing better. It was the small base on uneven surface spelled doom for many. Then the scissors jack seemed to come in, imports mostly, but the all time grand daddy of doom, and immensely popular for some reason, was the ill fated bumper jack, that our good friend and safety advocate, Ralph Nader strongly opposed. I don’t think European cars had bumper jacks, or if they did, weren’t like ours. I’ve had a few of these, never seemed to work like a hydraulic jack, the preferred type of lifting device. A long bar on these, you could lift a lot of weight, but hydraulic won out. One thing I’ve learned in life, hydraulics are our friends! Cool find, and doors open for what should be a rather entertaining topic.
This is such a great find!!!
I certainly hope that the seller doesn’t
“Jack” up the price on this lot.
It really “raised” my spirits when I saw this write up Michelle……
Ok…… Ok…….
I’ll just see myself out now……
Sorry, a couple of bad Dad jokes first thing isn’t everyones cup of tea. But now seriously, learning about companies like Ajax and others was very interesting. And I want to say thank you for your resesrch Michelle. I think there may possibly be a Model T jack in my parents basement. I know he has a Model T oil can as well. This collection needs to be be saved. How many garages, basements and of course barns had Jacks like this in them, and they just got scrapped. They’d be great cleaned up and in the trunk of a vintage car too.
Once again, thank you Michelle, this is a very interesting one. I enjoyed it.
Perhaps this evening, I’ll break open a bottle of “Jack”……..
Ok, sorry. Just one more…. Couldn’t resist.
Aren’t you the funny bunny today! Thanks for the comments…
Thanks Michelle. I’m known for my bad Dad jokes.
( not necessarily known in a good way)
Still better quality than your typical Harbor Fright jacks.
Ha ha, indeed! Made to last, and they did.
I have an old screw jack like these, I also have a 20ton ratchet type RailRoad jack and a 1ton Walker transmission jack from the days when I rebuilt RoadRangers. Laid an oak board across two sisser jacks to pull a Hydromatic out of a ’56 Olds, one guy on each side to let the jacks down.