Jack (tool) facts for kids
A jack is mechanical device used to lift heavy loads or apply great forces. Jacks employ a screw thread or hydraulic cylinder to apply very high linear forces.
A mechanical jack is a device which lifts heavy equipment. The most common form is a car jack, floor jack or garage jack which lifts vehicles so that maintenance can be performed. Car jacks usually use mechanical advantage to allow a human to lift a vehicle by manual force alone. More powerful jacks use hydraulic power to provide more lift over greater distances. Mechanical jacks are usually rated for a maximum lifting capacity (for example, 1.5 tons or 3 tons).
There are various other jacks for different uses, such as:
- Hydraulic jack - A hydraulic jack uses a fluid, which is incompressible, that is forced into a cylinder by a pump plunger.
- Bottle Jack - The piston is vertical and directly supports a bearing pad that contacts the object being lifted.
- Floor Jack - Floor jacks usually include castors and wheels, allowing compensation for the arc taken by the lifting pad.
- House jack - The house jack can be used for jacking carrying beams that have settled or for installing new structural beams.
Images for kids
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A 2.5-ton house jack that stands 24 inches from top to bottom fully threaded out
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Jack which can lift a Mobile home
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Jackscrews are integral to the scissor jack, one of the simplest kinds of car jack still used.
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Threaded rod, 7 inches fully extended
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A farm jack attached to a vehicle
See also
In Spanish: Gato (dispositivo) para niños
