WIRELESS MOTORIZED SCREW JACK

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER -1
INTRODUCTION

Fabrication of a motorized screw jack is easy especially when the parts are
available in the market. This mechanical engineering project can be easily
completed by integrating an electric motor with a screw jack.
A screw jack or a Jackscrew is operated by turning a lead screw. The height of the
jack is adjusted by turning the lead screw. This can be done either manually or by
integrating an electric motor with it. This integration is our project.
The difficult part in the project may be finding a low speed motor that is able to
work at 12V. This is because the battery output of an automobile is 12V, and the
electricity needed for the operation of the screw jack is taken from this battery.
Another problem will be regarding speed reduction. 12V motors usually operate at
higher speeds, likely at 4000 or 5300 rpm. So reducing this high rpm to the required
lower rpms for the operation of screw jack without bulky accessories or power loss
can be challenging. But still this is one of the projects in mechanical Engineering.

CHAPTER 2
THEORETICAL CONSIDERATION

CHAPTER -2

THEORETICAL CONSIDERATION
2.1Screw Jack: It is a jack which is operated by turning a lead screw. In the form of
a screw jack it is commonly used to lift heavy weights such as the foundations of houses,
or large vehicles. A screw jack consists of a strong screw shaft which extends vertically
from a heavy supporting base, and is turned with a bar or lever. On the upper end of the
screw is a bearing surface which supports the load. When the screw is rotated it extends,
lifting the load.
2.2 Gear Mechanism: The Gear mechanism plays a vital role in transmitting the
power/torque from Motor to the Screw Jack to perform this The Pinion and Gear have
different number of teeth giving a gear ratio of 1.5 and reducing the speed of the motor in
the same ratio.
2.3 Motor: The motor required in this project is not easy to find as it should have the
capability to run from a car battery producing 12V and at the same time producing huge
Amount of Torque so as to lift the vehicle with low r.p.m. of 80-100. Also the motor
should be bipolar as it should be capable to lift as well as to put down the vehicle when
the whole work is performed

CONSTRUCTION DETAILS:WORKING PRINCIPLE:In Brief: When the worm shaft is rotated the lead screw rotates in the body of the screw
jack at the same rate as the worm gear. The nut on the lead screw moves in a linear
direction along the screw when fixed to a structure that prevents it from rotating with the
screw. This design is also available with a "Safety Nut".
In Detail: When a screw jack unit is operated, the rotation of the worm shaft causes the
worm gear to rotate. For rotating screw jacks the lead screw is fixed to the worm gear and
they rotate at the same speed. As the worm gear turns, the friction forces on the screw
thread act to turn the nut also. The greater the load on the screw jack unit, the greater the
tendency of the nut to turn. It is obvious that if the nut turns with the screw, it will not
raise the load. Therefore the nut needs to be fixed to a structure to prevent rotation. The
restraining torque required for the structure, also known as the "lead screw key torque"
The input power to the screw jacks should not exceed the power rating shown in the
specifications table. Maximum input speed in rpm (revolutions per minute) to a screw
jacks worm shaft should not exceed 1800 rpm for E-Series and M-Series screw jacks;
however the high performance S-Series screw jacks can operate at up to 3000 rpm. Power
Jacks cannot accept responsibility for the overheating and rapid wear that may occur
should these limits be exceeded. Power increases in direct proportion to the speed, and
the motor size will be out of proportion to the screw jack model design rating should the
speed become excessively high. When selecting the maximum permissible speed for a
screw jack arrangement, always check to see that the power rating of the screw jack
model is not exceeded.
.

CHAPTER 3
MATERIALS /COMPONENTS
SPECIFICATION

LIST OF COMPONENTS
3.1SCREW JACK
3.1 .1Definition

Fig.1 Mechanical Screw Jack

A screw jack or a Jackscrew is operated by turning a lead screw. The height of the jack is
adjusted by turning the lead screw. This can be done either manually or by integrating an
electric motor with it. This integration is our project.
The motorized lifting jack is a form of conventional screw jack that helps to lift the load
using motor as a source of energy and gear box to control the lift of jack.
A jackscrew is a type of jack which is operated by turning a leadscrew. In the form of
a screw jack it is commonly used to lift heavy weights such as the foundations of houses,
or large vehicles. A screw jack consists of a strong screw shaft which extends vertically
from a heavy supporting base, and is turned with a bar or lever. On the upper end of the

screw is a bearing surface which supports the load. When the screw it rotated it extends,
lifting the load. An alternate form of jackscrew is a threaded shaft with a collar or nut on
it. When the screw shaft is rotated, the nut moves along the shaft.

This

type

is

used

in

devices

such

as scissors

jacks and

heavy

duty

actuators and positioning systems. A jackscrew amplifies force; a small rotational force
(torque) on the screw shaft can exert a large linear force on a load. The smaller
the pitch of the screw threads, the larger the mechanical advantage, the ratio of output to
input force.
An advantage of jackscrews over some other types of jack is that they are self-locking,
which means when the rotational force on the screw is removed, it will remain motionless
where it was left and will not rotate backwards, regardless of how much load it is
supporting. This makes them inherently safer than hydraulic jacks, for example, which
will move backwards under load if the force on the hydraulic actuator is accidentally
released.
The mechanical advantage of a screw jack, the ratio of the force the jack exerts on the
load to the input force on the lever, ignoring friction, is

where
Is the force the jack exerts on the load.
is the rotational force exerted on the handle of the jack
is the length of the jack handle, from the screw axis to where the force is
applied
is the pitch of the screw threads; the distance between them.
However, most screw jacks have large amounts of friction which increase the input force
necessary, so the actual mechanical advantage is often only 30% to 50% of this figure.
A jackscrew's threads must support heavy loads. In the most heavy-duty applications,
such as screw jacks, a square thread or buttress thread is used, because it has the lowest

friction. In other application such as actuators, an Acme thread is used, although it has
higher friction.

The large area of sliding contact between the screw threads means jackscrews have high
friction and low efficiency as power transmission linkages, around 30%50%. So they
are not often used for continuous transmission of high power, but more often in
intermittent positioning applications. The Ball screw is a more advanced type of
leadscrew that uses a recalculating-ball nut to minimize friction and prolong the life of
the screw threads. The thread profile of such screws is semicircular to properly mate with
the bearing balls. The disadvantage to this type of screw is that it is not self-locking.
Jackscrews form vital components in equipment. For instance, the failure of a jackscrew
on a McDonnell Douglas MD80 airliner due to a lack of grease resulted in the crash
of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 off the coast of California in 2000.
The jackscrew figured prominently in the classic novel Robinson Crusoe. It was also
featured in a recent History Channel program as the saving tool of the Pilgrims' voyage
the main crossbeam, a key structural component of their small ship, cracked during a
severe storm. A farmer's jackscrew secured the damage until landfall. Acme threads have
a 29 thread angle, which is easier to machine than square threads. They are not as
efficient as square threads, due to the increased friction induced by the thread angle.

Fig.2 Position of Screw Jack when at its Highest Position

3.2ELECTRIC MOTOR

An electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors
operate through interacting magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors to generate
force, although electrostatic motors use electrostatic forces. The reverse process,
producing electrical energy from mechanical energy, is done by generators such as an
alternator or a dynamo. Many types of electric motors can be run as generators, and vice
versa. For example a starter/generator for a gas turbine, or traction motors used on
vehicles, often perform both tasks. Electric motors and generators are commonly referred
to as electric machines.

Electric motors are found in applications as diverse as industrial fans, blowers and
pumps, machine tools, household appliances, power tools, and disk drives. They may be
powered by direct current (e.g., a battery powered portable device or motor vehicle), or
by alternating current from a central electrical distribution grid.

The smallest motors may be found in electric wristwatches. Medium-size motors of

highly standardized dimensions and characteristics provide convenient mechanical power

for industrial uses. The very largest electric motors are used for propulsion of ships,
pipeline compressors, and water pumps with ratings in the millions of watts. Electric
motors may be classified by the source of electric power, by their internal construction,
by their application, or by the type of motion they give.

3.2.1 Objective of Motor:

The main aim of motor is to produce the calculated power and transmit the same to the
lead screw of mechanical screw jack resulting in the lifting of the screw jack and hence
the vehicle. The power is transmitted through the Gear Mechanism that will be discussed
in the next chapter. The motor used is bipolar because of the reason that is to rotate the
respective pinion gear attached to motor in both the directions resulting in both, upward
and downward motion of the upper bracket of the respective Screw Jack.

3.3GEAR MECHANISM:-

3.3.1INTRODUCTION
A gear or more correctly a "gear wheel" is a rotating machine part having cut teeth, or
cogs, which mesh with another toothed part in order to transmit torque. Two or more
gears working in tandem are called a transmission and can produce a mechanical
advantage through a gear ratio and thus may be considered a simple machine. Geared
devices can change the speed, magnitude, and direction of a power source. The most
common situation is for a gear to mesh with another gear; however a gear can also mesh
a non-rotating toothed part, called a rack, thereby producing translation instead of
rotation.
The gears in a transmission are analogous to the wheels in a pulley. An advantage of
gears is that the teeth of a gear prevent slipping.
When two gears of unequal number of teeth are combined a mechanical advantage is
produced, with both the rotational speeds and the torques of the two gears differing in a
simple relationship.

In transmissions which offer multiple gear ratios, such as bicycles and cars, the term gear,
as in first gear, refers to a gear ratio rather than an actual physical gear. The term is used
to describe similar devices even when gear ratio is continuous rather than discrete, or

when the device does not actually contain any gears, as in a continuously variable
transmission.

3.3.2GEARS used in the Project:-

A worm drive is a gear arrangement in which a worm (which is a gear in the form of
a screw) meshes with a worm gear (which is similar in appearance to a spur gear, and is
also called a worm wheel). The terminology is often confused by imprecise use of the
term worm gear to refer to the worm, the worm gear, or the worm drive as a unit.
Like other gear arrangements, a worm drive can reduce rotational speed or allow
higher torque to be transmitted. The image shows a section of a gear box with a worm
gear being driven by a worm. A worm is an example of a screw, one of the six simple
machines.A worm gear is used when a large speed reduction ratio is required between
crossed axis shafts which do not intersect. A basic helical gear can be used but the
power which can be transmitted is low. A worm drive consists of a large diameter worm
wheel with a worm screw meshing with teeth on the periphery of the worm wheel. The
worm is similar to a screw and the worm wheel is similar to a section of a nut. As the
worm is rotated the worm wheel is caused to rotate due to the screw like action of the
worm. The size of the worm gear set is generally based on the centre distance between
the worm and the worm wheel.

CHAPTERS 4
SPECIFICATION & CALCULATION

4.1 Specifications of Motor as Per Project

12vdc Electric motor

Stall Torque 171.445(mN.m)

Max Efficiency 59.23%
Torque at peak efficiency 24.002(mN.m)
Current at load 2.146(A)
Power 15.91(w)
No load current=0.377(A)
400RPM
High torque, (using a 3mm pitch and 12mm dia screw can provide 40lbs linear
force)
All metal gears
Current draw 3amps
6mm dia shaft with flat
Replacement motor for tube actuators model FA-04 models

4.2GRAPH:-

Power Required

Length of Portion of Lead Screw Bet. The 2 heads

Fig 4. Graph Representing Variation of Power with the Portion of Lead Screw between
the 2 Brackets

CHAPTER 5
ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES

ADVATAGES:-

5.1 MECHANICAL ADVANTAGES OF SCREW JACK

The mechanical advantage of a screw jack, the ratio of the force the jack exerts on the
load to the input force on the lever, ignoring friction, is

Where
is the force the jack exerts on the load
is the rotational force exerted on the handle of the jack
is the length of the jack handle, from the screw axis to where the force is
applied
is the lead of the screw.
However, most screw jacks have large amounts of friction which
increase the input force necessary, so the actual mechanical
advantage is often only 30% to 50% of this figure.