"Matty F" wrote in message
...
Someone here was keen on the old Simplex jacks.
These ones are nearly 100 years old and lift up to 7.5 tons.
I don't think they are made to take apart easily, and that is not an
easy job. It's like some kind of puzzle, and comes apart and goes back
together only in a certain order.

Here's one before and after I took it apart and cleaned and greased it
and painted it, together with others that I refurbished earlier:
http://i55.tinypic.com/1fahdg.jpg

Here are the parts, over 20 of them:
http://i56.tinypic.com/2dkk3gz.jpg
I've never seen any broken or worn parts, so the design is really
good.
Of course I replaced all the split pins and a couple of other pins.

Getting at this split pin was really tricky. It's hidden behind the
spring arrangement, but by holding the spring back with a wire I
managed to get the split pin out.
http://i51.tinypic.com/11ud8v5.jpg

Inside was 100 years of dirt.
A good clean and grease and they are good for another 100 years!

Matty F,

you are without doubt a very ingenious bloke.

We don't use Simplex jacks but in the tackle store we have an assortment of
Duff-Norton 'Barrett' jacks which, I think, work on the same principle as
Simplex.
These are perhaps of similar age to yours and range in capacity from 0.5t to
(I think) a couple of monster 20 tonners.
We still use these occasionally when loading rolling stock, barges, air
conditioning equipment rooms, large vessels etc.
They are great machines but can be lethal in the wrong hands. Thus the elfin
safety mob here frown upon them.

A really nice thing is that they work equally well underwater.
In my 50 odd years we have never had to repair or replace a single one.
After use they are cleaned off and lubricated. Then put back in tackle
store.

Also have a few of the more modern hydraulic range up to 5t. Good but not
that good.

Nick.
UK