Jack stand apparatus and method

A jack stand apparatus for supporting an overlying load placed thereupon, the jack stand apparatus comprising:

• a shaft support structure, the shaft support structure comprising a series of leg elements and a central shaft-receiving hub, the series of leg elements extending radially outwardly and downwardly relative to the central shaft-receiving hub, the central shaft-receiving hub comprising a shaft-receiving bore;
• a screw shaft construction, the screw shaft construction being supported by the series of leg elements and the central shaft-receiving hub and rotatably received in the shaft-receiving bore of the central shaft-receiving hub of the shaft support structure, the screw shaft construction comprising a shaft axis of rotation and external helical threads, the external helical threads having a shaft thread pitch;
• and
• a pawl assembly, the pawl assembly comprising a fulcrum, a lever arm, and a pawl element, the lever arm and the pawl element extending from the fulcrum, the fulcrum having a fulcrum axis of rotation, the pawl element comprising a helical pawl tip, the helical pawl tip being structurally cooperable with the external helical threads and having a pawl pitch equal to the shaft thread pitch for enhancing structural cooperation between the pawl assembly and the screw shaft construction, the helical pawl tip comprising a flat pawl tip face, a helical upper pawl tip edge, a helical lower pawl tip edge, and laterally opposed pawl tip edges, the helical upper and lower pawl tip edges being parallel to one another, the laterally opposed pawl tip edges being parallel to one another, the fulcrum being cooperably associated with the shaft support structure for enabling a user to structurally cooperate the pawl tip with the external helical threads via the lever arm;
• the screw shaft construction being telescopically positionable relative to the shaft support structure for engaging an the overlying load, the helical pawl tip being engagable with the external helical threads for preventing downward movement of the screw shaft construction relative to the shaft support structure when the helical pawl tip and the external helical threads are engaged, the series of leg elements for supporting the jack stand apparatus upon a support surface, the jack stand apparatus thus for supporting the overlying load placed thereupon.