GB2095156A

GB2095156A - Manually operable lifting devices

Info

Publication number: GB2095156A
Application number: GB8207188A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: STIRRUP COLIN THOMAS PATRICK
Current assignee: STIRRUP COLIN THOMAS PATRICK
Priority date: 1981-03-20
Filing date: 1982-03-11
Publication date: 1982-09-29
Also published as: GB2095156B

Abstract

A pair of rigid hinged hemi- cylindrical parts (10, 11) provided with locking means (14, 15) are releasably supported on a handle by wires (25) and are closed by an operating rod (18) which acts on the line of the hinges of the container. To render the device suitable for lifting dog faeces the wires (25) and operating rod (18) are made readily detachable from the container without any need to touch the container so that the container can be easily and aesthetically disposed of when once used. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Manually operable lifting devices This invention relates to manually operated lifting devices.

The invention is primarily concerned with the problem of lifting and disposing of dog faeces and other objectionable or hazardous material but the invention also provides a lifting device suitable for use by disabled persons such as persons suffering from arthritis which inhibits their ability to lift articles from the floor and other inaccessible places.

In its broadest aspect the present invention provides a manually operable lifting scoop device comprising a scoop part and a handle part in which the scoop part comprises two rigid container-forming parts having hinge means so as to be operable from an open position to a closed position, and the handle part has first means whereby the hinged container-forming parts can be supported from the handle part and second means whereby the container-forming parts can be acted on to hinge them to the closed position.

Such devices can be arranged for lifting dog faeces and, as such, have many advantages over known devices many of which involve the collection of the faeces in a flexible plastics bag, the bag being carried or handled in some unaesthetic way once the faeces have been collected.

A lifting scoop device of the kind broadly stated above is characterised in that the containerforming parts have locking means so that when brought to the closed position they become locked and also characterised in that both the first means and the second means of the handle part are releasable with the handle part from the locked container-forming parts.

The invention also has application to the lifting and disposal of other noxious substances such as articles contaminated with radioactivity or which could be infectious or touch hazardous or touch offensive and in which the locked conditions adds greatly to safety and in which the releasable condition allows ready disposal.

One form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a perspective view of a dog faeces lifting scoop device.

In the drawing, the device comprises two locking, rigid, nominally hemi-cylindrical, scoop or container-forming parts 10, 11. These are preferably made of identical form so that they can be made in a single mould. The parts 10, 11 are hinged together along lengthwise edges at hinges 12, 13 and are provided on their end faces with co-operating locking strips 14, 1 5. Similar locking strips exist on the unseen end faces of the parts 10, 11 but are functionally reversed to satisfy the requirement of manufacture in a single mould. The bottom edges of parts 10, 11 are of knife edge form as shown for example at 11 a.

The parts 10, 11 also have lugs 16, 17 in which is located a bottom pin 1 spa of a lifting rod or wire 1 8 thereby creating also a third hinge. Brackets 1 9, 20 are formed integral with the parts 10, 11.

The parts 10 to 20 (except 18) are disposable and are accordingly made of inexpensive material such as reconstituted plastics material. The end faces of the parts 10, 11 are inclined to give the parts a tapered form so that for transport and storage the parts can be nested to form a stack.

The remainder of the lifting scoop device comprises a carrying handle 21 an operating handle 22; a hollow stock or shank 23; the lifting rod or wire 1 8 already referred to which is slidable in shank 23 when operated by handle 22; a pair of brackets 24; a pair of slightly divergent springy U-shaped wires 25 which at the upper ends are secured in the brackets 24 and at the lower ends engage in the brackets 19, 20 in the manner of pivots; and a pair of slides 26 which can be made to slide along the diverging legs of the wires 25 to bring the legs closer together so that the lower ends of the legs release from the brackets 1 9, 20.

It could be arranged for the legs to be either sprung to move apart or sprung to move together.

The handle 22 could be a trigger.

The lifting scoop device can be carried about already assembled or in parts; the parts consisting of the handles 21 and 22 already assembled together with the wires 25 with the slides 26 mounted on them; and the two scoop parts 10, 11 already hinged together. For assembly, the slides 26 are lowered to bring the lower ends of the legs of the wires together; the pin 1 8a at the lower end of the rod 1 8 is inserted into the lugs 1 6, 1 7 and the ends of the legs of the wires 25 are allowed to enter holes in the brackets 1 9, 20 by raising the slides 26. Should the scoop parts have become locked together then they can be forced apart. The scoop is now ready for use.

To lift dog faeces from the ground the scoop parts 10, 11 are placed on either side of it and the handle 22 is lifted. This traps the faeces in the scoop parts and at the same time the parts 10, 11 lock together at locking strips 1 4, 1 5.

For disposal of the scooped faeces, the slides 26 are lowered so that the wires 25 become released from the brackets 1 9, 20. The parts 10, 11 - still locked together -- can now be displaced from the rod 1 8 by a sideways movement at pin 1 8a and the locked scoop parts and their contents thrown away. There is no requirement to touch the locked scoop parts once they contain faeces.

The whole structure could be made of light plastics material except possibly for the wires 25.

The parts 10, 11 could be sold as nested stacks for later pinning at hinges 12, 13 by the user or as nested stacked pairs already hinged; The hinges 12, 13 could be replaced with a ribbon hinge moulded integral with the parts 10, 11.

Re-use of the parts 10, 11 would be possible by releasing the locking at strips 14, 1 5 but in general it is intended that they should be cheap enough to be disposable after a single use.

It would be possible to use the parts 10, 11 without the handles 21, 22, the shank 23, rod 1 8 and wires 25. If this is intended then the brackets 1 9, 20 can be shaped to give a finger and thumb grip. Alternatively, the brackets 1 9, 20 could be formed so they could optionally be connected to wires 25 or used with a finger and thumb grip. By having wires and slides 26 in the manner shown, the parts 1 0, 11 can be released from the remainder of the device without applying any force which could inadvertently open the locked parts 10, 11. The slides 26 could be disposed with and the legs of the wire 25 nipped together by hand.

The shanks 23 could be made of varying lengths.

The parts 10 and 11 (if necessary without the brackets 1 9, 20) could serve as transport or storage containers. For this purpose the parts could include protective or shaped packaging material. The locking strips 14 and 1 5 could be made non-releasable, except by breaking, or airtight sealable.

By omitting the locking strips 14, 1 5 devices according to the invention could be used by disabled persons to lift articles from the floor or inaccessible places. For this use the handle 22 could be spring loaded and the ends of the wires 25, where they pass through the brackets 1 9, 20, could be equipped with tight fitting end pieces such as balls.

Claims

1. A manually operable lifting scoop device comprising a scoop part and a handle part (21, 22, 23) in which the scoop part comprises two rigid container-forming parts (10, 11) having hinge means (12, 13) so as to be operable from an open position to a closed position, and the handle part has first means (25) whereby the hinged container-forming parts can be supported from the handle part and second means (18) whereby the container-forming parts can be acted on to hinge them to the closed position.

2. A scoop device as claimed in claim 1 usable, for example, to lift dog faeces in which the container-forming parts (1 0, 11) have locking means (14, 15) so that when brought to the closed position they become locked and in which both said first means (25) and second means (18) are releasable with the handle part from the locked container-forming parts.

3. A scoop device as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the container-forming parts are each a nominal hemi-cylinder hinged along a lengthwise edge.

4. A scoop device as claimed in claim 3 in which the container-forming parts are each of a similar form and have slightly inclined end walls so that they can be moulded from a common mould and nested into a stack after moulding.

5. A scoop device as claimed in any preceding claim in which said first means on the handle part comprises struts (25) each having one end secured to a handle part stock (23) and the other end reieasably secured in brackets (19, 20) on the container-forming parts.

6. A scoop device as claimed in claim 5 in which each strut (25) is a U-shaped wire, the legs of which are sprung to effect reiease at said brackets.

7. A scoop device as claimed in any preceding claim in which the second means on the handle part comprises a tie member (18) operable by means (22) so as to act on the line of the hinge means (12, 13) to bring the container-forming parts (10. 11) together to form a closed and locked container.

8. A manually operable lifting scoop device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.