AU646524B2

AU646524B2 - Lifting apparatus

Info

Publication number: AU646524B2
Application number: AU89763/91A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Robin Maurice Harrison
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-12-17
Filing date: 1991-12-17
Publication date: 1994-02-24
Anticipated expiration: 2011-12-17
Also published as: AU8976391A

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 bj 46 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT (Original) APPLICATION NUMBER:

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COMPLETE SPECIFICATION LODGED:

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NAME OF APPLICANT: ACTUAL INVENTOR(S): ROBIN MAURICE HARRISON ROBIN MAURICE HARRISON

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ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: INVENTION TITLE: KELVIN LORD AND COMPANY 4 Douro Place West Perth WA 6005 "LIFTING APPARATUS" DETAILS OF ASSOCIATED LOVISIONAL APPLICATIONS: NOS: PK 3906 The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 1 2 2 The present invention relates to a lifting apparatus.

3 More particularly, the apparatus of the present invention 4 is intended for use in lifting the lids on domestic and commercial rubbish bins having a hinged lid.

6 It has been an aim of the householder, workers in any 7 profession handling foods and those in the medical field to 8 avoid contact with bins from the point of view of hygiene.

9 Also the opening of a bin lid when both a user's hands are occupied may result in the dropping of some or all of the 11 load. For a disabled person this problem is intensified.

S: 12 The present invention provides a lifting apparatus suitable 13 for use in lifting the lids of domestic and commercial S: 14 rubbish bins that overcomes the abovementioned disadvantages.

16 In accordance with one aspect of the present invention 17 there is provided a lifting apparatus comprising a 18 stabilising means, a lifting arm, an actuating arm and a 19 connecting means connecting the lifting arm and the actuation-arm, wherein the actuating arm and the lifting 21 arm are pivotally attached to the stabilising means such 22 that travel of the actuating arm causes a corresponding 23 travel in the litting arm, the stabilising means having 24 provided therein an engagement means to releasably engage a handle of a rubbish bin to which the lifting apparatus may 26 be fitted and to thereby provide support fo lifting 27 apparatus when fitted to the rubbish bin, the rubbish bin 28 comprising a body portion and lid means, the handle engaged 29 by the engagement means being located on the body portion J 3ON thereof.

1 3 2 The present invention will now be described, by way of 3 example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in 4 which: Figure 1 is an upper perspective view of a lifting 6 apparatus in accordance with a first embodiment of the 7 present invention shown fitted to a rubbish bin; 8 Figure 2 is a further upper perspective view of the lifting 9 apparatus of Figure 1 shown fitted to the rubbish bin with the lid in an open position; 11 Figure 3 is an upper perspective view of an upper portion 12 of the lifting apparatus of Figure 1 shown without the 13 rubbish bin; 14 Figure 4 is an upper perspective view of an alternative first end for the lifting apparatus of Figure 1; 16 Figure 5 is an exploded upper perspective view of the first 17 end of Figure 4; 18 Figure 6 is an upper perspective view of a further lifting 19- apparatus,; and Figure 7 is an upper perspective view of a still further 21 lifting apparatus.

4 In Figures 1 and 2 there is shown a lifting apparatus comprising a stabilising means 12, a lifting arm 14, an actuating arm 16 and a connecting means, for example a cable 18.

The stabilising means 12 comprises a first end 20, a second end 22 and a mid-portion 24. The first end 20 has a sleeve fitting 26 attached thereto. The sleeve fitting 26 has a

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10 slot 28 provided therein and a pair of flanges projecting therefrom, as can be best seen in Figure 3.

The flanges 30 have a platform member 32 connecting them in which an engagement means in the form of a hook 34 is received. The flanges 30, platform member 32 and sleeve fitting 26 are integrally formed.

The slot 28 receives therein a mid-portion 36 of the lifting arm 14. The lifting arm 14 further comprises a first end 38 and a second end 40. The first end 38 has .provided thereat an aperture 42 to receive the cable 18.

V 20 The second end 40 is substantially L-shaped as shown in Figure 3. A fastening means 44 is provided to pivotally locate the lifting arm 14 in the slot 28 closer to the first end 38 than the second end The second end 22 of the stabilising means 12 comprises a curved portion 46 and a gripping member 48. The curved portion 46 is either integrally formed with or sleeve fitted to both the mid-portion 24 and gripping member 48.

As shown in Figure 1 the gripping member 48 is so shaped so S u as to conform to the shape of a body portion 50 of a 5 rubbish bin 52.

The rubbish bin 52 further comprises a lid means 54 and a handle 56. The hook 34 engages the handle 56 by which the lid means 54 is pivotally connected to the body portion 50. The lid means 54 has a pair of handles 58 one of wh.ch is engaged by the second end 40 of the lifting arm The actuating arm 16 comprises a first end 60, a second end 62 and a mid-portion 64. The first end 60 is pivotally attached to the gripping member 48 by way of a fastening 10 means 66. The mid-portion 64 receives therein the cable 18 and the second end 62 has a foot-grip 68 provided thereon.

The rubbish bin 52 has an axle 70 passing therethrough to which a pair of wheels 72 are attached, as can be seen in Figure 2.

In Figures 4 and 5 there is shown an alternative first end of the stabilising means 12 comprising a sleeve fitting e* 74 having the slot 28 and fastening means 44 to locate the .lifting arm 14. A flange 76 projects from the sleeve fitting 74 and has an aperture 78 provided therein. The 20 flange 76 has opposed recesses 80 provided adjacent the aperture 78 to receive lugs 82 located on a hook means 84.

The hook means 84 further comprises a hook 86 to engage the handle 56, opposed cut-away portions 88 and a circumferential flange The hook means 84 may be disengaged from the flange 76 by compression of the hook means 84 through the cut-away portion 88 which releases the circumferential flange from engagement with the flange 76. This allows the hook means 84 to be replaced in the aperture 78 in a reversed 6 orientation.

In Figure 6 there is shown a lifting apparatus 100 mounted on a rubbish bin 52, like numerals denote like parts.

The actuating arm 16 is pivotally mounted at its first end 60 about the axle 70. The cable 18 passes from the mid portion 64 of the actuating arm to a hinge 102 provided on the lid means 54. The hinge 102 is formed integrally with the lid means 54 and pivots about the handle 56 passing "therethrough.

10 The hinge 102 has a slot 104 provided therein through which the cable 18 passes. The cable 18 is then attached at an anchorage point 106 remote from the slot 104. The cable 18 passes over the hinge 102 such that a force in the cable 18 will be transferred to the anchorage point 106 past the handle 56. The hinge 102 and lid means 54 are then able to 0 •00:10 pivot about the handle 56, as shown in Figure 6.

*O 0 In Figure 7 there is shown a lifting apparatus 110 mounted *on a rubbish bin 52, like numerals denote like parts.

The actuating arm 16 is pivotally mounted on an 20 intermediate member 112 that passes through a wall of the body portion 50 of the rubbish bin 52. The intermediate member 112 passes into a cavity (not shown) provided in the rubbish bin 52. A stud member 114 is attached to or integrally formed with the intermediate member 114 and projects in a manner substantially parallel to the actuating arm 16. Movement or travel of the actuating arm 16 produces concurrent and equivalent movement in the stud member 114.

The stud member 114 has a first end 116 and a second end 118. The first end 116 is attached to the intermediate 7 member 112 whereas the second end 118 has the cable 18 attached thereto.

The lifting apparatus 110 comprises the same hinge 102, slot 104 and anchorage point 106 arrangement as lifting apparatus 100. However, the cable 18 passes from the stud member 114 to the hinge 112 through the cavity in the rubbish bin 52 and only emerges therefrom just before passing into the slot 104 on the hinge 102.

In use, the lifting apparatus 10 may be fitted to a bin 52 10 by positioning the gripping member 48 of the stabilising means 12 around the body portion 50 of the bin 52.

e *Concurrently, the hook 34 may be engaged with the handle e "56, as can be best seen in Figures 1 and 2.

The bin 52 may still be moved in the normal manner using th- wheels 72 while the lifting apparatus 10 is fitted 0 thereto.

4 S A user (not shown) wishing to place rubbish and the like into the bin 52 may use his or her feet to press down on the foot grip 68 at the second end 62 of the actuating arm Sto, 20 16. This downward pressure is be exerted in this a position on the actuating arm 16 as it ensures the maximum travel in the actuating arm 16.

With the downward pressure being exerted on the actuating arm 16, it will pivot about the fastening means 64.

Consequently, the downward travel induced in the actuating arm 16 is transferred through the cable 18 to the lifting arm 14.

The first end 38 of the lifting arm 14 is pulled downward by the cable 18 which causes the lifting arm 14 to pivot 8 about the fastening means 44. Consequently, the second end of the lifting arm 14 is raised. The raising of the second end 40 of the lifting arm 14 in turn raises the lid means 54 by way of its engagement with the handle 58.

The user may then place the rubbish and the like into the body portion 50 of the bin 52 without having to use his or her hands to contac- the bin 52 in any way.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the lifting apparatus 10 is fitted to the left hand side of the bin 52. However, the 10 lifting apparatus 10 may alternatively be fitted to the right hand side of the bin 52. The construction o the first end 20 of the stabilising means 12 facilitates this change. In particular, the hook 34 may be disengaged from the platform member 32 and rotated so as to be positioned in a reversed orientation. The lifting arm 14 would of course have to be reversed at sLbstantially the same time and the gripping member 48 of the stabilising means 12 would have to be reversed in orientation also. This is possible by way of a sleeve fitting between the gripping 20 member 48 and the curved portion 48 of the stabilising means 12.

The alternative first end 20 of the stabilising means 12 shown in Figures 4 and 5 represents a further means by which the lifting apparatus 10 may be fitted to c- her side of the bin 52. The hook means 84 may be disengaged from the flange 76 by the compression of the cut away portions 88 and the disengaging of the circumferential flange from the flange 76. The hook means 84 is then lifted free of the flange 76 and may be rotated. The hook means 84 may 9 then be re-located in the aperture 78 of the flange 76 whereby the lugs 82 engaging with the recesses 80 ensure the correct orientation of the hook means 84. It will also be required to rotate the sleeve fitting 26 or 74 through 1800 on the mid portion 24 of the stabilising means 12.

When the hook means 84 is in position in the aperture 78 of the flange 76, the circumferential flange 90 ensures there i6 no movement of the hook means S4 out of the aperture 78.

It is to be understood that additional variations of the S* 10 first end 20 are envisaged by this application, including a reversible snap-fitting engagement means.

The lifting apparatus 100 operates in substantially the same manner as the lifting apparatus 10. However, there are a number of differences associated therewith. The first end 60 of the actuating arm 16 is pivotally located on the axle 70 between the body portion 50 of the bin 52 0 and one of the wheels 72, as can be seen in Figure 6.

Downward travel of the actuating arm 16 induced by a user is pivotal about the axle 70. The travel of the actuating 20 arm 16 is in turn transferred by the cable 18 to the hinge 102. The travel in the cable 18 is in turn passed to the anchorage point 106 by way of the slot 104 in the hinge 102. This action causes the hinge 102 and the lid means 54 to be raised by pivotal movement of the hinge 102 about the handle 56. It is important to note that the cable 18 passes ovpr the hinge 102 at a point remote from the anchorage point 106 and which is located at an opposite side of the handle 56 about which the hinge 102 must pivot.

The lifting apparatus 110 operates in a manner 10 substantially the same as the lifting apparatus 100, particularly in regard to the operation of the hinge 102.

However, the operation of the actuating arm 16 and the transfer of travel therein through the cable means 18 is altered. Downward travel in the actuating arm 16 causes rotation of the intermediate member 112 that is in turn transferred to downward travel in the stud member 114. The travel in the stud member 114 is passed into the cable 18 by way of its attachment to the second end 118 of the stud 10 member 114. The stud member 114 is contained within a cavity within a wall of the rubbish bin 52 as is the cable ^18 for the majority of its length, as shown in Figure 7.

Sao The cable 18 emerges from the body portion 50 of the bin 52 at a point near the hinge 102. The operation of the hinge 102, slot 104 and anchorage point 106 being exactly that of the lifting apparatus 100.

It is envisaged that the connecting means may also take the form of a rigid rod, wire, line or rope. Also, a means for adjusting the tension or length thereof may be incorporated 20 into the lifting apparatus 10, 100 or 110.

It is further envisaged that the foot grip 68 located on the second end 62 of the actuating arm 16 may be larger than illustrated in Figures 1,2,6 and 7. The foot grip 68 may form an L-shape or U-shape with a grip area provided over a portion thereof.

The lifting apparatus 10, 100 or 110 may be formed from metal which is galvanised or passive zinc coated, or possibly from a plastics material. Any metal may in addition be powder coated to provide a degree of weather 11 protection and aesthetic appeal.

The fastening means 44 and 66 may take the form of clevis pins. Screws may be used to attach the sleeve fitting 26 to the mid portion 24 of the stabilising means 12. Also, screws may be used to attach the gripping member 48 to the curved portion 46 of the stabilising means 12.

Modifications and variations such as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed within the scope of the present invention.

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Claims

6. A lifting apparatus according to Claim 5, in which the 11 fitting is rotatably'mounted to the stabilising means. 12 7. A lifting apparatus according to Claim 5 or 6, in which i 13 the engagement means is mounted to the fitting in a S: 14 rotatable manner. 15 8. A lifting apparatus according to any one of the 16 preceding claims in which the engagement means is a hook by S 17 which the lifting apparatus may hang on the handle of the 18 body portion of the rubbish bin. 19' A lifting apparatus according to any one of Claims 3 to S* 8, in which the gripping member is rotatably attached to i 21 the stabilising means. 22 10. A lifting apparatus substantially as hereinbefore A 23 described with reference to Figures 1 to 24 26 DATED NOVEMBER 18 1993 27 ROBIN MAURICE HARRISON 28 By His Patent Attorneys AKELVIN LORD AND COMPANY \PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA ABSTRACT A lifting apparatus (10) comprising a stabilising means a lifting arm an actuating arm (16) and a connecting means (18) connecting the lifting arm (14) and the actuating arm wherein the actuating arm (16) and the lifting arm (14) are pivotally attached to the stabilising means (12) such that travel of the actuating arm (16) causes a corresponding travel in the lifting arm S(14). 15 0 2 o0 o *00 eg