AU727597B2 - Log lifter and mover - Google Patents

Description

-fl Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

(ORIGINAL)

9 9* Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: KEVIN WILLIAM DUFFY KEVIN WILLIAM DUFFY SANDERCOCK COWIE 69 Robinson Street, DANDENONG VIC 3175 LOG LIFTER AND MOVER Details of Associated Provisional Application(s): No(s): Australian Provisional Application No. P01522 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 1 970807cmnsdaL121,duff.fi,1 la- TITLE: LOG LIFTER AND MOVER *FIELD OF THE INVENTION 5 This invention resides in a manually operable mechanical **..:device for lifting a log from the ground and moving the log in step-by-step fashion over the ground.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION The invention has been developed primarily for use as a tool for lifting and supporting logs of a size which cannot be lifted directly by a single person and which obviates the use of a tractor whereby the log can be lifted and supported by forks or the like on the tractor three-point linkage or towed over the ground by chains located around linkage or towed over the ground by chains located around 970807,cnsdat.121,DUFFY.CAP,1 -2the log and secured to a prime mover such as a truck, tractor or winch. The latter form of moving the log does not always provide for correct positioning of the log at its destination point and of course trucks, tractors and chains and the like are not always immediately available whereby the device of the present invention can be easily carried and assembled on site and operated by a single person.

A device known as a cant hook has at some time been used for turning over logs. This old type device comprised a wooden lever with a movable iron hook near the lower end used for grasping and canting or turning over logs. This device did not lift the logs and provided no real mechanical advantage in use.

:Manually operable devices have been known comprising a lever having a ground engaging part at its lower end and a pivotal hook arm extending from a pivot on the lever part way up from the ground engaging part so that by wedging the ground engaging part against a log and into the ground and engaging the hook arm over the log with the hook "engaging in the log, pulling on the lever displaces the log upwards off the ground to a stable lifted position. This device is only effective in lifting the log, usually for .subsequent sawing operations.

20 The present invention is not merely for the lifting of the log but acts to move it over the ground with a step-by-step movement by a walking action of the device over and in engagement with the ground.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a log lifting and moving device comprising a foot member of quadrilateral open form including a curved toe portion, an outer end leg and a straight upper leg part, a socket member located on the outer end of and on top of said upper leg part above said toe portion and a U-shaped locating and guide member secured to and on top of the other end of said upper leg part, a swivel arm pivotally mounted on said foot member below the said other end of said Oupper leg part so as to be capable of swivelling around or through said foot member said ivel arm being provided with a transverse blade part, an elongated bar member -o- 9 9 9 99 99 9 9 9 l006,cmsdat.121,DUFFY.CAP,2 *9 99 9 9o• 9999 9. 99 9. 9 99 *9• engageable in said socket member and in said U-shaped locating member on the upper leg part of said foot member and a curved hook member having a sharpened end, the curved hook member being pivotally attached to said elongated bar member at a location spaced from said foot member.

PREFERRED ASPECTS OF THE INVENTION 0 .0 00 000 0 rt**: 0 0 0. 0 0 0 0000 00 0 0.00 The foot member may be provided with diagonally located reinforcing bars within the confines of said foot member and the swivel arm may comprise two diverging legs so as to allow the swivel arm to pivot over and around the foot member.

In an alternate form the swivel arm consists of a single bar leg movable through slots in an end and lower leg parts of the foot member.

15 The transverse blade part at the lower end of the swivel arm may comprise a section of angle iron and the hook member is curved to accommodate the average diameter log to enable the hook part to engage the log at a lower part of its circumference.

In order to provide an acceptable leverage and mechanical advantage in the use of the 20 device a removable extended bar member is removably secured on the end of said hook member elongated bar.

*0 eo o l oo oo o o0 *o 00 *o 0 4 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the invention and its manner of performance may be more fully understood, reference will now be made to the figures of the drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device in its engagement with a log before actuation of the device, Figure 2 is a side elevation illustrating the device midway through its actuation, Figure 3 is a side elevation illustrating the device at the end of movement of the actuating lever, Figure 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the foot member and its swivel arm, and Figure 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the foot member and its swivel arm.

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Foot member Elongated bar member Closed socket Stop member U-shaped locating member Bolt member or pin Curved hook member Hook member pivot Sharpened hook part Log Apertures for adjustment of hook members Removable elongated handle Upper leg part of foot member End leg part 9807,nsdat.121,DUFFY.CAP,4 5 19. Bottom leg part Further end leg part 21. Curved toe part of foot member 22. Curved heel part of foot member 23. Diagonal reinforcing rods 24. Swivel arm Ground anchoring member 26. Blade part on swivel arm 27. Horizontal blade part 28. Stirrup of swivel arm 29. Alternate foot member Slotted part of alternate foot member 31. Slotted end part 32. Alternate swivel arm.

:DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH RESPECT TO THE DRAWINGS Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates the complete device of the invention, wherein a foot member is removably attached to elongated bar member 6 which is inserted at its end into closed socket 7 and held against further movement therethrough by stop member 8. Bar member 6 also engages in U-shaped locating member 9 and held therein by a pin or bolt member Further along bar member 6 a curved hook member 11 is pivotally mounted at 12, the curved hook member 11 having a sharpened end part 13 for engagement through the outer surface of log 14. The pivotal mounting of hook member 11 is adjustable along bar member 6 by the addition of pivot pin apertures 15 through member 6. An extension of bar member 6 is provided in the form of a removable elongated handle 16.

Foot member 5 is shaped of quadrilateral form having an upper leg part 17, an end leg 18, a bottom leg 19 and a further end leg 20. The foot member 5 is configured with 970807nsdt.121,DUFFY.CAP, 6 a curved toe part 21 and a curved heel part 22 and within the quadrilateral member 5 there are provided diagonal reinforcing rods 23 to strengthen the open configuration of the foot member Pivotally mounted below on the underside of upper leg part 17 adjacent and outside the upper ends of end leg 20 there is provided a swivel arm 24. In the illustration of Figure 1 and Figure 4 this swivel arm 24 is of stirrup shape 28 so that it may swivel over end leg 20 and bottom leg 19 in the use of the device. At the outer end of swivel arm 24 there is provided a ground anchoring member 25 having a downwardly extending blade 26 for ease of entry into the ground and with a horizontal blade part 27 acting as a stop 15 against undue ground penetration of blade part 26.

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i: Referring to Figure 5 there is illustrated another embodiment of a foot member 29 generally of rectangular shape with the bottom leg part slotted at 30 and the 20 slotted end leg part formed from two spaced leg parts 31.

The swivel arm 32 of this embodiment is a flat bar member 33 pivotally mounted through the upper ends of leg parts 31 and adapted to swivel through the slotted end part and bottom leg part. This swivel arm 32 is also provided at its outer end with blade parts 26 and 27 as with the embodiment of Figure 4.

In operation of the device in its assembled form, it is held in its upright position as shown in Figure 1 against the log 14 with hook member 11 pivoted over the log with sharpened part 13 engaging in the outer surface of the log 14 with end leg 18 engaging the ground.

By pulling downwardly on handle 16 in the direction of the arrow, the swivel arm 24 anchors in the ground and the curved toe part 21 skids forwardly and log 14 is lifted as 9708D7ansdat.121,DUFFY.CAPA 7 shown in the illustration of Figure 2. Further downward movement of handle 16 moves the device to the position shown in Figure 3.

In order to obtain further forward movement of the device, handle 16 is raised to its vertical position as shown in Figure 1 by pivoting on the part 21 and the anchor part of the swivel arm 24 lifting from the ground and pivoting to the location shown in Figure 1.

Repeating the actuation of the device as described above lifts the log again and moves it further on and further actuation of the device can be implemented until the desired final location of the log is reached.

It will be appreciated that the device may be constructed from flat metal bars, tubular material or extruded cast :'"parts all preferably of metal. It will also be appreciated that the device may be disassembled into its several separate parts for ease of carrying to a desired site and assembling on location.

It is envisaged that the device of the invention will primarily be used in rural areas where its mechanical simplicity, portability and robust construction increases its desirability over other, more complex devices, and although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in this field that the invention may be embodied in many other forms and usage.

970807xmsdat.121,DUFFY.CAP,7

Claims (11)

1. A log lifting and moving device comprising a foot member of quadrilateral open form including a curved toe portion, an outer end leg and a straight upper leg part, a socket member located on the outer end of and on top of said upper leg part above said toe portion and a U-shaped locating and guide member secured to and on top of the other end of said upper, leg part, a swivel arm pivotally mounted on said foot member below the said other end of said upper leg part so as to be capable of swivelling around or through said foot member said swivel arm being provided with a transverse blade part, an elongated bar member engageable in :said socket member and in said U-shaped locating member on the upper leg part S-t. of said foot member and a curved hook member having a sharpened end;,. the curved hook member being pivotally attached to said elongated bar member at a location spaced from said foot member. is

2. A log lifting and moving device according to Claim 1, wherein the foot member is provided with diagonally located reinforcing bars within the confines of said Sfoot member. 20

3. A log lifting and moving device according to Claim 1, or Claim 2 wherein the :o swivel arm comprises two diverging legs so as to allow the swivel arm to pivot over and around the foot member.

4. A log lifting and moving device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the swivel arm comprises a single bar leg movable through slots in an end and a lower leg part of the foot member.

A log lifting and moving device according to any one of the previous Claims wherein said transverse blade part is located at and depending from the outer end of the swivel arm as a section of an angle member and operable to engage into the ground as an anchor member. o a. o a o• o• a a a a 106codt 12 •.UF.A, -9-

6. A log lifting and moving device according to Claim 5, wherein the other part of said angle member is a horizontal blade part acting as a stop against undue ground penetration of said depending blade part.

7. A log lifting and moving device according to any one of the previous Claims wherein the hook member is of a curvature so as to accommodate an average diameter log to enable the sharpened end of the hook member to engage the log at a lower part of its circumference.

8. A log lifting and moving device according to any one of the previous Claims and including an elongated handle member removably secured on the end of said elongated bar member. *o o•

9. A method of operating a log lifting and moving device according to any one of 15 the previous Claims comprising the steps of locating the device in an upright position against the log with the hook member pivoted over the log with its sharpened end engaging in the log and the outer end leg of the foot member :engaging the ground, pulling down on the handle member so as to engage the toe of the foot member with the ground whilst the swivel arm is anchored on the S" 20 ground so that the said toe portion of the foot member moves over the ground, pulling the handle member further down so that the end of the handle member is at its extreme lower position with the foot member moving further over the ground, lifting the handle member to move the foot member further over the ground until the device returns to its upright position at a location removed from its original position and repeating the steps until the log reaches a predetermined position.

A method of operating a log lifting and moving device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. A log lifting and moving device substantially as hereinbefore described with -o 55 o 1 .006,cmsdat.l21,DUFFY.CAP,9 10 reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 6"'day of October, 2000. SANDERCOCK COWIE PATENT ATTORNEYS FOR KEVIN WILLIAM DUFFY S S *e S. S. *5 S. 555 S *5 S I S S S S S S p. 55 5* S 5 5 5 55 5 S S S S S S C *9 S 55 5 5 55 S. S **SSS*55 55 55 55 S. S S S S S 5. 0 55. ~1OO6.cmsdac.i2IDUFFY.CAP,1O 5* *S S S 5 *5 S 5. 5 55 5 S. S 5* 55 5 55