GB2305115A

GB2305115A - Lifting devices

Info

Publication number: GB2305115A
Application number: GB9618842A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Brian Smallwood
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-09-14
Filing date: 1996-09-10
Publication date: 1997-04-02
Also published as: GB9618842D0

Abstract

A lifting device includes a frame consisting of a pair of arms 2, 4 pivotally connected together, each of said arms 2, 4 having at or near one extremity thereof a gripping member 8, 10. A lifting handle 16 is connected to said arms 2, 4, and an operating means 18 is connected to at least one of said arms 2, 4 and is operable to cause relative movement of said arms 2, 4 and gripping members 8, 10. The lifting handle 16 is a continuous handle connected to said arms 2, 4 at opposite ends to said gripping members 8, 10, and the operating means is either a continuous handle 18 whose two extremities are connected to the arms 2, 4 intermediate their extremities, or an operating rod or finger catch connected to one of said arms (Fig. 5).

Description

LIFTING DEVICES This invention relates to lifting devices, particularly but not exclusively for lifting paving flags and slabs.

Paving flags and slabs, by their very nature, are heavy and cumbersome items, and are very diffucult to handle and place in a required position, particularly singlehandedly. In addition, they can represent potential hazards to a handlers back and fingers, due to the sharp and rough edges on the flags and slabs and the angle of a handler's back when the flags and slabs are being lowered and placed in position.

The present invention seeks to provide a lifting device which will ease the handling and placement of paving flags and slabs.

According to the present invention there is provided a lifting device including a frame consisting of a pair of arms pivotally connected together, each of said arms having at or near one extremity thereof a gripping member, said gripping members being located at opposite ends of said arms, a lifting handle connected to said arms, and an operating means connected to at least one of said arms and being operable to cause relative movement of said arms and said gripping members.

In a first embodiment of the invention, said operating means will preferably be connected to both of said arms intermediate the extremities of said arms.

Said arms will preferably be composed of rigid box-section steel and will be connected together at their central positions by means of a pivot passing through said arms.

The lifting handle will preferably be in the form of a continuous handle whose extremities are connected to opposed ends of said arms, and said operating means will preferably be in the form of a continuous handle whose two extremities are connected to said arms intermediate the extremities of said arms, said handles and said arms being movable relative to each other.

In a second embodiment of the invention, the operating means will preferably be in the form of an operating rod or finger catch connected to one of said arms, the operating rod or finger catch being operable to cause relative movement of said arms.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic front view of a lifting device in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the device in a differing position of operation; Figures 3 and 4 show the device of Figures 1 and 2 in use; and Figure 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a lifting device in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings and firstly to Figure 1, the lifting device illustrated comprises a pair of arms 2 and 4 which are connected together at their central positions by means of a pivot pin 6 such that the arms may pivot relative to each other about said pivot pin 6. Located at one end of the arm 2 is a gripping member 8 and located at one end of the arm 4 is a gripping member 10, it being seen that the gripping members 8 and 10 are located at opposite ends of said arms. Movable stabilising legs 12 and 14 are carried by said gripping members 8 and 10.

Attached to the opposite end of the arm 2 and to the opposite end of the arm 4 is a continuous handle 16, and connected to said arms intermediate their extremities is a second handle 18, the handles being adapted to work in conjunction with one another to cause movement of the arms 2 and 4 as will be hereinafter explained.

From the above description and Figures 1 and 2 it will thus be appreciated that the handles 16 and 18 are connected to both arms 2 and 4 such that all of these members are interconnected.

The arms 2 and 4 are constructed of rigid box-section steel, and the handles 16 and 18 are made of resilient steel, as are the the stabilising legs 12 and 14. The gripping members 8 and 10 are also made of rigid steel.

The whole may be painted or more preferably may be powdercoated.

In use, referring now firstly to Figure 2, a user's hand is placed on the upper part 16A of handle 16 and the user's fingers are positioned under the upper part 18A of the handle 18. The application of presssure by the user's fingers in the direction of arrow 20 will cause the handle 18 to move upwardly towards part 16A of handle 16 and simultaneously the arms 2 and 4 will pivot about pivot pin 6 such that the gripping members 8 and 10 move away from one another and into substantially parallel relationship.

During such movement, the legs 16B of the handle 16 will flex outwardly and the legs 18B of handle 18 will flex inwardly, it being appreciated that the greater the upward pressure applied to the part 18A of the handle 18, the greater the flexure of the legs 16B and 18B and hence the greater the distance between the gripping members 8 and 10 to fit over the paving flag or slab to be lifted. Upon release of the upward pressure on handle part 18A, the arms 2 and 4 move towards their original positions so as to apply a gripping force to a paving flag or slab 22 (Figure 3) to be lifted by the device, the handle 18 moving downwardly in the direction of arrow 24 (Figure 3).

The paving flag or slab 22 is lifted and transported only by means of applying upward pressure on handle part 16A.

When the paving flag or slab has been transported to the required position (see Figure 4), the upward pressure on the part 18A of the handle 18 is applied again, thereby causing pivotting of the arms 2 and 4 and outwards movement of the gripping members 8 and 10 to release the paving flag or slab being carried.

In order to assist in placing the paving flag or slab 22 in a required position for laying, the stablising legs 12 and 14 may be moved outwardly. In addition, the legs 12 and 14 may be used to keep the lifting device in an upright position when not on the paving flag or slab to obviate the need for the user to bend over each time the lifting device is to be used. Where a paving flag or slab is to be placed adjacent to a wall or other structure only one leg may be moved outwardly, the other leg remaining in its inoperative position.

Referring now to Figure 5, which illustrates an alternative form of a lifting device, the device comprises arms 30 and 32 which are connected together by a pin or bolt 34 such that the arms 30, 32 are pivotable relative to each other about said pin or bolt. A restraining device 36 is provided to limit the movement of said arms 30 and 32. Each of the arms 30 and 32 carry at one extremity thereof a gripping member 38 and 40 respectively which are adapted to engage opposed sides of a paving flag or slab 42. For this reason, it will be observed that the gripping members 38 and 40 are located at opposing ends of the arms 30 and 32.

Attached to the ends of the arms 30 and 32 remote from the gripping members 38 and 40 is a handle 44 and connected to the handle 44 through the intermediary of a bracket or lug 46 and to the arm 30 through the intermediary of a bracket or lug 48 is an operating rod or finger catch 50. The rod or catch 50 is freely slidable relative to the bracket or lug 46, but is fixedly secured to the bracket or lug 48, and has an overturned end 50A to enable the rod or catch to be moved relative to the bracket or lug 46 and the arms 30 and 32.

Support legs 52 and 54 are attached to the arms 30 and 32 to place the lifting device in mid-position of paving, the support legs being pivotally secured to the arms in order to facilitate their retraction when, for example, half flags or slabs are being laid next to a wall or in a similar location. Said support legs, when in their outboard positions also serve to support the device in an upright position when the device is not being used for lifting and transporting.

In use, when it is required to lift the flag or slab 42, the end 50A of the rod or catch 50 is moved upwardly which has the effect of causing relative movement of the arms 30 and 32 and hence outward movement of the gripping members 38 and 40. The device is then placed over the flag or slab in the required position, and the rod or catch 50 is released so as to again cause relative movement of the arms 30 and 32 and consequent inward movement of the gripping members 38 and 40 such that they grip opposed sides of the flag or slab 42. The flag or slab 42 may then be transported to the required laying position, whereafter the rod or catch 50 is again actuated so as to cause outward movement of the gripping members 38 and 40 and consequently the release of the flag or slab 42.

Thus the invention provides lifting devices which, once the paving flag or slab has been placed face up on delivery to site, obviates the need for the flag or slab to be touched by hand. The lifting devices of the present invention, whilst being simple in construction and relatively inexpensive to produce, enables the flags or slabs to be loaded onto a trolley, transported to the laying site and unloaded from the trolley and then laid in position.

It will be appreciated that lifting devices in accordance with the present invention have other uses. For example, they may be used for lifting and transporting items other than paving flags or slabs, for example, they may be used for lifting and transporting bricks, in which case the gripping members 8 and 10 (38 and 40) would be larger, or other regular-shaped items such as prepared timber and such like products.

The above-described lifting devices are eminently suitable for lifting and transporting paving flags or slabs - or indeed any other similar item - of a size of approximately 450mm. For larger items, such as larger paving flags or slabs, a pair of devices in accordance with the invention may be coupled together by means of interconnecting rods or bars which would extend beyond the two devices and which would be adapted to operate the handles 16 and 18 dr the rods or catches 50.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A lifting device including a frame consisting of a pair of arms pivotally connected together, each of said arms having at or near one extremity thereof a gripping member, said gripping members being located at opposite ends of said arms, a lifting handle connected to said arms, and an operating means connected to at least one of said arms and being operable to cause relative movement of said arms and gripping members.

2. A lifting device in accordance with Claim 1, wherein said lifting handle is a continuous handle and is connected to both said arms at opposite ends to said gripping members.

3. A lifting device in accordance with Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein said operating means is connected to each of said arms intermediate the extremities of said arms.

4. A lifting device in accordance with any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein said operating means is in the form of a continuous handle whose two extremities are connected to the said arms intermediate the extremities of the said arms.

5. A lifting device in accordance with Claim 4, wherein said lifting handle and said operating handle work in conjunction one with the other to cause movement of said arms and said gripping members.

6. A lifting device in accordance with Claim 5, wherein legs of said lifting handle and legs of said operating handle flex respectively outwardly and inwardly during operation of the device.

7. A lifting device in accordance with Claim 1, wherein said arms are composed of rigid box-section steel and wherein said lifting handle and said operating means are composed of resilient steel.

8. A lifting device in accordance with Claim 1, wherein said operating means comprises an operating rod or finger catch which is connected to one of said arms and to said lifting handle through the intermediary of a bracket or lug so as to be movable relative to said handle.

9. A lifting device in accordance with Claim 8, wherein the lifting device includes restraining means to limit the movement of said arms during their movement relative to one another.

10. A lifting device in accordance with any of the preceding Claims, including support legs pivotally attached to said arms.

11. Lifting devices in accordance with any of the preceding Claims which are coupled together by means of interconnecting rods or bars which extend beyond said devices and which are adapted to actuate the operating means.

12. A lifting device constructed and adapted to operate substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 or Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.