GB2578907A

GB2578907A - Lifting and/or moving device

Info

Publication number: GB2578907A
Application number: GB1818494.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony Downey Graham
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-11-13
Filing date: 2018-11-13
Publication date: 2020-06-03
Anticipated expiration: 2038-11-13
Also published as: GB2578907B; GB201818494D0

Abstract

A device for lifting and moving an object, especially a wall-mounted radiator R, comprises an elongate frame assembly 2 comprising anchoring means such as opposed clamping jaws 3, 5 and a support member such as an elongate support leg 4 mounted on the frame assembly 2 so that the relative position of the support leg 4 relative to the frame assembly 2 and the clamping jaws 3, 5 can be varied, especially generally parallel to a longitudinal direction of the frame 2. The frame assembly 2 may be moved relative to the support leg 4 by a trigger-operated incremental displacement mechanism 12. The clamping jaws 3, 5 may be resiliently based towards one another by spring 22. The support leg 4 may have a lower support foot 16 which may incorporate a wheel or caster.

Description

LIFTING AND/OR MOVING DEVICE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a lifting and moving device, especially though not exclusively a device for lifting and moving a radiator or other upright surface-mounted item, which may typically be bulky or heavy. More particularly, though not exclusively, the invention relates to a device for lifting and supporting a radiator or other bulky or heavy item and moving it to or into a desired location or position, such as during a mounting or unmounting procedure thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART

It is known to provide a device for assisting the mounting or unmounting of a central heating radiator onto or from its support brackets on a wall, so as to be able to more readily lift and support it, such as during decoration or when replacing the radiator. Such devices are designed primarily to prevent injury, since many radiators are bulky and heavy and the process of mounting or unmounting them onto or from a wall on which they are installed can often involve bodily bending and manual lifting, which can apply significant amounts of strain to a person's back and other parts of their body, which can lead to injury if not done properly.

In addition, the task of getting a radiator off wall hanging brackets on which it sits can often be fiddly, since the hanging brackets are conventionally configured in such a way as to purposely hold the radiator securely to the wall and prevent it from coming off easily. Thus, such known lifting devices may also go some way to assisting such a radiator removal procedure.

Hitherto the task of actually mounting a radiator on a wall presents other difficulties too. For example, to install a given radiator onto a wall adjacent a floor, a worker typically needs first to lay the radiator flat on the floor, with its side provided with its integral fixing brackets facing upwards. The worker must then determine what the distance will be between the bottom of the radiator and the floor when it is finally mounted on the wall. A measurement must then be taken of the distance between points on the bottom of radiator and the radiator's final resting point on each radiator hanging bracket to be affixed to the wall. This measurement must then be transferred to the wall whilst taking into account the dimensions of the various components that inter-engage in the formation of the final mounting fixing. For this purpose, the worker often then needs to hold a given hanging bracket against the wall (or use a measurement instrument that has markers indicating where the brackets will be), in order to mark with a pencil where, according to the determined measurement, the hanging bracket fixing holes on the wall need to be drilled. Improvised aids, such as the placing of blocks or packers underneath the radiator to get it to the right height and position, are sometimes used in an attempt to get the measurements right, but such aids are rather crude and mechanically unreliable (relying on trial and error as they do). They are also bulky to transport to a desired working site and time-consuming to deploy. Since on most radiators there are typically two fixing brackets at each end of the radiator (and possibly there are more than two on especially wide radiators), the worker then needs to measure the distance between the centres of both fixing brackets, and then repeat the procedure as above for determining the locations on the wall of the screw-holes for affixing the second (or each additional) hanging bracket. Once the correct distances apart have been determined, the worker must then drill the bracket fixing holes and affix the hanging brackets to the wall. This is then usually followed by a test hanging of the radiator, which may not always fit, and thus the overall procedure may require adjustments to either of the fixing points of the hanging brackets, or even re-drilling of the hanging bracket mounting holes themselves. Especially when a radiator has more than two fixing brackets, as is the case with larger (i.e. especially wide) radiators, which may typically have three fixing brackets, mistakes are not uncommon when undertaking the aforesaid measurement steps and transferring them from the radiator to the wall.

The above overall radiator mounting procedure might in principle be made somewhat easier if it were possible to make the radiator more physically manageable and manipulatable so that its prospective positioning on the wall could be more easily predicted or tested, but hitherto there have been no types of equipment available that facilitate that in an optimum manner, especially whilst also facilitating the process of unmounting and moving the radiator from its wall-mounted location to a desired location as or when desired.

GB2315729A discloses a device for lifting, tilting and holding a radiator upon its removal from a wall mounting, e.g. for the purpose of decorating the wall behind it. The device has an upright support frame having adjustable brackets which fit under the radiator, jacking levers and an offset rear leg assembly. To allow access to the wall behind the radiator, the device is placed under the radiator and lifted up, using the jacking legs, to remove the radiator from its hanging brackets, and then the radiator can be tilted over and supported in its leaning position by the rear leg assembly of the device. The reverse procedure is undertaken in order to replace the radiator on the wall.

NL7404575A discloses a trolley for transporting a central heating radiator, the trolley having an axle, wheels, a lifting element and a handle. The lifting element has two levers pivoted to it. One of the levers has a lateral bar at the top for supporting the radiator, and the other of the levers is provided with a hand grip for adjusting the portion of the first lever and locking it in a vertical position using a connecting element or latch.

The above known lifting/handling devices are not ideally suited to handling many radiators, for various reasons. Firstly, since different radiators in different rooms or properties are generally installed on wall hanging brackets that may sit at different heights above the floor, the absence of significant height adjustment capability in such known devices means that a worker would in many (if not most) cases need to unmount the radiator off the hanging brackets, and then lift it and actually place it on the radiator lifting/moving equipment.

However, since some radiators are big and heavy and require both hands in order to lift it, if the lifting device is unable to stand on its own without a person holding it, then in practice it would be difficult for one person to hold the lifting device ready, and also lift and place a heavy radiator onto it. Furthermore, these known devices are bulky and would be difficult to lift by one person alone.

In addition, some of these known lifting/handling devices are too bulky to be able to be used in small spaces, or they pose an injury risk in environments where access to an area involves going up or down a flight of stairs, which would inevitably necessitate having two workers in order to be able to safely and efficiently lift the device and the radiator carried on it.

Furthermore, since fitting a radiator often involves trial and error, as a worker attempts to "joggle" or position the radiator fixing brackets on the rear side of both ends of the radiator so as to line up with their respective wall hanging brackets at the correct locations, so that when finally mounted the radiator is level, then the absence of any mechanisms for independent height adjustments, or tilting, associated with each hanging/fixing bracket combination independently of the other(s) renders such known radiator lifting/handling devices impractical in many instances of mounting or unmounting of radiators. This is because it means that a worker has to manually attend to each hanging/fixing bracket combination in turn, in order to ensure that the finally mounted radiator is level with the adjacent floor or a window sill (if the latter is more appropriate to the aesthetics of the room).

Furthermore still, there are common instances when DIY work or installation or removal of radiators is undertaken when a building's floor covering (e.g. floorboards) has not yet been installed onto the floor, or even when it has already been removed, either of which scenarios demands that workers use the floor joists to navigate a room when undertaking their building work in the property. In such circumstances, known wheeled devices or devices which rely on a flat base resting on a sizeable floor surface -such as those of GB2315729A and NL7404575A mentioned above -would be wholly unsuitable for the mounting or unmounting of a radiator onto or from a wall in such environments.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to address and ameliorate the problems and shortcomings that beset known radiator lifting and moving equipment or devices, such as those mentioned above, and to present a device for lifting and moving large, heavy and/or bulky objects like radiators -especially in the mounting or unmounting of radiators onto or from a wall or other surface -which can be used in a variety of environments and which is efficient and simple to use, and cost-effective to manufacture and deploy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, in a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a device for lifting and/or moving an object, the device comprising: a frame assembly comprising anchoring means constructed and configurable for anchoring the object to the frame assembly so that it is constrained to move therewith, and a support member mounted on the frame assembly and being adjustably configurable relative to the frame so as to vary the relative position of the support member relative to the anchoring means.

In many practical embodiments of the device, the frame assembly may have a general longitudinal axis or direction and the support member may be adjustably configurable relative to the frame so as to vary the relative position of the support member relative to the anchoring means generally along or parallel to the said longitudinal axis or direction.

In many embodiments the support member may comprise an elongate leg member, e.g. in the form of a rod or shaft, and the leg member may be mounted on or in the frame assembly via displacement means, wherein the displacement means is operable to vary, especially vary by a controllable and/or selectable relative displacement distance, the relative position of the support member relative to the anchoring means.

In various embodiment forms the present invention may provide a device for lifting and/or moving any domestic or industrial item which may typically be bulky or heavy, especially an item which is normally mounted at a location or position spaced from a floor or other support surface, such as on a wall or other surface, especially a generally upright or vertical surface.

Many embodiments of the invention may be particularly applicable to a device for lifting and/or moving a radiator, such as a central heating radiator, which may be of any size and shape. However, other embodiments of the invention may be applicable to a device for lifting and/or moving other bulky or heavy items, especially those which are relatively long or wide in comparison with their thickness, such as doors, mirrors, panels of various kinds, or sheets of various kinds of material.

In some embodiments of the invention, especially those in which the device is designed for lifting and/or moving a wall-or upright-(or vertical-)surface-mountable object such as a radiator, the longitudinal axis of the frame assembly may, when the device is in use and in the process of at least lifting the object, be orientable so as to be generally substantially (or approximately) upright or vertical, such as generally substantially (or approximately) aligned with or parallel to the upright or generally vertical plane or planar surface of the wall or other upright surface on which the object is, or is to be, mounted. However, it is to be understood that in many practical such embodiments this capability for the device to be so orientable may nevertheless still permit the device to be oriented differently during a step of moving an object, e.g. across a floor or other basal surface, especially into an alternative orientation in which the longitudinal axis of the frame assembly is tipped, tilted or angled away from the vertical or upright direction by an angle of >0° but <90° relative to that vertical or upright direction.

In many practical embodiments of the device of the invention, the anchoring means may comprise first and second clamping means, the first and second clamping means being adjustably configurable relative to each other for clamping between them the object to be lifted and/or moved.

In many such embodiment forms, the first and second clamping means may be constructed and configurable to anchoringly clamp the object to be lifted and/or moved via its opposite side (especially left-and right-side) edge portions.

However, in certain other such embodiment forms, the first and second clamping means may be constructed and configurable to anchoringly clamp the object to be lifted and/or moved via at least one of its opposite top and/or bottom edge portions, especially via both of its opposite top and/or bottom edge portions.

However, in still certain other embodiment forms, a combination of each of the aforesaid side-to-side and top-and/or-bottom clamping means may be provided, so that the overall anchoring means comprises a plurality of clamping means (especially a plurality of pairs of clamping means) that are constructed and are configurable to anchoringly clamp the object to be lifted and/or moved both via its opposite side (especially left-and right-side) edge portions and also via its top and/or bottom edge portions.

In the context of embodiment devices of the invention that employ at least first and second clamping means as the anchoring means, in some such embodiments the first and second clamping means may each comprise a respective clamping member. The or each said clamping member may comprise a or a respective jaw member configurable to engage a respective portion of the object to be lifted and/or moved, especially a respective peripheral edge portion of the object. In many practical embodiments, especially those in which the clamping members clamp the object via its top and bottom edge portions, the jaw members of the first and second clamping means may face one another or be located mutually opposite to one another either side of a transverse plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the frame, whereby each one of the jaw members may be configurable to engage a respective portion of the object that is on an opposite side of the object from the respective portion thereof which the other one of the jaw members is configurable to engage. Likewise, in those embodiments in which the clamping members clamp the object via its opposite side (especially left-and right-side) edge portions, the jaw members of the first and second clamping means may face one another or be located mutually opposite to one another either side of a plane coincident with or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the frame, whereby each one of the jaw members may be configurable to engage a respective portion of the object that is on an opposite side of the object from the respective portion thereof which the other one of the jaw members is configurable to engage.

In many such embodiments, especially those in which the device is for lifting and/or moving a wall-mountable radiator, the opposite edge portions of the object (i.e. the radiator) which the first and second clamping means are designed to engage may be upper and lower, especially top and bottom, edge portions of the radiator (or other object).

However, in other such embodiments, even those in which the device is for lifting and/or moving a wall-mountable radiator, it may be possible for the opposite edge portions of the object (i.e. the radiator) which the first and second clamping means are designed to engage may be left-and right-side edge portions of the radiator (or other object).

In yet other such embodiments, again even those in which the device is for lifting and/or moving a wall-mountable radiator, it may be possible for the opposite edge portions of the object (i.e. the radiator) which respective ones of plural pairs of clamping means are designed to engage may be both upper and lower (especially top and bottom) edge portions, as well as left-and right-side edge portions, of the radiator (or other object).

In some embodiments the or each jaw member of respective clamping means may be recessed, serrated or otherwise shaped, e.g. especially with a retaining lip or detent portion, so as to be able to substantially restrainingly grip and retain the respective portion of the object in its clamped position in the respective jaw when the first and second clamping means are together configured in their clamping configuration.

In some embodiments the respective jaws or other clamping members may be biased towards one another, e.g. in a direction along or parallel to the longitudinal direction of the frame (especially in those embodiments in which the clamping members clamp the object via its top and bottom edge portions), especially by a resilient biasing member, e.g. a coil spring. In this manner the respective jaws or other clamping members may more efficiently grip and retain the respective portions of the object in its clamped condition, especially on opposite sides thereof.

In embodiments of the device that are designed for lifting and/or moving a metallic object, such as a radiator made of steel or other ferromagnetic material, the or each of the jaws of one or both of the first and second clamping means may include a or a respective magnet, e.g. of any suitable magnet-forming material, for assisting the mutually attractive gripping or retention of the respective portion of the metallic object in its clamped position in the respective jaw.

In embodiments of the device that are designed for lifting and/or moving a radiator that may typically be provided or constructed with a grille or other perforated member across its top side or edge, at least one, especially the uppermost one, of the first and second jaws or other clamping means may be further provided with a selectively insertable and removable retaining pin or screw, for insertion through at least one of the slots or apertures in the grille or perforated member of the radiator once the respective upper side/edge portion of the radiator has been clamped in the said uppermost one of the jaws or other clamping means.

(In cases where the grille is itself removable, this use of a retaining pin or screw may also avoid the need to remove the grille first, before the radiator can be anchored to the device and then lifted/moved.) In this manner, the respective upper portion of the radiator may be more securely retainable in its clamped condition in the uppermost jaw (or other clamping means), especially in cases where the thickness of the radiator does not match or is overly narrow in comparison with (or perhaps even does not fit within) the interior dimensions of the respective jaw (or other clamping means), or where any retaining lip or detent portion does not optimally restrain the respective portion of the object in its clamped position in that respective jaw (or other clamping means).

In certain other embodiments of the device of the invention, the anchoring means may be constructed differently, and may comprise hoisting means for anchoring the object to be lifted and/or moved to the device in a suspended manner so that it can be hoisted thereby. In some such embodiment forms the hoisting means may comprise at least one hoisting cable or strap fastened to the frame of the device and which is attachable to the object to be lifted and/or moved, e.g. via a terminal hook member.

Such alternative means of anchoring the object to the device -namely of the above hoisting type -may be used on its own as substantially the sole means of anchoring the object to the device, or alternatively it may be used in combination with one or more species of the above-defined first and second clamping means which are adjustably configurable relative to each other for clamping the object between them.

In some embodiments of the device the frame assembly may be generally elongate in form or shape, and the first and second clamping means may be mounted on the frame such that their relative positioning, especially their mutual spacing, along or parallel to the longitudinal axial direction of the frame, is variable, and especially variable under the action of or against the resistance of the above-defined resilient biasing member. That variability in the first and second clamping means' relative positioning or mutual spacing may be achieved by virtue of at least one of, optionally each of, the first and second clamping means being mounted in or on the frame via a or a respective position adjustment means.

In some such embodiments the position adjustment means may be constituted by the frame assembly comprising a first elongate rail or runner member which carries the first clamping means, and a second elongate rail or runner member which carries the second clamping means, wherein at least one of, optionally each of, the first and second rail or runner members is/are slidably mounted in or on the frame such that the first and second rail or runner members are displaceable relative to one another, especially in a direction in or parallel to the longitudinal axial direction of the frame, whereby the first and second clamping means are also displaceable relative to one another, especially in that direction in or parallel to the longitudinal axial direction of the frame. The first and second rail or runner members may be mounted or supported by any suitable other members of the overall frame assembly, or one or more of the first and second rail or runner members may constitute part of the actual frame assembly.

In some such embodiments the slidable mounting of the or each respective one of the one or more of the first and second rail or runner members in or on the frame may comprise: a longitudinal slot or channel formed in one of the first or second (as the case may be) rail or runner members and a portion of the frame; and a transversely oriented pin, spigot, bolt shank or other protruding member provided on the other of the first or second (as the case may be) rail or runner members and the frame portion; wherein the pin, spigot, bolt shank or other protruding member is relatively slidingly moveable within and along the said slot or channel as the respective one of the first and second rail or runner members moves longitudinally relative to the frame portion. In some such embodiments the said frame portion may be a portion of the frame assembly other than the first and second rail or runner members, whereas in other such embodiments it may be possible for the said frame portion to be constituted by one of the said first and second rail or runner members themselves.

In some practical example such embodiments, one or more of the transversely oriented pin(s), spigot(s), bolt shank(s) or other protruding member(s) may simultaneously provide a respective anchoring point for a respective end of the spring or other resilient biasing member that biases the respective jaws or other clamping means towards one another.

In some such embodiments of the device, the or the respective position adjustment means may further include range adjusting means which are operable to permit adjustment of the end limits of, and/or the longitudinal extent of, a range of longitudinal relative displacement positions or spacings over which the first and second rail or runner members, and thus the first and second clamping means carried respectively thereon, can be moved or configured into relative to each other in the said longitudinal axial direction. In some embodiment forms, the said range adjusting means may comprise a or a respective further slidable and lockable connection or mounting means via which a or each respective one of the first and second elongate rail or runner members is/are itself/themselves mounted in or on the frame assembly. For example, in order to fulfil this range adjustment purpose, respective frame portions which carry the first and second rail or runner members, or the first and second rail or runner members themselves, may be mutually slidably mounted on or with respect to each other or may be telescopically united together so as to be able to extend or retract relative to each other in the said longitudinal axial direction, in order to be bringable into a desired relative configuration which, when locked in that relative configuration, defines the desired range of longitudinal relative displacement positions or spacings over which the first and second rail or runner members themselves, and thus the first and second clamping means carried respectively thereon, can be moved or configured into relative to each other in the said longitudinal axial direction. For effecting that locking capability, a reversible locking device, e.g. in the form of a rotatable locking screw, bolt or nut or other threaded (especially frictional) locking member, may be provided, which acts on the first or second (as the case may be) rail or runner members and/or other frame portion so as to temporarily lock them together in the desired relative longitudinal position. This range adjusting feature may be particularly useful for accommodating especially tall objects to be lifted and/or moved, e.g. especially tall radiators, since any e.g. coil spring used to constitute the above-defined resilient biasing member for biasing the respective jaws or other clamping means towards one another may typically only act over a given longitudinal distance, which may in that case confine such a given range of mutual longitudinal spacings of the first and second rail or runner members, and thus the first and second clamping means carried respectively thereon, to use with a relatively narrow range of heights of radiator or other object to be lifted and/or moved. Thus, this variability in the defined range over which the first and second rail or runner members, and thus the first and second clamping means carried respectively thereon, may be longitudinally displaced relative to each other may serve to improve the flexibility in the utility of the device in being able to lift and/or move objects of a greater range of heights or sizes.

If desired, in some embodiments the device may include or be provided with one or more locking means operable to lock a respective one of, or both of, the first and second clamping means in its/their respective clamping position(s) relative to the frame and/or the object once the respective clamping means has/have assumed same or been moved into same and into engagement with its/their associated respective portion of the object to be lifted and moved. Such locking means may for example take the form of a screw, bolt or screw-threaded gripping member that operates to abut or grip and thus fix the object once it has been placed into engagement therewith. In this manner, once the first and second clamping means have assumed or been placed into their respective clamping configurations relative to the frame, with the object clamped between them, actuation of the or the respective locking means may serve to lock, or more securely lock, the object to (or with respect to) the first and second clamping means whilst minimising or obviating the risk of the object coming loose therefrom, especially during its subsequent lifting and/or moving.

In some embodiments of the device of the invention the support member may include a foot member, especially a foot member which is configured to abut and support the device on a floor or other basal surface or member, e.g. a floor joist, above and/or over which the object is to be lifted and/or moved by use of the device.

To assist the ability of the foot member to move or slide across the floor or other basal surface or member during moving of the object supported by the device, the foot member may be appropriately shaped (e.g. arcuate or convex, or even hemispherical), textured or coated with a suitable material to facilitate its sliding over or across the said floor or other basal surface or member, whilst supporting the weight of the object thereabove. Alternatively or additionally, and perhaps more usefully, in some embodiments the foot member may incorporate a rotatable wheel, roller or caster, especially one which is swivellable, whose rotating motion serves to facilitate the translational movement of the supported object across the said floor or basal surface or member.

As already mentioned, in many embodiments of the device of the invention, the support member may be mounted on the frame assembly via displacement means, wherein the displacement means is operable to vary, especially vary by a controllable and/or selectable relative displacement distance, the relative position of the support member relative to the anchoring means, e.g. generally along or parallel to the said longitudinal axis of the frame.

The displacement means may take various physical forms.

In some favoured embodiments the displacement means may comprise a trigger-or piston-operated frictional incremental advancement mechanism, especially that of a kind hitherto already known for use in decorators' or builders' caulking guns. Such a mechanism may operate to incrementally displace the support member relative to the frame assembly in a longitudinal direction away from the main frame assembly of the device, which in many practical scenarios may be in a generally downward direction when the device is in use and being operated to lift an object in a generally upward direction. (Accordingly, in many embodiments the preceding-mentioned longitudinal direction may be generally substantially parallel to, or even substantially coincident with, the longitudinal axis of the frame assembly, in cases where the longitudinal axis of the frame assembly is, when the device is in use and in the process of lifting and/or moving the object, oriented so as to be generally substantially (or approximately) upright or vertical or generally substantially (or approximately) aligned with or parallel to the upright or generally vertical plane or planar surface of the wall or other upright surface on which the object is, or is to be, mounted.) The abutment or bearing of the support member on a floor, floor joist or other basal surface or member during that incremental relative displacement of the support member relative to the frame assembly thus causes the frame assembly, together with the anchoring means holding the object in an anchored state relative thereto, to move correspondingly upwardly, i.e. in a direction opposite to that in which the incremental advancement force acts. In this manner, repeated actuation of a spring-loaded trigger or piston of the incremental advancement mechanism incrementally displaces the support member relative to the frame assembly in the said longitudinal direction away from the main frame assembly of the device, as a result of the repeated application of the said frictional advancement force onto the support member by the incremental advancement mechanism.

In some practical embodiment forms, such a frictional incremental advancement mechanism may typically comprise a housing fixedly mounted on or in the frame, within which housing is longitudinally slidably mounted a portion of the elongate leg member (e.g. rod or shaft) or other form of support member. Also mounted in the housing is a pivotable actuator member which is, when the mechanism is in its operative gripping state, in frictional engagement with an outer wall or surface of the leg member. The actuator member may have one or more sharp edges or may be formed with one or more gripping formations via which it engages the leg member in a non-perpendicular relative configuration, in order to optimise the frictional engagement or connection between the actuator member and the leg member.

Moreover, that frictional engagement or connection between the non-perpendicular actuator member and the leg member may be enhanced by the provision of a coil spring (or other biasing member) within the housing which maintains the actuator member in its non-perpendicular frictional engagement configuration relative to the leg member. By virtue of the frictional engagement or connection between these two components, a longitudinally-directed force (or force component) applied from and by a remote end portion of the pivoting actuator member onto the leg member displaces the leg member slidably within the housing in the said longitudinal direction, substantially without slippage of the frictional engagement or connection between the two components. That longitudinally-directed force (or force component) applied from and by the remote end of the pivoting actuator member is generated by the manual actuation of a trigger of the mechanism, which trigger forms a portion of, or is connected to, a portion of the actuator member located distal from its remote end and on the opposite side of its pivot mounting from that remote end thereof.

For the purpose of retracting the leg member from its longitudinally advanced displaced position relative to the housing (and thus to the frame assembly) back in the reverse longitudinal direction, such as when it is required to lower the object being lifted/moved -e.g. during the mounting or re-mounting of a radiator onto its hanging brackets -the mechanism may further include a release feature, such as a spring-loaded release pin or button, which is manually actuatable to temporarily pivot the actuator member in a reverse pivoting direction in which it assumes a non-engaging relative configuration relative to and against the leg member (such as by virtue of the actuator member pivoting into a perpendicular relative configuration relative to the leg member), in which non-engaging relative configuration the leg member may then be manually withdrawn in a sliding manner through the housing in a reverse longitudinal direction, i.e. towards the main frame assembly of the device, without being gripped by the advancement mechanism.

As an alternative to the above-discussed frictional incremental advancement mechanism, in other embodiment forms the displacement means may comprise an electrically or electromagnetically or hydraulically operable drive means, such as an electric motor, an electromagnetically actuatable force applicator or a hydraulically actuatable piston-in-cylinder-type device, which acts on the leg or other support member to selectively and controllably vary its relative position, in the said longitudinal direction, relative to the frame, and thus relative to the anchoring means provided thereon or therein. Alternatively still, instead of the above-discussed frictional incremental advancement mechanism, a conventional rack and pinion mechanism, or even a ratchet-type mechanism, might also be able to be employed instead.

In certain embodiments of the device of the invention, a further constructional feature that may be included in the device may be a fastening means constructed and arranged for temporarily fastening the support member in a substantially fixed relative position relative to the anchoring means (and e.g. generally along or parallel to the said longitudinal axis of the frame). Such a fastening means may be constructed and act independently of any displacement means used to effect the displacement movement of the support member relative to the anchoring means. Such a fastening means, which may for example be provided within the housing containing the displacement means or alternatively in or as part of an extension of the frame assembly, may for instance comprise a rotatable fastening nut or screw-threaded frictional fastening device which acts on the support member to temporarily fix it in a given desired displaced position relative to the frame, especially once the displacement means has itself been actuated to displace the support member into that desired displaced position. This fastening feature may be particularly useful in the case of lifting and/or moving of especially heavy objects, so that the full weight of the object is not borne exclusively by the displacement means alone during the lifting or moving of the object once it has been lifted into its desired raised position by actuation of the displacement means.

In certain embodiments of the device of the invention, a further constructional feature that may be included in the device may be at least one elongate brace member which is pivotally attached to the frame and comprises its own support foot at its end remote from its point of attachment to the frame. The brace member may be pivotably configurable relative to the frame, so as to be able to adopt a non-0°, non-180° angle relative to the frame's longitudinal direction or axis, especially once the device has been anchored to the object and the object with the device attached has been tipped, tilted or pivoted (or partly tipped, tilted or pivoted) downwards towards the floor to assume an angled or tilted position relative to the wall or other object-carrying surface, e.g. during the decoration of a wall behind a radiator or while the radiator or other object is perhaps temporarily parked in a stable supported condition slightly out of a vertical plane. This brace feature may be particularly useful in the lifting and/or moving of radiators, in the event that complete removal or detachment of the radiator from its input and output pipes and/or valve couplings is to be avoided and thus, as a minimum requirement, it is desired simply to lift the radiator off its hanging brackets and space its main body from a wall, e.g. during decoration of the latter, whilst merely loosening (rather than completely detaching) the respective input and output pipes and/or valve couplings.

In certain embodiments of the device of the invention, especially in cases where the object to be lifted and/or moved is a radiator, a further constructional feature that may be included in the device may be one or more, e.g. especially a pair of, elongate lateral extension members mounted on the frame and extending generally transversely to the said longitudinal direction or axis of the frame and generally parallel to a general plane of the radiator once in position being lifted and/or moved by the device. The or each lateral extension member may terminate in, or may carry, at a laterally outer or remote end thereof, a or a respective pusher portion or abutment or bearing member, the or each said pusher portion or abutment or bearing member being terminally configured for abutting or bearing against a respective detached pipe section and/or valve fitting (which pipe section or valve fitting may typically be in an upstanding or generally vertical orientation) to push it laterally sideways away from the radiator itself (e.g. by virtue of the small degree of flexibility or resilience in the pipe section(s) itself/themselves, or of any pipework attached to the respective valve fitting) as the device is anchored onto the radiator and the various adjustment, displacement, anchoring, clamping, locking and/or fastening means are actuated to deploy the device into its operative condition lifting the radiator. In this manner, fouling or interference of the exposed detached pipe section(s) or valve fitting(s) with the respective connection points on the radiator itself may be avoided or minimised as the radiator is lifted and/or moved.

In certain embodiments of the device of the invention, a yet further constructional feature that may be included in the device may be an auxiliary handle, for use in manipulating the device in a more balanced manner, especially once a radiator or other object has been anchored thereto and the device+object combination is about to be moved or is in the process of being moved. Such an auxiliary handle may usefully be provided or mounted on or towards an upper portion of the frame and may be located on a front side of the frame opposite to the rear side on which is provided the displacement means which acts on the support member to displace it relative to the frame. In some practical scenarios, once a particularly heavy object has been anchored to the device via its clamping means (or other anchoring means), its typically asymmetrical (or front-heavy) weight distribution may cause the device+object combination to be imbalanced and have an undesirable tendency to tip forwards away from a user who may typically be located to the rear side of the device opposite to the clamping means (or other anchoring means) whilst actuating the displacement means. Thus, if the worker can grasp such an auxiliary handle on the opposite (front) side of the device at the same time as actuating the displacement means, the overall weight distribution of the device+object combination may be able to more assuredly supported in a more balanced manner, thereby reducing the tendency for the device+object combination to tip forwards undesirably during the anchored object's lifting and/or moving. If desired, the auxiliary handle may be hingedly or pivotally mounted on the frame, so it may assume a "parked" configuration parallel to and/or lying against the frame when it is not in use (thereby avoiding taking up unnecessary space which not in use, which may hinder the device's deployment, especially when space is limited), yet it may be pivotable or hingeable upwards into a transverse or cantilevered operative configuration in which it protrudes transversely from the frame so as to be graspable by a worker, e.g. by another of their hands, at the same time as the displacement means is actuated in the step of lifting, and then subsequently during moving, of the object.

In a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of lifting and/or moving an object, such as a radiator, comprising: providing at least one device according to the first aspect of the invention or any embodiment thereof; configuring the anchoring means to anchor the object to the frame assembly so that it is constrained to move therewith; and adjustably configuring the support member relative to the frame of the device so as to vary the relative position of the support member relative to the anchoring means.

In the case of embodiment devices in which the support member is mounted on or in the frame assembly via the above-defined displacement means, such as any of those defined above, in corresponding embodiments of the above-defined method, the step of adjustably configuring the support member relative to the frame of the device so as to vary the relative position of the support member relative to the anchoring means, may comprise operating the said displacement means so as to vary, especially vary by a controllable and/or selectable relative displacement distance, the relative position of the support member relative to the anchoring means.

In many practical embodiments of the above-defined method, the method may be a method of lifting and/or moving a radiator, such as a central heating radiator.

In some embodiments of the above-defined method, especially for example in the case of particularly wide or long objects, a plurality of like devices may be employed, especially laterally spaced apart from one another, and each device may be operated independently of, yet substantially simultaneously (or contemporaneously) with respect to, the other(s) thereof, whereby the object is liftable and/or movable by all the said devices together. In this manner the plural devices may anchor and engage the object to be lifted and/or moved at a plurality of spaced-apart locations along the object, whereby its weight may be more efficiently and more safely, and thus optimally, supported in a stable and balanced manner.

Within the scope of this specification it is envisaged that the various aspects, embodiments, examples, features and alternatives, and in particular the individual constructional or operational features thereof, set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and/or in the following description and accompanying drawings, may be taken independently or in any combination of any number of same. For example, individual feature(s) described in connection with one particular embodiment is/are applicable to all embodiments, including in any combination with one or more other individual feature(s), unless expressly stated otherwise or such features are incompatible.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments of the present invention in its various aspects will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a side perspective view of a lifting and/or moving device according to one embodiment of the invention, which in this example is designed for use for lifting and moving a radiator; FIGURE 2 is a more detailed side perspective view, from the opposite side to that of the view in FIG. 1, of the embodiment lifting and/or moving device of FIG. 1; FIGURE 3(a) is a rear perspective view, from one side, of the embodiment lifting and/or moving device of FIGS. 1 & 2, in combination with a radiator which is clamped to the device and in the process of being lifted and moved thereby; FIGURE 3(b) is a rear perspective view, from the opposite side to the side of the FIG. 3(a) view, of the embodiment lifting and/or moving device and radiator combination of FIG. 3(a), further illustrating its manner of use by a human worker; FIGURE 4 is an explanatory part-cross-sectional side view of a constructionally simplified variant of the embodiment lifting and/or moving device of FIGS. 1 & 2, showing schematically and in simplified detail its principal constructional and operational features, as well as showing the device in combination with a radiator which has been lifted from its wall mounting and is being moved using the device; FIGURE 5 is a corresponding explanatory part-cross-sectional front view of the variant embodiment lifting and/or moving device, and associated radiator, of FIG. 4; FIGURE 6 is a front perspective view of a wider dimensioned radiator in combination with a pair of like lifting and/or moving devices according to various embodiments of the invention, such as the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 3 or FIGS. 4 & 5, this FIG. 6 also showing schematically the floor construction that allows each device to be deployed effectively to lift and move the radiator even though the floor has not yet been fully boarded out; FIGURE 7 is a part-cross-sectional side view of yet another embodiment of a lifting and/or moving device of the invention, this view corresponding to that of FIG. 4 but showing this yet further embodiment device which includes a pivotable brace member for deployment to support the lifted radiator in its tipped configuration to provide access to the wall behind it whilst avoiding the need for complete removal or detachment of the radiator from its connection pipes and valve fittings; FIGURE 8 is a front elevational view of a wider dimensioned radiator in combination with a pair of like lifting and/or moving devices according to yet another embodiment of the invention, each device of this embodiment including a lateral extension member protruding outwardly sideways from the frame thereof for acting as a pusher member for pushing out of the way laterally sideways, away from the radiator, the respective detached pipe sections and/or valve fittings as the devices are deployed and the radiator lifted; FIGURE 9 is a part-cross-sectional side view of yet another embodiment of a lifting and/or moving device of the invention, this view corresponding to that of FIGS. 4 & 7 but showing this yet further embodiment device in mid-use, the device having been anchored to the radiator via its lifting cable or strap and having just lifted the radiator off its hanging brackets and in the process of moving it; and FIGURE 10 is a schematic front elevational view of a wider dimensioned radiator in combination with yet another embodiment of a lifting and/or moving device of the invention, the device of this embodiment including an alternatively configured radiator anchoring arrangement which clamps the radiator in a side-to-side manner instead of a top-and-bottom manner, which embodiment may be particularly useful in cases (such as that illustrated in this FIG. 10) where there is only a small (or perhaps even negligible) gap between the top of the radiator when mounted on the wall and a window sill directly above it.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

There will now be described by way of example several specific modes of practising embodiments of the present invention currently contemplated by the inventor. In the following description numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments presented and illustrated in the drawings. However, it will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that the various illustrated and described embodiments of the invention may be practised without limitation to these specific details, whilst remaining within the scope of the present invention as defined by any of the appended claims. Moreover, in the case of some specific features or constructional details shown in the drawings, various well-known constructional principles, methods, structures or arrangements have been employed but are not described in detail, as that is not necessary in view of the general skill and knowledge of persons skilled in the art and so as not to unnecessarily obscure the clarity of the descriptions of the illustrated embodiments and their primary constructional and operational features.

Referring firstly to FIGS. 1, 2, 3(a) & 3(b), and 4 & 5, these FIGS. show various views of one embodiment of a radiator lifting and/or moving device 1 according to the invention, showing its various constructional features and how it is deployed in practice to lift and move a radiator R. Whilst the device 1 is shown here as being designed for lifting and moving a radiator R, e.g. a domestic central heating radiator, it is to be understood that the device 1, or even other embodiment devices within the scope of the invention, may be applied to the lifting and/or moving of other objects, e.g. doors, mirrors, panels of various kinds, or sheets of various kinds of material, or any other typically bulky or heavy domestic or industrial item, especially one that may typically be mounted on a wall or other generally upright (e.g. generally substantially vertical) surface.

The radiator lifting and moving device 1 comprises an elongate frame assembly shown generally as 2, which frame assembly 2 includes a pair of side-by-side-or face-to-face-mounted elongate rails 2a, 2b, each of which rails 2a, 2b carries a respective one of first and second clamping jaws 3, 5 mounted on an end portion thereof and extending transversely therefrom. The main structural members of the frame 2 may be formed from any suitable lightweight yet strong material, e.g. a metal or metal alloy. The general longitudinal extent of the frame 2 defines its general longitudinal or axial direction. In the embodiment as illustrated, the first clamping jaw 3 is formed by an integral extension of the first rail 2a which forms a substantially fixed structural side portion of the overall frame 2, whereas the second clamping jaw 5 is carried on a discrete and separate second rail 2b which is slidably mounted within the frame assembly 2 so as to be displaceable longitudinally relative to the first rail 2a.

The second, slidable rail 2b is mounted within the frame assembly 2 adjacent a further substantially fixed structural side portion 2c (FIG. 5) of the overall frame 2, which may generally substantially match the form and shape of the frame member that forms the first rail 2a. The first and second jaws 3, 5 are thus slidably displaceable relative to each other by virtue of the slidable mounting of the second rail 2b that carries the second jaw 5. That slidable mounting of the second rail 2b is made possible by the running of a pair of longitudinally spaced pins or spigots 26 protruding sideways or transversely from the second rail 2b within an elongate slot or channel 24 formed in the first rail 2a.

(In alternative constructions of the frame assembly 2, it is to be understood that both of the first and second rails 2a, 2b may instead be formed and provided as discrete and separate respective slidably mounted rails, each one being independently mounted within substantially fixed structural portions of the frame assembly 2 via its own respective slidably displaceable mounting arrangement, so that both of the rails, and thus both of their associated clamping jaws, are longitudinally slidingly displaceable relative to each other whilst being constrained within their respective mounting arrangements within the overall frame assembly 2.) The second clamping jaw 5 on its slidably mounted second rail 2b is slidable in the longitudinal direction of the frame 2 towards and away from the (fixed) first clamping jaw 3 under the action and constraint of an internal coil spring 22 (not visible in FIGS. 1 to 3, but shown in the variant embodiment of FIGS. 4 & 5), which biases the second clamping jaw 5 towards the first clamping jaw 3 so as to engage and grip a radiator R via its top and bottom edges, as shown in FIGS. 3(a) & 3(b), when they are placed therearound. The two opposite ends of the coil spring 22 are mounted on, respectively, the lowermost end of the second rail 2b and a substantially fixed point on the first rail 2a (or on another substantially fixed structural portion of the frame assembly 2). For effecting that placement of the clamping jaws 3, 5 into this engaging and gripping arrangement with the radiator R, the second clamping jaw 5 is first pulled manually upwards, against the biasing force of the internal coil spring 22, away from the (fixed) first clamping jaw 3, so as to increase the longitudinal spacing or gap between the jaws 3, 5 and thus allow them to be placed, by manual manipulation, around the radiator R's top and bottom edges. For example, the first (lower) jaw 3 may be placed beneath the radiator R's lower edge first of all, and then the extended second (upper) jaw 5 (i.e. extended upwards against the force of the biasing coil spring 22) may then be eased over the radiator R's upper edge, thereby placing the frame 2 of the device 1 securely against the radiator R with the radiator R's upper and lower edges securely bound by the first (lower) and second (upper) jaws 3, 5. Once in this position, the second (upper) jaw 5 can then be released, enabling the biasing force of the coil spring 22 to slidingly force the second (upper) jaw 5 to move back downwards towards the first (lower) jaw 3 so as to decrease the longitudinal spacing or gap between the jaws 3, 5 and thus securely grip the radiator R in between them, as shown in the arrangement in FIG. 3(a).

In order to allow the device 1 to accommodate radiators of different heights, the lower mounting point of the coil spring 22 on the first rail 2a (or other substantially fixed structural portion of the frame assembly 2) is itself adjustable in longitudinal position, by virtue of rotatable clamping bolt or nut 6, which is also located within the elongate slot or channel 24 in the first rail 2a. Thus, by first loosening, then adjusting the relative longitudinal displaced position of the lowermost mounting point of the coil spring 22, and then tightening again the clamping bolt or nut 6, the range of longitudinal distances over which the coil spring 22 may act to bias the first and second jaws 3, 5 towards one another, whilst being separatable against the biasing force of the coil spring 22 when attaching the device 1 to a radiator R of a given height, is adjustably variable. This range adjusting feature may be particularly useful for accommodating especially tall radiators or other objects.

The radiator-engaging parts of the first and second jaws 3, 5 generally face towards each other, and are each shaped with a terminal lip L (as shown in FIG. 1) at its transversely outermost end, in order to optimise their radiator-gripping capability. Alternatively or additionally, and as shown in the variant embodiment of FIG. 4, the first and second jaws 3, 5 may be internally serrated or ridged in order likewise to optimise their radiator-gripping capability, especially in cases where the radiator to be accommodated is relatively narrow in thickness or is formed with a lateral upwardly extending flange across its top edge.

As shown by way of example in FIG. 3(a), once the device 1 has been anchored to the radiator 5, if the radiator is of the type that has a grille G formed or mounted across its top side or edge, a retaining pin or screw 32 may be inserted through the second jaw 5 and through a slot or aperture in the grille G in order to help retain the top side or edge of the radiator R securely within the second jaw 5 and substantially prevent it slipping transversely out of the jaw 5, especially during its subsequent moving.

Mounted on the frame 2 so as to be longitudinally displaceable relative thereto in a controllable and/or selectable manner is an elongate support member 4 in the form of an elongate rod-or shaft-like leg 4. Formed at, or attached to, the lower end of the leg 4 is a support foot 16, which is configured to abut and support the device 1 on a floor or floor member F, e.g. a floor joist, above and/or over which the radiator R is to be lifted and/or moved by use of the device 1. As illustrated by way of example in FIG. 1, in some embodiments the foot 16 may if desired incorporate a freely rotating wheel, roller or caster 18 (especially a swivellable one), in order to facilitate the translational movement of the supported radiator R across the floor or floor member F. Such a wheel, roller or caster 18 may if desired be detachable, in order to enhance the portability and compactness of the device 1, especially for better use of space when carrying it in a toolbox or other container.

Otherwise, in other embodiments, the foot 16 may simply be convex, hemispherical or otherwise arcuate in shape, to facilitate its sliding motion across the floor or floor member F. Alternatively still, in yet other embodiments the foot 16 may be sized, shaped and configured appropriately so as to enable the device 1, with the radiator R anchored thereto, to substantially stand on the floor F unaided in an upright balanced fashion.

The support leg 4, with its support foot 16, is longitudinally displaceable relative to the frame 2 of the device 1 -and thus relative to the jaws 3, 5 carried thereon and which have the radiator R clamped therebetween -under the actuation and operation of a handle-and-trigger-operated displacement mechanism 12. The displacement mechanism 12 is operable to vary by a controllable and/or selectable relative displacement distance -especially by repeated incremental advances in the relative displacement distance -the relative position of the support leg 4 (and thus its support foot 16) relative to the frame 2 and thus relative to the first and second clamping jaws 3, 5, generally along or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the frame 2.

The displacement mechanism 12 comprises a handle 8 and a trigger-operated frictional incremental advancement mechanism 12 which is constructionally and operationally substantially the same as that employed in well-known decorators' or builders' caulking guns.

Accordingly, given the well-known nature of this type of mechanism, its construction and operation will be well within the general knowledge of persons skilled in that art and thus well understood by the skilled person in the practising of embodiments of the present invention, so an in-depth description of same is unnecessary here and any relevant discussion thereof should be considered to be incorporated herein by reference to such known caulking guns, which are widely commercially available. In essence, therefore, the trigger-operated frictional incremental advancement mechanism 12 acts like a jack, which includes a pivotable actuator which acts on the support leg 4, whose foot 16 abuts the floor or floor member F, to incrementally raise the frame assembly 2, and thus the clamping jaws 3, 5 carried thereon and to which the radiator R is anchored, relative to the floor or floor member F. Accordingly, the incremental advancement mechanism 12 is manually actuatable by a worker, upon repeated pumping of the trigger whilst grasping of the handle 8, so as to incrementally displace the support leg 4 (and thus its support foot 16) relative to the frame 2 and thus relative to the first and second clamping jaws 3, 5 carried thereon, in a generally downward direction (as shown in the FIGS.) and against the floor or floor member (such as a joist) F. As a result of that downwardly directed incremental thrusting of the support leg 4 relative to and away from the frame 2, the frame 2 and the clamping jaws 3, 5 carried thereon are forced incrementally correspondingly upwardly in the opposite direction, and as a result the radiator R clamped in the jaws 3, 5 is lifted correspondingly incrementally in that upward direction away from the floor or floor member F. The incremental advancement mechanism 12 also includes a release feature, such as a spring-loaded release pin or button 8a, which is manually actuatable to release the actuator of the mechanism 12 from its engagement configuration against the support leg 4, thereby enabling the leg 4 to be slidingly retracted in the reverse direction and so allow the frame 2, with the radiator R clamped in the jaws 3, 5, to be lowered under its own weight, e.g. into an appropriately lowered position in which the radiator's rear mounting brackets B can be hung (or re-hung) onto their respective wall-mounted hanging brackets H. In alternative embodiments of the device of the invention (not shown in the drawings), the advancement mechanism 12 could instead be motorised and incorporate an electrically driven motor within the frame assembly 2 for effecting the relative displacement movement of the support leg 4 relative to the frame 2. Alternatively still, the mechanism 12 could be hydraulically driven under the action of one or more piston-in-cylinder hydraulic devices.

In order to help support the full weight of the radiator R (or other object), especially a particularly heavy one, once it has been lifted by the device 1 into its desired elevated displaced position, relative to the frame assembly 2, and is ready for being moved, the mounting of the support leg 4 on the frame assembly 2 may include a rotatable fastening nut or other screw-threaded frictional fastening device 19. The fastening nut or other fastening device 19 is mounted on the frame assembly 2 and, when actuated e.g. by manual rotation, acts on the shaft or rod of the support leg 4 to temporarily fix it in the relevant displaced position, relative to the frame 2, which defines that desired elevated position of the radiator R. Thus, by actuation of the fastening nut or other fastening device 19 once the desired elevated displaced position, relative to the frame assembly 2, of the support leg 4 has been reached through the repeated incremental actuation of the displacement mechanism 12, the majority of the weight of the radiator R may be borne by the fastening device 19 and not solely by the displacement mechanism 12 itself, thereby enabling the anchored radiator R to be moved more stably and safely without risk of the radiator R dropping or slipping downwards through slippage of the displacement mechanism 12.

The variant embodiment of FIG. 4 also shows an example of an auxiliary balancing handle feature 58, which is provided as a pivotable flip-up handle mounted on the frame 2 on a front side thereof opposite to the rear side thereof on which is provided the handle/trigger-operated frictional incremental advancement mechanism 12. Thus, once the radiator R has been anchored to the device 1 (as in the combined state as shown in FIG. 4), the ability of a worker to grasp the auxiliary handle 58 (e.g. with another hand) at the same time as manually actuating the incremental advancement mechanism 12, reduces the tendency of the asymmetrically balanced radiator+device combination to tip forwards and so enable the radiator+device combination to be further manipulated and moved in a more stable and balanced manner. An equivalent auxiliary handle feature may if desired be provided in any of the other illustrated embodiments in other FIGS. in a corresponding manner and for the same purpose.

Turning now to the arrangement shown in FIG. 6, here a pair of like lifting and moving devices 1 according to various embodiments of the invention, such as those of FIGS. 1 to 3 or FIGS. 4 & 5, are being used to lift and move a radiator R that may typically be of a much wider width dimension. In this case, in order to lift and support the increased weight of the radiator R in a balanced manner, the pair of lifting/moving devices 1 are arranged in a side-by-side relationship, spaced apart in the width direction of the radiator R. The pair of lifting/moving devices 1 may of the same construction and operation or they may be different from each another. However, in general each device 1 may be operable in substantially the same manner as any of the other specific embodiment devices discussed herein, and the pair of devices 1 may be operated either simultaneously by a single worker or possibly by two workers working in tandem (e.g. especially if the radiator R is especially wide). By way of example, FIG. 6 -which is represented in perspective view slightly from above -illustrates the radiator R being initially wall-mounted with its bottom edge just above a skirting board 30, but here the floor has not yet been fully boarded out by floorboards 19, and comprises exposed floor joists 9 which in this illustrated embodiment provide the support locations upon which the feet of the extendible legs of the devices 1 abut and bear during the lifting of the radiator off its hanging brackets.

It is to be understood that as an extension of the general idea represented in FIG. 6 of using a plurality of devices 1 in tandem, if the radiator or other object to be lifted/moved is especially wide, any plural number of devices 1 -e.g. 2, 3, 4 or even more than 4 such devices, may be utilised for anchoring and lifting/moving the object, with the desired number of devices being arranged along the width of the object preferably in a symmetrical or equi-spaced manner, in order to attain an optimally balanced and stable anchoring and lifting arrangement.

The use of one or more devices 1 according to embodiments of this invention in a case such as that represented in FIG. 6 -where the floor has not been boarded out or fully boarded out -may be particularly advantageous in comparison with the use of certain prior art lifting and moving devices such as those of GB2315729A and NL7404575A mentioned hereinabove. Since floor joists are typically only around 75mm wide and spaced apart by several times that distance, plural sets of wheels or support feet at fixed locations on frame-based devices such as these would not be able to stand safely or move across such a floor, especially not in a direction that did not corresponding with the running direction of the joists. This limitation therefore may render such known devices impractical, or at least substantially disadvantageous, in such practical scenarios.

FIG. 7 shows a further embodiment lifting/moving device 1 of the invention, which includes a pivotable brace member 140, with attached foot 116, for deployment to support the lifted radiator R in a tipped or tilted configuration to provide access to the wall W behind it, whilst avoiding the need for complete removal or detachment of the radiator R from its connection pipes VP and valve fittings V. The brace member 40 is pivotally attached to the frame 2 of the device 1, e.g. at a location intermediate its upper and lower ends (e.g. halfway, or between about one and two thirds of the way, therealong), and can be swung outwardly from its normally parallel "parked" configuration relative to the frame 2 as and when it is desired to be deployed. That may for example be after the trigger-operated displacement mechanism 12 has been actuated in the normal way to lift the radiator R sufficiently clear of its wall hanging brackets H, but without the need to have completely detached the radiator R from its valve connections VP/V, which can be merely slackened off to enable the radiator to tilt about those valve connection points. In that deployed configuration the brace member 140 is angled relative to the longitudinal direction of the frame 2 at an angle (e.g. in a range of from about 60° to about 120°) appropriate to enable the frame 2, with the radiator R anchored thereto, to be tilted in tilting direction T so that the foot 116 on the lower end of the brace member 140 abuts the floor F and thereby supports the frame-and-radiator combination in its illustrated tilted or tipped configuration. All this may be accomplished substantially without needing to detach the radiator R from its valve connections VP/V, which can be merely slackened off instead. In this manner convenient access to the wall W behind the radiator R may be provided, e.g. for decoration or maintenance work to be undertaken, whilst using the device 1 more as a support means to conveniently support the radiator R once it has been unmounted from its wall hanging brackets H only and tilted as desired, without needing to completely remove it from the wall W and its plumbing fittings VPN.

FIG. 8 shows a further embodiment lifting/moving device 1 according to the invention, which in this example is being used in tandem with another like device 1 to lift and move a particularly wide radiator R. In each of these embodiment devices 1, the frame 2 has mounted thereon a pair of laterally (or transversely) protruding pusher members 50 which are dimensioned and terminally shaped to abut and push out of the way the central heating pipes VP -owing to their slight flexibility as shown by arrows S -and their associated valve bodies V, so that fouling of the exposed radiator pipe connections is substantially prevented as the radiator R is lifted and removed.

As with the embodiment of FIG. 6, in the context of the use of one or more embodiment devices of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, if desired or appropriate one or more further lifting/moving devices (e.g. according to any of the other specific embodiments described herein) may be used in combination therewith, especially when positioned in between the two devices illustrated in FIG. 8, in order to better and more stably support the overall weight of the radiator across its width.

FIG. 9 shows a yet further embodiment lifting/moving device 1 according to the invention, which employs a modified form of anchoring means as the primary means by which the radiator R is anchored to the frame 2 for accomplishing its initial lifting movement off and clear of its wall-mounted hanging brackets H. In this embodiment the device 1 employs a cable or strap 142, with a terminal anchoring hook 144, which is fastened to the upper clamping jaw 5 and whose terminal hook 144 is attachable to one or more of the rear mounting bracket(s) B of the radiator R. Upon the usual actuation of the handle/triggeroperated displacement mechanism 12 of the device 1, the radiator R can thus be initially hoisted via its mounting bracket(s) B, in the manner of a crane, without the need for the lower jaw 3 to be actually anchored to the bottom of the radiator R. (If desired, the cable or strap 142 may be detachable from the upper jaw 5, so it can be attached to the jaw 5 only when it is required to be used in this manner).

(In alternative embodiments to that illustrated in FIG. 9, it may be possible for at least the upper clamping jaw 5 -and optionally also the lower clamping jaw 3 -to itself/themselves to be omitted altogether, with the cable or strap 142 being mounted directly to an upper portion of the frame 2, so that the cable or strap 142 constitutes the sole means by which the radiator R is anchorable to the device 1 and is liftable thereby. However, such alternative embodiments may be less preferred in practice, since upon then moving the radiator R thus hoisted and suspended from the upper portion of the frame 2 via the cable or strap 142, the combination may be far less stable and prone to swaying and tipping over, possibly resulting in injury to a worker or even damage to the radiator R itself or the hanging or mounting brackets H, B or even neighbouring wall surfaces of the room. Thus, in a practically more useful form of such an embodiment device 1 that includes such a cable or strap 142 as a hoisting device, the device 1 may be substantially as illustrated in FIG. 9, namely with the cable or strap 142 feature being an adjunct to the presence of the lower and upper clamping jaws 3, 5 which are still provided as co-anchoring means and used to clamp the radiator R in its fully anchored condition once it has been initially hoisted by the cable or strap feature 142 to a sufficient height at which at least the lower jaw 3 can then be placed underneath the radiator R to embrace its lower edge portion, and optionally also the upper jaw 5 can then also be placed into its own embracing clamping configuration over the upper edge portion of the radiator R.) The use of this embodiment device of FIG. 9 may be useful especially in situations where a radiator R (or other object to be lifted and/or moved) is mounted particularly close to the floor F (or even is resting on the floor itself), such that any gap between the bottom of the radiator R and the floor F provides insufficient space to allow the lower jaw 3 to be inserted therein for embracing the lower edge portion of the radiator R while the radiator is still mounted on the wall. Thus, once the trigger-operated incremental displacement mechanism 12 of the device 1 has been actuated in the usual way (as in the other specific embodiments discussed above), thereby hoisting the radiator R a sufficient distance upwards and off and clear of its hanging brackets H, it can be moved in the usual manner for embodiments of the invention, without necessarily needing to have the lower clamping jaw 3 -or even the upper clamping jaw 5 for that matter -actually respectively physically clamped to the radiator R in the manner of the other specific embodiment devices discussed in relation to FIGS. 1 to 8. Of course, however, and as mentioned in the preceding paragraph, from the relative configuration of the device 1 and the hoisted radiator R as illustrated in FIG. 9, it will usually be desirable for the clamping jaws 3, 5 to be subsequently clamped to the radiator in the normal way (as in the other specific embodiments discussed above) by appropriate manipulation of the device 1, so the radiator R can then be moved, fully anchored to the device 1, in an optimally stable and supported manner.

FIG. 10 shows schematically a yet further embodiment lifting/moving device 1 according to the invention, which employs an alternatively configured anchoring means for anchoring the radiator R to the device 1, wherein instead of a pair of clamping jaws clamping the radiator via its top and bottom edges (as per the clamping jaws 3, 5 in the preceding FIGS.), there are instead provided a pair of clamping jaws 203, 205 that act to clamp the radiator R via its left-hand and right-hand side edge portions. For this purpose the left and right clamping jaws 203, 205 may be joined by a tensioning or resilient clamping strap, chain or cable 242, which can be tightened by a suitable tensioning device (not shown) to securely clamp the left and right clamping jaws 203, 205 in their respective clamping configurations against the left-and right-side edge portions of the radiator R once they have been placed into position therearound or thereagainst. (In alternative embodiments to that illustrated in FIG. 10, it may be possible for the tensioning or resilient clamping strap, chain or cable 242 to be tensioned by a mechanical or electrically or hydraulically driven tensioning mechanism, examples of which will be readily apparent to the skilled person.) In some variant forms of the embodiment device 1 to that illustrated schematically in FIG. 10, the side-to-side tensioning or resilient clamping strap, chain or cable 242 and associated jaws 203, 205 may be employed on their own as the sole means of anchoring the radiator R to the device 1, whereas in other variant forms they may be employed in combination with the top-and-bottom clamping jaws 3, 5 and associated adjustment/clamping mechanism as used in the other specific embodiments of the other FIGS. discussed above. The latter combined anchoring arrangement may be especially useful in the case of particularly wide radiators or other objects to be lifted and moved, since it may afford a more stable lifting and/or moving arrangement by use of a single device 1 without the need to employ a second device of a side-by-side pair (or even more than two devices), as shown in the arrangements of FIGS. 6 and 8.

The use of this embodiment device of FIG. 10 may be useful especially in situations where a radiator R (or other object to be lifted and moved) is mounted such that there is only a small (or perhaps even negligible) gap 302 between the top edge of the radiator R and for example a window sill 300 or window frame 320 (or other fixed member or object) mounted above it which prevents an upper jaw (such as the jaw 5 in the earlier FIGS.) being inserted therein for embracing the upper edge portion of the radiator R while the radiator R is still mounted on the wall.

Although the various illustrated embodiment devices 1 of this invention have been shown in the various FIGURES as being anchored to the front facial side of the radiator R or other object to be lifted and moved, it is to be understood that any given device may be designed to be anchorable instead to the rear facial side of the radiator R or other object, so that the device may (if there's room) e.g. fit within the space or gap that is typically present between a radiator and an adjacent wall onto which it is mounted. In such cases, once the device has been placed in that space or gap and anchored in position onto the radiator, its lifting off its hanging brackets upon actuation of the support leg's displacement mechanism may then be carried out in much the same way as the manner of operation of the various illustrated embodiments, thereby enabling the anchored radiator to be moved across the floor in substantially the same way. This facility may be useful for example when working in tight spaces.

Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the words "comprise" and "contain" and linguistic variations of those words, for example "comprising" and "comprises", mean "including but not limited to", and are not intended to (and do not) exclude other moieties, additives, components, elements, integers or steps.

Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the singular encompasses the plural unless expressly stated otherwise or the context otherwise requires. In particular, where the indefinite article is used, the specification is to be understood as contemplating plurality as well as singularity, unless expressly stated otherwise or the context requires otherwise.

Throughout the description and claims of this specification, features, components, elements, integers, characteristics, properties, compounds, chemical moieties or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment or example of the invention are to be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described herein unless incompatible therewith or expressly stated otherwise.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A device for lifting and/or moving an object, the device comprising: a frame assembly comprising anchoring means constructed and configurable for anchoring the object to the frame assembly so that it is constrained to move therewith, and a support member mounted on the frame assembly and being adjustably configurable relative to the frame so as to vary the relative position of the support member relative to the anchoring means.
2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the frame assembly has a general longitudinal axis or direction and the support member is adjustably configurable relative to the frame so as to vary the relative position of the support member relative to the anchoring means generally along or parallel to the said longitudinal axis or direction.
3. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the support member comprises an elongate leg member, and the leg member is mounted on or in the frame assembly via displacement means, wherein the displacement means is operable to vary, optionally vary by a controllable and/or selectable relative displacement distance, the relative position of the support member relative to the anchoring means.
4. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the anchoring means comprises first and second clamping means, the first and second clamping means being adjustably configurable relative to each other for clamping between them the object to be lifted and/or moved.
5. A device according to claim 4, wherein one of (i) to (iii) below is satisfied: (i) the first and second clamping means are constructed and configurable to anchoringly clamp the object to be lifted and/or moved via its opposite side (optionally left-and right-side) edge portions; or 00 the first and second clamping means are constructed and configurable to anchoringly clamp the object to be lifted and/or moved via at least one of its opposite top and/or bottom edge portions, optionally via both of its opposite top and/or bottom edge portions; or (iii) first and second clamping means satisfying both (i) and (ii) above are provided, so that the overall anchoring means comprises a plurality of clamping means that are constructed and are configurable to anchoringly clamp the object to be lifted and/or moved both via its opposite side (optionally left-and right-side) edge portions and also via its top and/or bottom edge portions.
6. A device according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the first and second clamping means each comprises a respective clamping member in the form of a jaw member configurable to engage a respective portion of the object to be lifted and/or moved, optionally a respective peripheral edge portion of the object.
7. A device according to claim 6, wherein either: (i) the jaw members of the first and second clamping means face one another or are located mutually opposite to one another either side of a transverse plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the frame, whereby each one of the jaw members is configurable to engage a respective portion of the object that is on an opposite side of the object from the respective portion thereof which the other one of the jaw members is configurable to engage; or 00 the jaw members of the first and second clamping means face one another or are located mutually opposite to one another either side of a plane coincident with or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the frame, whereby each one of the jaw members is configurable to engage a respective portion of the object that is on an opposite side of the object from the respective portion thereof which the other one of the jaw members is configurable to engage.
8. A device according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the or each jaw member of the respective first and second clamping means is recessed, serrated or otherwise shaped with a retaining lip or detent portion, so as to be able to substantially restrainingly grip and retain the respective portion of the object in its clamped position in the respective jaw member when the first and second clamping means are together configured in their clamping configuration.
9. A device according to any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the respective clamping means are biased towards one another by a resilient biasing member.
10. A device according to any one of claims 4 to 9, which is a device for lifting and/or moving a ferromagnetic metallic object, wherein the or each of the first and second clamping means includes a or a respective magnet for assisting the mutually attractive gripping or retention of the respective portion of the metallic object in its clamped position in the respective clamping means.
11. A device according to any one of claims 4 to 10, which is a device for lifting and/or moving a radiator that is provided or constructed with a grille or other perforated member across its top side or edge, wherein at least an uppermost one of the first and second clamping means is further provided with a selectively insertable and removable retaining pin or screw, for insertion through at least one of the slots or apertures in the grille or perforated member of the radiator once the respective upper portion of the radiator has been clamped in the said uppermost one of the clamping means.
12. A device according to any one of claims 4 to 1 1, wherein the frame assembly is generally elongate in form or shape, and the first and second clamping means are mounted on the frame such that their mutual spacing, along or parallel to the longitudinal axial direction of the frame, is variable under the action of or against the resistance of a resilient biasing member, and further wherein that variability in the first and second clamping means' mutual spacing is achieved by virtue of at least one of, optionally each of, the first and second clamping means being mounted in or on the frame via a or a respective position adjustment means.
13. A device according to claim 12, wherein the position adjustment means are constituted by the frame assembly comprising a first elongate rail or runner member which carries the first clamping means, and a second elongate rail or runner member which carries the second clamping means, wherein at least one of, optionally each of, the first and second rail or runner members is/are slidably mounted in or on the frame such that the first and second rail or runner members are displaceable relative to one another, optionally in a direction in or parallel to the longitudinal axial direction of the frame, whereby the first and second clamping means are also displaceable relative to one another, optionally in the said direction in or parallel to the longitudinal axial direction of the frame.
14. A device according to claim 13, wherein the slidable mounting of the or each respective one of the one or more of the first and second rail or runner members in or on the frame comprises: a longitudinal slot or channel formed in one of the first or second (as the case may be) rail or runner members and a portion of the frame; and a transversely oriented pin, spigot, bolt shank or other protruding member provided on the other of the first or second (as the case may be) rail or runner members and the frame portion; wherein the pin, spigot, bolt shank or other protruding member is relatively slidingly moveable within and along the said slot or channel as the respective one of the first and second rail or runner members moves longitudinally relative to the frame portion.
15. A device according to claim 13 or claim 14, wherein the or the respective position adjustment means further includes range adjusting means which are operable to permit adjustment of the end limits of, and/or the longitudinal extent of, a range of longitudinal relative displacement positions or spacings over which the first and second rail or runner members, and thus the first and second clamping means carried respectively thereon, can be moved or configured into relative to each other in the said longitudinal axial direction; optionally wherein the said range adjusting means comprises a or a respective further slidable and lockable connection or mounting means via which a or each respective one of the first and second elongate rail or runner members is/are itself/themselves mounted in or on the frame assembly.
16. A device according to any one of claims 4 to 15, wherein the device includes or is provided with one or more locking means operable to lock a respective one of, or both of, the first and second clamping means in its/their respective clamping position(s) relative to the frame and/or the object once the respective clamping means has/have assumed same or been moved into same and into engagement with its/their associated respective portion of the object to be lifted and moved.
17. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the anchoring means comprises hoisting means for anchoring the object to be lifted and/or moved to the device in a suspended manner so that it can be hoisted thereby, optionally wherein the hoisting means comprises at least one hoisting cable or strap fastened to the frame of the device and which is attachable to the object to be lifted and/or moved.
18. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the support member includes a foot member which is configured to abut and support the device on a floor or other basal surface or member above and/or over which the object is to be lifted and/or moved by use of the device; optionally wherein the foot member incorporates a rotatable wheel, roller or caster, optionally one which is swivellable, and whose rotating motion serves to facilitate the translational movement of the supported object across the said floor or basal surface or member.
19. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the support member is mounted on the frame assembly via displacement means, wherein the displacement means is operable to vary, optionally vary by a controllable and/or selectable relative displacement distance, the relative position of the support member relative to the anchoring means, and wherein the displacement means comprises a trigger-or piston-operated frictional incremental advancement mechanism.
20. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the device further includes a fastening means constructed and arranged for temporarily fastening the support member in a substantially fixed relative position relative to the anchoring means, optionally generally along or parallel to a longitudinal axis of the frame; optionally wherein the fastening means comprises a rotatable fastening nut or screw-threaded frictional fastening device which acts on the support member to temporarily fix it in a given desired displaced position relative to the frame, optionally once a displacement means has itself been actuated to displace the support member into that desired displaced position relative to the frame.
21. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the device further includes at least one elongate brace member which is pivotally attached to the frame and comprises its own support foot at its end remote from its point of attachment to the frame, wherein the brace member is pivotably configurable relative to the frame so as to be able to adopt a non-0°, non-180° angle relative to the frame's longitudinal direction or axis, optionally once the device has been anchored to the object and the object with the device attached has been at least partly tipped, tilted or pivoted downwards towards the floor to assume an angled or tilted position relative to a wall or other object-carrying surface.
22. A device according to any preceding claim, which is a device for lifting and/or moving a radiator, wherein the device further includes one or more elongate lateral extension members mounted on the frame and extending generally transversely to a longitudinal direction or axis of the frame and generally parallel to a general plane of the radiator once in position being lifted and/or moved by the device, and wherein the or each lateral extension member terminates in, or carries, at a laterally outer or remote end thereof, a or a respective pusher portion or abutment or bearing member, the or each said pusher portion or abutment or bearing member being terminally configured for abutting or bearing against a respective detached pipe section and/or valve fitting to push it laterally sideways away from the radiator itself as the device is anchored onto the radiator and operated to lift same.
23. A method of lifting and/or moving an object, comprising: providing at least one device according to any one of claims 1 to 22; configuring the anchoring means to anchor the object to the frame assembly so that it is constrained to move therewith; and adjustably configuring the support member relative to the frame of the device so as to vary the relative position of the support member relative to the anchoring means.
24. A method according to claim 23, wherein the or each device is a device in which the support member is mounted on or in the frame assembly via displacement means, the displacement means being operable to vary, optionally vary by a controllable and/or selectable relative displacement distance, the relative position of the support member relative to the anchoring means, and in the method, the step of adjustably configuring the support member relative to the frame of the device, so as to vary the relative position of the support member relative to the anchoring means, comprises operating the said displacement means so as to vary, optionally vary by a controllable and/or selectable relative displacement distance, the relative position of the support member relative to the anchoring means.
25. A method according to claim 23 or claim 24, wherein the method is a method of lifting and moving a radiator.
26. A method according to any one of claims 23 to 25, wherein a plurality of like said devices are used to lift and/or move the said object, the devices being laterally spaced apart from one another along the width or length of the object, and each device is operated independently of, yet substantially simultaneously or contemporaneously with respect to, the other(s) thereof, whereby the object is liftable and/or movable by all the said devices together.