NZ299135A - Load handling apparatus for supporting and clamping work pieces and for lifting work pieces to a desired height has five sleeves - Google Patents

Description

New Zealand No. 299135 International No. PCT/ TO BE ENTERED AFTER ACCEPTANCE AND PUBLICATION Priority dates: 07.08.1995; Complete Specification Rled: 07.08.1996 Classification:^) B66F1/00; B25H1/00 Publication date: 24 June 1997 Journal No.: 1417 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Title of Invention: Load handling equipment Name, address and nationality of applicant(s) as in international application form: KEVIN FRANCIS MARRON, an Australian citizen of 21 Highland Avenue, Rostrevor, South Australia 5073, Australia 29 9135 Patents Fon No 5 THE PATBMTS ACT 1953 COMPIJSTg SFECJLFiCATIOW LOM) HM»T.TWG ■QOIPMBT I, KEVIN FRANCIS MARRON, an Australian citizen of 21 Highland Avenue, Rostrevor, South Australia 5073, Australia, hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: *99135 This invention relates primarily to load handling equipment which can be used in cooperation with lifting heavy articles, but it also extends to equipment which can be utilised in bench manner for work piece clamping means, for example a vice, and still further, the invention relates in one of its aspects to a 5 method of erecting the equipment, which can also be of height greater than the height of a person.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Quite often there is need for on site equipment which can be used for lifting heavy articles, for example lifting an engine from a vehicle, but such 10 equipment necessarily occupies a large volume, and for transport purposes needs to be easily demounted or knocked down to a series of components, and readily re-erected. Accordingly, one of the objects of this invention is to provide equipment which can be readily erected, and in particular, when so erected can be very safe so that accident hazard is reduced as far as is reasonably 15 practicable.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Thus in one aspect of the invention, load handling equipment comprises a longitudinally extending beam supported by four legs each of which is joined to the beam in a spigot and socket manner, and there is a fifth spigot and socket 20 assembly at one end which is hinged with respect to the beam, the arrangement being such that, upon erection of the equipment from a knocked down state to an in-use state, the upper ends of the legs of one of the pairs of. legs may be connected to a pair of sleeve components at one end of the beam, a third of the legs being connected to a fifth sleeve component at the other end 25 of the beam and being utilised to elevate that other end of the beam so that the beam is then supported by two legs at one end and one leg at the other, and when in that position, the fourth leg being inserted into one of the fixed sleeves at the fifth component end of the beam, whereupon the fifth component can be hinged out again, the leg which has temporarily supported the beam end can 30 be removed from the fifth component sleeve, and its upper end can be reinserted into the remaining fixed sleeve at the fifth sleeve end of the beam. 299135 • 5 ^ 25 The beam can sometimes be used in fixed applications wherein a single location of, say a chain and sprocket assembly can be located. Alternatively, the beam may be of the type which carries a small trolley so that, for example a work load when lifted and supported by the beam can be moved along the beam away from its original position, for example for lifting an engine from a vehicle and transferring it from the vehicle to a trailer or a second vehicle. Thus the beam will usually be of tubular or I-beam shape, depending on the application to which it will be applied.

When erected, it is important that the structure should be reasonably stable to reduce the possibility of accident occurring, and in another aspect of the invention near the fifth component end of the beam there is a hinged strut which will hinge downwardly, assisting an operator when erecting that end of the beam after the other end has already been provided with its supporting legs, and the legs at the fifth component end of the beam are also supplied with a brace which can be clamped between them, the strut in use finally being secured to the centre of the brace, so that the brace defines with the upper ends of the legs a triangular structure, and the strut also defines the triangular structure with the other ends of the legs through the brace, the first triangular structure stiffening the beam against transverse movement, and the second triangular structure against longitudinal movement, thus imparting a high degree of rigidity.

For on site applications, there is frequently a requirement for a workbench, and workbenches also when fully erected are very bulky and inconvenient, and in another aspect of the invention a base plate can be attached at one end of the beam which is of size and shape to support a work piece clamping means, for example a vice, a pipe clamp or the like.

While the invention need not necessarily include any specific combination of the abovementioned features, an embodiment is described hereunder in some detail with reference to and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 29 9135 • • Fig 1a shows the first stage of erection of the load handling equipment from a knocked down state to an in use state; Fig 1b shows the second stage of erection wherein the strut is used to support the fifth sleeve end of the beam; Fig 1 c shows the third stage of erection wherein one of the legs is inserted into the hinged fifth sleeve in a spigot and socket connection, and projects from the beam in a generally coaxial direction (although that direction can be varied considerably); Fig 1d shows a fourth stage wherein by moving the last mentioned leg and lifting it to be vertical, the fifth sleeve end of the beam is thereby lifted to be approximately horizontal and supported by three legs, thereby being stable; Fig 1e shows the fifth sleeve end of the beam supported by one leg in one of the rigid sleeves at the fifth sleeve end, and the other leg in position in the other of the pair of rigid support sleeves, and also illustrates both the brace and strut in position; Fig 2 is an isometric view illustrating features of the invention when the equipment is in its in use erected state; Fig 3 is a fragmentary section showing the hinged fifth sleeve with a leg end therein, before the fifth sleeve end of the beam has been lifted by rotating the inserted leg about the hinge pin to a vertical position, Fig 3 also showing a capped upper end of a leg before being inserted; and Fig 4 illustrates how the base plate at the other end of the beam can support a clamp, in this instance the clamp being a vice.

Reference is first made in this description to Fig 2 which illustrates most of the components. In Fig 2 the load handling equipment comprises a trestle like structure 10 in its erected form, the structure having a horizontal beam 11 supported by two legs 12 at one end and another two legs 13 at the other end which is herein referred to as the "fifth sleeve end".

The beam 11 is illustrated as being of square tubular shape, and the legs 12 and 13 are of round tubular shape. 299135 • 5 At each end, the beam 11 has a pair of rigid sleeve components 14 which are rigidly secured near the end of the beam and are splayed outwardly in a transverse direction, and each of the four legs 12 and 13 has its upper end firmly connected in a spigot and socket fashion into a respective sleeve 14, being clamped by screw threaded clamps 16 to inhibit danger of dislodgment. Fig 3 shows the clamping arrangement drawn to a larger scale.

The legs 12 and 13 are shown to each comprise two portions marked 12a and 13a and 12b and 13b, and they too are interconnected by spigot and socket connections 19 which, if broken, will allow the height of the beam 11 to be lowered, in this embodiment, to a bench height, being supported by the legs 12b and 13b.

It is of utmost importance that the beam 11 should be as rigid as possible, and this is achieved partly by means firstly of a hinged brace 21 which is hinged to brackets 22 on one of the legs 13a and clamped by means of a clamping screw 33 to the other leg 13a, thereby defining with the upper parts of the legs 13a a triangular structure. That triangular structure inhibits at least that end of the load handling equipment against transverse movement, and longitudinal movement is similarly inhibited by a strut 25 which is hinged at its upper end 26 to the underside of the beam 11, and clamped at its lower end by a clamp 27 to a bracket 28 carried centrally in the hinge brace 21. The strut can be retracted as shown in dashed lines to lie along the lower face of beam There is also provided a mounting plate 31 at one end of insertable spigot 30 which slides into an end of beam 11, (the right hand end as shown), and that plate as shown in Fig 4 can hold a clamping device, for example a vice 32, securing of the clamping device being effected by a nut and bolt assembly not shown, which extends through a single aperture 33 in the plate 31.

Similarly spigot 30 can be secured in beam 11 by a screw threaded fastener (not shown).

Figs 2 and 3 illustrate the fifth sleeve 35 which is an important feature of this invention. The fifth sleeve 35 provides the socket portion of a spigot and 299 socket connection of one of the legs 13 as shown best in Fig 3, the fifth sleeve 35 hinging about a hinge bolt 36 so that the leg portion 13a can be moved from the position shown in Fig 3 to a position which is more nearly vertical. An outwardly projecting handle 37 inhibits the leg portion 13a from any further 5 rotation in a clockwise direction as shown in Fig 3, and the inner wail of the projecting end of beam 11 limits the amount of anticlockwise movement. However, since the main function will be to lift the fifth sleeve end of the beam 11 from a sloping to an erect in use position which may be higher than the operator, the important function is that illustrated in Fig 3 wherein the lifting of 10 the leg 13a will assist in lifting the fifth sleeve end of the beam 11.

The invention is not limited to the means described above but also includes the method.

The method of erection is best seen in Figs 1a to 1e, the first stage being to insert the two legs 12 into the rigidly secured outwardly splayed sleeve 15 components 14 at the end of beam 11 which carries the mounting plate 31.

This is easily achieved and as shown in Fig 1 a when that has been achieved, the fifth sleeve end of the beam 11 will rest upon the ground and the sleeve components 14 will be elevated. In that position, the strut 25 can be lowered and thereby used to lift the fifth sleeve end of beam 11 to a 20 comfortable working height. At that height, the upper end of the third of the legs 13 can be inserted into the fifth sleeve 35 as shown in Fig 3. In that position, the mechanical advantage achieved by the additional length imparted to the beam 11 makes it very easy for the beam 11 to be lifted further, to a horizontal position, and actually beyond the horizontal position if the leg 13 in sleeve 35 is 25 made vertical. In that position therefore the other (fourth) leg 13 can be inserted in one of the rigid sleeves 14 and locked into position by its locking screw 16, and the upper end of the illustrated leg 13 in Fig 3 can be removed from the sleeve 35. At that position the whole assembly will be supported as a tripod with one leg touching the ground at the fifth sleeve end of the beam and 30 the other two legs touching the ground at the mounting plate end. The leg previously inserted in sleeve 35 can then be simply transferred to the fourth 299135 empty rigid sleeve 14 and locked into position, thereby providing the structure as illustrated in Figs 1e and 2.

When the structure is required for bench use, the lower portions 12b and 13b of the legs 12 and 13 are broken away from the upper portions at the locality of the sleeves 19, and the dimensions can be such that the mounting plate 31 provides a suitable height for work bench purposes, and beam 11 is useable as a horse.

The invention may be modified, or used in different configurations. In particular, the mounting plate can be used to support other clamps, for example, a log clamp, a hacksaw workpiece clamp, an angle iron clamp or a pipe clamp.

Claims (17)

M9135 WHAT I CLAIM ISs

1. Load bearing equipment comprising a longitudinally extending beam, four rigid sleeves of demountable spigot and socket leg connections 5 arranged in two pairs, one pair at each end of said beam, each said sleeve component sloping downwardly and transversely outwardly, and four legs having their upper ends firing engaged by inner surfaces of respective said sleeves to thereby support said beam above a base surface, there being a fifth sleeve of a spigot and socket leg connection at one 10 end of said beam, a hinge having a transverse axis hinging said fifth sleeve component to one of said beam ends, and stop means on said beam limiting upward hinging movement of said fifth sleeve to be generally in alignment with said beam.

2. Load handling equipment comprising a longitudinally 15 extending beam supported by four legs, two at each end, each said end of said beam having a pair of downwardly and transversely outwardly sloping rigid components of spigot and socket leg connections demountably engaged by upper ends of respective said legs, a fifth component of a demountable spigot and socket leg connection, and a 20 hinge connecting said fifth component to an end of said beam, the arrangement being such that, upon erection of said equipment from a knock down state to an in-use state, upper ends of the legs of one said pair of legs may be connected to a said pair of sloping components at one end of said beam, a third of said legs connected to said fifth component at the other 25 end of said beam and then rotated about said hinge to a vertical position to temporarily support said other beam end, the fourth of said legs connected to one of said components at said other beam end to thereby alternatively support said other beam end, and the third of said legs transferred from said fifth component to the remaining said sloping rigid component, whereupon said 30 beam is fully supported in its in-use state. -8 & 299135

3. Load bearing equipment according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the shape of said beam is one of a tubular shape or an I shape.

4. Load bearing equipment according to claim 3 wherein the shape of said beam is square section tubular.

5 5. Load bearing equipment according to any preceding claim further comprising a generally horizontal brace, and fastening means releasably fastening ends of said brace to said legs which support the fifth spigot and socket end of said beam in a configuration in which said brace and upper portions of said legs define a generally triangular configuration. 10

6. Load bearing equipment according to any preceding claim further comprising a strut, hinge means joining a hinged first end of said strut to said beam near but not at the fifth spigot and socket end of said beam.

7. Load bearing equipment according to claim 6 when dependent on claim 5, wherein said strut has a second end, and fastening 15 means retain said second strut end to an intermediate portion of said brace.

8. Load bearing equipment according to claim 6 wherein said strut is of length to support said fifth spigot and socket end of said beam during its erection or during its demounting.

9. Load being equipment according to claim 2 wherein said 20 downwardly and outwardly sloping rigid components are sleeves, and said fifth component is also a sleeve, said legs being insertable in respective said sleeves to be retained thereby.

10. Load bearing equipment according to any preceding claim further comprising screw threaded locking clamps co-acting between respective 25 said spigots and sockets.

11. Load bearing equipment according to any preceding claim further comprising closure caps on upper ends of respective said legs.

12. Load bearing equipment according to any preceding claim wherein each said leg comprises two portions, and a further spigot and socket 30 connection between said portions, thereby providing alternative heights of said beam. -9- ^ -a- *;*£ c&

13. Load bearing equipment according to any preceding claim further comprising a base plate at one end of said beam of size and shape to support workpiece clamping means.

14. A method of erection of equipment according to claim 1, 5 comprising (a) inserting upper ends of a first two of said four legs into respective said rigid sloping sleeves at a first end of said beam, thereby elevating said first end, (b) inserting an upper end of a third said leg into said fifth sleeve at a 10 second end of said beam, and roiatuig said fifth sleeve about said hinge towards a vertical position of said third leg, to thereby elevate said beam second end, and co-operate with the first said two legs to support said beam, (c) inserting the upper end of a fourth leg into one of the remaining 15 two of said rigid sleeves, and removing said third leg from said hinge, thereby supporting said beam by said first two and fourth legs, and (d) inserting the upper end of said third leg into the last remaining rigid sleeve. 20

15. A method according to claim 14 further comprising securing a brace between two of said lags at an end of said equipment, and securing a strut between said beam and said brace.

16. Load bearing equipment substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 25

17. A method or erection of load bearing equipment substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. KEVIN FRANCIS MARRON By His Authorised Attorneys JOHN A REMMINGTON& ASSOCIATES END OF CLAIMS -10-