US2904308A

US2904308A - Piano lifting apparatus and turntable support

Info

Publication number: US2904308A
Application number: US621359A
Authority: US
Inventors: Samuel E Vergara
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-11-09
Filing date: 1956-11-09
Publication date: 1959-09-15
Anticipated expiration: 1976-09-15

Description

Sept. 15, 1959 s. E. VERGARA 2,904,308 PIANO LIFTING APPARATUS AND TURNTABLE SUPPORT Filed Nov. 9, 1956 I x 3 Sheets-Sheet 1;

INVENTOR. SAMUEL E VE/PGARA p 1959 s. E. VERGARA 2,904,308

PIANO LIFTING APPARATUS AND TURNTABLE SUPPORT Filed NOV. 9, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. SAMUEL E. VERGA/PA A T TORNEYS Sept. 15, 1959 s. E. VERGARA 2,904,308

PIANO LIFTING APPARATUS AND TURNTABLE SUPPORT Filed. Nov. 9, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 mum.

- INVENTOR. SAMUEL E. VERGARA BY ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 15, 1959 PIANO LIFTING APPARATUS AND TURNTABLE SUPPORT Samuel E. Vergara, San Francisco, Calif. Application November, 9, 1956, Serial No.621,359

4 Claims. (Cl. 254- 8) This invention relates to hoists and turntables, and more particularly to hoisting apparatus embodying a turntable support specifically adapted for the handling of any size piano of the grand type.

Grand pianos are relatively heavy, weighing from 450 to 900 pounds It frequently becomes necessary to move these pianos from place to place, as in shops, etc. Also, such pianos are moved from locations where they are used to places where they may be refinished. Such movement requires from two to three men, and such work is hazardous.

It is an object of the present invention to provide. a novel hoist whereby a piano may be raised verysirnply by a single person and transported from place to place, as desired.

A further object of the present invention is to provide the subject hoist with a novel turntable support for the piano, with said turntable support being provided with horizontally and vertically adjustable support means adapted to engage the variable, level underside portions of a grand piano, whereby the piano maybe stably supported and turned by a piano finisher from time to time during the finishing operation to thereby eliminate the necessity of the finisher moving around the piano with his spray gun and finishing materials. 8

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings forming part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the subject piano lifting apparatus and turntable support, showing the same as it would appear before a lifting operation is commenced;

Figure 2 is a detail view taken along lines 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view in elevation of the apparatus, showing the same as it would appear after a piano has been lifted;

Figure 4 is a detail view taken along lines 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the subject apparatus.

With reference to the drawings, the apparatus comprises a bottom support frame formed of opposed pairs of channel members 10, members 12 supporting frame from four corner plates 14-, wheels 16 dirigibly attached to plate 14, four cylindrical post members 18 carried by frame 10 and extending upwardly therefrom, tubular members 20 sleeved for sliding movement on posts 18, said tubular members having secured to the lower ends thereof plate 22 and having secured to the upper ends thereof plate 24.

Fixedly mounted on plate 22 centrally thereof is a hydraulic jack 26 having actuating means indicated generally at 28 adapted to be operated by hand lever 30. Jack 26 is provided with a jack shaft 32 which terminates at its upper end in a plate 34. As best shown in Figure 4, plate 34 has secured thereto a pair of opposed L-shaped cars 36 and two pairs of ears 38 so associated therewith as to define four pairs of spaced ears between which the upper ends of link members 40 extend. The link members 40 are pivotally attached to the ear elements 36-38, as by pins 42. The lower ends of link members 40 extend between link pairs 44 and are pivotally secured thereto, as by pins 46. The lower ends of link pairs 44 are in turn pivotally secured, as by pins 48, to upstanding web members 50 which are fixedly secured to the wheel mounting plates 14. Connecting means are provided between each of the link members 40 and plate 22, said means comprising link pairs 52 having their upper ends pivotally attached to link members 40, as by pins 54,.

and having their lower ends pivotally attached, as by pins 56, to upstanding web members 58 fixedly secured .to plate 22.

For a better understanding of the mode of operation of the hoist, it may be assumed, with reference to Figure 1, that the link pairs 52 are not present. If this were true, upward movement of the jack shaft 32 relative to the jack 26 would tend to move link members 40 and link pairs 44 from the Figure 1 position toward their Figure 3 position, but plate 22, tubular members 20 and plate 24 would remain stationary. With the link pairs 52 present, upward movement of the jack shaft relative to the jack is effected to move link members 40 and link pairs 44 from the Figure 1 to Figure 3 positions, and in the process plate 22, tubular members 20 and plate 24, all of which are integrated together, are raised by virtue of the connections constituted by link pairs 52 between link mem bers 40 and plate 22. A very high mechanical advantage is obtained consisting of the mechanical advantage which is derived through the hydraulic jack itself, the additional multiplication of the mechanical advantage of the jack which is in the ratio of the length of the link members 40 to the distance between

pins

46 and 54, and the additional compounding of the all ready compounded mechanical advantage of the hydraulic jack by virtue of the toggle action of link members 40 and link pairs 44, i.e. evidenced by the downward swinging movement of pivot pins 46 while pivot pins 54 are being moved upwardly.

Link pairs 52 are provided with crossbar members 60 adapted to serve as prop members for the link mem bers 40 to prevent link members 40 from coming into full alignment with link pairs 44.

The hoist apparatus embodies a turntable support comprising a hollow U-shaped frame consisting of a pair of oppositely disposed frame members 62 and an end member 64. Members 62 are interconnected by transverse member 66 which in turn is pivotally connected to plate 24, as by stud 68. Members 621 are provided at their inner sides with projections 70 which have connected thereto rotatable wheel members 72. Wheel members 72. Wheel members 72 engage the top surface of plate 24 and serve as the supporting means for the turntable.

Slidably telescoped within members 62 are members 7 4 which have secured to the underside of the outer ends thereof a transverse housing 76. Extending upwardly through housing 76 and members 74 is a pair of threaded shafts 78, the upper ends of which are secured to hollow support member 80. Member 80 is provided with extension members 82 which are slidably telescoped therein. Shafts 78 are moved upwardly and downwardly by rotative movement of nut members 84 which are disposed within housing 76 in threaded engagement with shafts 78. Nut members 84 are provided with sprocket portions around which a drive chain is trained. Chain 86 is also chained around a drive sprocket which is fixedly attached to shaft 88 having crank handle 90 integral therewith.

Threadably engaged-within bosses 92 disposed within frame member 64 are screw shafts 94 having at their lower ends adjustment knobs 96 and at their upper ends support pads 98.

When the apparatus is in the position of Figure 1, it is rolled beneath a baby grandpia'no; The underside portions of such pianos are generally located at varying levels. Thus, crank handle 90' is rotated to adjust support member 80 to engage the underside portion of the piano adjacent thereto. Screw shafts 94 are suitably rotated to bring the support pads fi into engagement with underside portions of the piano adjacent thereto. Support member 80 may be moved toward or away from the end 64 of the frame to properly adjust the support elements to suit the particular dimensions of the piano, and extension members 82 may be moved as desired with respect to support'memher 80 in accordance with the dimensional characteristics of the piano. The end result is that the piano, no matter what its peculiarities as to size or dimension, is contacted for stable support by the turntable. The piano is then hoisted in the manner previously described.

When the piano is thus stably supported in a raised position, it may be rotated with one hand for the purpose of inspecting the piano or for the purpose of performing the refinishing operation thereon. Such refinishing operations may consist of removing the old paint, or finish, from the piano, sanding the wood, and repainting the piano. With the subject hoist, such a refinishing operation is considerably simplified, as the refinisher may stand at one station, where his tools and equipment are located, and gradually rotate the piano as the refinishing operation proceeds.

Means are provided to lock the turntable with respect to the turntable support plate 24, said means comprising a crank member 100 journalled for support in one of the side frame members 62 and having at its inner end a lug plate 102 adapted to be engaged within a'notch, not shown, formed in the peripheral edge of plate 24.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that all'substantial equivalents thereof are considered to be within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Hoist apparatus of the type described comprising a wheel-supported frame, at least three angularly spaced post members secured to and extending upwardly from said frame, a tubular member sleeved for sliding movement on each of said post members, a horizontally disposed lower plate secured to the lower ends of said tubular members, a horizontally disposed upper plate secured to the upper ends of said tubular members, a lifting jack secured to said lower plate centrally thereof, said jack having an upwardly directed jack shaft, a plurality of first link members angularly spaced with respect to each other, said link members having their inner ends pivotally connected to the upper end of said jack shaft and having their outer ends extending beyond the periphery of said lower plate, second link members having their lower ends pivotally secured to said frame and their upper ends pivotally secured to the outer ends of said first link members, and third link members having their lower ends pivotally connected to said lower plate and their upper ends pivotally connected to said first link members between the inner and outer ends of the latter.

2. Hoist apparatus comprising a horizontally disposed support frame, a plate horizontally disposed above said support frame, guide means carried by said frame in association with said plate whereby said plate may move upwardly and downwardly relative to said frame, a jack secured to said plate having an upwardly extending extensible jack shaft, a plurality of angularly spaced lever means pivotally connected to said jack shaft and to said frame for movement in vertical planes in response to movement of said jack shaft, and link means depending from said lever means, said link means being pivotally connected to said lever means and to said plate.

3. The hoist apparatus of claim 2, each of said lever means consisting of first and second pivotally articulated levers, said first levers being connected to said jack shaft and being substantially horizontally disposed when said plate is in a down position, and said second levers being disposed outwardly of the periphery of said plate, being connected to said frame, and being substantially vertically disposed when said plate is in a down position, said link means being connected to said first levers between the ends thereof.

4. The hoist apparatus of claim 2, including means disposed above said plate and rigidly supported thereby to engage beneath and support an object to be hoisted.

Saul Oct. 3, 1950 Sensenbaugh Jan. 13, 1953