WO1991011572A1

WO1991011572A1 - A panel lifting device

Info

Publication number: WO1991011572A1
Application number: PCT/SE1991/000068
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rune Charléz
Original assignee: Charlez Rune
Priority date: 1990-02-01
Filing date: 1991-01-31
Publication date: 1991-08-08
Also published as: SE9000355D0; SE465733B; AU7235291A; SE9000355L

Abstract

The main purpose of the invention is to provide a device to simplify the handling of panels and building boards (26) and similar objects intended to form or to be attached to a ceiling, with the aid of a floor stand (1) having a vertically movable support (5) on which the panel (26) may be carried in its horizontal position. The invention concerns a device in which the panel (26) is received when positioned edgewise and which is arranged to lift the panel to an upper (overhead) horizontal position with the aid of a support (6) comprising a horizontal support section (6a) and a lifting section (6b) positioned externally of the main section of the support and vertically movable in relation thereto.

Description

A PANEL LIFTING DEVICE

The subject invention concerns a lifting device to support panels and similar building boards during mounting thereof in the construction of ceilings, said lifting device being of the kind comprising a floor stand and a support which is vertically movably mounted thereon to support and carry the panel or board, at least during the mounting thereof, in a horizontal position adjacent the ceiling.

A prior-art lifting device of this kind is disclosed in SE 353 700. The panel. lifting device described in his patent specification consists of a wheel-mounted floor stand having an extensible vertical standard supporting at its top a horizontal supporting member for supporting the panels to be secured to the ceiling. However, this prior- art device is constructed in such a manner that the panels must be lifted manually to an over-head level from a vertical position to a horizontal position, in which the panels are supported on the horizontal supporting member. This means that the workman needs to perform extremely difficult lifting operations, also when the vertical standard assumes its maximum retracted position.

The main purpose of the invention is to provide a lifting device of the kind referred to by means of which the lifting of the panels or boards to a horizontal posi¬ tion is considerably simplified, allowing such operations to be carried out by one person, also when comparatively large panels or boards need to be handled. An additional purpose is to provide a device in which the panels or boards are treated as gently as possible in order to avoid impression marks, damages on the panel edges, breaks, rents and the like. This is achieved in accordance with the subject invention which is characterized essentially therein that the support is provided with a panel-edge supporting member for receiption of the panel when the latter is placed edgewise, said panel-edge supporting member being arranged to be shifted between a lower panel- reception position and an upper operative position, said support or parts associated therewith forming lateral panel-supporting means when the panel assumes its edgewise position,, i.e. when the panel-edge supporting member is in its panel reception position, and preferably also forming a base to support the panel in the horizontal position thereof, i.e. when the device assumes its operative position. Preferably, the support is a two-piece device, com¬ prising a first section, the main section, which is sup¬ ported by the floor, stand, and a second section, the lifting section, which supports the panel-edge supporting member in such a manner that the latter may be moved horizontally as well as vertically in relation to said main section.

In addition, the main section of the support has a portion which is supported by the floor stand in a per¬ manently horizontal position and its lifting section supports the panel-edge supporting member exteriorly of said main section portion, as seen in the lateral direc¬ tion, in such a manner that the movement of the panel-edge supporting member from its lower reception position to its upper position pushes the panel supported therein upwards, whereby the panel is shifted from its edgewise position to its horizontal position while sliding and abutting against the edge delimiting portions of the horizontal main sec¬ tion portion facing the panel-edge supporting member.

Furthermore, the lifting section preferably forms a pivotal arm supporting the panel-edge supporting member at one of its ends and being articulated at its opposite end to the horizontal main section of the support by means of a pivot joint which is positioned at a lower level than said horizontal main section. Preferably, the panel-edge supporting member is also provided with means arranged to clampingly engage the edge portion of the panel received therein in order to retain the panel edge portion in engagement with the panel-edge supporting member while said panel is being shifted into its horizontal position.

The clamping means preferably is operatively connect- ed to a handle which is arranged when the panel-edge supporting member is lifted manually by means of said handle, to force the clamping means to remain in its clamping position.

A traction spring preferably is inserted between the pivotal arm of the support and the main section thereof, said traction spring being attached to said two sections in such a manner that upon approaching the position of reception its line of action passes beyond the pivot joint thus forming an over-center system being stable in said position of reception but otherwise spring-actuated towards the operative position.

Preferably, the spring is a gas-operated spring. In accordance with one preferred embodiment, the support preferably is in the shape of an annular frame the main section of which comprises a horizontal portion and a marginal portion bent at an oblique angle thereto with its lower end articulated to the lifting section which supports the panel-edge supporting member at its free end edge, thus forming a knee-joint type of construction to- gether with the downwardly bent portion of the main section, the latter portion likewise forming a lateral panel support.

Preferably, the main section is rigidly mounted on the floor stand, i.e. so as* to be angularly immobile in the panel tilting direction.

One embodiment of the invention will be described in closer detail in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein

Fig. 1 illustrates the manner in which a panel which is intended for ceiling mounting, is carried up to a lift¬ ing device designed to raise the panel and position it in abutment against the ceiling to be attached thereto; Fig. 2 illustrates the situation when the panel is placed in position in a panel-edge supporting member in accordance with the invention in the panel lifting device; Fig. 3 illustrates one stage of the operation of shifting the panel from a vertical to a horizontal posi¬ tion;

Fig. 4 illustrates the panel when raised to a hori¬ zontal position;

Fig. 5 illustrates the panel in the operative posi- tion while lifted into abutment against the ceiling and being secured thereto;

Figs. 6-9 illustrates the panel-edge supporting mem¬ ber and the clamping means incorporated in the device in accordance with the invention during various stages of lifting and raising a panel.

The drawing figures illustrate a panel lifting device in accordance with the invention, comprising two main parts, i.e. a stand 1 and a support part 5. In accordance with the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the stand 1 consists of an upright comprising two telescopically interconnected parts, i.e. a lower part 2a and an upper part 2b. The relative displacement of the two upright parts is effected by means of a hand wheel 3 positioned on one of the parts and arranged, when being turned, to actuate, via a transmission in accordance with the embodi¬ ment illustrated, the upper part 2b for raising and lower¬ ing movements thereof in relation to the lower part 2a. The support 5 part is arranged to consist at least parti¬ ally of an essentially horizontal table serving as a bear- ing surface on which is supported a panel or building board 26 to be secured to a ceiling or similar surface.

In accordance with the embodiment illustrated in the drawing figures, the support consists of two principal sections 6a and 6b, of which section 6a is supported by the upper upright part 2b, preferably rigidly at the top thereof, whereas the second section 6b forms a vertically movable panel-edge supporting member. The support illustrated in the drawings is in the shape of an annular frame of essentially rectangular con¬ figuration. One, 6a, of the principal sections of the frame is formed with an obliquely downwards extending lateral portion 6a and a horizontally extending portion 6a". The downwardly extending frame portion 6a' is bent at a comparatively steep angel and the two horizontal frame portions 6a" are spanned by a cross member 7 at the centre of which the upper upright part 2b is secured. The cross member is preferably rigidly attached, whereby the upper frame portion 6a" will be maintained permanently in an essentially horizontal position.

At their lower ends each frame side portion 6a' ' supports a hinge 8 articulating the associated lateral frame portion 6b' to the frame section 6b. A traction spring 9 extends between each pair of frame side portions 6a' and 6a", said spring tending to move frame section 6b to the upwardly pivoted angular position illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. Frame section 6b may be tilted downwards to the lower position shown in Fig. 2. The traction springs 9, not shown in Fig. 2, are attached to the associated frame sections in such a. manner that in the maximum down¬ wardly-tilted position of frame section 6b, i.e. in the position corresponding to Fig. 2 the line of longitudinal extension of the springs passes beyond the hinge 8 to a position below the latter, thus providing an over-centre effect. In other words the springs 9 tend to maintain the frame section 6b in the maximum downwardly position but tend to pivot the frame section upwards during the rest of the frame section movement. The two frame sections 6a and 6b thus make up a U-shape structure wherein the legs of the U-shape are formed by the lateral portions 6b' , 6a' , 6a", respectively.

On the portion 6b" of the frame section 6b that in- terconnects the two lateral frame legs 6b' is provided a panel-edge supporting member, generally designated by 10, in which the panel to be mounted may be supported with its one longitudinal edge resting in said member, and then be lifted to its horizontal position, the "operative" posi¬ tion. The structure and operation of this panel-edge supporting member is most clearly illustrated in Figs. 6- 9, in which only a part of the frame section 6b is shown. Close to the lower edge of frame section 6b, on the upper face thereof, an angularly configured support profile member 11 is connected to the frame section by means of a pivot joint 12. The support profile member 11 has a support part 11a positioned above the pivot joint 12, and . a support part lib positioned below said joint. Support part lib is in the shape of a hook, comprising a down¬ wardly projecting portion lib' and a portion lib" pro¬ jecting at an angle therefrom. In the transition area between portions lib' and lib" a pivot joint 13 is pro¬ vided on which is pivotally mounted a clamping device, generally designated by reference 14. Like the support member 11 the clamping device is formed as a double-arm lever one arm 14a of which is provided with a handle 15 whereas the other arm 14b is shaped as a hook having an upright flange portion 14b' merging into an interconnect¬ ing part 14b" connecting the flange portion 14b' with the rest of the clamping device. Consequently, the clamping device 14 is pivotally mounted to the support member 11 by means of the pivot joint 13 and the support member 11 is pivotally mounted to frame section 6b by means of the pivot joint 12, as illustrated in Figs. 6-9.

The various parts may also be pivoted in excess to the position illustrated, should this be deemed suitable. In accordance with the embodiment shown, the panel-edge supporting member is divided into two main sections which are interconnected by means of the handle 15 but the device may be formed with several panel-edge supporting members or even with one single panel-edge supporting member extending along the major part of frame portion 6b". Preferably, the device is used in the following manne :

A panel or building board 26 to be attached to a ceiling is carried as illustrated in Fig. 1 with its longer edges horizontal and it is deposited edgewise in the panel-edge supporting member as illustrated in Fig. 2. This position is illustrated also in Fig. 6. The panel is then tilted to ensure that its rests against the down¬ wardly extending section of the support frame. The handle 15 is then moved in the direction indicated by arrow 16 in Fig. 7. As a result, frame section 6b is pivoted upwards while the flange portion 14b' of the clamping means 14 engages the edge of the panel. As the frame section 6b is pivoted upwards, the panels slides over the preferably rounded knee 17 formed in the transitional area between the downwardly extending part of frame section 6a and the horizontal part thereof. Preferably, the springs 9 are set to ensure that in the upwards-tilted position they still are strong enough to support the panel in horizontal position in abutment against the frame section 6a". When the handle 15 is released, the latter will move downwards in the direction indicated by arrow 18 in Fig. 9, thus freeing the edge portion of the panel 26 for movement upwards, i.e. by extension of the stand part 1 the panel may be pressed against the ceiling without the clamping mechanism obstructing this operation. When the panel is secured to the ceiling the stand part 1 may again be retracted and the suport 6 be lowered to a position in which it is ready to receive another panel which is easily transported on the floor to any appropriate point, if the stand is provided with castors, sliding means or equivalent means.

It is within the scope of the subject invention to design section 6a of the support with a sufficient horizontal extension to allow the panel to be deposited thereon and be carried solely by said support section. In this case the lifting means 6b could be lowered again, immediately following deposition of the panel.

The device described in the aforegoing and illu¬ strated in the drawings is but one example of the prac¬ tical application of the invention and it is within the scope of protection of the invention to vary the config¬ uration of the support. For instance, the support need not necessarily be shaped as an annular frame, like the sup¬ port illustrated in the drawing figures, but it could be a framework construction including struts having, however, such an extension that on the one hand the support carries the panel when the latter is positioned edgewise and on the other supports the panel horizontally when the panel assumes its upwards-tilted position. The knee-joint struc¬ ture of the support is both simple and functional but it is within the scope of the invention to design and arrange the lifting section in some other way, for instance so as to be displaceable in relation to the fixed support sec¬ tion. Its displacement could be effected for instance by means of telescopically arranged devices or by means of a frame system similar to that used in awnings, according to which the frame parts are folded in a common plane. In this case, the downwardly angled section could consist of frame parts of the kind that are folded along the plane of the panel positioned edgewise. Without departure from the inventive idea the lateral support could be in the form of elements that are connected to but do not project directly from the support part. For instance, the lateral support could project from the floor-supported base that is interconnected with the floor stand.

Claims

1. A lifting device to support panels and similar building boards during mounting thereof in the construc- tion of ceilings, said lifting device being of the kind comprising a floor stand and a support (6) which is ver¬ tically movably mounted on the stand to support and carry the panel or board in a horizontal position adjacent to the ceiling, at least during the mounting of the panels, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the support (6) is provided with a panel-edge supporting member (10) for reception of the panel (26) when the latter is placed edgewise, said panel-edge supporting member being arranged to be shifted between a lower, panel-reception position and an upper, operative position, said support or parts associated therewith forming lateral panel-supporting means when the panel assumes its edgewise position, i.e. when the panel-edge supporting member is in its panel reception position, and preferably also forming a base to support the panel in the horizontal position thereof, i.e. when the device assumes its operative position.

2. A lifting device as claimed in claim 1, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that the support (6) is a two- piece device comprising a first section, the main section (6a), which is supported by the floor stand (2), and a second section, the lifting section (6b), which supports the panel-edge supporting member (10) in such a manner that the latter may be moved horizontally as well as vertically in relation to said main section.

3. A lifting device as claimed in claim 2, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that the main section (6a) of the support (6) has a portion (6a") which is supported by the floor stand in a permanently horizontal position, and in that its lifting section (6b') supports the panel-edge supporting member exteriorly of said main section, as seen in the lateral direction, in such a manner that the move¬ ment of the panel-edge supporting member from its lower reception position to its upper position pushes the panel supported therein upwards, whereby the panel (26) is shifted from its edgewise position to its horizontal position while sliding and abutting against the edge de- limiting portions of the horizontal main section portion facing the panel-edge supporting member.

4. A lifting device as claimed in claim 3, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that the lifting section (6b) preferably forms a pivotal arm supporting the panel-edge supporting member (10) at one of its ends and being articulated at its opposite end to the horizontal main section (6a) of the support by means of a pivot joint (8) which is positioned at a lower level than said horizontal main section.

5. A lifting device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the panel-edge supporting member (10) is also provided with means arranged to clampingly engage the edge portion of the panel (26) received therein in order to retain the panel edge portion in engagement with the panel-edge supporting member while said panel is being shifted into its horizontal position.

6. A lifting device as claimed in claim 5, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that the clamping means is operatively connected to a handle (15) which is arranged, when the panel-edge supporting member is lifted manually by means of said handle, to force the clamping means to remain in its clamping position.

7. A lifting device as claimed in claim 4, c h a - r a c t e r i z e d in that a traction spring (9) is inserted between the pivotal arm (6b' ) of the support and the main section (6a) thereof, said traction spring being attached to said two sections in such a manner that upon approaching the position of reception its line of action passes beyond the pivot joint (8), thus forming an over- center system being stable in said position of reception but otherwise spring-actuated towards the operative posi¬ tion.

8. A lifting device as claimed in claim 7, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that the spring (9) is at least a gas-operated spring.

9. A lifting device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the support (6) is in the shape of an annular frame the main section of which comprises a horizontal portion (6a") and a marginal portion (6a' ) bent at an oblique angle thereto with its lower end articulated the lifting section (6b' ) which supports the panel-edge supporting member (10) at its free end edge, thus forming a knee-joint type of con¬ struction together with the downwardly bent portion of the main section, the latter portion likewise forming a lateral panel support.

10. A lifting device as claimed in claim 9, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that the main section is rigidly mounted on the floor stand, i.e. so as to be angularly immobile in the tilting direction of said panel (26).