Apparatus and method for individual to maintenance air conditioning unit

Abstract

An air conditioning maintenancing system employs a lifting unit which does not in operation require a specialized support structure that must be used and transported with the lifting unit. Instead the lifting unit is designed for utilization with commonly existing construction equipment that can, after being utilized with the lifting unit, be used at separate locations to carry out different tasks.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A method for an individual to maintenance at a remote site an air conditioning unit which includes a compressor, comprising the steps of
 (a) providing at a first location a lifting unit for use in conjunction with a horizontally oriented elongate orthogonal wood plank having an upper surface, a bottom surface, and a pair of parallel spaced apart edges, said lifting unit including
 (i) a hollow generally orthogonal housing including
 a top, 
 a bottom opposed to and spaced apart from said top, 
 a first side interconnecting said top and said bottom, 
 a second side interconnecting said top and said bottom and spaced apart and opposed to said first side and pivotally attached to said bottom, 
 a first open end, and 
 a second open end spaced apart from and opposed to said first open end, 
 said top, bottom, and sides circumscribing a hollow inner area, 
 
 (ii) at least a first pair of wheels rotatably mounted on said first side in said hollow inner area a first selected distance above said bottom, 
 (iii) at least a second pair of wheels rotatably mounted on said second side in said hollow inner area a second selected distance above said bottom and opposed to and spaced apart from said first pair of wheels, 
 (iv) a winch mounted on and extending outwardly away from said bottom and said hollow inner area, 
 said lifting unit shaped and dimensioned to mount on the orthogonal wood plank such that the plank extends
 from and through said first open end to and through said second open end, and 
 intermediate said wheels and said bottom surface such that said wheels freely roll along said upper surface, 
 
 said first side and top being pivotally adjustable between two operative positions,
 a first open operative position which permits said lifting unit to be laterally slid onto to plank, and 
 a second closed operative position; 
 
   (b) mounting said lifting unit on a transport vehicle at said first location separate from the remote work site to maintenance the air conditioning unit;   (c) driving said vehicle from said first location to the remote work site;   (d) obtaining while at the remote work site the orthogonal wooden plank;   (e) obtaining while at the remote work site a pair of free standing A-frame ladders each including a plurality of steps for climbing the ladder;   (f) positioning said free standing ladders on either side of the air conditioning unit;   (g) positioning the plank to rest on a step in each ladder and to extend horizontally over the air conditioning unit from one of said ladders to the other of said ladders;   (h) pivoting said first side and top to said first open operative position;   (i) laterally mounting said lifting unit on the plank such that the plank extends intermediate said wheels and said upper surface of the plank such that said wheels freely roll along said upper surface;   (j) pivoting said first side and top to said second closed operative position;   (k) manually pushing said lifting unit along the plank to a position above the compressor in the air conditioning unit;   (l) utilizing said winch to lift the compressor upwardly out of the air conditioning unit;   (m) manually pushing said lifting unit along the plank to a position to remove the compressor from the winch;   (n) removing the compressor from the winch;   (o) removing said lifting unit from the plank and placing said lifting unit on the transport vehicle;   (p) storing while at said remote site said ladders and said plank; and,   (q) driving said transport vehicle from the remote work site to said first location;   each of said above steps carried out by the same individual.