Lifting devices

Abstract

The present inventions provides a lifting device ( 101 ) comprising a main body ( 105 ) being of a generally elongate form, said main body ( 105 ) having at one end thereof a transport means ( 102, 120 ) to allow said device to translate relative to the ground, a boom portion ( 103 ) cooperating with said main body ( 105 ) and adapted to support a load at its end, a motive power means ( 115 ) to lift or lower said load, said main body ( 105 ) being able to be pivoted by a user with respect to a fulcrum ( 102, 120 ) formed by either said transport means ( 102, 120 ) and a ground location or said transport means ( 102, 120 ), around an axis generally parallel to the ground, to transfer or arcuately move a load carried by said boom portion 103 , thereby providing a functionally variable horizontal reach ( 103 ) to said device ( 101 ).

1 . A lifting device comprising a main body being of a generally elongate form, said main body having at one end thereof a transport means to allow said device to translate relative to the ground, a boom portion cooperating with said main body and adapted to support a load at its end, a motive power means to lift or lower said load, said main body being able to be pivoted by a user with respect to a fulcrum formed by either said transport means and a ground location or said transport means, around an axis generally parallel to the ground, to transfer or arcuately move a load carried by said boom portion, thereby providing a functionally variable horizontal reach to said device. 
     
     
         2 . A lifting device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said functionally variable horizontal reach includes horizontal reach which is variable so as to provide offset distance between the load and the transport means to substantially counterbalance the weight of the load against the weight of the lifting device. 
     
     
         3 . A lifting device as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said functionally variable horizontal reach includes horizontal reach which is variable so as to provide a larger offset distance between the load and the transport means to engage or disengage the load at a position forward of the transport means. 
     
     
         4 . A lifting device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said functionally variable horizontal reach includes varying horizontal reach at substantially all load heights said lifting device can achieve. 
     
     
         5 . A lifting device as in  claim 1 , wherein said boom portion is one of the following: mounted on a lifting carriage that can traverse a vertically or partially vertical oriented mast fixedly mounted to the said main body; is pivotally mounted to said main body; is slidably and pivotally mounted to said main body; pivotally mounted to said main body at a location in the vicinity of a rear half of said main body; pivotally mounted to said main body at a location in the vicinity of the rear of said main body; is pivotally mounted to the main body and spaced from said transport means and adapted to rotate relative to said main body. 
     
     
         6 . A lifting device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at an end of said main body, there is arranged a handle means for engagement by an operator. 
     
     
         7 . A lifting device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the distance from the load support means to the said handle is one of the following generally the same as the distance from the handles to said fulcrum; more or less than the distance from the handles to said fulcrum by an order of no more than +−15%. 
     
     
         8 . A lifting device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said device includes a means for manual manipulation of said lifting device to produce one or more of the following: rotation of said main body about said transport means; rotation of said main body about said transport means in a direction of urging of said load; rotation of said main body about said transport means in a direction opposite to a direction of urging of said load; translation of said main body relative to the ground; arcuate movement of said load; vertical movement of said load; lateral movement of said load; balance between said load and the weight of said lifting device; minimisation of applied control force needed to maintain the equilibrium of the lifting device when loaded; sufficient horizontal reach or offset distance for placing a load. 
     
     
         9 . A lifting device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said transport means can be or have one or more of the following: a generally horizontal axis of rotation; made up of two transport means each having a generally horizontal axis of rotation whereby the axes of rotation are generally co-linear, a wheel; two wheels; more than two wheels; a roller, two or more rollers; an elongated endless track device; a triangular shaped endless track device. 
     
     
         10 . A lifting device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said main body includes two spaced apart members and has a transport means at the end of each member. 
     
     
         11 . A lifting device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said main body is constructed so that a space exists between two transport means. 
     
     
         12 . A lifting device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said motive power unit is one or more than one of the following: mounted to said main body at a location spaced from an axis of rotation of said transport means; mounted to said main body between said transport means; mounted to said main body at an axis of rotation of said transport means; pivotally connected to said boom and provides a linear extension and or contraction to rotate said boom away from or towards said main body; a linear actuator; a gas strut for lift force and a winch and cable for lowering force; a machine screw or power screw arrangement; a hydraulic cylinder or means; a pneumatic cylinder or means; a winch and endless cable loop to drive a carriage on the main body which slidably and pivotally carries either a link to the boom or the boom; manual means; a winch; a ratchet winch; winch and pulley system; a gas strut for lift force assistance and a linear actuator for lift and lowering forces. 
     
     
         13 . A lifting device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a power source to drive said motive power unit is one or more of the following: mounted to said main body; is part of an assembly which also includes control, recharging and battery power; a hydraulic pump to power a hydraulic cylinder; a pneumatic pump to power a pneumatic cylinder. 
     
     
         14 . A lifting device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said boom portion includes one or more than one of the following: a load engager, lift formation; a load engager or lift formation which is removable or moveable with respect to said boom portion so as to be deployed or retracted or removed from deployment; a load engager or lift formation in the form of a hook means; a load engager or lift formation which is secured internally or externally relative to said boom portion; an implement mounting means for mounting one of the following: forklift tynes, bale pins or tynes, barrel grab, container support, a lifting platform or surface, power tools, brick and or block lifters, suction devices; suction devices to lift concrete or masonry blocks, suction devices for handling glass panels, a jackhammer, a concrete cutter, a drill, a tile remover or an auxiliary powered device; an implement such as one of the following: forklift tynes, bale tynes, lifting platform or surface, barrel grab, container support, a bucket, brick and or block lifters, a scraper, a power tool, a jackhammer, a concrete cutter, a drill, a tile remover, an auxiliary powered device or other fixture to allow the addition of such things as power tools and suction devices, suction devices to lift concrete or masonry blocks, suction devices for handling glass panels; an implement mounting means wherein the implement and or an external reaction upon the implement places a load on the device via the implement mounting means. 
     
     
         15 . A lifting device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said device includes a braking mechanism which is one of the following: selectably engageable to restrict, allow or halt relative movement between said transport means and said main body; selectably engageable to restrict, allow or halt relative movement between said transport means and the ground; cooperates with the transport means to allow rotation of said body relative to a ground location when said braking mechanism is engaged and prevents movement between said transport means and said main body. 
     
     
         16 . A lifting device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said main body includes at least one of the following: a jockey wheel or wheels; centrally located jockey wheel or wheels; retractable jockey wheel; centrally located retractable jockey wheel or wheels. 
     
     
         17 . A lifting device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said lifting device includes a hook means which is one or more of the following: rotatably mounted to the lifting device about a vertical axis; rotatably mounted to the lifting device about a horizontal axis; spring biased about a horizontal axis. 
     
     
         18 - 26 . (canceled)