GB2494465A

GB2494465A - Trolley mounted jack for moving heavy articles

Info

Publication number: GB2494465A
Application number: GB1115732.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Steven John Bane
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-09-12
Filing date: 2011-09-12
Publication date: 2013-03-13
Also published as: GB201115732D0

Abstract

A device 10 for moving a heavy article comprises a trolley 12 on ground engaging wheels 14 and/or rollers 18, and a mechanical jack 30 mounted on the trolley 12 and having a lifting arm 38 which does not project beyond the wheels 14 or rollers 18 of the trolley 12. The jack 30 may be screw 34 or ratchet operated and may be a manually operated scissor jack. The wheels 14 or rollers 18 may be mounted on two parallel axles. The trolley 12 may be supported on four casters. The screw 34 of the jack 30 may be parallel to an axle of the trolley 12. The lifting arm 38 may be offset from the plane of the scissor jack 30 and may include forked prongs 40 for engaging beneath the article. The connection between the prongs 40 and the jack 30 may be vertically adjustable. A dolly may be provided to support a side of the article opposite to that being raised by the device 10.

Description

--

DEVICE FOR MOVING HEAVY ARTICLES

Field of the invention

The presenc invention relates to a device for moving a heavy article.

Background of the invention

Many heavy articles, such as refrigerators, cookers and washing machines, are commonty installed against a wall. To gain access to their working parts for service or repair, or to clean behind them, such articles need to be moved.

A common technique for moving heavy articles is to "walk" them, which involves first tilting them, then advancing them one side at a time. However, such articles may bo fitted flush with adjacent cabinots or sholving, preventing them from being moved in this manner.

Furthermore, refrigerators need to be emptied before they are moved both to lighten the load and to avoid spillages as a result of jerky movements.

A better alternative would be to use a fork lift truck.

However, a fork lift truck is expensive and would not be available on most premises. Even in commercial premises, such as supermarkets, there may not be room to manoeuvre a fork lift truck into position.

object of the invention The present invention seeks therefore to provide a compact device, of inexpensive construction, that enables heavy articles to be moved easily and safely.

Summary of the invention

According cc the present invention, there is provided a device for moving a heavy article, comprising a trolley supported on ground engaging wheels or rollers, and a jack mounted on the crolley and having a lifting arm for supporting the weight of the article, wherein the jack is a mechanical jack and the lifting arm does not project beyond the wheels or rollers of the trolley.

C

The use of a mechanical jack, as opposed to a hydrautic, pneumatic or electrically powered jack, permits the device to be light and compact and inexpensive to manufacture -The jack is conveniently a screw operated jack though it may alternatively be ratchet operated.

Advantageously, the jack is a scissor jack of the type having four symmetrical disposed mutually pivoted limbs and a manually operated screw acting to move two diagonally opposed corners towards one another to raise the jack and away from one another to lower it.

The trolley may be supported on four wheels mounted on two parallel axles but this renders manoeuvring of the trolley difficult. As an alternative all the wheels may be casters. In a further configuration, two wheels are mounted on a common axle and each of the remaining wheels is formed BC as a caster. In place of two wheels mounted on a common axle, one may of course use a single roller.

In order to render the device particularly compact, it is desirable to mount the jack on the trolley with the screw parallel to an axle of the trolley.

As the ground clearance of the article to be moved may be restricted, ohs lifting arm may be offset from the plane of the four limbs of the jack. The lifting arm may be formed as a fork that projects from one side of the jack to fit beneath the article while it is still resting on the ground.

To enable the same device to be used with articles having differing ground clearances, the connection between the lifting arm and the jack may be adjustable.

The trolley mounted jack allows one side of the article to be raised and for the weight of that side to the supported by the wheels or rollers of the trolley. This of itself may in some cases allow the article to be moved, by simply pushing The upper end of the opposite side. Such pushing action may of itself be sufficient to raise the weight of the opposite side of the article off the ground, allowing it to glido smoothly.

In the case of a particularly heavy article, the article may itself be fitted with casters on the opposite side or doilies may be placed under the article to support the weight of the opposite side of the article.

When two opposite sides of the article are accessible, it is possible ro use the jack to raise a first side, place dollies under the first side, then move the jack to the second side.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a device of the invention, Figure 2 is a plan view of the device in Figure l,and Figure 3 is a side view of the device in Figure 1.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiment(s) Figures 1 to 3 show a lifting device 10 comprising a trolley in the form of an open rectangular frame 12 supported at its rear end on two wheels 14 fitted to a common axle 16 and at its front end on a roller 18 rotatable about an axle 20.

A scissor jack 30 is mounted on the trolley 12 near to its rear wheels 14. The scissor jack 30 comprises four symmetrically disposed limbs 32 of equal length pivotably connected to one another. A screw threaded rod 34 manually rotatable by a cranking arm (not shown) that engages in a D-shaped bracket 36 is used to lower and raise the jack. Thc limbs 32 form a parallelogram of variable shape and as the two horizontally opposed corners are moved towards and away from one another by rotation of the rod 34, so is the separation of the vertically opposed corners increased and decreased, respectively. The lowest corner of the parallelogram is anchored to the trolley frame 12 while the highest corner is connected to the upper end of a lifting arm 38 of which the lower end is formed as a pair of fork-like prongs 40 chat lie within the open frame 12 when the jack is in its lowest position.

To lift one side of a heavy article, the trolley 12 is rolled under the article to be moved until the front roller 18 and the prongs 40 lie beneath the article. The jack 30 may remain outside the article with the rod 34 extending parallel to the front edge of the article.

Next, using a cranking arm engaged in the U-shaped bracket 36, the rod is rotated to raise the jack 30. The prongs 40 of the lifting arm 38 now raise the front edge of the article off the ground so that the front of the article is no supported on the trolley 12. The article is now supported on one side on wheels and/or rollers, which allow it to be moved.

In some case, it is sufficient for only one side of the article to be supported on wheels or rollers to enable it to be manoeuvred. If however the weight of the rear side of the article would prevent it from being moved even after the weight of one side is resting on the trolley, then it possible to design the article such that its rear side is always supported on built-in casters, rollers or anti-friction pads. is

Should the article not have any casters, it is possible to support its rear side on dollies. Each dolly essentially comprises a support framo resting on rollers or oastcrs.

Such dollies may be left permanently in place or if the front and rear sides of the article can both be accessed then one can raise a first side using the trolley mounted mechanical jack, place dolly trolleys beneath the first side then transfer the trolley mounted meohanical jack to the second side.

In order to allow the trolley mounted jack to be used with articles having different ground clearances, the prongs may be releasably secured to the lifting arm 38 and repositionable vertically.

As can be seen from Figure 3, it is possible to provide a pole 42 that passes through a hole in the lifting arm 38 and it fitted to a stop nut 44. such a pole and nut may be used to prevent over extension of the scissor jack 30.

Claims

<claim-text>CLAIMS1. A device for moving a heavy article, comprising a trolley supported on ground engaging wheels or rollers and a jack mounted on the trolley and havinc a lifting arm for supporting the weight of the article, wherein the jack is a mechanical jack and the lifting arm does not project beyond the wheels or rollers of the trolley.</claim-text> <claim-text>2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the jack is a screw operated jack.3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the jack is a ratchet operated jack.</claim-text> <claim-text>3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the jack is a scissor jack having four symmetrical disposed mutually pivoted limbs and a manually operated screw acting to move two diagonally opposed corners towards one another to raise the jack and away from one another to lower the jack.</claim-text> <claim-text>4. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the trolley is supported on four wheels or two rollers mounted on two parallel axles.</claim-text> <claim-text>5. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the trolley is supported on four casters.</claim-text> <claim-text>6. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the jack is mounted on the trolley with the screw extending parallel to an axle of the trolley.</claim-text> <claim-text>7. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the lifting arm is offset from the plane of the four limbs of the jack.</claim-text> <claim-text>8. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the lifting arm includes forked prongs that project from one side of the jac:K to fit beneath the article while the article is still resting on the grcund.</claim-text> <claim-text>9. A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the connection between the prongs of the lifting arm and thejack is adjustable.</claim-text> <claim-text>10. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, in combination with at least one doily for slidably supporting an opposite side of the article from that raised by the jack.</claim-text> <claim-text>11. A device for moving a heavy article, constructed and adapted to operate substantially as herein described with reference so and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.</claim-text>