GB2252071A - Apparatus for lifting a building block - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for lifting an article, e.g. a building block (B), comprises a pair of generally parallel jaws (11, 12), a handle (20) and an actuating mechanism, the actuating mechanism including a lever (24) movable towards the handle (20) to cause the jaws (11, 12) to move towards one another to grip an article between the jaws (11, 12), the jaws remaining generally parallel to each other throughout the movement towards and away from one another. The jaws are connected by pivoted links (29, 32) which are connected to the lever by a cable (25). <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Apparatus for lifting an article Description of Invention This invention relates to an apparatus for lifting an article and more particularly, but not exclusively, to an apparatus to assist in the lifting of building blocks.

It will be appreciated that because of the dimensions of some building blocks, a bricklayer for example, although being physically strong enough to lift a building block with one hand, is unable to grip the building block with one hand. Other building blocks are of such dimension so as to be impossible to lift using one hand e.g. blocks having a width dimension of 5 inches (12.75 cm) or more.

In each case, the bricklayer has to use two hands to lift the building block for example, from a stack into its laid position. This entails the bricklayer putting down his trowel each time he needs to lift a building block into place. This obviously slows down the bricklayer's rate of work.

Problems also occur when laying concrete building blocks which have a width of about four inches (10 cm) or more which is just too large for an average hand to achieve sufficient grip to lift the building blocks.

Even with smaller building blocks, using one hand repeatedly to handle a large number of building blocks can be very hard on the hand.

Some bricklayers use gloves, but because of the abrasiveness of the building blocks, such gloves tend only to have a very short useful life.

According to one aspect of the invention I provide an apparatus for lifting an article comprising a pair of generally parallel jaws, a handle and an actuating mechanism, the actuating mechanism including a lever movable towards the handle to cause the jaws to move towards one another to grip an article between the jaws, the jaws remaining generally parallel to each other throughout the movement towards and away from one another.

Thus a bricklayer is able to lift a building block for example by grasping the handle of the apparatus, locating the apparatus so that the building block is between the jaws, moving the lever towards the handle, and then lifting the apparatus, all with one hand.

In a preferred arrangement, the jaws are each generally elongate and the handle extends longitudinally of the jaws. The handle may be connected to each of the jaws by respective links which are pivotable relative to the handle and the respective jaw.

The jaws may be coupled together by guide means which constrain the jaws to move towards one another, and back to their original common, datum, positions, once the lever is released, in generally parallel fashion.

For example, the guide means may comprise a socket fixed to one of the jaws in which is slidably received a pin secured to the other of the jaws. A pair of such guide means may be provided, preferably at or adjacent each of the ends of the jaws.

The handle of the actuating mechanism may, when moved towards the handle, pull on a cable which causes the jaws to move towards one another.

The cable may be of the Bowden type in which a sheath of the cable is secured relative to the lever and a first of the jaws, and an inner relatively movable element, is secured to a first member which is pivotally mounted on the first jaw and is pivotally connected to a second member which in turn is pivotally mounted on the second jaw.

The position at which the first and second members are pivotally interconnected may be adjustable to permit the datum distance between the jaws to be changed to enable the apparatus to be used to lift articles of different dimension.

Preferably the actuating mechanism includes a resilient means for moving the jaws apart when the lever is released, back to the datum position.

According to a second aspect of the invention I provide a method of lifting a building block utilising an apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention, the method including the steps of locating the building block between the jaws, and moving the lever towards the handle such that the jaws engage the building block, and lifting the apparatus.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus in accordance with the invention in a datum condition, FIGURE 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the apparatus in use.

Referring to the drawings, an apparatus 10 for lifting an article, in the present case a building block, comprises a pair of jaws 11 and 12 which are generally elongate and parallel to one another.

The jaws 11 and 12 comprise, on their facing surfaces, pads 14 of a material which will provide good grip with an article, in the present case a building block B, to be lifted by the apparatus 10. For example, the pads 14 may comprise pads of a suitable hard plastic material.

The jaws 11 and 12 are coupled together by a pair of guide means 15 and 16. Each of the guide means 15 and 16 comprises a socket 17 which in the present case comprises a generally cylindrical construction, which is secured relative to a first of the jaws 11.

Slidably received within the socket 17 is a pin 18 which is fixed relative to the second jaw.

Thus as the jaws 11 and 12 move towards and away from one another as hereinafter described, the guide means 15 and 16 constrain the jaws 11 and 12 to move in generally parallel fashion.

The apparatus 10 further comprises a handle 20 which extends generally longitudinally of the apparatus 10. The handle 20 is connected at each end to each of the jaws 11 and 12 by means of links 21 and 22, the links 21 being pivotable relative to the jaw 11 and relative to the handle 20, and the links 22 being relatively pivotable to the jaw 12 and to the handle 20.

The jaws 11 and 12 are movable towards and away from one another by an actuating mechanism which includes a lever 24. The lever 24 is mounted on the handle 20 and is movable towards the handle 20 from a rest position shown in figure 1, to an operative position as shown in figure 2. It will be appreciated that a user of the apparatus 10 is able to grasp handle 20 with the fingers, and operate the lever 24 to move the lever 24 towards the handle 20 with the thumb and/or palm of the same hand.

The lever 24 when moved towards the handle 20 pulls on a Bowden type cable 25 to cause the jaws 11 and 12 to move towards one another. The Bowden cable 25 comprises a sheath 26 which is fixed to a lug 27 of jaw 11 whilst an inner movable element 28 of the cable 25 is attached to a first member 29 so as to be pivotable relative to the first member 29, whilst the opposite end of the first member 29 is pivotally connected at 30 to a further lug 31 of the jaw 11. Intermediate its ends, the first member 29 is pivotally connected to a second member 32 which in turn is pivotally connected at 33 at one end, to the second jaw 12.

A spring 34 exerts a force between the fixed end of the sheath 26 on lug 27 and the pivotable connection of the movable element 28 to the first member 29 so as to provide a restoring force which tends to move the jaws 11 and 12 apart back to the datum position once the handle 24 is released.

Apparatus 10 described may be used by a bricklayer to lift a block B such as a concrete block from a stack into place where a bed of mortar for example has been prepared.

The bricklayer locates the apparatus 10 with the block B between the pads 14 of the jaws 11 and 12 and then moves the lever 24 towards the handle 20. The jaws 11 and 12 will thus move towards one another in generally parallel fashion to grip opposing faces of the block 35. The block 35 may then be lifted with one hand by the bricklayer, by the bricklayer lifting the apparatus 10. Once the block 35 has been moved to the position where it is to be layed, the bricklayer simply releases the lever 24 which returns to its datum position by virtue of the spring 34, and the block 35 will be released.

It will be appreciated that the relative movement between the jaws 11 and 12 towards and away from one another is quite small and hence using the lever 24, a substantial force can be exerted on the opposing faces of the block sufficient to grip the block and support the weight of the block by friction.

As shown, the apparatus 10 is arranged to lift a block B having a particular width dimension W for example 4 inches (10 c.m) However, the datum position of the jaws 11 and 12 is adjustable by adjusting the position of pivotable connection between the first and second members 29,32. In the present example, the apparatus is adjustable for use with either a four inch width block (as shown) or six inch width block (15.25 cm) if the position of connection is changed so that the pivotable connection is nearer to the end of the second member 32 at opening 36.

To facilitate this, the connection between members 29,32 includes a releasable fastener such as a wing nut 35.

Of course if desired, any other means for adjusting the datum positions of the jaws 11,12, to suit articles of particular sizes, could be provided.

Although as described, the apparatus 10 is for use by a bricklayer for lifting blocks, particularly concrete blocks having a width greater than can be conveniently spanned by the hand, the apparatus 10 may be use for lifting any other article. For example, the device 10 could be used as a disabled aid where a disabled person is able to move the lever 24 towards the handle 20, but is otherwise unable to lift a particular article.

In each case however, the jaws 11 and 12 remains generally parallel to one another as they move towards and away from one another.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention For example, an alternative guide means 15,16, to constrain the jaws 11,12, to move in generally parallel fashion, may be provided to the socket 17 and pin 18 arrangement described.

The actuating mechanism for moving the jaws 11 and 12 towards and away from one another may be of other configurations provided that the actuating mechanism includes a lever which is movable towards the handle 20 with one hand, by a user.

In an alternative arrangement, the jaws 11,12, need not be elongate with the handle 20 extending in the longitudinal direction thereof, but the jaws 11,12, could for example, extend transversely to the handle 20 and be arranged to grip and hence facilitate lifting, of other shaped articles.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description or the accompanying drawing, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, or a class or group of substances or compositions, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (13)

1. An apparatus for lifting an article comprising a pair of generally parallel jaws, a handle and an actuating mechanism, the actuating mechanism including a lever movable towards the handle to cause the jaws to move towards one another to grip an article between the jaws, the jaws remaining generally parallel to each other throughout the movement towards and away from one another.

2. An apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein the jaws are each generally elongate and the handle extends longitudinally of the jaws.

3. An apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein the handle is connected to each of the jaws by respective links which are pivotable relative to the handle and the respective jaw.

4. An apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the jaws are coupled together by guide means which constrain the jaws to move towards one another, and back to their original common, datum, positions, once the lever is released, in generally parallel fashion.

5. An apparatus according to Claim 4 wherein the guide means comprise a socket fixed to one of the jaws in which is slidably received a pin secured to the other of the jaws.

6. An apparatus according to Claim 5 wherein a pair of such guide means may be provided, are at or adjacent each of the ends of the jaws.

7. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the lever of the actuating mechanism when moved towards the handle, pulls on a cable which causes the jaws to move towards one another.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the cable is of the Bowden type in which a sheath of the cable is secured relative to the lever and a first of the jaws, and an inner relatively movable element, is secured to a first member which is pivotally mounted on the first jaw and is pivotally connected to a second member which in turn is pivotally mounted on the second jaw.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the position at which the first and second members are pivotally interconnected is adjustable to permit the datum distance between the jaws to be changed to enable the apparatus to be used to lift articles of different dimension.

10. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the actuating mechanism includes a resilient means for moving the jaws apart when the lever is released, back to the datum position.

11. An apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

12. A method of lifting a building block utilising an apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, the method including the steps of locating the building block between the jaws, and moving the lever towards the handle such that the jaws engage the building block, and lifting the apparatus.

13. Any novel feature or novel combination of features as disclosed herein and/or shown in the accompanying drawings.