Device for lifting and inverting cylindrical containers

A lifting device is provided for lifting and inverting home-delivered bottled water containers. The device comprises a semi-cylindrical frame and two handles. The handles are disposed on opposite sides of the frame and extend outwardly from the frame such that the longitudinal axes of the handles are substantially coincident with a straight line which, when the device is in use, extends through the center of gravity of the bottle.

BACKGROUND 
The field of the present invention is methods and devices for lifting heavy 
objects. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices and 
methods for lifting and inverting heavy cylindrical containers. 
The use of home-delivered bottled water has become increasingly popular 
over the last 15 years. Increased concern over the existence of pollutants 
in many residential tap water supplies has prompted an increase in the 
number of people who rely on home-delivered bottled water for drinking 
purposes. Also, physicians are increasingly prescribing bottled water for 
health purposes, especially for the ill and the elderly. 
A significant problem exists with respect to the use of home-delivered 
bottled water. In most cases, the bottled water is delivered in 
cylindrical vessels weighing about 40 pounds. Lifting such 40 pound 
vessels is awkward even for a large man and is virtually impossible for 
some women, the ill and the elderly. Because of the cylindrical nature of 
the water bottles, it is awkward and difficult for any two individuals to 
lift and invert the large water vessels onto the water dispenser. This 
fact has precluded many individuals who want and, in some cases need, 
bottled water from being able to use bottled water in their homes. 
Devices have been developed to assist in the lifting and carrying of heavy 
cylindrical objects. However, must such devices are not convenient for 
both lifting and inverting the cylindrical object. Lifting devices 
generally have one or more of the disadvantages of being difficult to 
attach to the container, being awkward to invert the cylindrical 
container, being expensive to manufacture, and being difficult to store 
during periods of non-use. Furthermore, during the process of lifting and 
inverting a cylindrical container, the securing means in many devices are 
inadequate. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,374 discloses a cylinder-carrying strap with opposed 
handles attached to the strap and adapted to be secured against a 
cylindrical container. This device has the disadvantage of not being 
convenient for inverting the container. Another disadvantage of this 
device is that it requires the user to make sure that the strap is very 
tightly secured to the container to prevent the container from coming 
loose from the device during lifting and inverting. 
There is therefore a need for a lifting device which can be used to lift 
and invert a heavy cylindrical container. 
There is also a need for such a lifting device which is simple, easy and 
inexpensive to use in the home of the ill and the elderly and by office 
personnel. 
SUMMARY 
The present invention satisfies these needs. 
The present invention is a device for lifting and inverting cylindrical 
containers comprising a rigid support means which forms a substantially 
semi-cylindrical cavity of slightly larger diameter than the diameter of 
the cylindrical container, a means for securing the container to the rigid 
support means, and horizontal handles with longitudinal axes the 
extensions of which pass through substantially the center of gravity of 
the container. 
The means for securing the container to the rigid support means can be a 
belt means including two straps with first ends attached to a corner of 
the rigid support means and belt attachment means attached to second ends 
of the straps. 
The present invention provides a device for lifting and inverting 
cylindrical containers which (1) is convenient for securing the container 
inside the device, (2) provides support when the container is lifted and 
inverted, even when the container is not tightly secured to the device, 
(3) is convenient for rotating the container while inverting it, (4) is 
inexpensive to manufacture, and (5) is convenient to store during non-use. 
The device of the present invention is especially adapted to the lifting, 
carrying, and inverting water bottles for installation in a water 
dispenser. 
The device is easily secured to the water bottle by tipping the container 
from an upright position on its circular bottom edge and slipping the 
rigid support means underneath the container so that the cavity formed by 
the device is occupied by the bottle. This activity can be easily 
performed by one person. The means for securing the bottle to the device 
is then activated. 
The bottle can be easily lifted by two persons using the device of the 
invention, one on each horizontal handle. After lifting, the device can be 
easily rotated along an axis substantially through the bottle's center of 
gravity and perpendicular to the bottle's longitudinal axis so as to 
gradually pour the contents of the container into the water dispenser. 
A further advantage of the device of the present invention is that it 
provides support for the cylindrical container, even when the means for 
securing the container inside the rigid support means is not tightly 
secured. The device of the present invention substantially reduces the 
risk of the container becoming unsecured because the rigid support means 
provides support for the container when it is lifted and when it is 
inverted for emptying. 
A still further advantage of a device of the present invention is that it 
is inexpensive and simple to manufacture. The present invention can be 
made with a small number of parts and inexpensive materials. No complex 
manufacturing processes are required. 
A still further advantage of the present invention is that it is easy to 
store when it is not being used. The device is sufficiently small that it 
takes up a minimal amount of space. Furthermore, the device can be made of 
relatively lightweight materials so it can be conveniently hung on a wall 
or in a closet.

DESCRIPTION 
Referring to FIG. 1, the lifting device 10 is illustrated with a rigid 
support frame 12 comprised of a horizontal support frame base 13 and 
upwardly extending sides 15, horizontal cylindrical handles 14 and 16, and 
securing means 18. A water bottle 20 having a horizontal base 21 and 
upwardly extending sides 23 is secured within the rigid support frame 12 
by the securing means 18. 
As can be readily seen from FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the rigid support frame 12 
forms a semi-cylindrical cavity whose shape conforms to the shape of the 
outside surface of the water bottle 20 and defines a vertical opening 25 
adapted to accept the bottle 20. This cavity has a diameter which is 
slightly greater than the base portion 21 (see FIG. 2) of the bottle 20. 
As can best be seen from FIG. 2, the rigid support means 12 is adapted to 
extend slightly more than half way beyond the horizontal geometric center 
of the bottle 20. That is, linear distance L4, which is the distance 
between the inside surface of the back vertical bar 36 (defined below) and 
the leading edge of the transverse bottom bar 38 (defined below) is 
slightly greater than the linear distance L3, which is the distance 
between the leading edge of the transverse bottom bar 38 and the side of 
the wall 23 of the bottle 20 which is farthest away from the back vertical 
bar 36. This makes the seating of the bottle 20 more stable during lifting 
and inverting. 
As can be seen best from FIGS. 2 and 3, the longitudinal axes 22 and 24 of 
the horizontal handles 14 and 16 are co-linear with a straight line 26 
which passes through approximately the center of gravity of the water 
bottle 20. The center of gravity of the water bottle 20 is disposed within 
a horizontal plane 27 which is disposed a distant L2 above the horizontal 
support frame base 13 and extends through the bottle 20 (when the bottle 
20 is disposed in place on the lifting device 10) in such a way that equal 
weights of liquid are disposed above and below the horizontal plane 27. 
The straight line 26 is substantially parallel to the plane 27 and is 
between about 0.2 L2 and about 1.2 L2 above the support frame base 13. 
Preferably, for ease of pivoting the bottle 20 about the straight line 26, 
the straight line 26 is disposed a distance between about 0.9 L2 and about 
1.1 L2 above the support frame base 13. 
In the particular embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the 
straight line 26 does not pass through the exact vertical geometric center 
of the cylindrical portion of the bottle 20. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the 
linear distance L1 which is the distance between the plane 27 and the top 
of the liquid 29 is less than the linear distance L2. The reason for this 
asymmetry is that the bottle grooves 28A, 28B, and 28C cause less water to 
be contained in the lower portion of the bottle 20 than the upper portion 
when the bottle is full. Therefore, the center of gravity of the full 
water bottle is slightly above the vertical geometric center. 
The longitudinal axes 22 and 24 of the horizontal handles 14 and 16 need 
not be in a line through the exact center of gravity of the bottle. If the 
longitudinal axes are in a line within, for example, about two inches of 
the center of gravity of the bottle, the device will work effectively 
during lifting and inverting. However, in order to be most effective for 
rotating the bottle when it is being inverted, the handles are 
substantially at the center of gravity in the preferred embodiment. 
Depending on the shape and contents of the bottle 20 being lifted, the 
center of gravity of the bottle 20 may change as the bottle 20 is inverted 
and emptied. Therefore, the longitudinal axes 22 and 24 of the handles 14 
and 16 may be better placed slightly away from the center of gravity of 
the bottle 20 when it is sitting upright, so as to better approximate the 
changing center of gravity of the bottle 20 as it is emptied. 
The longitudinal axis of the bottle 20, which is generally along the lines 
in FIG. 2 defining distances L1 and L2, is at substantially a right angle 
to the longitudinal axes 22 and 24 of the handles 14 and 16. If the axes 
22 and 24 are at an angle substantially different from ninety degrees, the 
rotation of the bottle 20 when it is being inverted is awkward. In 
modified embodiments of the invention, the handles 14 and 16 can be 
adapted to be adjustable in the vertical direction parallel to the 
longitudinal axis of the bottle. This adaptation would allow the handles 
14 and 16 to be adjustable for bottles with centers of gravity at 
different heights. 
The rigid support frame 12 comprises a semi-circular bar 30, first and 
second opposed vertical bars 32 and 23, a back vertical bar 36, a 
transverse bottom bar 38, and a radial bottom bar 40. The semi-circular 
bar 30 is formed substantially in a semi-circle to conform to the bottle 
20. The opposed vertical bars 32 and 34 form opposing vertical edges on 
the rigid support frame 12. The points of connection between the first and 
second vertical bars 32 and 34, and the transverse vertical bar 38, and 
between the radial bottom bar 40 and the back vertical bar 36 are formed 
in an arcuate manner so as to conform to the bottle 20. This is best 
illustrated in FIG. 2 by the point 41 at the juncture between the back 
vertical bar 36 and the radial bottom bar 40. 
The securing means 18 is attached to the upper corners 42 and 44 of the 
rigid support frame 12 at the ends of the semicircular bar 30. The means 
for attachment in this embodiment includes attachment slots 46 and 48, but 
other attachment means can be used. 
The rigid support frame 12 can be made of any suitable material. Hard 
plastics and light metals are preferable because of their light weight. 
Plastic materials suitable in the invention are polycarbonate, 
polypropylene, or other hard plastic. However, polycarbonate is the 
preferred material because of its strength and light weight. The thickness 
of the rigid support frame in the preferred embodiment can range from 
about 3/16 to about 5/16 inches. 
The preferred method of manufacturing the rigid support frame is to mold it 
in one piece as in the embodiment of the Figures, by any conventional 
means. However, the various parts of the rigid support frame 12 can be 
riveted, attached with inset screws, or joined by any other conventional 
means used in the manufacturing arts. 
The horizontal handles 14 and 16 can be made of wood, plastic, or metal. 
They can be attached to the rigid support frame 12 with screws, rivets, or 
can be molded in one piece with the frame 12. Finally, the handles 14 and 
16 can be either hollow or solid. 
The securing means 18 comprises two straps which can be mode of leather, 
plastics, weaved fabric, or other suitable material. The securing means 18 
can be a slip buckle 50, as illustrated in the Figures, or other 
conventional attachment means, such as another kind of buckle or a 
Velcro.RTM. attachment mechanism. 
Turning now to FIGS. 4A, 4B, 5 and 6, the operation of the lifting device 
10 will be explained. One person secures the bottle 20 to the lifting 
device 10 by tipping the bottle on its bottom edge 51, sliding the 
transverse bottom bar 38 and bottom radial bar 40 underneath the bottle 
20, and tightening the securing means 18 against the bottle 20. 
As illustrated in FIG. 4A, two persons easily lift the bottle 20 with the 
lifting device 10 by gripping the horizontal handles 14 and 16 on either 
side of the bottle 20 and standing to an upright position (see FIG. 4B). 
The device 10 can then be inverted for installation in the receptacle 52 
of the water dispenser 54 by continuing to grip the horizontal handles 14 
and 16 and lifting the bottle 20 with the nongripping hands. The spout 56 
of the bottle should be immediately over the receptacle 52 so that the 
water inside the bottle 20 will gradually pour into the receptacle 52. 
The operators of the device 10 can easily rotate the bottle into an 
inverted position and install it in the water dispenser 54, as shown in 
FIG. 5. Finally, the device 10 can be readily removed from the bottle 20 
by loosening the securing means 18 and pulling the device 10 from the 
bottle 20. 
Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described 
in considerable detail, other versions and embodiments of the invention 
are possible. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited to 
the preferred embodiments described herein, but instead is defined by the 
spirit and scope of the appended claims.