Device for lifting boards

A hand held device for lifting boards such as a sheet or door comprising a support (1) for placing under the edge (5) of the board to be lifted, a body portion (2,3) attached to the support (1) and extending upwardly therefrom and a handle (4) attached to the upper end of the body portion (2,3) for lifting the device so that the board may be carried via the device by an operator. The device further includes a foot mechanism having a foot portion which may be extended from a lower end of the device to engage the ground and a holding mechanism for releasably holding the device in a stable raised position on the extended foot portion and at a desired height and a desired angle wherein the height and the angle of the support relative to the ground are infinitely variable.

This invention relates to a hand-held device for lifting a board or similar 
shaped article, particularly doors. 
Carpenters and DIY builders frequently need to lift and carry around large 
boards such as plaster boards, kitchen worktops, 8'.times.4' (2.4 
m.times.1.2 m) sheets of wood and other similar shaped articles such as 
doors. Due to their size, and in some cases weight, it is difficult for 
such boards or articles to be carried by one person. If they can be 
carried by one person, then this needs two hands and usually requires the 
person to stretch into an awkward position. This means the person does not 
have a hand free, e.g. for opening doors, and risks sustaining muscle 
injuries. In addition, the article being carried is liable to be damaged 
or to damage other items since it is difficult to maneuver and must be put 
down whenever a door needs to be opened or closed. 
Although these problems have existed for a long time and are experienced by 
many carpenters and people undertaking DIY work, the applicant is unaware 
of any proposals or devices available on the market for overcoming these 
difficulties. 
The present invention aims to alleviate many of these problems by providing 
a hand-held device for lifting a board or similar shaped article 
comprising: support means for placing under the edge of the board to be 
lifted; a body portion attached to the support means and extending 
upwardly therefrom; and a handle portion attached to the body portion at a 
position spaced from the support means for gripping and lifting the device 
by hand, the arrangement being such that, in use, a board may be lifted in 
a substantially upright position with one edge resting on the support 
means and a face lying or leaning against part of the body portion with 
the handle portion positioned so that it can be freely gripped to lift the 
device without interference from the board mounted thereon so the device 
may be lifted and suspended from the hand. 
Preferred features of the invention will be apparent from the following 
description and from the subsidiary claims of the specification.

FIG. 1 shows a basic form of an embodiment of the invention. The device 
shown comprises support means in the form of three tines 1, a body portion 
comprising a cross-piece 2 to which the tines 1 are connected, a stem 3 
secured to the centre of the cross-piece 2 and a handle portion comprising 
a hand grip 4 extending outwardly from the upper end of the stem 3 of the 
body portion. The hand grip 4 extends at right angles to the stem 3 in a 
direction opposite to that in which the tines 1 extend from the 
cross-piece 2 and the hand grip is positioned substantially above the 
centre of gravity of the device. 
In use, the device is stood on the floor and a board or other article 
(shown by dotted lines in FIG. 1) is supported on the device with an edge 
5 resting on the tines 1 and a face lying adjacent to or leaning against 
the stem 3. The hand grip 4 can then be taken in the hand to lift the 
device and the board supported thereon. The board should, of course, be 
positioned so that its centre of gravity lies between the outermost tines 
and is preferably positioned so that it is evenly balanced on the tines. 
By positioning the bottom edge 5 of the board slightly away from the 
cross-piece 2, the board will lean in towards the stem 3 rather than 
falling away from the stem 3 when the device is lifted. The board is thus 
sufficiently securely mounted on the device to be lifted by holding and 
lifting the hand grip 4 in one hand and the device can be carried and 
suspended from the hand. Although this is a very simple device, it is 
found to provide a remarkably secure means of holding and lifting an 
article such as a door or a 8'.times.4' (2.4 m.times.1.2 m) sheet of wood. 
The device can be used for carrying a wide range of articles of different 
sizes and weights and as the articles are supported from beneath this can 
be done without the need for any clamps which may grip and damage the 
article. 
It will be apparent that as the hand grip 4 extends away from the body 
portion in the opposite direction to the tines 1, it can be freely gripped 
without interference from the board which rests on the tines 1 and leans 
towards the stem 3. With an arm extending downwards by the side of the 
person carrying the device, the hand grip 4 can be held so that the device 
is suspended from the hand with the stem 3 parallel to the person's leg 
and the cross-piece 2 extending backwards and forwards relative to the 
person. 
The tines 1 thus extend to the side away from the person and the board is 
supported to one side of the person in an upright position with its bottom 
edge substantially horizontal and extending backwards and forwards of the 
person. FIG. 2(A) illustrates the device being used to carry an 
8'.times.4' (2.4 m.times.1.2 m) sheet of wood in this manner. In view of 
the flexibility of a sheet of this size, it may be necessary to steady the 
top edge with one hand as shown. FIG. 2(B) illustrates the device being 
used to carry a door. In this case, the device is fitted with a clip for 
engaging the upper edge of the door as described below in relation to FIG. 
3(D). A door mounted on the device in this way can be easily carried with 
one hand in the manner shown and can be easily maneuvered within the 
confines of a typical house. 
The device may conveniently be made from hollow steel sections (one 
inch-2.5 cm-square) welded together with tines made from mild steel plate 
welded to the cross-piece. Typical dimensions of the device with reference 
to FIG. 1 are as follows: 
length of hand grip h: 5 inches (12.7 cm) 
length of stem s: 24 inches (61 cm) 
width of cross-piece c: 12 inches (30.5 cm) 
length of tines t: 4 inches (10 cm) 
A number of modifications and optional or preferred features which may be 
added to the device are shown in FIGS. 3(A)-3(D). 
FIG. 3(A) shows non-slip pads 6 which may be provided on the upper surfaces 
of the tines 1 and a further non-slip pad 7 which may be affixed to the 
stem 3 at a position towards the hand grip 4 so as to engage a board 
leaning towards the stem 3. These non-slip pads 6 and 7 are preferably 1/4 
inch (0.6 cm) thick rubber blocks or made of a suitable non-slip plastics 
material. With the use of such pads, it has been found that a board can be 
securely mounted on the device with a minimal angle of lean towards the 
stem 3. The use of such pads also provides protection for the board where 
it is supported by or engages the device. 
A further optional feature (not shown) would be a suction pad provided in 
place of the non-slip pad 7. This could be used to provide securement of 
the board to minimize further the possible danger that it might 
over-balance and fall away from the stem 3. The suction pad might be a 
simple sucker against which the face of the board can be pressed or a more 
sophisticated design having a lever by which suctional engagement with the 
board can be established and released. 
FIG. 3(A) also shows a stay 8 which enables the device to be left in a 
standing position with a board mounted thereon. The stay 8 is pivotably 
mounted on the stem 3 and preferably provided with an angled end so that 
it firmly engages the ground when in the extended position shown in FIG. 
3A. The device is then supported with the stem 3 inclined by up to 20 
degrees, but preferably about 10 degrees, to the vertical so that a board 
mounted thereon leans against the stem 3. Assuming that the board is not 
so tall as to topple over the top of the device, the stay 8 provides a 
simple and convenient means of propping up the device should the carrier 
wish to put it down without taking the board off it. The use of wheels on 
the device is avoided since these tend to make the device liable to move 
or roll away when this is not required. 
FIG. 3(B) shows the device with a telescopic stem 3 which enables the 
length of the stem 3 to be adjusted. It also shows a hand grip 4 which 
comprises a moulded plastics grip rather than the plain handle as shown in 
previous Figures. 
FIG. 3(C) shows an alternative means for adjusting the effective length of 
the stem 3 between the cross-piece 2 and the hand grip 4. In this case, 
the hand grip 4 is slidably mounted on the stem 3 and can be secured in a 
chosen position by a pinch-bolt 9 (see also FIG. 4). 
FIG. 3(D) shows the device with an adjustable clip 10 which can be slid up 
and down the stem 3 and secured in a selected position by means of a pinch 
bolt. This can be used to fit over the upper edge of a board carried by 
the device, for instance if the device is of a size to accommodate the 
width of a standard 30 inch or 32 inch (76 cm or 81 cm) wide door. The 
door can then be supported with its long edge on the tines 1 and the clip 
10 positioned over the opposite edge to secure the door to the device as 
shown in FIG. 2(B). The clip 10 may be used with either of the length 
adjustment means shown in FIGS. 3(B) and 3(C). 
FIG. 4 is a plan view of an alternative form of hand grip 4. This is 
similar to the hand grip shown in FIGS. 3(B) to 3(D) except that the hand 
grip 4 is angled with respect to the bracket by which it is secured to the 
stem 3. It has been found that it is easier and more comfortable to carry 
the device if the hand grip is angled backwards by up to 45 degrees. An 
angle of about 20 degrees has been found most convenient. This makes it 
easier to grip the handle with the palm of the hand behind and passing 
under the handle with the knuckles facing downwards or backwards. The hand 
grip 4 shown in FIG. 4 can also be easily inverted so that it is angled 
backwards when the device is carried in the left hand rather than the 
right hand. 
FIG. 5(A) shows an alternative form of clip 10 for fitting over the upper 
edge of a door mounted on the device. In this case, the clip 10 has a 
portion 11 which fits over a hand grip 4 of the type shown in FIG. 1 so 
that the clip 10 is held in place when the hand grip 4 is grasped in the 
hand. FIG. 5(B) is a partial side view showing the upper edge of a door 12 
engaged by this type of clip 10. 
FIG. 6(A) shows a device with a swivel provided in the stem 3 to enable an 
upper portion 3A of the stem to be angled with respect to a lower portion 
3B thereof. FIG. 6(B) is an enlarged view of the swivel provided in the 
stem 3. This swivel facility is useful, for instance, when carrying a door 
12 up a flight of stairs as the upper portion 3A of the stem can be 
arranged to extend substantially vertically even though the lower portion 
is inclined due to the fact that the door 12 has to be inclined to carry 
it up the stairs. The use of the device in this situation is indicated in 
FIG. 7 which shows alternative positions of the upper portion 3A of the 
stem. 
FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B) are side and front views of a preferred embodiment of 
the device. The device is similar to that shown in FIG. 1 but is also 
provided with a lockable foot mechanism which may be extended from the 
base of the device for engaging the ground and supporting the remainder of 
the device in a raised position. This is especially useful for holding a 
door in place while it is being fitted within a door frame. 
The foot mechanism comprises a foot 13 having a central portion 13A and 
tines 13B at its ends. These tines 13B are arranged to fit between the 
tines 1 of the device as shown in FIG. 11(A). They may also extend in both 
directions from the central portion 13A as shown in FIG. 11(B). The foot 
13 is connected to a mechanism (described below with reference to FIGS. 
10(A) and 10(B)) which enables it to be raised and lowered with respect to 
the remainder of the device. A button 14 is provided near the hand grip 4 
for lowering the foot 13. When the botton 14 is released, the mechanism is 
automatically locked to prevent the foot 13 from rising or the device from 
lowering. A lever 15 is provided to release the mechanism to enable the 
foot 13 to be raised again or the device lowered. Similar buttons 16 and 
levers 17 may also be provided on the cross-piece 2 for operation by the 
carrier's foot to secure the foot 13 in position, especially when it is 
inclined to the remainder of the device (see FIG. 10 and description 
below). 
FIG. 9(A) shows the button 14 and lever 15 in more detail. The button 14 is 
connected to a shaft 18 which passes through the lever 15 and down within 
the stem 3 of the device. By pushing the button 14 downwards, the shaft 18 
is pushed down within the stem 3 and lowers the foot 13. When the button 
14 is released, the shaft 18 is locked by the lever 15 which is pushed 
into frictional engagement with the shaft 18 by a coil spring 19. This 
prevents the shaft 18 from rising with respect to the stem 3. When the 
lever 15 is pushed down against the spring 19, the shaft 18 can again be 
raised or lowered with respect to the stem 3. The frictional engagement 
between the shaft 18 and lever 15 is simply provided by a hole within the 
lever through which the shaft passes. When the axis of the hole is 
inclined to the axis of the shaft 18 (as shown in FIG. 9(A)), the edges of 
the hole engage the shaft. However, when the lever 15 is pushed down, the 
axis of the hole is aligned with the axis of the shaft so the shaft may 
freely slide within the hole. As shown in FIG. 10(A), the button and lever 
mechanism provided on the cross-piece 2 are of similar design to that 
shown in FIG. 9(A). 
FIG. 9(B) is a side view of the device showing both tines 1 and tines 13B 
resting on the ground. When the button 14 is pressed and the device lifted 
by the hand grip 4, the device may be lifted above the foot 13 as shown in 
FIG. 9(C). 
The foot mechanism is also preferably provided with a swivel enabling the 
foot 13 to be inclined to the cross-piece 2 of the device as shown in FIG. 
10. FIG. 11(B) shows an exploded view of the swivel mechanism. The lower 
end of the shaft 18 is connected to a top plate 20. A lower plate 21 is 
provided on the central portion 13A of the foot for fitting within the 
lower end of the stem 3 as shown in FIG. 10. The top and lower plates 20 
and 21 are sandwiched between two side plates 22 and connected thereto by 
a pair of pivot pins 23. A front view of the assembled swivel mechanism is 
shown in FIG. 10. The foot 13 can be held in an inclined position with 
respect to the cross-piece 2 by means of the button 16 and lever 
mechanisms 17 as illustrated in FIG. 10. 
The use of the foot mechanism is best illustrated with reference to the 
fitting of a door within a door frame. The sides of the door are first 
trimmed to the required size and the door is then mounted in an upright 
position on the device and positioned, using the device, into the door 
frame in the closed position as shown in FIG. 12(A). The door is then 
lifted by lifting the device until the top of the door engages the top 
door jamb. The button 14 is then pressed to lower the foot 13 to the 
floor. When the button 14 is released, the foot 13 rests on the floor and 
the remainder of the device with the door mounted thereon is held clear of 
the floor. The gaps between the sides of the door and the door frame are 
then checked to see that they are even. The foot 13 is then locked in 
position by pressing the foot buttons 16. It will be appreciated that 
since the foot 13 is able to swivel relative to the remainder of the 
device, the door can be held in a substantially vertical position even if 
the floor on which the foot 13 is resting is not horizontal (a common 
occurrence in older houses), i.e., the height of the two edges of the door 
can be adjusted independently so the door can, if required, be held at an 
angle to the vertical. The door is then held in position by the device 
leaving both hands of the carpenter free to mark the top of the door with 
a straight edge to show how much wood needs to be trimmed off in order to 
make a good fit within the door frame. The door can be then lowered by 
pressing the levers 15 and 17 to release the foot mechanism so that it can 
be removed for trimming (at the site of the door frame). 
When the top and bottom edges of the door have been trimmed to size, the 
device may be used to hold the door in an open position within the door 
frame to enable hinges to be fitted as shown in FIG. 12(B). The corner of 
the door adjacent the top hinge can be held in one hand while a screw is 
fitted to hold the hinge in place. The door is then held in place by the 
device and this hinge even when the floor beneath the door is not level so 
two hands can be used to fit the remaining screws to the top and bottom 
hinges. It will be appreciated that as the door is held securely by the 
device and is held at the correct height and angle with respect to the 
ground, the carpenter has both hands free to fit the hinges, so making 
this a much easier job to carry out than it would be without the device. 
As the device supports the door from beneath it does not interfere with 
the positioning of the door within the door frame and can be used to 
support doors hung on either the left or right side. The device can also 
be used when removing or re-fitting an existing door. The device is used 
to hold the door in place to prevent it swinging and so avoids the danger 
of the door pulling the hinges away from the door frame as they are being 
removed or re-fitted. 
Other mechanisms for raising and lowering the foot 13 and releasably 
securing it in position in place of that described above and shown in the 
drawings will be apparent to those skilled in the art.