Patent Publication Number: US-2007104558-A1

Title: Board holder support device for a materials handling and lifting appliance

Description:
The invention relates to the technical field of materials handling and lifting appliances that can be used in the construction industry in order to offer up boards made of any material in order to build suspended ceilings or fit them under the slope of a roof and on partition walls.  
      For many years, the Applicant has developed appliances of this type that are intended to hold rectangular-shaped plasterboards or plaster panels or boards and panels made of other materials having large dimensions as much as 3 m or more in length and which are therefore very heavy. These boards, thanks to appliances of the above-mentioned type, are then offered up horizontally thanks to a winch mechanism and by means of tilting, so that they can be fixed to the ceiling that is to be covered. Appliances have been developed on the basis of the teaching of Patents FR 2,758,150, 2,780,428 and 2,862,682. In particular, in  FIGS. 1, 2  and  3 , the latter patent makes provision for using a fixed support section which is offset relative to the mast part and accommodates at its end a means of articulating the device that holds the board or panel, said device including a support base capable of tilting from a horizontal locked position into a vertical one that corresponds to loading the panel or board holder or fitting them on an inclined surface.  
      The appliances that are the subject of the above-mentioned patents are extensively operated by the Applicant with considerable commercial success.  
      FIGS.  1  to  3  show a device for articulating the board or panel holder which is articulated relative to a fixed horizontal section ( 1 ) that is attached to the upper end of the mast ( 2 ) of the appliance. This device comprises a support base ( 3 ) having a very wide flat upper wall with a U-shaped yoke ( 4 ) that is used for support and attachment to frame ( 5 ) of the board holder and/or panel holder. A control arm ( 6 ) is joined to the support base and controls the articulation and positioning of the device relative to the mast. Means of locking using control handle ( 7 ) and lock bolt ( 8 ) lock and unlock swiveling of the support base. In addition, the support base has an opening ( 3   a ) for a finger ( 9 ) for positioning and locking the board or panel in its limit position.  
      This implementation is, however, expensive to manufacture and assemble. The lock bolt device, in a classic lock configuration, has to be fitted and this involves additional cost and extra interventions and operations.  
      The approach adopted by the Applicant was therefore to attempt to make manufacture of these materials handling and lifting appliances for boards or panels more efficient, especially the main part of the appliance, namely that which includes the device for articulating and offering up the panels, without compromising satisfactory operation of the appliance.  
      The Applicant was also interested in the optimizing and manufacturing the materials handling and lifting appliance so that it offered other functions that meet needs during operation of the appliances on site.  
      In fact, it was observed that the board support frame was loaded on the device for orienting the boards and panels on a trial-and-error basis. The board support frame is hung and guided on the U-shaped yoke section on the upper surface of the articulation support base. To achieve this, in order to fit the panel/board support frame, the operator often pushes the control lever of the appliance against his shoulder so that he can see placement of the frame. This pressure is therefore applied obliquely and the operator has both hands free in order to ensure positioning. This procedure and operation is therefore not very practical.  
      The attempt to optimize the appliance developed by the Applicant therefore involved integrating this particular aspect in order to make the operator&#39;s interventions and operations even easier. The Applicant&#39;s priority was to design the appliance to ensure easiest possible use of the appliance on site.  
      These objects and others will become apparent from the following description.  
      According to a first aspect, the support device for board and panel holder for a materials handling and lifting appliance of the type comprising a mast at the end of which there is a means of support that articulatedly accommodates a board support frame is distinctive in that it comprises a U-shaped pedestal that accommodates, between its side pieces, two hinge pins, a first pin that ensures articulation of the support base on which the board or panel support frame is positioned, and a second pin on which there is a pawl that swivels freely due to the distribution of its mass, said pawl having a head that forms a hook in order to cooperate with and fit around a pin forming a finger that protrudes from the support base, a straight rear surface forming a limit stop and a control lever, the end of which is shaped like an unbalancing mass. 
    
    
      The object of the present invention is described, merely by way of example, in the accompanying drawings in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a partial perspective view of the support head of a board holder device suitable for a materials handling and lifting appliance of the prior art as described in the Applicant&#39;s cited patents.  
       FIG. 2  is a partial enlarged view of the head in  FIG. 1 , showing its use with a locking device.  
       FIG. 3  is a partial view that supplements  FIG. 1  and shows adaptation of the support head for accommodating the board holder device.  
       FIG. 4  is a view of a materials handling and lifting appliance fitted with the board holder device according to the invention.  
       FIG. 5  is a large-scale view of the device according to the invention fitted on the appliance in  FIG. 4  in its opened, raised position.  
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the means of locking in the form of a pawl.  
       FIG. 7  is a large-scale partial top view similar to  FIG. 5 , but with a different perspective in order to clearly show the layout of the device according to the invention when the device is in its opened position.  
       FIG. 8  shows the device in isolation in its closed position which corresponds to offering up panels or boards horizontally.  
       FIG. 9  is a partial view of the board holder device according to the invention when the board or panel support frame is engaged.  
       FIG. 10  is a large-scale view, as in  FIG. 9 , showing the positioning of the locking pawl in this operational phase.  
       FIG. 11  is a view that supplements  FIG. 9  after engagement of the board or panel support frame when the pawl is in its locked position.  
       FIG. 12  is an additional partial view that illustrates a particular function of the pawl in terms of the board support frame&#39;s non-return safety.  
       FIG. 13  is a large-scale view of the device shown in the circle in  FIG. 12 .  
       FIG. 14  is an alternative implementation of the invention where the board or panel support beam or frame is welded to the support base. In this Figure, the device is shown when the board support frame is tilted.  
       FIG. 15  is a view that supplements  FIG. 14  showing the assembly in its closed horizontal position. 
    
    
      In order that the present invention may more readily be understood, the following description is given, merely by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings.  
      As shown in  FIG. 4 , the materials handling and lifting appliance for boards or panels intended to be fitted in ceilings or on walls is referred to in its entirety as (A) and its base is provided, in any appropriate manner, with means of rolling (R), means of gripping (B) and cable control in order to deploy, telescopically or not, the components of mast ( 2 ). The extreme upper part of the mast accommodates device (D) of the invention on which the board or panel holder support frame ( 5 ) rests and is attached either removably or permanently by welding. The mast may also make it possible to attach receptacle (P) in order to position a portable electric tool or other equipment needed by the operator.  
      The board or panel holder device according to the invention can be used with materials handling and lifting appliances of any design and the representation shown in  FIG. 4  is therefore provided merely to make it easier to understand the device.  
      In FIGS.  5  to  15 , the board holder device (D) was designed and built to fulfill various functions that will be explained below. More especially, the device comprises, starting from the end of the mast, a U-shaped pedestal ( 10 ) attached to the mast by its bottom ( 10   a ) by welding or another method and is positioned horizontally with its exposed surface facing upwards. Between its parallel, vertical side pieces ( 10   b - 10   c ) there are two hinge pins ( 11 - 12 ), one ( 11 ) to the rear and the other ( 12 ) to the front part of the pedestal. Pin ( 11 ), conventionally, enables articulation of support base ( 13 ) on which board or panel holder support frame ( 5 ) is directly or indirectly mounted. In the version in FIGS.  5  to  13 , the support base is designed so that its upper surface has a yoke shape ( 4 ) forming a separately mounted slider and is fixed in any appropriate way and delimits a slot ( 4   a ) allowing sliding of support base ( 5 ), the lower profile of which has a matching design. As appropriate, the yoke can accommodate support base ( 5 ) in two positions that are 90° apart, one position allowing so-called horizontal fitting on ceilings and the other position allowing so-called tilted fitting under the slope of a roof. In the version in  FIGS. 14, 15 , the support base accommodates the support frame which is permanently attached by welding or an equivalent method. Support base ( 13 ) is, according to the invention, made in the form of a U-shaped section with side pieces ( 13   a - 13   b ) mounted on pin ( 11 ) and inserted into the internal space between side pieces ( 10   b - 10   c ) of pedestal ( 10 ). Said base also accommodates a fixed pin ( 14 ) that protrudes to one side and is mounted between said side pieces ( 13   a - 13   b ) with the protruding part ( 14   a ) acting as a finger. One end ( 15   a ) of an L-shaped control handle ( 15 ) is attached to said support base by welding or an equivalent method whereas the part that is to be gripped ( 15   b ) is in a plane that is at right angles to and opposite the operator. The front part of pedestal ( 10 ) accommodates a pin ( 12 ) on which a pawl ( 16 ) having an extremely distinctive profile is articulatedly mounted. This pawl is mounted on pin ( 12 ) slightly off-centered to ensure unbalance so that it tends to make a swiveling movement. At the end that is inside pedestal ( 10 ), said pawl has a head ( 16   a ) shaped like a hook ( 16   b ) that faces towards its other end ( 16   c ). The rear surface ( 16   d ) of the head is straight and located in a plane that is perpendicular to the horizontal bottom of the pedestal and to the horizontal bottom surface of the support base when the latter is lowered. Head ( 16   a ) of the pawl is sufficiently tall to protrude from the horizontal plane of the support base when the pawl hooks on finger ( 14   a ) in order to provide a limit stop surface for the frame that supports the panels or boards to be fitted, regardless of the orientation of support base ( 5 ) in slot ( 4   a ) of yoke ( 4 ). Head ( 16   a ) has, beyond its rear surface, an upper part ( 16   e ) with a curved shape that constitutes a support surface under circumstances that will be explained below. The pawl has an opening ( 16   f ) in order to fit it on pin ( 12 ). The other end of this pawl, beyond the hinge pin, has a control lever shape with an unbalanced mass ( 16   g ) that, when it is not actuated, encourages the pawl to swivel forward due to its mass distribution, thereby acting as a counterweight. The bottom surface of the pedestal has a clearance gap ( 10   d ) that allows articulation of the lever, swiveling and clearance through said bottom surface.  
      The various functions of the device are explained below. Boards or panels can be loaded on the support frame in complete safety either after swiveling the support base so that it is horizontal and locking it in position or by pressing on finger ( 14   a ) on the shaped head of the pawl. In the first case, due to the weight of the support frame, the pawl is swiveled backwards to allow hooking on finger ( 14   a ). The pawl returns to its locked position because of its unbalance.  
      Panels or boards can be fitted very easily and quickly by a double action on the part of the operator, firstly unlocking the pawl by raising it by its gripping part and secondly by orienting the carrying arm associated with the support base. Orienting the device makes it possible to offer up the board or panels to be positioned in complete safety. Unlike previously, there is no longer any need for the operator to position the carrying arm so that it presses against his shoulder in order to ensure positioning of the board or panel support frame. The pawl ensures, by means of its various positions, locking of the support base, non-return limit stopping of the board support frame and support, if applicable, for the support base in its tilted position on the other part of the pawl acting as a rest or allowing slanting loading.  
      The solution devised by the Applicant is simple and achieves a substantial reduction in manufacturing and assembly costs. Operation is simplified and there is no longer any risk of the lock bolt jamming as it previously could.  
      The solution according to the invention is viable regardless of the manner in which the support frame is positioned and attached.