Patent Publication Number: US-7581915-B1

Title: Drywall lift assembly including a center telescopically extendable lifting means

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention concerns that of a new and improved drywall lift assembly that allows a single individual to support and hold a single drywall panel while he or she would be affixing this panel to a wall or ceiling of a residential or commercial building. 
   DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,751, issued to Delaney, discloses a foldable and height adjustable overhead lift which contains a hydraulic pump. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,379, issued to Gilbert, Jr., discloses a hand cart for a wall panel assembly having a table pivotally attached to a wheeled frame with a hydraulic cylinder pivotally connected therebetween. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,662 B1, issued to Fleckenstein, discloses a lifting device having a hydraulic ram assembly which can be used to lift, support, and align articles such as cabinets, countertops, shelving, and the like, during installation and removal. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,739,819 B2, issued to Caudill et al., discloses a platform for lifting drywall and paneling in which the device is also equipped with extensible legs, a winch or motor, pulleys, guides, rollers, spacers, hinges, stop bars, braces, locking mechanisms, a swivel point, and a rack. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,106, issued to Frees et al., discloses a glass-handling lifting truck having suitable remote controls, preferably of known electric servo type, for extremely precise maneuvering and positioning. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention concerns that of a new and improved drywall lift assembly that allows a single individual to support and hold a single drywall panel while he or she would be affixing this panel to a wall or ceiling of a residential or commercial building. The drywall lift assembly includes a flat panel base, a telescoping pole assembly on top of the flat panel base, a support assembly atop the telescoping pole assembly for mounting an item of drywall or flat panel sheeting, and an extension ladder attached to the telescoping pole assembly. The support assembly can move in relation to the telescoping pole assembly so that piece of drywall or flat panel can be placed on either a ceiling or a wall surface. 
   There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of a drywall lift assembly that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the drywall lift assembly that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
   In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the drywall lift assembly in detail, it is to be understood that the drywall lift assembly is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The drywall lift assembly is capable of other embodiments and being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting. 
   As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present drywall lift assembly. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
   It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a drywall lift assembly which has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a drywall lift assembly which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a drywall lift assembly which is of durable and reliable construction. 
   It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a drywall lift assembly which is economically affordable and available for relevant market segment of the purchasing public. 
   Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment when considered with the attached drawings and appended claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the drywall lift assembly as it would appear in use. 
       FIG. 2  shows a side view of the drywall lift assembly as it would appear in use. 
       FIG. 3  shows a top view of the drywall lift assembly as it would appear in use. 
       FIG. 4  shows a bottom view of the drywall lift assembly as it would appear in use. 
       FIG. 5A  shows a close-up perspective view of the swivel connection of the drywall lift assembly as it would appear in a lowered position. 
       FIG. 5B  shows a close-up perspective view of the swivel connection of the drywall lift assembly as it would appear in a raised position. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 5A  thereof, a new portable drywall lift assembly the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral  2  will be described. 
   As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 6 , the drywall lift assembly  2  comprises a base  4  that has two surfaces, a top surface and a bottom surface. The base  4  preferably has a rectangular shape and is in the form of a flat plate  12 . The base  4  has two ends comprising a first end and a second end, and furthermore, has two side surfaces comprising a first side surface and a second side surface. 
   The base  4  is mounted atop four tires comprising a left front tire  14 , a right front tire  16 , a left rear tire  20 , and a right rear tire  22 . The left front tire  14  and right front tire  16  are connected by a front axle  18  which is mounted to the bottom surface of the base  4  near the first end of the base  4 , while the left rear tire  20  and the right rear tire  22  are connected by a rear axle  24  which is mounted on the bottom surface of the base  4  near the second end of the base  4 . 
   A drive motor  26  is also attached to the bottom surface of the base  4  and is connected to the rear axle  24  by a chain drive  28 . The chain drive  28 , once set into motion by drive motor  26 , will force rear axle  24  to rotate, thereby propelling the drywall lift assembly  2  forward. 
   An extension ladder  6  is also present, with the extension ladder  6  comprising a lower section  34  and an upper section  36 . The upper section  36  is attached to the lower section  34  and extends and retracts from the lower section  34 . The lower section  34  itself is pivotally attached to the base  4  by a pair of ladder mounts  30  and  32 . The upper section  36  of the extension ladder  6  is designed to be placed against the telescoping pole assembly  8  to allow an individual to place an item of drywall of flat paneling atop the telescoping pole assembly  8  on the support assembly  10 . 
   The drywall lift assembly  2  also includes a telescoping pole assembly  8  which comprises a lower pole  40  and an upper pole  42 . The lower pole  40  is fixedly attached to the top surface of the base  4 , while the upper pole  38  is telescoping within the lower pole  40  and extends or retracts up and down from the lower pole  40 . The height of the upper pole  38  is hydraulically controlled by a hydraulic pump motor  44  that is mounted on the top surface of the base  4 , with the hydraulic motor  44  including a hydraulic medium  43  that is preferably liquid or water. A hydraulic line  46  connects the hydraulic pump motor  44  to the lower pole  40 . 
   The hydraulic pump motor  44  itself is connected to a control panel box  48  that is mounted on the top surface of the base  4 , with the control panel box  48  itself being attached to a battery compartment  50  which is also mounted on the top surface of the base  4 . The battery compartment  50  is connected to the hydraulic pump motor  44  through the control panel box  48 . The battery compartment  50  includes at least one battery  51  for ongoing power. 
   Located on top of the upper pole  38  of the telescoping pole assembly  8  is a swivel connection  42 . Atop the swivel connection  42  is located a support assembly  10 , with the support assembly  10  including a support structure  52  that has an “H shape.” The support assembly is capable of holding an item of drywall or flat paneling  47 . The support structure  52  includes a pair of parallel legs comprising a first parallel leg  54  and a second parallel leg  56 , and furthermore, comprises a center leg  58  that connects the two of these two parallel legs together. The support structure  52  is mounted on top of the swivel connection  42  by placing the middle of the center leg  58  over the swivel connection  42 . Each end of each of the two parallel legs  54  and  56  contains a plate  60  that can extend and retract about two inches. 
   The swivel connection  42  further comprises a central container  62  that is mounted atop the upper pole  38  of the telescoping pole assembly  8 . The central container  62  includes a diagonally mounted hydraulic arm that is attached to flange  64 , which is attached to the central leg  58 . The center leg  58  itself is mounted to the central container  62  by a pivot point  66 . The central container  62  itself is mounted atop the upper pole  38  of the telescoping pole assembly  8  by a rotating motor  68  and a ball bearing assembly  70 , which allows the central container  62  to axially rotate atop the upper pole  38  of the telescoping pole assembly  8 . 
   With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
   Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.