Patent Publication Number: US-2013228396-A1

Title: Sheet Material Handling Device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a national stage of PCT Application No. PCT/GB2011/001373, filed Sep. 21, 2011, which claims priority to United Kingdom Priority Application 1016255.0 filed Sep. 28, 2010. The specification, drawings, claims and abstract of these applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This invention relates to a sheet material handling device or carrier in particular but not necessarily for the moving lengths of roofing and facia materials used during construction of buildings. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Building construction sites for large buildings frequently employ construction equipment for lifting large and heavy components into position during the construction of a building. Facia panels for finishing off the edges of roofs may be in the order of 3000 mm in length, 650 mm in and up to 50 mm in thickness. Such sheets of material are unwieldy to handle and can only be lifted into work locations high above the ground by cranes and then may need to manhandled to the actual fitting site. 
     Aerial lifts are also used on sites for moving men and some materials to work locations high above the ground. A typical aerial lift may comprise a mobile self drive vehicle having an extendable boom which has an elevator basket or cage for housing operatives secured to the end of the boom. The basket may contain a control panel which permits an operator standing in the basket or cage to manoeuvre the basket or cage to a raised location which facilitates the carrying out of work. The boom is typically raised by a powered hydraulic system on the vehicle. 
     It is known for the operators of such lifts to carry materials in or on the cage, by for example tying or lashing materials to the structure of the cage. For safety, the work platform is surrounded by a safety barrier or fence for the protection of personnel on the platform. It is therefore not convenient or safe to place large sheets of material within the lift with the operator. This may give rise to dangerous situations, for example, if the sheet material obstructed the operator at the controls. 
     The present invention provides a means whereby an aerial lift may be utilised to move such large sheets of material to a work location. 
     Statements of Invention 
     According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided panel carrier assembly for use with an aerial lift and comprising a pair of spaced apart planar lattice frames secured together in alignment one with the other by spacers arranged around sides of the frame, one of said frames having brackets thereon for securing to a lift. 
     Preferably the lattice frames are rectangular in shape. The term rectangular includes square. 
     The spacers are arranged around the two shorter sides and one of the longer sides of the frames leaving one longer side free of obstructions so that sheets of material can be posted between the two frames. 
     The lattice frame is formed from tubular or box section struts and may be broken into smaller areas by cross-members and diagonal struts. 
     According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided an aerial lift having a work platform and a carrier as described above is attached via the brackets to the work platform. 
     Preferably the carrier is attached to the underside of the platform floor. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side elevation of an aerial lift and platform with a carrier mounted in situ thereon. 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric view of the work station of an aerial lift with a material carrier according to the present invention, 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric view of a material carrier according to the present invention, 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of the carrier shown in  FIG. 3 , 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the carrier shown in  FIGS. 3 , and 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged detail showing the brackets on the carrier. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to  FIG. 1  of the drawings, there is shown a vehicle  10  in the form of a self drive mobile lift of any suitable type. The vehicle  10  has a drivable vehicle body  11  having wheels  12  and an extendable boom  14  mounted on a load carrying platform  13  at the rear of the vehicle. Stabilisers  15  are provided for steadying the vehicle on the ground G. A basket, cage or work platform  20  is mounted on the free end of the boom  14  and the basket, in use, can be raised or lowered and generally manoeuvred relative to the ground as is well known. The basket  20  is shown in a raised condition. The boom  14  is raised, lowered, extended, rotated etc. by any suitable means, typically operated by a powered hydraulic system provided on the vehicle  10 . 
     The cage  20  has a platform floor  22  which is surrounded by a safety barrier  17  with a kick plate  24  adjacent the floor  22 . The aerial lift may be controlled and operated via controls  23  by personnel working within the cage  20 . 
     With reference also to  FIGS. 2 to 6 , there is shown a sheet material or panel carrier preferably mounted on the underside of the platform floor  22 . Alternatively the carrier may be secured to the cage  20  at other suitable locations. 
     The panel carrier assembly  30  comprises at least two spaced apart lattice frames  31 ,  32  which are rectangular in shape. The frames are secured in alignment one with the other by spacers  34 . The spacers  34  are arranged between the two shorter sides of the frames and one of the longer sides leaving one of the longer sides  35  open to receive a sheet or panel P of material e.g. a facia board, sheet of plywood, plaster board etc. pushed into the assembly  30 . 
     The two frames  31 ,  32  are formed from tubular and/or box section aluminium struts which are welded together to form a lattice having cross-members  41 - 43  and diagonal struts  44 - 47 . The two frames in this particular example are about 3200 mm in length and 650 mm in width and are spaced apart by about 50 mm. Other sizes of frame may be utilised to suit the sheet materials to be moved. One of the frames  31  has a pair of bracket assemblies  48 ,  49  secured to the cross-members  41 ,  42  respectively. The two bracket assemblies each comprise a pair of back to back “L” shaped brackets  51 ,  52 . Each upper bracket  51  has elongate apertures  53  in its back whereby it is adjustably mounted to the underside of the platform floor  22  using suitable fasteners. 
     Both of said frames  31 ,  32  may be provided with diagonal struts  44 - 47 . Alternatively, and as shown, only the frame  32 , which in use is the lower frame, is provided with the diagonal struts. As well as stiffening the frame, the diagonal struts  44 - 47  also support at him sheet materials loaded within the carrier  21 . 
     Typically the lift is intended for moving large rectangular sheets of material as described above. Once the sheet(s) or panel(s) P have been fully inserted into the carrier they may be secured in place and prevented from sliding out of the frame by straps, or webbing or other suitable means. When the operator within the aerial lift has manoeuvred the cage  20  and carrier  30  into its desired location, the sheet P is removed from the carrier by other workers already in position at the place of delivery.