Patent ID: 7614829

Claim:
A lifting device, including: at least one extendible building post, comprising: an elongate, hollow building construction member having a closed base end and an extension end opposite the base end; an elongate, hollow tube having a base end and a piston extension end opposite the base end, disposed within said building construction member, with said building construction member extending substantially the entire length of said elongate, hollow tube; an elongate piston slidingly disposed within said tube, extending from the piston extension end thereof; a working fluid supply line connected to and extending from the base end of said tube and adapted for connection to a source of fluid under pressure; a lift strut extending from said piston, exteriorly of said tube; said lift strut being disposed along said extendible building post and substantially parallel thereto; and a lifting platform extending laterally from said lift strut; wherein said at least one extendible building post comprises two mutually opposed extendible building posts.