Patent ID: 6994509

Claim:
A carriage lifting apparatus for mounting on a box, said lifting apparatus comprising, a horizontal supporting framework having a front end and a rear end; a generally L-shaped transfer arm having a first arm portion and a second arm portion, said first arm portion having a first end pivotally mounted with respect to an intermediate portion of said framework and a second end pivotally attached to a first end of said second arm portion, said second arm portion having a second end adapted to engage a carriage and said second arm portion being movable with respect to said first arm portion from a folded position to a lockable carriage-ready position, the transfer arm being movable between a stowed position and a deployed position; a lock for locking said second arm portion in said lockable carriage-ready position; a guide means for guiding a carriage, said guide means being mounted towards the rear end of said framework; and a power means for moving the transfer arm between said stowed and deployed positions, said power means being mounted about a pivot towards the rear end of said framework, whereby, said folded position of said second arm permits said lifting apparatus to be compactly folded when said box is empty of a carriage, allowing for placement of a cover over the box, and whereby during operation of the lifting apparatus with a carriage, as the transfer arm begins to move away from the stowed position about an arc to the deployed position, a carriage is moved from said box to a receiving surface.