Patent ID: 7198311

Claim:
An elevator for lifting pipe having a bottom exposed edge or an internal groove comprising: a rod having a first end and a second end; an elongate member having a first end and a second end, the first end of the elongate member hingedly connected to the rod adjacent the first end of the rod; a truncated sector-shaped plate associated with the elongate member; the second end of each elongate member secured to one side of the sector plate with a curved edge of the sector plate facing outwardly; a tubular member slidably positioned on the rod on the opposite side of the sector plate; the sector plate connected to the tubular member with a roller chain linkage means for allowing the sector plate to move from a collapsed position against the rod when the tubular member is moved on the rod away from the sector plate to a splayed-out position spaced apart from the rod when the tubular member is moved on the rod toward the sector plate; the sector plate sized so that when in the collapsed position, the elevator may be lowered through the pipe, and when in the splayed-out position, may be positioned underneath the bottom exposed edge of the pipe or into the internal groove provided in the pipe; and means connected to the rod adjacent the second end of the rod for either raising or lowering the rod in a vertical direction.