Patent ID: 8573564

Claim:
A hydraulically actuated lifting system for completely raising a bulk sized, extremely high weight object from one position in close proximity to the ground to another, elevated position, said object having at least one lifting point in close proximity to the ground and from between about four to about eleven inches vertically relative to said ground, comprising: (1) at least one cylindrical member; (2) at least one housing including a slot on side walls; (3) a normally retracted, selectively hydraulically telescopically extendable piston member within each said cylindrical member, said piston member having a distal end; and (4) lifting plate means having an upper face, said upper face having a vertical height relative to said ground of from between about four inches and about eleven inches, and said lifting plate means being responsive to telescopically extending movements of said respective piston member relative to said respective cylinder member, said lifting plate means having a carriage with an arm which extends through said slot inside of said at least one housing, and said lifting plate means being horizontally off-set from the respective distal end of said piston member, whereby, when said lifting system is positioned for completely lifting said high weight object, said respective upper face may be positioned in close proximity to the ground and under said high weight object at a lifting point, without positioning any of said respective piston members or respective cylinder members under said high weight object.