WO1995025659A1

WO1995025659A1 - Assembly for moving an article

Info

Publication number: WO1995025659A1
Application number: PCT/NL1995/000109
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hendrikus Johannes Maria Vogelaar
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-03-22
Filing date: 1995-03-22
Publication date: 1995-09-28
Anticipated expiration: 1996-09-22
Also published as: NL9400455A

Abstract

Assembly for pianos. This assembly is composed of a rectangular carrying frame within which an opening is delimited. The size of said opening is adjustable to correspond to the external dimensions of the piano. The carrying frame is provided with lifting means in order to lift the frame from the floor after the carrying frame has been fitted around the piano. The carrying frame holding the piano can then be moved.

Description

ASSEMBLY FOR MOVING AN ARTICLE

The present invention relates to an assembly for moving an article, such as a piano, in accordance with the preamble of Claim 1. A device of this type is disclosed in US Patent 4 941 645. The device shown in said patent serves mainly for moving pianos. To this end, said device is composed of a subframe on which an auxiliary frame is mounted so that it can be fixed in a number of discrete positions in the vertical direction. This adjustment serves for adjusting the height of the construc- tion to the height of the piano to be transported. The auxiliary frame is provided with a lift device in the centre. When the device is in operation, the height will first have to be adjusted by positioning subframe and aux¬ iliary frame with respect to one another. The device will then be moved under/around the piano, the lifting means will be attached and the lifting means will be operated. During this operation, the position of the subframe and the auxiliary frame remains unchanged.

This construction has the disadvantage that it is relatively complex. On the one hand, the height of this construction is adjustable by means of a mechanism in order to provide for adaptation to the piano and, on the other hand, lifting means which also operate in the height direction are provided in order to be able to lift the piano from the ground.

Because, during lifting, the piano is moved with respect to both the subframe and the auxiliary frame, there is a risk that it will be damaged by sliding along one of these components. In order to prevent this, the device can be constructed with a relatively large opening, but the problem then arises that the piano is not suspended from the lifting means in a stable manner. Moreover, a device of this type then takes up a great deal of room.

The aim of the present invention is to overcome these disadvantages. This aim is achieved in the case of an assembly described above by means of the characterising measures of Claim 1.

The adjustment in the height direction for adjustment to the height of the piano is now combined with the lifting means. On lifting and adjusting, the auxiliary frame sections move with respect to the subframe sections. By, moreover, constructing the auxiliary frame sections as the innermost boundary of the opening in which the piano is accommodated, movement of the piano with respect to the auxiliary frame or the gripping means will never take place. Because the gripping means are now firmly connected to the auxiliary frame sections, they can be fixed in a more stable manner, so that the risk of a piano, or any other article to be lifted, breaking loose is precluded as far as possible.

It is possible to accommodate the article concerned in the opening in the carrying frame in any manner known from the prior art. However, a par¬ ticularly simple option for accommodation is provided in that one of the two subframe sections located opposite one another, and the associated auxiliary frame section, are arranged so as to be movable with respect to the other subframe section and associated auxiliary frame section essen- tially in the horizontal direction in the operating state in order to change the size of the opening for accommodation of the article. That is to say, in the extended state, in which the connection between opening and surroundings is the greatest, the article is placed inside the subframe sections or auxiliary frame sections, or said sections are placed around the article and the construction is then completely or partially closed. After the article has been lifted it can be transported.

Gripping for lifting the article can be effected in any manner disclosed in the prior art. For pianos, one possibility is to fit protruding sec¬ tions. In order to be able to change the size of the opening in a simple man¬ ner, the subframe sections and the auxiliary frame sections are preferably mounted so they telescope in the horizontal direction with respect to one another.

If rectangular articles, such as a piano, have to be transported, it is preferable to design the construction composed of subframe sections and auxiliary frame sections as an essentially rectangular shape and, within said construction, to delimit a rectangular opening which corresponds to the article, such as a piano. In order to be able to place said sections around such an article, one side of the rectangle is preferably interrupted in such a way that one part of said side still remains in place. That is to say, the connection between opening and surroundings is first enlarged in the manner described above to such an extent that the construction can be placed around the article and the size of the opening is then reduced again, as a result of which the residual stub section of the relevant lon- gitudinal side of the rectangle provides support for the article to be carried.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the subframe sections and the auxiliary frame sections which can be telescoped in the vertical direction with respect thereto define a carrying frame. The auxiliary frame sections preferably comprise at least two frame sections located some distance apart, each frame section being provided, according to a further embodiment, with a drive in order to provide a facility for changing the size of the opening.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with respect to an illustrative embodiment shown in the drawing. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows an exposed perspective view of the assembly according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows a detail of the assembly according to Figure 1;

Fig. 3 shows a top view of the assembly according to Figure 1;

Figure 4 shows an alternative embodiment for the lift mechanism of the assembly according to the invention;

Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of the assembly according to the inven- tion provided with plating and protective material in the "open" state;

Fig. 6 shows the assembly according to Figure 5 with a piano accommo¬ dated therein;

Fig. 7 shows a cross-sectional side view of a lift device for the assem¬ bly according to the invention; Fig. 8 shows, diagrammatically, a front view of the assembly according to Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 shows the assembly according to Fig. 8 in a partly raised posi¬ tion and

Fig. 10 shows the assembly in the fully raised position. In the figures the assembly according to the invention is indicated in its entirety by 1. This assembly serves in particular for accommodating a piano 2 shown in Figure 6. It is obvious that, by adjusting the shape of the device, the latter can be used to move all sorts of other articles. This relates in particular to heavy articles which have to be well protected for transport.

As can be seen from Figure 1 , the assembly 1 comprises an opening 3 which is delimited between the lowermost and uppermost frame sections 18 of an auxiliary frame 17 which is slidably mounted on subframes 15. These sub- frames 15 are provided with wheels 12. Frame sections 18 are composed of longitudinal frame sections 7 and transverse frame sections 8. The open side of the device does not have longitudinal frame sections 7 but two stubs 6. Gripper plates 9 are connected to the auxiliary frame 17. As can be seen from Figure 1, both the longitudinal frame sections 7 and the transverse frame sections 8 are of telescopic construction. The same is true of crossbar 13 of subframes 15. Consequently, it is possible to vary the size of opening 3 both in the longitudinal direction and in the trans¬ verse direction. A construction shown in detail in Figure 2 is used to adjust the size in the longitudinal direction. A rack 14 (such as a chain), with which a pinion 16 engages, is mounted on the uppermost and lowermost (not shown in Figure 2) longitudinal frame section 7. The uppermost pinion 16 and the lowermost pinion 16 are connected by means of a transmission 19. Recesses for fitting an operating crank or the like are made in both the lowermost and the uppermost pinion. Electrical operation is, of course, also possible. By turning the pinions 16, the racks 14 will move, as a result of which the section 20 located inside longitudinal frame section 7 will move to the outside to a greater or lesser extent.

A corresponding construction is provided for the "transverse movement", as can be seen from the top view in Figure 3. Threaded spindles 21 are located on both sides of the auxiliary frame 17 and engage in a nut-like seating, which is not shown in more detail, in order to move the section 29 outwards to a greater or lesser extent with respect to transverse frame section 8. Coupling of the threaded spindles is effected with the aid of a right-angle transmission which comprises a coupling rod 22 with a slider 23.

Height adjustment is effected with the aid of jacks 10 (Figure 1). These jacks are coupled to one another, in a manner which is not shown in more detail, for synchronised movement of the left-hand and right-hand jack 10 upwards and downwards. Springs 11 are fitted for the return movement.

It is obvious that any other construction for movement in the longitudi- nal, transverse and height direction is possible.

One example thereof is given in Figure 4, where, instead of the jacks 10, a lever 24 is used which is connected to a cable or chain 25, which is connected via a pulley transmission and a post 26 to the auxiliary frame

17. Figure 4 shows two positions: the raised position and the lowered posi¬ tion. Locking means can be provided in order to secure the lever 24 in its lowered position, but that is to say with the auxiliary frame 17 in a raised position. Fig. 7 shows a side view of a lift device indicated in its entirety by 35. This device is composed of a casing 36, inside which a threaded spindle 37 is accommodated, which, via conical gearing 38, 39, can be driven by a crank handle or the like to be inserted in seating 40. Threaded spindle 37 is inserted in supports 41 , which are provided with a corresponding thread and will move upwards or downwards as threaded spindle 37 is turned. The bottom of casing 36 is provided with a support 42, which comprises a pin 43 with a roller 44 mounted rotatively about it. Support 41 is provided with a protrusion 45 which is able to engage on auxiliary component 46, which can be connected to one of the lowermost longitudinal frame sections of the device according to the invention or to a separate additional rod 47 to be fitted between the lowermost stubs 6.

It can be seen from Fig. 8 that casing 36 is hingeably connected to auxiliary component 36 via a strut 48.

This hinged fixing at, on the one hand, protrusion 45 and, on the other hand, strut 48 ensures that casing 36 always remains in the vertical posi¬ tion, as can be seen from Figures 9 and 10.

It can be seen from these figures that when protrusion 45 is moved upwards the piano is tilted to the right. During this operation the right- hand wheel is, of course, locked in some manner or other. The assembly described above functions as follows:

In order to transport a relatively heavy article, such as a piano, open¬ ing 3 is made sufficiently large, by operating both the longitudinal ad- justment and the transverse adjustment, that the opening delimited by the stubs 6 is just large enough to allow the piano to pass into opening 3. During this operation the auxiliary frame 17 is in the lowered position. If the auxiliary frame has been brought into a position in which the longitudinal frame sections are in contact with the article, the opening is then made smaller by means of both the longitudinal and the transverse adjustment to such an extent that the article is accommodated with a close fit. The stubs 6 complete this enclosure. With this arrangement it is not necessary for the article to be accommodated clamped tight. The jacks 10 are then operated, as a result of which the gripper plates 9 engage under- neath the article and move this upwards. The article can be transported in this position.

Figure 5 shows the assembly according to the invention with fitted plat¬ ing and protection. Moreover, two securing rods 27 are shown, which can be lowered after the article has been placed in the device according to the invention. Moreover, one of the securing rods can be provided with a sleeve 28, which connects the securing rods 27 to one another after these rods have reached the horizontal position. A completely closed rigid frame is thus obtained. By this means, on the one hand, complete protection of the article to be transported is obtained and, on the other hand, it is possible to take hold of the article from below without risk of damage. This can take place, for example, using a fork lift truck or another smaller trolley for transport over steps and the like.

Finally, Figure 6 shows a rear view of the assembly according to Figure 5, the piano being shown fitted in the raised position in the device accor¬ ding to the invention.

In order to enable the assembly according to the invention to be moved, either on its own or possibly with a piano in place, using a crane or the like, a carrying arm 30 is fitted, which is hingeably connected to sliders 31. These sliders 31 are mounted on longitudinal frame section 7 and a se¬ parate auxiliary longitudinal frame section 32, to be fitted after the piano has, possibly, been placed in the device. As can be seen in Fig. 1, carrying arm 30 is likewise constructed so that it can slide out, to enable adjustments in the widthwise direction to be accommodated. Carrying arm 30 is provided with a fixing plate 33, on to which a crane hook or the like can engage.

Although the invention has been shown above with reference to a some preferred embodiments, it must be understood that numerous modifications can be made thereto without going beyond the scope of the appended claims. For instance, it is possible to make the operation of both the longitudinal and the transverse adjustment hydraulic or by other mechanical means known from the prior art. Likewise, it is possible to provide for a change in the size in one direction only, such as in the longitudinal direction.

The device holding the piano can then be tilted in the manner shown in Figs 8-10, which will be sufficiently clear after the preceding discussion.

Claims

1. Assembly (1) for moving an article, such as a piano, comprising at least two subframe sections which are located opposite one another and provided with wheels (12), on which subframe sections auxiliary f ame sec¬ tions are mounted which are adjustable in the vertical direction with respect to said subframe sections, as well as gripping means (9) and lift¬ ing means (10) mounted on the auxiliary frame sections, wherein the assem¬ bly, in the operating state, forms a construction which at least partially surrounds the article, characterised in that the gripping means (9) are firmly fixed to the auxiliary frame sections, in that the lifting means grip between the subframe sections and the auxiliary frame sections and in that, in the operating state, the auxiliary frame sections or the gripping means form the innermost boundary of the construction at least partially surrounding the article.

2. Assembly according to Claim 1, wherein one of the two subframe sec¬ tions located opposite one another, and the associated auxiliary frame section, are arranged so as to be movable with respect to the other sub- frame section and associated auxiliary frame section essentially in the horizontal direction in the operating state in order to change the size of the opening for accommodation of the article.

3. Assembly according to Claim 2, wherein each subframe section and the associated auxiliary frame section is composed of individual parts which are integral in the vertical direction and are arranged to telescope with respect to one another essentially in the horizontal direction.

4. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the grip¬ ping means comprise at least two protruding parts (9) which are located opposite one another in the vicinity of the bottom of the subframe section.

5. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sub- frame sections and the auxiliary frame sections define an essentially rec¬ tangular carrying frame, within which a rectangular opening is delimited, wherein one long side of the rectangle is interrupted in such a way that a stub (6) of said side still protrudes from one corner of said long side.

6. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one auxiliary frame section comprises at least two frame sections (18) located some distance apart.

7. Assembly according to Claim 6, wherein each frame section is provided with a drive to provide a facility for changing the size of the opening.