WO2014080169A1

WO2014080169A1 - Handling member for transporting an elongate article

Info

Publication number: WO2014080169A1
Application number: PCT/GB2013/052809
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andrew Foster
Original assignee: SPACE OUTDOOR Ltd
Current assignee: SPACE OUTDOOR Ltd
Priority date: 2012-11-21
Filing date: 2013-10-28
Publication date: 2014-05-30
Anticipated expiration: 2015-05-21
Also published as: GB2508156B; GB2508156A; GB201220928D0

Abstract

In the field of materials handling there is a need for an improved manner of storing and transporting elongate construction articles, such as rolls of lead and other roofing materials which have an internal cavity extending therethrough. A handling member (10) for transporting and storing an elongate construction article (44) having an internal cavity (46) extending therethrough comprises an elongate body (12) which has first and second ends (14, 16) that lie opposite one another. The handling member (10) also includes a coupling member (18) which is located towards the first end (14) of the elongate body (12) and which is insertable through the internal cavity (46) of a said construction article (44). The handling member (10) still further includes a retaining member (28) that is located towards the second end (16) of the elongate body (12). The retaining member (28) retains the construction article (44) relative to the elongate body (12) in each of an insertion mode and a lifting mode. The retaining member (28) further defines a recess portion (34) to permit insertion of the coupling member (18) through the internal cavity (46) of a said construction article (44) which is lying on its side on a support surface (42).

Description

HANDLING MEMBER FOR TRANSPORTING AN ELONGATE ARTICLE

This invention relates to a handling member, for transporting and storing an elongate construction article having an internal cavity extending therethrough, and to a handling assembly including such a handling member.

Often it is necessary to store and transport elongate construction articles, such as rolls of lead and other roofing materials, on building and construction sites as well as at builders merchants and other retail environments.

Typically such construction articles are stored by laying them down on their sides. This can lead to deformation of the article over time which in turn damages or renders unusable the article.

To transport such a construction article an operative will normally lift the article and rest it on his or her shoulder while securing a bottom end of the article with at least one hand. One problem with this approach is that a large lifting force is required to lift the article to shoulder height, and a further problem is that the article may easily be dropped. Each of the foregoing can cause injury to the operative and/or other colleagues working in the vicinity, as well as damage to the article.

An operative also sometimes improvises with items which may be to hand. For example, he or she may insert a broom handle through the internal cavity of the construction article to assist in carrying the article. Such an approach also often leads to injury of the operative and/or damage to the construction article.

There is, therefore, a need for an improved manner of storing and transporting an elongate construction article.

According to the first aspect of the invention there is provided a handling member, for transporting and storing an elongate construction article having an internal cavity extending therethrough, the handling member comprising:

an elongate body having first and second ends lying opposite one another;

a coupling member located towards the first end of the elongate body and being insertable through the internal cavity of a said construction article; and a retaining member located towards the second end of the elongate body to retain the construction article relative to the elongate body in each of an insertion mode and a lifting mode the retaining member defining a recess portion to permit insertion of the coupling member through the internal cavity of a said construction article lying on its side on a support surface.

The inclusion of a coupling member located towards a first end of the elongate body permits ready lifting of the handling member, e.g. by a crane, winch or other lifting arrangement.

Having a retaining member located towards the second end of the elongate body helps to ensure that the construction article remains engaged with the elongate body during handling of the article. Meanwhile the ability to insert the coupling member through the internal cavity of an construction article lying on its side on a support surface means that it is possible to engage the handling member with the construction article so arranged, and thereby provide immediate assistance with the handling, i.e. storage and transportation, of the article. Optionally the elongate body extends along a body axis and the retaining member extends laterally from the body axis beyond the elongate body in at least one direction.

The provision of such an arrangement allows an operative to readily insert the elongate body into the internal cavity of a construction article while preventing the retaining member from passing through the cavity.

Preferably the retaining member extends substantially perpendicularly to the body axis. Such a retaining member helps to maintain the elongate body in an upright position relative to a support surface on which the retaining member is located while the handling member operates in a storage mode. As a result the handling member while operating in such a storage mode helps to prevent deformation of the construction article over time.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the retaining member is defined by a planar body. Having the retaining member be defined by a planar body provides desired retention functionality in each of the insertion and lifting modes, and a degree of resistance to toppling in the storage mode, while reducing the volume of material required in manufacturing of the retaining member. Optionally the retaining member includes at least two retaining member portions which extend opposite one another. Such an arrangement provides an increased degree of resistance to toppling while the handling member is being used in the storage mode.

Preferably the retaining member includes at least three retaining member portions which are spaced substantially equally from one another. Such a feature provides a still further improved degree of resistance to toppling while the handling member operates in the storage mode.

The retaining member portions may be interconnected with one another to define a unitary retaining element.

Such an arrangement facilitates ready securing of the retaining member portions to the elongate body during manufacture of the handling member and reduces the number of parts within the handling member requiring separate manufacture.

In a further embodiment of the invention the unitary retaining element has a circular outer perimeter portion. The inclusion of such a circular outer perimeter portion helps to optimise the volume of material required to manufacture the retaining member while providing desired retention functionality and resistance to toppling in essentially all directions

Preferably the recess portion is defined by a chord extending between respective endpoints of the circular outer perimeter portion of the unitary retaining element.

Such a feature means that the retaining member continues to resist toppling in all directions while in the storage mode, and additionally permits insertion of the coupling member into the internal cavity of an associated construction article during the insertion mode.

The coupling member may taper away from the elongate body. Such an arrangement assists an operative in inserting the coupling member through the internal cavity of a construction article. The coupling member may also include an aperture. The provision of such a feature permits ready coupling of, e.g. a lifting arrangement, with the handling member. According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a handling assembly, for transporting an elongate construction article, the handling assembly comprising:

a handling member as set out hereinabove; and

a lifting member selectively couplable with the handling member.

Inclusion of a lifting member permits the application of a large lifting force to the handling member when it is being operated in the lifting mode.

Optionally the handling assembly additionally includes an intermediate coupler to selectively couple the handling member and the lifting member with one another. Such a feature permits tailoring of the coupler characteristics, e.g. its length and/or tensile strength, according to the nature, i.e. size, shape and/or mass, of the associated construction article.

The lifting member may include a lifting member body which defines at least one operative portion. The provision of at least one operative portion allows the ready application of a lifting force to the lifting member.

Preferably the lifting member includes an elongate lifting member body which defines first and second operative portions.

The provision of first and second operative portions allows, e.g. two operatives to work together to lift and move a construction article, thereby reducing the load carried by each operative. The provision of first and second operative portions also allows, e.g. the lifting member to accommodate the tines of a forklift to lift and move a construction article, thereby permitting the transportation of a heavy load.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the lifting member body includes a further coupling member. The further coupling member allows the lifting member to be readily selectively coupled with the handling member.

Preferably the further coupling member is located between the first and second operative portions. Such an arrangement prevents shifting of the load imparted on the lifting member by a construction article suspended therefrom during said lifting and moving so as to reduce the likelihood of an operative being injured or dropping the construction article. There now follows a brief description of preferred embodiments of the invention, by way of non-limiting examples, with reference being made to the following drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows an isometric view of a handling member according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 shows a plan view from above of the handling member shown in Figure 1 ; Figure 3 shows a schematic view of the handling member shown in Figure 1 operating in an insertion mode;

Figure 4 shows a schematic view of the handling member shown in Figure 1 operating in a storage mode;

Figure 5 shows an isometric view of a handling member according to a second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 6 shows a front elevational view of a handling assembly according to the invention including a first lifting member;

Figure 7 shows an isometric view of a second lifting member; and

Figure 8 shows an isometric view of a third lifting member.

Referring to Figure 1 , a handling member according to a first embodiment of the invention is designated generally by reference numeral 10.

The handling member 10 has an elongate body 12 which extends along a body axis A. The elongate body 12 has first and second ends 14, 16 which lie opposite one another.

Located at the first end 14 is a coupling member 18. In the embodiment shown the coupling member 18 has a substantially triangular shape which tapers away from the elongate body 12. The coupling member 18 additionally includes an aperture 20 which is also triangular- shaped. In other embodiments of the invention the coupling member 18 may have a different external shape and/or internally-shaped aperture. Other such coupling members also need not taper at all.

The coupling member 18 has a substantially planar coupling member body 22 in which the aforementioned aperture 20 is located. A portion of the coupling member body 22 is received within a cavity 24 formed in the first end 14 of the elongate body 12. A pair of welds 26 secures each side of the coupling member body 22 within the cavity 24. In other embodiments (not shown) a different number of welds may be used, and/or a different fixing arrangement, such as one or more nuts and bolts or other mechanical fastener, may be employed. A retaining member 28 is fixedly secured, e.g. by welding, to the second end 16 of the elongate body 12. In other embodiments of the invention a different fixing arrangement may be used, such as an adhesive and/or a mechanical fastener. The retaining member 28 extends laterally from the body axis A in a substantially perpendicular direction and extends radially beyond the elongate body 12 in all directions.

The retaining member 28 includes a plurality of retaining member portions (not shown) which are integrally formed with one another to define a unitary retaining element 30.

The unitary retaining element 30 is defined by a planar body that has a circular outer perimeter portion 26 which extends circumferentially through an arc of approximately 270°. In other embodiments the outer perimeter portion may extend through an arc of between 240° and 300°.

In addition the unitary retaining element 30 includes a recess portion 34 which is defined by a chord 36 that extends between respective end points 38, 40 of the circular outer perimeter portion 32.

Preferably the spacing s_c between the chord 36 and the body axis A is between 60% and 90% of the radius r of the circular outer perimeter portion 32, and more preferably between 75% and 80% of the said radius. Such ranges provide a desired degree of resistance of the handling member 10 to toppling in the storage mode while continuing to permit insertion of the elongate body 12 through the internal cavity of an associated construction article. In other embodiments (not shown) the unitary retaining element 30 may have a different shape such as a square, a rectangle or an oval, for example.

In use the handling member 10 is operated as follows. An operative aligns the recess portion 34 with a support surface 42 on which an elongate construction article 44 is lying (as shown in Figure 3), to thereby permit insertion of the coupling member 18 through an internal cavity 46 of the article 44. The retaining member 28 prevents the elongate body 12 of the handling member 10 passing completely through the internal cavity 46. The operative is then able to couple a lifting arrangement (not shown in Figure 3) to the coupling member 18 in order safely and securely to lift the handling member 10 and associated construction article 44 into, e.g. an upright storage configuration as shown in Figure 4. The operative is also, of course, able to use the aforementioned lifting arrangement to transport the handling member 10 and construction article 44 (essentially in the same orientation as shown in Figure 4) to a different location.

As shown in Figure 4, the unitary retaining element 30 acts to resist toppling of the handling member 10 while operating in the illustrated storage mode. In this regard, in other embodiments of the invention the unitary retaining element 30 may be configured to extend radially beyond the external diameter of a chosen construction article 44 so as to improve the resistance to toppling. In such circumstances the recess portion 34 of the unitary retaining element 30 is sufficiently large to continue to permit insertion of the coupling member 18 through the internal cavity 46 of the chosen construction article 44 during the insertion mode.

Referring to Figure 5, a handling member according to a second embodiment of the invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 100. The second handling member 100 shares some features with the first handling member 10 described above and these features are indicated by the same reference numerals.

One way in which the second handling member 100 differs from the first handling member 10 is that the coupling member 18 is integrally formed from the elongate body 12 of the second handling member 100. The coupling member 18 tapers away from the elongate body 12 towards a flattened portion in which is formed a circular aperture 102. In other embodiments of the invention the coupling member 18 may have a different external shape and/or differently-shaped aperture 102. A handling assembly according to the invention is designated generally by reference numeral 70.

The handling assembly 70 shown includes the first handling member 10 described above along with a first lifting member 72 that is selectively couplable with the first handling member 10. In other embodiments (not shown) the handling assembly 70 may instead include the second handling member 100. The first lifting member 72 includes an elongate lifting member body 74 which defines first and second operative portions 76, 78.

The elongate lifting member body 74 also includes a further coupling member 80 which is fixedly secured, e.g. by welding, between the first and second operative portions 76, 78. In the embodiment shown the further coupling member 80 is located midway between the first and second operative portions 76, 78 to help ensure an equal distribution of loading between the operative portions 76, 78. The first and second operative portions 76, 78 each includes a hand grip 82 which may be formed from a slip-resistant material such as rubber or neoprene.

The handling assembly 70 also includes an intermediate coupler 84 which engages with each of the coupling member 18 of the first handling member 10 and the further coupling member 80 of the first lifting member 72 to selectively couple the first handling member 10 and the first lifting member 72 to one another. The intermediate coupler 84 may be formed from a nylon coated steel wire which has a clip or other similar fastener at either end. In an alternative embodiment (not shown) the intermediate coupler 84 may be fixedly secured to the first lifting member 72. Such an intermediate coupler 84 may desirably include a clip or other similar fastener at only its free end.

Other embodiments of the handling assembly 70 may omit the intermediate coupler 84 and instead have the first lifting member 72 couple directly with the first or second handling member 10, 100, e.g. via a hook, clip or the like. In use a first operative interconnects the first lifting member 72 and the first handling member 10 with the intermediate coupler 84, as shown in Figure 6. As well as being able to secure the first lifting member 72 to a handling member 10, 100 and associated construction article 44 arranged in a storage configuration (as shown in Figure 6), it is also possible to secure the first lifting member 72 to a handling member 10, 100 immediately following insertion of the handling member 10, 100 into the internal cavity 46 of a construction article 44 lying on its side on a support surface 42, i.e. to a handling member 10, 100 lying in the position shown in Figure 3.

In each instance, the first operative is then joined by a second operative and each operative grips a corresponding operative portion 76, 78 of the first lifting member 72 with at least one hand. The operatives then work together to lift the first handling member 10 into an upright orientation, either for use in a storage mode (as shown in Figure 4) or to transport it and the associated construction article 44 to another location.

Once the handling member 10 and associated construction article 44 are positioned as desired, one of the operatives disconnects the intermediate coupler 84 from at least the first handling member 10.

The lifting member 72 may be used in essentially the same manner as described above when coupled directly to the first or second handling member 10, 100, i.e. without the associated intermediate coupler 84.

Figure 7 shows a second lifting member 172 which shares some identical features with the first lifting member 72 described above with such features being indicated by the same reference numerals. The second lifting member 172 can be used with either of the first or second handling members 10, 100, with or without the intermediate coupler 84, in the same manner as described above in connection with the handling assembly 70.

One way in which the second lifting member 172 differs from the first lifting member 72 is that each of the first and second operative portions 76 78 defines a respective first and second receiving portion 176,178. In use each of the first and second receiving portions 176 178 of the lifting member 172 receives a tine of a forklift (not shown). The forklift is thereby able to lift and transport the second lifting member 172 and one of the a first or second handling member 10, 100 and an associated construction article 44 to a desired location. The use of a forklift permits lifting and transporting of a wide range of loads, e.g. construction articles that cannot be readily transported by a pair of operatives.

A third lifting member 272 is shown at Figure 8. The third lifting member 272 again shares some identical features with the first lifting member 72 described above and these are designated by the same reference numerals.

The third lifting member 272 differs from each of the first and second lifting members 72, 172 in that it includes a substantially V-shaped lifting member body 274 which includes only one operative portion 276 extending between respective ends 278 of the lifting member body 274. The third lifting member 272 includes a further coupling member 80 which is fixedly secured, e.g. by welding, to a point on the member body 274 located at a midpoint (as indicated by midway axis B) of the operative portion 276. The third lifting member 272 allows a single operative to grip the operative portion 276 with a single hand while maintaining an equal distribution of loading between the ends 278 of the elongate lifting member body 274. The operative can also use both hands to grip the operative portion 276 if necessary. The third lifting member 272 may be used as a replacement for either of the first or second lifting members 72, 172.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A handling member, for transporting and storing an elongate construction article having an internal cavity extending therethrough, the handling member comprising:

an elongate body having first and second ends lying opposite one another;

a coupling member located towards the first end of the elongate body and being insertable through the internal cavity of a said construction article; and

a retaining member located towards the second end of the elongate body to retain the construction article relative to the elongate body in each of an insertion mode and a lifting mode, the retaining member defining a recess portion to permit insertion of the coupling member through the internal cavity of a said construction article lying on its side on a support surface.

2. A handling member according to Claim 1 wherein the elongate body extends along a body axis and the retaining member extends laterally from the body axis beyond the elongate body in at least one direction.

3. A handling member according to Claim 2 wherein the retaining member extends substantially perpendicularly to the body axis.

4. A handling member according to any preceding claim wherein the retaining member is defined by a planar body.

5. A handling member according to any preceding claim wherein the retaining member includes at least two retaining member portions which extend opposite one another.

6. A handling member according to any of Claims 1 to 4 wherein the retaining member includes at least three retaining member portions which are spaced substantially equally from one another.

7. A handling member according to Claim 5 or Claim 6 wherein the retaining member portions are interconnected with one another to define a unitary retaining element.

8. A handling member according to Claim 7 wherein the unitary retaining element has a circular outer perimeter portion.

9. A handling member according to Claim 8 wherein the recess portion is defined by a chord extending between respective endpoints of the circular outer perimeter portion of the unitary retaining element.

10. A handling member according to any preceding claim wherein the coupling member tapers away from the elongate body.

11. A handling member according to any preceding claim wherein the coupling member includes an aperture.

12. A handling assembly, for transporting an elongate construction article, the handling assembly comprising:

a handling member according to any preceding claim; and

a lifting member selectively couplable with the handling member.

13. A handling assembly according to Claim 12 wherein the handling assembly additionally includes an intermediate coupler to selectively couple the handling member and the lifting member with one another.

14. A handling assembly according to Claim 12 or Claim 13 wherein the lifting member includes a lifting member body which defines at least one operative portion.

15. A handling assembly according to Claim 14 wherein the lifting member includes an elongate lifting member body which defines first and second operative portions.

16. A handling assembly according to Claim 14 or Claim 15 wherein the lifting member body includes a further coupling member.

17. A handling assembly according to Claim 16 when dependant on Claim 15 wherein the further coupling member is located between the first and second operative portions.

18. A handling member generally as herein described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

19. A handling assembly generally as herein described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.