AU677094B2 - Support frame - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION For a Standard Patent

ORIGINAL

0* o 0* C 4* *0 C *r 0 Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: NEIL ROBERT McPHEE NEIL ROBERT McPHEE Address for Service: WRAY ASSOCIATES, Primary Industry House, 239 Adelaide Terrace, Perth, Western Australia, 6000.

Attorney code: WR Invention Title: "SUPPORT FRAME" Details of Associated Provisional Application: No: PM1923 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- 1 I IFI* -2- This invention relates to a support frame and in particular relates to a support frame of a form which may be used for lifting or lowering objects over the edge of a raised surface.

An example of an application of the invention relates to rescue situations where it is necessary to lower rescue personnel over a precipice and/or raise a stretcher over the precipice for an injured party.

Previous arrangements for providing a support for lifting have traditionally comprised tripods where hoisting equipment is mounted to the apex of the tripod. Such an arrangement is quite satisfactory where the load is positioned directly below the apex of the tripod. In the event however that the point of lift is to one side of the apex of the tripod, the tripod can become unstable and lifting can be particularly dangerous. In many circumstances and in particular in .relaton to rescue work, many of the circumstances have a point of lift located over a precipice or an edge and the use of a tripod can create a very dangerous 15 and unstable situation.

It is an object of this invention to provide a support frame which can be safely used for lifting and lowering objects in a variety of circumstances including over the edge of a surface.

A support frame comprising a first upstanding leg, a second upstanding leg; said first and second legs being interconnected at their upper ends by a head member to be fixed in relation to each other; the first and second legs and the head member forming a bipod member; the support frame further comprising a third leg which is longer than the first and second legs and which is pivotally coupled to the upper end of the bipod member; said third leg extending in a direction transverse to the plane occupied by the first and second legs; the lower end of each leg being adapted to be able to be fixedly engaged with the ground in a load bearing manner; the head member being adapted to directly support a lifting cord from a load through a sheave element.

Throughout the specification the term "sheave element" shall be taken as including a grooved wheel, a pulley, a stationery guide, a block and tackle or a like element.

According to a preferred feature a support cord is adapted to be connected at one end to the upper end of the bipod member and at the other end by a fixed element.

According to a further preferred feature of the invention the head member spaces the upper ends of the first and second legs from each other. The upper end of the bipod member may support the sheave element and provide the mounting for the one end of the support chord. It is preferred that the head member is fixed relative to the first and second legs.

eo: .According to a further preferred feature of the invention a third leg is pivotally connected to the upper end of the bipod member through a yoke member which comprises a pair of divergent arms at the upper end of the third leg.

In a further preferred form the first and second leg are removably mounted to the head member and said third leg is removably mounted to the yoke. In addition, i if desired one or more of the first, secor.d and third legs may be formed of a plurality of elongated elements.

According to an alternative form of the invention, the third leg may be pivotally mounted to the interconnection between the first and second legs.

The invention will be more fully understood in the light of the following description of one specific embodiment. The description is made weth rference to the accompanying drawings of which;- Figure 1 is a rear isometric view of a support frame according to th'e embodiment; -3 a Figure 2 is a schematic side elevation of the embodiment in position adjacent a precipice where the sheave element is located inward of the precipice; and e ooe i 'ooQ i ol :ao I -4- Figure 3 is a schematic view to that of Figure 2 except that the sheave element is located beyond the edge of the precipice.

The embodiment relates to a support frame which is intended to be used in rescue situations or in situations where it is necessary to support persons over a precipice to facilitate the raising and lowering of those persons.

The support frame according to the embodiment comprises a first leg 11, second leg 13 and a third leg 15. The upper ends of the first and second legs 11 and 13 are interconnected by a head member 17. The third leg 15 is significantly longer than the first and second legs and is interconnected to the upper ends of the first S 10 and second legs 11 and 13 by a yoke member 19.

The lower end of each leg supports a foot member 21 which are each removably S mounted in the lower end of each leg and which are each formed with a pointed lower end 23. The upper end of the first and second legs are each formed with a transverse extension 25 which is formed with a spigot (not shown). The head 15 member is tubular and each spigot is receivable within the tubular head member 17 and are retained such engagement by locking pins 27 which retained in the legs in engagement with the head member and prevent rotation of the head member relative to the first and second legs.

The yoke member 19 is formed with a pair of divergent arms 29 which are formed at their ends with a pair of laterally extending outwardly extended spigots 31 which are receivable in tubular sockets 33 provided at the upper end of the first and second arms 11 and 13. The interconnection of the divergent arms 29 is associated with a central member 35 which receives the upper end of the third leg 15. A locking pin (not shown) lockingly retains the third leg in position on the central member 35 of the yoke 19. The third leg 15 is formed into two portions and 15b which are removably engagable with each other and which when engaged are retained together by a further locking pin 37.

The head member 17 is formed with a set of upwardly extending axially spaced first radial plates 39 which support between themselves a pair of sheaves 41 while the lower surface of the head 17 supports a downwardly extending radial plate 43 which is formed with an aperture. The second radial plate 43 is intended to receive one end of a support rope 45 and the other end of the support rope is adapted to be anchored to a fixed structure located in the direction of the third leg The sheaves 41 are intended to receive a lifting rope 47 which is to be used to lift and lower an object over the precipice.

The pivotal mounting of the third leg 15 to the upper ends of the first and second legs 11 and 13 enables the head 17 of the support frame to be moved in a direction transverse to the axis extending between the first and second legs 11 and 13. This of course requires some transposition of the third leg to "accommodate such movement. By controlling the length of the support rope 15 the head member'17 can be moved from a position located inward of a precipice as shown at Figure 2 or outward of the precipice as shown at Figure 3. Once the head member 17 is in the desired position the foot 21 provided on the third Sleg 15 is engaged with the ground and the support rope 45 is locked into position. When in the position shown at Figure 2 the legs can be interconnected by ropes 48 which serve to prevent the legs from spreading.

It is a feature of the support frame of the present invention that on a weight being supported from the head member 17 the principal loading is applied to the first and second legs 11 and 13. In circumstances where the head member 17 is located over the outer of the edge of the precipice a small amount of loading is applied to the support rope 45. The third leg 15 serves to stabilise the structure.

The demountable nature of the support frame of the embodiment provides a support frame which can be readily disassembled into a number of components to facilitate its transport over rough terrain and storage in a vehicle. When it

M

-6becomes necessary to assemble the support frame such assembly can be effected with the minimum of difficulty.

The effect of the support frame is to provide a frame whereby the lifting action which is applied to a person or object being lowered or raised over the edge of a precipice can be safely effected at a variety of positions including positions outward of the edge of the precipice to provide a more secure and safe lifting action for that person or object. The embodiment can also be used in circumstances appropriate for a tripod such as over shafts, pot holes and the like.

If desired the sheaves of the embodiment can be replaced by any suitable form of sheave element including a stationary guide, or block and tackle or pulley or the like.

It should be appreciated that the scope of the present invention need not be limited to the particular scope of the embodiment described above.

Ir I- c~-a

Claims (16)

1. A support frame comprising a first upstanding leg, a second upstanding leg; said first and second legs being interconnected at their upper ends by a head member to be fixed in relation to each other; the first and second legs and the head member forming a bipod member; the support frame further comprising a third leg which is longer than the first and second legs and which is pivotally coupled to the upper end of the bipod member; said third leg extending in a direction transverse to the plane occupied by the first and second legs; the lower end of each leg being adapted to be able to be fixedly engaged with the ground in a load bearing manner; the head member being adapted to support a lifting cord from a load through a sheave element.

2. A support frame as claimed at claim 1 further comprising a support cord is adapted to be connected at one end to the upper end of the bipod o 15 member and at the other end to a fixed element.

3. A support frame as claimed at claim 1 or 2 wherein the third leg is pivotally mounted to the head member.

4. A support frame as claimed at claim 1 or 2 wherein the third leg is pivotally mounted tu the upper ends of the first and second legs.

5. A support frame as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein the head member spaces the upper ends of the first and second legs from each other.

6. A support frame as claimed at claim 5 wherein the head member is fixed in relation to the first and second legs.

7. A support frame as claimed at claim 5 or 6 wherein the upper end of the iRAos bipod member supports a sheave element. i r I I -a 8

8. A support frame as claimed at claim 5, 6 or 7 as dependant on claim 2 wherein the head member provides the mounting for the one end of the support cord.

9. A support frame as claimed at any one of claims 5, 6, 7, or 8 wherein the first and second legs are removably engaged with the head member. A support frame as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein the third leg is mounted to the upper end of the bipod member by a yoke member comprising a pair of divergent arms the ends of which are pivotally engaged with the upper end of the bipod member.

10

11. A support frame as claimed at any one of the preceding claims vwherein :f the yoke member is removably connected to the first and second legs.

12. A support frame as claimed at any of claims 1 to 10 wherein the yoke member is removably connected to the head member. a a:

13. A support frame as claimed at any one of the preceding claims where one or more of the first, second or third legs are formed of a plurality of elongate elements. a.

14. A support frame as claimed at any one of the preceding claims where each leg is provided at its free end with a foot member adapted to engage the surface supporting the support frame.

15. A support frame as claimed at claim 14 wherein the feet members are removable. I' 9-

16. A support frame substantially herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this THIRD day of DECEMBF-. 1996 NEIL ROBERT McPHEE Applicant S 5055 S S .55. S S S S S S 0t S U. S. S U S S WRAY ASSOCIATES, Perth, Western Australia, 10 Patent Attorneys for the Applicant. ABSTRACT A support frame comprising a first upstanding leg a second upstanding leg said first and second legs (11 13) being interconnected at their upper ends; a third leg (15) which is longer than the first and second legs pivotally mounted to the upper ends of the first and second legs (11 13) and extending in a direction transverse to the axis between the first and second legs; a sheave element (41) fixed to the interconnection (27) between the first and second legs (11 13) and adapted to receive a lifting cord (47). S e «w o