AU768955B2

AU768955B2 - Lifting aid

Info

Publication number: AU768955B2
Application number: AU30242/00A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Claudio Passalacqua
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-05-26
Filing date: 2000-05-02
Publication date: 2004-01-08
Anticipated expiration: 2020-05-02
Also published as: AU3024200A

Description

P/00/011 28/5/91 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

*.e **fr COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor Address for service is: Claudio Passalacqua Claudio Passalacqua WRAY ASSOCIATES 239 Adelaide Terrace Perth, WA 6000 Attorney code: WR Invention Title: "Lifting Aid" Details of Associated Provisional Application No(s): PQ0620 filed on 26 May 1999 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- TITLE: Lifting Aid Field of the Invention This invention relates to a lifting aid.

Background The invention has particular application for persons such as removalists who are required to lift and transport heavy loads. In.many cases the loads which must be lifted and carried by a person may not be particularly heavy but are bulky and they do not lend themselves to being lifted and transported by one or two persons without endangering those persons to an injury. In many instances the difficulty 10 relates to the absence of a handle or a similar protrusion which facilitates the ***establishment of a grip by the person involved in the lifting without that person :*..:having to bend or adopt a potentially injurious attitude. In other instances the load is both heavy and bulky and is not provided with a handle or like means to facilitate it being lifted and moved.

It is an object of the invention to provide a lifting aid which facilitates the lifting and transportation of a load whereby the weight that is borne by each person using the aid is substantially evenly distributed to the body of that person.

Disclosure of the Invention Accordingly, the invention resides in a lifting aid comprising a strap having two ends and a pair of harnesses, the length of the strap being such as to enable to pass underneath the load to extend to opposite sides of the load, each end of the strap being connected to one or the other of the harnesses, said harness being adapted to be receivable over both shoulders of a person to substantially evenly distribute the weight being borne by the strap to the shoulders of that person.

According to a preferred featured of the invention, the strap is extendible in length. According to one embodiment, the adjustment of the length is effected by means of an adjustment means provided adjacent at least one harness.

According to a further preferred feature, each harness comprises a pair of loops which are receivable over the shoulders of the person.

The invention will be more fully understood in the light of the following description of one specific embodiment.

Brief Description of the Drawings The description is made with reference to the accompanying drawing of which; Figure 1 is a plan view of the lifting aid according to the first embodiment; Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the harness of the first embodiment being borne by a person; and I:i" 10 Figure 3 is a schematic representation of the first embodiment in use.

oooo S:Description of Several Specific Embodiments The embodiments are each directed to a lifting aid which can be utilised in the transportation of items of furniture. It is an object of each of the embodiments to *.":provide a lifting aid whereby the weight which is borne by the persons carrying the :15 load is able to be substantially evenly distributed to the shoulders of those persons.

S. The first embodiment comprises a strap 11 which is provided with a buckle 13 at each end whereby the buckles enable the length of the strap 11 between the buckles 13 to be adjusted. Each buckle supports a harness 15 which comprises a pair loops 17 and 19 which are formed of the same material as the strap 11 and which have the same circumference.

In use and as shown at Figure 3 the strap 11 is passed underneath a load 20 and the harness 15 at each of the strap is applied to the shoulders of a person located to each side of the load 20. In addition the length of the strap is adjusted according to the dimensions of the load and the height of each person.

In locating the harness 15 on each person, each loop is located on the body such that it extends substantially diagonally across the body from one shoulder to the opposite side of the torso underneath the armpit of the person and such that the loops intersect with each other across the back of the user. Each of the loops are of the same dimensions such that when in position on the person the respective buckle 13 lies substantially centrally in front of the person at or below waist level.

As a result of the use of embodiment, the weight of the load 20 is borne by each person substantially equally and the weight which is carried by each person is substantially evenly distributed across the shoulders of that person.

S. 10 The use of the embodiment enables the persons to have a greater degree of control over the load. This is at least in part due to the person not having to accommodate for an unequal loading being applied to that persons body or to be concerned about having an adequate grip.

According to a second embodiment of the invention a lifting aid of similar form to the first embodiment is modified in that the loops are provided with padding which is to be positioned between the strap of each loop and the shoulders of the person. The padding comprises a tubular element formed of a fabric material in which padding material is received to one side and which is received over the straps which form the loops of the harness to be slidable around the loops. The padding is positioned to the side of the strap which is to be engaged with the shoulders of the person and prior to a load being lifted is positioned along the loop to be receivable on the shoulders.

Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

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

Claims

1. A lifting aid comprising a strap having two ends and a pair of harnesses, the length of the strap being such as to enable to pass underneath the load to extend to opposite sides of the load, each end of the strap being connected to one or the other of the harnesses, each of said harnesses being adapted to be receivable over both shoulders of a person to substantially evenly distribute the weight being borne by the strap to the shoulders of that person.

2. A lifting aid as claimed at claim 1 wherein the strap is adjustable in length.

3. A lifting aid as claimed at claim 2 wherein the adjustment of the length is o effected by means of an adjustment means provided adjacent at least one harness.

4. A lifting aid as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein each harness comprises a pair of loops which are receivable over the shoulders of the person.

A lifting aid as claimed at any one of the preceding claims wherein padding is provided on the portion of the harness which is receivable over the body of the person.

6. A lifting aid as claimed at claim 5 wherein the padding ids adjustable in its position on the harness.

7. A lifting aid substantially as herein described. Dated this Second day of May 2000. Claudio Passalacqua Applicant Wray Associates Perth, Western Australia Patent Attorneys for the Applicant(s)