Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
B~CXGRO~ND OF ~ XNV~NTION
The present invention relates to a removable hoist system
for a doorway of a light duty van.
There is presently a need for a device for lightweight
vans, particularly when used for commercial purposes, which will
facilitate lifting o~ heavy objects into the van from the outside,
or lowering of such objects to the ground from within the van. At
the present time, such objects are generally manually raised and
lowered.
There has been a need for a mechanical means to assist
the lifting and lowering of such heavy objects in such service
vans. Truck mounted lifting cranes such as those described and
illustrated for example in Coates et al U.S. Patent No. 2,862, 628
have not been suitable for adaption to service vans since they
require special brackets for mounting at both top and bottom.
Permanently mounted track hoists are described and illustrated for
example in Adams U.S. Patent No. ~,512,9~8 issued June 27, 1950 and
Reed U.S. Patent No. 2,565,091 issued August 21, 1951. An
externally mounted truck hoist is described and illustrated in U.S.
Patent No. 3,578,179 of Fujioka issued May 11, 1971. Again that
construction requires special bracket~ at top and bottom making it
effectively a permanently mounted structure.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a
sturdy, lightweight hoist system for a light duty service van,
whereby a hoist may be easily installed in and removed from th2
doorway of the van, to thereby permit easier handling of heavy
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objects with respect to the van.
~31JML~RY O~ E INVI~NTION
In accordance with the present invention there is
provided a removable hoist system for a doorway of a van which
comprises, when in position, a post vertically mounted in the
doorway and an arm having one end secured to the post. The arm
during operation extends horiæontally from the post and a li~t
means is secured to the other end of the arm, for lifting or lower
objects with respect to the van. A lower plate is secured to the
floor of the van where the post is mounted and an aperture
centrally positioned in the plate, and an upper plate is secured to
a frame portion of the van in the upper part of the doorway,
verticall~ above the lower plate with an aperture centrally
positioned in this upper plat~. Pins removably received in the
aperture o~ the plates to ho]d the post in vertical osition during
operation outwardly extend from the ends of the post. The post is
of a length so that when it is in position with its pins in the
apertures there is suf~icient clearance at the top to permit
lifting of the po~t so that the lower pin is clear of the aperture
~or removal of the post. The plates have sufficient load bearing
strength when secured in position in the van to withstand a
predetermined weight of object when lifted or lowered by the lift
means.
In a preferred embodiment, the post and arm are
collapsible. In particular the arm i5 pivotally secured to the
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post near its top. A brace member having two ends is pivotally
secured at one end near the bottom of the post with the other end
being releasably securable to the arm to support the arrn
horizontally.
~he hoist system according to the present invention is
simple to install and operate. The plates when mounted in the
doorway of the van so as not to obstruct the closing of the van
doors, require no latch pins or special brackets ~or mounting of
the posts in vertical orientation or removal thereo~. To remove
the hoist itself, the po5t is simply lifted to clear the lower pin
from its aperture, pulled back at the bottom and lowered ko clear
the upper pin from its aperture, for removal in a matter o~
seconds, without tools pins or latches. No special brackets are
required at the top of the post - only a small hole must be made in
the frame, in alignment with the aperture in the upper plate. No
alterations at all are required in the bottom of the truck, other
than to secure of the plate to the bottom.
B ~P D~æCRIP~ION OF T~E_D~AWING~
These and other ob3ects and advantages of the invention
will become apparent upon reading the following detailed
description and upon referring to the drawings in which:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view o~ a light duty service
van, from the rear, in which a hoist system according to the
present invention has been installed.
FIGURE 2 is a side view of the hoist system of Figure 1;
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and
FIGURE 3 is a side view of the hoist system of Figure 1
in collapsed position, illustrating the manner in which it
collapses.
5While the invention will be described in conjunction with
an example embodiment, it will be understood that it is not
intended to limit the invention to such embodiment. On the
contrary, it is intended to cover a:Ll alternatives, modifications
and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of
10the invention as defined by the appended claims.
DE~AILED D~8CR~PTlON OF THE INVENTION
In the drawings, similar features have been given similar
reference numerals.
Turning to FIGURE 1 there is illustrated a hoist system
152 mounted on a light duty service van 1. Hoist system 2 comprises
a post or mast 6, which is preferably mounted in the rear entrance
doorway o~ a van so that doors 8 will not close when post 6 is in
position, but will close when post 6 is removed from position, in
; a manner which will be explained in more detail hereinafter. This
is designed as a safety feature.
Post 6 is provided with bottom pin 10 and top pin 12
(FIGURE 3~ for removably mounting the post with respect to the van.
In this regard, a bottom plate 14 is fastened, by bolts or other
appropriate fasteners, to floor 16 in the rear doorway of the van
254 as illustrated. ~n aperture 1~ is centered within bottom plate
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14 as illustrated, for removably receiving bottom pin 10 of post 6.
Above the doorway and secured to the door frame 20 of van 4 by
means of bolts or other fasteniny means is a top plate 2~. Aliyned
vertically above aperture 18 and centered in plate 24 i5 an
aperture 26 to removably receive top pin 12 of post 6. A
depression 2~ is drilled into frame 20, aligned with aperture 26,
to receive the upper portion of top pin 12 as illustrated i.n F.iyure
1.
The positioning of plates 14 and 24 in the doorway of van
4 does not interfere with the opening and closing of doors 8.
Upper pin 12 is somewhat more elongated than bottom pin
10 and a clearance 30 is provided between the top 32 of post 6 and
: top plate 24 to ensure that post 6 may be readily removed from or
positioned in plates 1~ and 24, and securely held in position by
these plates when installed in position as illustrated in Figure 1.
~o insert post 6 into position, top pin 12 is fully inserted in the
aperture 26 of top plate 4 and depression 28 in door frame 20
This provides clearance at the bottom to enable bottom pin 10 to be
moved into position and dropped into aperture 18 o~ bottom plate
14. For removal from this position, post S is elevated so that
bottom pin 10 is removed from and clear o~ bottom plate 14,
enabling post 6 to be swunq sideways, away from vertical
orientation, until it is entirely clear of bottom plate 14 and
floor 16 of the van. Top pin 12 may then be removed ~rom aperture
26 and depression 28 by downward movement of post 6.
Pivotally secured to post 6 are arm 34 and brace member
36. More particularly/ a pair of plates 38 is secured to both
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sides of post 6 near its top, and inner end 40 of arm 34 is
pivotally bolted to the plates throuyh aligned apertures in the
plates 38 and inner end 40 of arm 34. Similarly the lower end 42
o~ brace member 36 is bolted between spaced plates 44 secured to a
lower portion of post 6 as illustrated. As can be seen in Fiyure
3, the positioning of the pivot poiLnts oE arm 34 with respect to
plates 38 and brace member 36 with respect to plates 44 is such as
to permit the arm and brace member to be collapsed into orientation
parallel with post 6 for storage purposes.
A pair of plates 46 are secured to either side of arm 34
in downwardly depending fashion, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2,
and provided with apertures 48 (FIGURE 3) which are aligned with
aperture 50 in the free end of brace member 36 so that a pin 52 may
be removably received in these apertures, when aligned, to maintain
and support arm 34 in horizontal position when hoist system 2 is
operational. ~hen pin 52 is removed, arm 34 and brace member 36
may be pivoted into collapsed position as illustrated in Figure 3,
~or storage. Brace member 36, in this collapsed position, is
nested between plate~ 46 to provide a neat, compact arrangement for
storage purposes. It is preferred that, in this collapsed
position, apertures ~8 be aligned with an aperture 53 in post 6 so
that placing pin 52 thro;ugh these aligned apertures will secure
the arm and brace member in collapsed position parallel to post 60
Pcst 6, arm 34 and brace member 36 are preferably made of
s~uare or rectangular tubular metal stock, although any other
material providing light weight sturdy construction may bP used.
To free end 54 o~ arm 34 is releasably secured a chain
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block 56 as illustrated in phantom in FIGURE 1. Preferably a plate
58 is secured, to he in vertical orientation when hoist system 2 is
operational, to the free end 54 of arm 34, plate 58 beiny provid~d
with an aperture 60 to which chain block 56 may be hooked. Chain
block 56 itself is preferably provided with a hand-operated rachet
means 62, by which chain 64 may be raised or lowered, any
appropriate object securing means 6~5 being provided on ch.lin 64~
As previously indicated, to install the hoist or crane
provided by post 6, arm 34 and brace member 36 in posltion, post 6
is simply li~ted vertically so that top pin 12 is inserted in
aperture 26 in top plate 24 and depression 28 in the van frame 20,
and then, with bottom pin 10 aligned with aperture 18 in bottom
plate 14, post 6 is lowered so that bottom pin 10 îs seated in
aperture 18 in bottom plate 14. In this position, a portion of pin
12 remains seated in upper plate aperture 26. With both pins thus
seated in the apertures of their corresponding plates, arm 34 and
brace member 36 are then unfolded from storage position until the
apertures 48 in plates 46 are aligned with brace member aperture
50. Pin 52 i5 inserted in these aligned apertures so that arm 34
is held in horizontal position. Chain block 56 is mounted on plate
; 58 and hoist system 2 is then operational.
The size, shape and location of plates 14 and 24 are
selected so as to ensure that the hoist system 2 is securely
maintained in position and can withstand a predetermined weight oE
an object when lifted or lowered by chain block 56. These plates
are positioned, as well r SO that they do not obstruct the opening
and closing of doors 8.
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It has been ascertained through testing that the hoist
system 2 according to the present invention will lift objects of up
to one-half to threa-guarters of a ton with little or no
di~ficulty.
Pins 10 and 12 are preferably of circular cross-section
so as to permit post 6 and arm 34 to pivot about an axis through
these pins when post 6 is in operative position with respect to
plates 14 and 24 (FIGURE 1).
It will be understood that no holes are re~uired in the
bottom o~ the vehicle for insertion o~ the bottom pin 10, as that
pin is carried entirely by bottom plate 14. As well no special
brackets are required at the top. The only structural modification
required for the top o~ the doorway is the small depression 28
which is formed behind aperture 26 of top plats 24 and the holes
for receiving fastening means to secure top plate in position. The
~; device according to the present invention requires no special
brackets or pins for removal or installation and is easy to install
for use and to remove and collapse for storage.
Thus it is apparent that there has been provided in
accordance with ~h~- invention an improved removable hoist system
for a doorway of a van that fully satisfies the objects, aims and
advantages set forth above. While the invention has been described
;~ in conjunction with specific embodiments thereo~, it is evident
that many alternatives, modi~ications and variations will be
apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing
description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such
alternatives, modifications and variations as fall within the
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spirit and broad scope of the invention.
