A CRANE

GRUE

English Abstract

2126089 9312029 PCTABS00022
A portable crane (1) for use on a pickup or utility truck is
disclosed. The crane (1) has a mounting base (2) rotatably mountable
to a tray of the motor vehicle. The crane (1) includes a post (7)
connectable to a base frame (5) which is welded to the mounting
base (2). A lifting arm (25) and a brace (32) are telescopically
arranged for different use configurations. The post (7), the
brace (32) and the lifting arm (25) are able to be folded together to
be substantially parallel when the crane (1) is in its folded
configuration.

Claims

PCT/AU92/00666
Claims
1. A crane comprising a mounting base rotatably mountable to a tray of a
motor vehicle, a base frame member attachable to said mounting base and being anextension along its longitudinal axis substantially parallel to said tray, said base frame
member being pivotable about the axis of rotation of said mounting base, a post which
connects at one end to said base frame member and which extends substantially
perpendicularly from said base frame member at a position offset from said axis of
rotation of said mounting base, a telescopic lifting arm which pivotally connects to other
end of said post said lifting arm pivotally moving in the vertical plane in which said base
frame member is located, and a telescopic brace which extends between said mounting
base and said lifting arm, wherein said crane is able to be folded from a use
configuration to a folded configuration so that said post, said brace and said lifting arm
are substantially parallel when said crane is in said folded configuration.
2. The crane as claimed in claim 1, wherein said post and said lifting arm
are connected by at least one connecting strip and said lifting arm and said brace are
connected by at least one connecting strip.
3. The crane as claimed in claim 2 wherein said connecting strip(s) are
fixedly secured to said lifting arm and are pivotally attachable to said post and said brace
respectively.
4. The crane as claimed in any one of claims 1-3, wherein said crane
includes a winch with a rope attached thereto, said rope having its free end associated
with the lifting arm.
5. The crane as claimed in claim 4, wherein said winch is attached to a
mounting bracket on said post.
6. The crane as claimed in claim 5, wherein said mounting bracket is
pivotally detachable from said post, so that said winch is movable from said useconfiguration to said folded configuration.
7. The crane as claimed in any one of claims 2-6, wherein said connecting
strips use pins to connect the parts together.
8. The crane as claimed in any one of claims 1-7, wherein said crane has
a handle and is able to be carried by hand.

Description

WO 93/12029 PCI /AU92/00666
212602~ ~
A CRANE
The present invention relates to cranes and, in particular, to a ~:
portable crane for use on a motor vehlcle.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION . :
~hen us~ng a small p~ckup truck or utllity truck ~t is often the : :
case that heavy loads are lifted onto and from the tray of the truck. It
. is therefore desirable to have a small portable trane which is able to be ~.:
mounted on the tray of the truck to do the lifting. .
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION -~
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved
crane which is is to be used on a motor vehicle. ~ :
DISCLOSURE OF THE I~VENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention there is disclosed
a crane comprising a mounting base rotatably mountable to a tray of a
motor veh~cle, a base frame member attachable to said mount~ng base and
which extends substantially parallel to said tray, a post which connects
at one end to said base frame member and wh~ch extends substantially
- perpendicularly from said base frame member, a lifting arm which
pivotally connects to other end of said post, and a brace wh1ch extends
between said mounting base and said l~fting arm, wherein said crane is
able to be folded from a use configuratlon to a folded configurati~ so :
that sa1d post, sa~d brace and sa~d l~ft~ng arm are substantially `~
parallel when said crane is in said folded configuration.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
One embodiment of the presen.t lnYent~on w~ll now be descr~bed with
reference to the drawings in which~
Fig. 1 is a side view of a crane of a preferred embodiment
illustrated in one operating configuration,.
Fig. 2 is a side view of the crane of Fig. 1 illustrated in another
operating configuratlon,
Fig. 3 is a side view of the crane of Fig. 1 illustrated in a
folded confl.guration, and
Fig. 4 is a side vlew of the crane of Fig. 1 lllustrated in an
intermediate stage of the folding procedure.
BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION :~
The crane 1 ls shown as erected ln Flgs. 1 and 2. The crane 1 ::
includes a mountlng base 2 whlch is rotatably mounted ~nto a recess on
the tray of a motor vehicle ~not lllustrated) such as a pickup truck or

WO 93/121)29 PCl'/AU92/00666
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- 2 -
the like. The mounting base 2 lncludes a round plpe 3 and a circular
flange 4. The roun~ p~pe 3 fits within the recess with the c~rcular
flange 4 rest~ng on the tray of the motor veh~cle.
Protrud~ng perpendicularly to the p~pe 3 is a rectangular hollow
section tube (RHS) of a base frame 5. The base frame 5 ~s welded to the
pipe 3, and a bracing triangular plate 6 ls welded on the opposite side
- to prov~de strength.
A RHS post 7 has a RHS perpend~cular connecting member 8 welded to
its lower end 9. Another bracing triangular plate 11 is welded at the
connection to provide strength. The RHS tube of the connecting member 8
~s rece~ved with~n the RHS tube of the base frame 5 and a pin 12 ~s
inserted ~nto holes 13 to secure the connect~ng member 8 and base frame 5
together.
The post 7 has at ~ts upper end 14 a p~r of connecting strlps 15.
The connecting strips 15 are pivotally connected to the upper end 17 of
the post 7 by a pin 18 which is inserted into holes 19. A winch 20 is
attached to a mount~ng bracket 21 which ls mounted on the post 7 via pins
22 wh~ch pass through correspond~ng holes 23 ~n the post 7. The mount~ng
bracket 21 ~s pivotal about the top p~n 22.
A RHS l~ft~ng arm 25 ls pivotally connected to the post 7 by the
connecting str~ps 15. The connecting str~ps 15 are welded to both sides
of the lift~ng arm 25 adjacent one end of the l~ft~ng arm 25. As
~llustrated ~n the drawings, the l~ft~ng arm 25 comprises three sections
which are telescopically recelved within each other. Pins 26 are used
through holes 27 to provide the actual conf~guration for use and
non-use. A wire rope 28 from the winch 20 passes up from the winch 20,
through the ~nter~or of the telescoplc l~ft~ng arm 25, and has a hook 29
at its end.
Another pa~r of connectlng strips 31 are welded to the sides of the
outside one of the sect~ons of the telescop~c llfting arm 25. A RHS
telescop~c brace 32 is connectable between the connect~ng strips 31 and
another parr of connect~ng strlps 33 wh kh are welded on the top of the
mounting base 2. The brace 32 ls p~votable through p~ns 34, 35 wh~ch
pass through holes 36, 37 on the connectlng str~ps 31 and 33
respectlvely. A pln 38 pass1ng through holes 39 ~n the telescop~c brace
32 sets the length of the brace 32 for each partlcular conf~guratlon.
The crane 1 ls 111ustrated ln two use conf1gurat~ons ~n F~gs. 1 and
2. The connectlng member 8 ls recelved wlthln the base frame 5 and the

WO 93/12029 2 1 2 6 0 8 9 PCI /AU92/00666
post 7 is erected w~th the winch 20 located on the mounting bracket 21.
I~ ~he conf~guration as illustrated ~n Fig. 1, the lifting arm 25 is
hc :ontal and telescoplcally extended. The brace 32 is set by the pins
3 The crane 1 ~s rotatable about the axis of the pipe 3 and therefore
is able to turn to load or unload the tray of the motor vehicle on which
the crane 1 is erected.
In the configuration as illustrated ~n Fig. 2, the l~fting arm 25
is shown at an angle of approximately 45 to the horizontal. The lift~ng
arm 25 has been plvotted about the pins 18 which pass through the holes
19 in the connect~ng str~ps 15 and the post 7. For this operating
configuration, the brace 32 is extended using the pins 38, with the two
sections of the brace 32 are telescopically extended. The configuration
as illustrated 1n Fig. 2 is to be used for larger 1tems and for d~fferent
lifting procedures.
When the crane 1 is no longer required for use, it ~s folded to the
folded-configuration as illustrated ~n Fig. 3. To accomplish this
configuration, the telescop k lifting arm 25 is shortened to its shortest
length as ~llustrated in Fi~. 4. The p~ns 26 are used to secure the arm
25 at this length.
The brace 32 is disconnected from the connecting strips 33 of the
mount~ng base 2 by removing the pins 35. The telescop~c brace 32 is then
shortened to its shortest length as ~llustrated ln Fig. 4, and pivotted
.
around the pin 34 to lie bes~de the lifting arm 25. In th~s position,
the end of the brace 32 is rece~ved between the pair of connecting strips
31 as illustrated in Fig. 4.
The liftlng arm 25 is then able to be pivotted downwardly to then -~
lie vertically alongslde the post 7. The` brace 32 ls positioned between
the post 7 and lifting arm 25. A pin 41 is passed through a hole 42 at
the lower end of the post 7 and through holes 43 located in the pair of
connecting strips 31. The pin 41 ensures that the post 7, the brace 32
and the lifting arm 25 are secured together.
To c~mplete the foldlng process, the lower pin 22 on the mounting
bracket 21 is removed and the mounting bracket 21 is pivotted upwardly
into the position illustrated in F~g. 3. The winch 20 is in the position
adjacent the end of the l~ftlng arm 25. The connecting member 8 is then
removed from the base frame 5 by removing the pin 12. The crane 1 ls now
able to be removed from the motor veh1cle and as the crane has a handle
45 located on the slde of the post 7 it ~s able to be carrled by hand.

WO 93/12029 PCI /AU92/00666
2~2fi~
The foregoing describes only one embodiment of the present
invention, and modifications obvious to those skilled in the art can be
made thereto wlthout depart~ng from the scope of the present invention.

Representative Drawing