TRUSS LIFTER AND STABILIZER
A truss lifter and stabilizer that allows a single individual to install, lift and secure trusses. The truss lifter and stabilizer is installed to an already secured truss. Then a new truss is attached to the truss lifter and stabilizer and lifted into place. The loose attachment of the first cleat allows the user to manipulate the truss while still attached to the truss lifter and stabilizer to correctly position the truss for installation. The truss is then secured to the structure. The process is repeated until all of the trusses have been lifted and secured to the structure.
The present invention is a truss lifter and stabilizer that is capable of loosely attaching to the frame construction of a building such as a house, garage or pole barn. The truss lifter and stabilizer is attached to the frame structure and lifts a truss into place for securement of that truss to the frame structure.
The truss lifter and stabilizer is capable of being quickly installed to lift a truss and then just as quickly being removed and secured to an existing truss once which allows for lifting the next truss into place. It has been discovered that the loose attachment allows the truss lifter and stabilizer to be manipulated in order to place each new truss in its correct position. It has also been discovered that the simplicity of the present invention allows the device to be placed and operated by a single individual. This aspect alone gives the device a greater utility over any prior art device.
The applicant recognizes that the following prior art exists but is not relevant to the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,662 issued on Aug. 15, 1989 to Marvin et al. entitled “Pedestal Crane and Method of Assembling and Erecting it”. U.S. Pat. No. 3,583,583 issued on Jun. 8, 1971 to Martin, entitled “Material-handling Apparatus”. U.S. Pat. No. 7,069,704 issued on Jul. 4, 2006 to Pendley entitled “Roofing Rail Transportation System”. U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,114 issued on Aug. 21, 1979 to Nutter, entitled “Truss Hoist”. U.S. Pat. No. 7,422,257 issued on Sep. 9, 2008 to Neufeldt, entitled “Truss Gripping Hook”. U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,010 issued on Oct. 5, 1976 to Woloveke et al., entitled “Truss Stacking Apparatus”. U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,741 on Nov. 11, 1986 to Boon, entitled Readily Disassembleable Portable Roof Hoist Which is Mounted on the Roof of a Building for Lifting Heavy Products to the Roof From Below”. U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,096 issued on Sep. 10, 1985 to Orvis, entitled “Truss Boom”. U.S. Pat. No. 6,957,383 issued Oct. 25, 2005 to Nowak, entitled “Truss Lift Stiffener”. U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,464 issued Oct. 14, 1980 to Wallace, entitled “Gantries”. U.S. Pat. No. 2,811,111 issued Oct. 29, 1957, entitled “Machinery Trailer for a Mobile Shop”.
THE INVENTIONThe present invention is a truss lifter and stabilizer. The truss lifter and stabilizer is comprised of a main vertical mast that has a near end, a distal end, a front side and a back side.
The truss lifter and stabilizer has a first cleat that is rigidly affixed to the back side of the vertical mast near the near end and a retrieval system fixedly attached to the front side near the near end.
The truss lifter and stabilizer has a primary horizontal strut mounted on the front side and near the distal end. The primary horizontal strut has a bottom surface. The primary horizontal strut has a brace extending from the primary horizontal strut to the vertical mast.
This brace is rigidly affixed to the primary horizontal strut and the vertical mast.
The strut has at least two guide pulleys mounted on the bottom surface. Also present is a crown cleat mounted on the back surface and near the distal end, the crown cleat configured to fit a peak of a truss.
The retrieval system 18 of the truss lifter and stabilizer 2 is located on the front 10 of the vertical mast 4. The retrieval system 18 consists of a hand crank 36, at least a first pulley 26, a second pulley 28 and an attachment point 40 at the end of the retrieval system cable 42.
The operator must attach the truss lifter and stabilizer 2 to an existing truss 46. Once the truss lifter and stabilizer 2 is secured, the cable 42 is guided out of the retrieval system 18 and attached to the truss 46 at its peak 48 at attachment point 40 of the cable 42. Once the truss 46 is secured to the attachment point 40 the retrieval system 18 is activated raising the truss 46 off of the ground and up to the level of the frame construction 44 where it is to be attached to the frame construction 44. The truss 46 is manipulated into place then it is secured to the frame construction 44. Once the truss 46 is secured to the frame construction 44 the truss lifter and stabilizer 2 is removed from the previous truss 46 and attached to the newest truss 46 and the process starts over. The process is repeated until all of the trusses 46 have been lifted and secured to the frame construction 44.
From this figure it is clear that the truss lifter and stabilizer is secured to the top 50 of the frame construction 44. Also visible is the side 52 and bottom 54 of the frame construction 44.
The truss lifter and stabilizer 2 is capable of being installed by a single person and then used by a single person. This makes the construction of a building of frame construction possible by a single person. These operations ordinarily require more than one person. A single individual is now capable of building a house, pole barn or garage without the assistance of any other person. The cost is thus cut in half.
Claims
1. A truss lifter and stabilizer, said lifter and stabilizer comprising:
- a main vertical mast having a near end, a distal end, a front side and a back side;
- there being a first cleat rigidly affixed to said back side of said vertical mast near said near end and a retrieval system fixedly attached to said front side near said near end;
- there being a primary horizontal strut mounted on said front side and near said distal end, said primary horizontal strut having a bottom surface, said primary horizontal strut having a brace extending from said primary horizontal strut to said vertical mast, said brace rigidly affixed to said primary horizontal strut and said vertical mast;
- said strut having at least two guide pulleys mounted on said bottom surface;
- a crown cleat mounted on said back surface and near said distal end, said crown cleat configured to fit a peak of a truss.
2. The truss lifter and stabilizer as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is a line extending from said retrieval system, over said guide pulleys and extending beyond said guide pulleys.
3. The truss lifter and stabilizer as claimed in claim 2, wherein said line is selected from the group consisting of cord, twine, rope, wire, cable, and chain.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 30, 2012
Publication Date: Oct 3, 2013
Inventor: Bruce W. Creed (Swartz Creek, MI)
Application Number: 13/434,910
International Classification: E04G 21/16 (20060101);