Background of the Invention Building construction sites for large buildings frequently employ construction equipment for lifting large and heavy components into position during the construction of a building. For example, lengths of standard 8 inch (200mm) diameter steel pipe are typically 6 meters in length and may weigh in the order of 150 kgs. During construction of commercial building the overhead pipe work is typically fixed into position using a pair of spaced apart aerial lifts working in synchronisation with the pipe being finally lifted and manoeuvred into position manually.

A typical aerial lift is a mobile scissor lift available from JLG Ind. and which has a work platform which may be lifted into the air by a hydraulically operable scissor mechanism. For safety the work platform is surrounded by a safety barrier or fence.

These lifts may be provided with auxiliary material handing equipment which is secured to the platform for manoeuvring

building materials into location onto a building.

The present invention is concerned with auxiliary material handling equipment for lifting and locating pipes or tubes into position during building construction.

Statements of Invention According to the present invention there is provided a pipe handling apparatus including at least one pipe holder secured to a body which is slidably mounted on an elongate slide member which in turn is slidably mounted on a base.

Preferably the base has an elongate slide surface thereon on which the slide member is mounted, and the slide member has an elongate slide surface thereon on which the body is mounted, the two slide surface being substantially parallel.

Actuator means are operable between the slide body and slide member for relative movement therebetween and/or further actuator means are operable between the slide member and base for relative movement therebetween.

The actuators may be any suitable type but a hydraulically rotatable screw strut type actuator is preferred. The strut

may be held stationary with a rotatable threaded collar moveable along the strut.

The pipe handling apparatus further includes a pair of spaced apart jacks each having an upright ram with an adaptor means on its outer end and two pipe holders, wherein each respective base is attached to an adaptor means on a respective ram.

The two jacks may be operated by any suitable means, for example the ram may be displaced by mechanical means such as a pawl and ratchet mechanism, or screw threaded drive means, and are preferably hydraulic jacks being jointly operable through a hydraulic control means.

The pipe support preferably comprises a flat base with at least one inclined side extending away from the base, preferably with a hook-like arm pivoted to the support and extending back over the support, the arm being moveable relative to the pipe support to hold a portion of pipe between the support and hook-like arm.

The hook-like arm is pivoted to a bracket located on the rear of said one inclined side.

The hook-like arm may be secured in at least one pipe securing position relative to the support.

The pipe support is covered by a non-slip polymeric layer on which the pipe rests.

The support may be pivotally connected to a mounting for attachment to the body. Preferably the pipe support is pivoted to the mounting through two mutually perpendicular axes.

The pipe handler may further include means which facilitate longitudinal movement of a pipe, preferably rollers secured to one of the pipe support and mounting. The rollers may be used to hold the pipe clear of the support.

The pipe handling apparatus may be used in combination with an aerial lift having a work platform surrounded by a safety barrier, the jacks in use resting on the platform with coupling means securing the jacks to said barrier.

Preferably, a pair of spaced apart pipe handling apparatus are secured to a platform of a single aerial lift.

The apparatus includes a hydraulic control means to which the hydraulic screw actuators and hydraulic jacks are connected.

The aerial lift is preferably a mobile self drive lift having a platform which is raised by a powered'hydraulic

system, wherein said hydraulic control means are connected into the powered hydraulic system of the lift.

Description of the Drawings The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an aerial lift in a lowered condition and provided with pipe handling apparatus according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is an end view of the aerial lift platform shown in Fig. l with one of the pipe handling apparatus shown in various states of extension, Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a pipe holder as is used in the pipe handling apparatus of Fig. l, Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the pipe support and Fig. 5 shows a mounting plate and pin used for mounting the pipe holder to a support body.

Detailed Description of the Invention With reference to Figs 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is shown an aerial lift 10 in the form of a self drive mobile scissor lift available from JLG Ind.. The lift 10 has a drivable vehicle body 11 having wheels 15 and a work platform 12 located on its body and which in use can be

raised or lowered relative to the ground. The platform 12 is shown in a lowered condition and the vehicle body is provided with stabilisers 16 at its corners which are lowered to provide stability during use of the lift. The work platform 12 is raised or lowered by a scissor type mechanism 13 typically operated by a powered hydraulic system provided on the lift. The hydraulic system is provided with a manifold 14 whereby hydraulic power may be taken from the powered system of the lift and used to operate pipe handling apparatus 30 of the present invention. The platform 12 has extendable end portions 19 and the whole platform is provided with a safety barrier 17 formed from rails and an access ladder 18 is provided on the body 11 for access to the platform 12 when in the lowered condition.

The aerial lift 10 is provided with two pipe handling apparatus 30 located one adjacent each extendable end portion 19 and which is shown in Figs. 1 & 2 in a raised condition.

The two pipe handling apparatus 30 are substantially identical and therefore only one of the apparatus will be described in detail. Each pipe handling apparatus 30 includes a pair of spaced apart jacks 32 each of which is substantially vertical and comprises a jack body 33 having a reciprocable ram 34 telescopically mounted within the

body 33. The ram 34 and body 33 have substantially square cross-sections. Each jack body 33 has a foot that rests on the platform 12 and the head of the ram 34 is provided with an adaptor plate 36.

A hydraulic actuator (not shown) acts between the jack body 33 and the ram 34 and is operable to move the ram into and out of the body.

Each pipe handling apparatus is located adjacent the extendable end portions 19 of the platform 12 and one jack 32A is secured to the inside of the barrier rail 17 by brackets. The second jack 32B is spaced from the first jack 32A by a horizontal strut 35 extending between the upper end portions of the two jack bodies. The second jack 32B is also secured in the upright position by two vertically spaced horizontal struts 39 extending to a substantially vertical support leg 38 secured to the inside of the barrier rail 17 on the opposite side of the platform 12 to the first jack 32A.

Each hydraulic jack 32 is operated through a hydraulic control means 37 which is fixed on one side of the body 33 of jack 32A. The two jacks 32A & 32B in each apparatus 30 are operated jointly. The hydraulic control means 37 is connected by flexible hydraulic hose 36 to the manifold 14 for take-off of hydraulic power from the lift'hydraulic

system.

A pipe holder 31 is mounted on a body 52 which is slidably mounted on a slide member 53 having an elongate slide surface extending transversely of the platform 12. The slide member 53 is in turn slidably mounted on a slide surface on a fixed base 54. The fixed base 54 is attached to the adaptor plates 36 on the upper ends of the rams 34 of the two jacks 32A 32B and its slide surface extends in a direction substantially parallel with the slide surface of the slide member 53. The body 52 is moved along the slide member 53 by an actuator 56, preferably a screw strut actuator comprising a stationary screw threaded strut on the slide member and a rotatable screw threaded collar 57 on the body 52. The collar 57 is rotated by a hydraulic motor. A similar type of actuator 58 may be used for movement of the slide member 53 relative to the base 54.

The overall movements of the pipe holder 31 relative to the fixed base 54 are shown on Figs. 2 A & B in which the pipe holder 31 is shown at different heights and in different transverse locations relative to the platform 12. The jacks 32 are utilised to achieve the different heights, and the screw strut actuators 56 and 58 are operable to move the body 52 and slide member 53 along their respective slide surfaces.

With reference also to Figs. 3,4 and 5, the pipe holder 31 has a pipe support 41 with a substantially flat base 42 and a flat side 43 inclined away from one side of the base. A narrow hook-like arm 44 is connected by a pivot 40 to a bracket 45 located on the rear surface of the side 43 at one end thereof and extends back across the base 42. The hook-like arm 44 is rigidly connected to another arm 46 extending radially of the pivot 40, and the other end of the arm 46 has a locking device 65 thereon, for example a spring loaded pin which engages the bracket 45 to lock the hook arm 44 in a closed condition as shown. The upper surface of the base 42 is covered in a non-slip elastomeric layer 80.

The pipe support 41 has a downwardly projecting lug 61 on the underside of the base 42. The lug 61 is connected to one limb of an"L"shaped bracket 47 by a pivot pin 48 so that the support 41 and hook-like arm 44 can pivot relative to the bracket 47. The other limb of the"L"shaped bracket 47 is fixed to a mounting plate 62 via has a second pivot pin 49 extending normally thereof to the pin 48. The bracket 47 is typically welded to the head of the pin 49.

The mounting plate 62 is mounted to the body 52.

The hydraulic screw strut actuators 56 and 58 are operable for substantially horizontal displacement of the pipe holder 31. Hydraulic motors (not shown) for the two

actuators are connected via flexible hydraulic hoses 64 to the hydraulic control means 37.

The control means 37 is connected by electrical cable 66 to a control panel 63 which controls the operation of the hydraulic control means 37. The control panel 63 may also be operated through a remote pendulum set 67 which is connected to the panel 63 through electrical cable 68.

Pipes 70 may be stored on a rack 71 located on the two spaced apart horizontal upper struts 39. The rack 71 is provided with retainers 72,73 which prevent the pipes from rolling off the rack.

In use the rams 34 of the four jacks 32 are lowered to align their respective pipe holder bases 42 with the rack 71. The respective actuators 56 & 58 move the two pipe holders 31 proximate to the rack and the hook arms 44 are opened. A length of pipe 70 may be rolled onto the pipe holders and is then held in position on the non-slip layer 80 by the hook arms 44.

The pipe length may then be manoeuvred into position using the jacks 32 and actuators 56,58. The jacks and actuators on one apparatus 30 may be operated independently of the jacks and actuators of the other apparatus 30. The pivotal movement around the pins 48 and 49 allows for tilting, off-

sets and other mis-alignments between the two pipe holders during the manoeuvring of the pipe 70. The pipe whilst held in the two pipe holders may need to be manually displaced lengthways in order to finalise its position.

The hydraulic jacks 32, and actuators 56,56, are operated from the control panel 64 or pendulum set 65. The control system may be arranged so that the jacks 32 and actuators are operable only when the scissor lift is in a static condition.

In use, the pipe handling apparatus 30 is utilised for lifting over small height range for example from the lift platform 12 to a height of about 2 metres above the platform and for moving pipe transversely of the platform especially beyond the edge of the platform.

In an optional arrangement, means the pipe handing apparatus is provided with means which facilitate longitudinal movement of the pipe. Said means may be associated with each holder 31 and may comprise a pair of rollers 82 mounted on each pipe holder 31 by a support plate 83. The rollers 82 are in a V formation substantially at right angle to each other. The support plate 83 may be mounted to either the mounting plate 62 or the pipe support 41 such that plate 83 is allowed to rotate relative to the pipe support so that the rollers can self adjust to

different sized pipes. The dotted outline rollers 82A illustrate the rotational movement of the plate 83 and rollers 82.

In use the pipe 70 is now held on the two rollers 82 by the hook-like arm 44 with the pipe held clear of the base 42.

This arrangement facilitates longitudinal movement of the pipe.

In an optional arrangement rollers 82 may be mounted on cams and used to lift the pipe off the pipe support 41 to facilitate lengthways movement of the pipe.