Apparatus for moving large heavy objects

A hand truck comprising:

• a frame, said frame having a base having a base plate and a riser;
• a pair of said rails having longitudinal axes;
• an intermediate cross member;
• and a top cross member;
• a longitudinal groove formed in each rail substantially parallel to the longitudinal axes of said rails;
• a lift plate slidably mounted in said grooves, said lift plate having a lift platform and a lift bracket;
• means mounted between the intermediate cross member and the lift bracket for raising and lowering the lift plate relative to the frame;
• a pair of castered wheels of substantially the same perimeter mounted on the base plate so that the swivel axis of the castered wheels is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rails;
• a pair of fixed axle brackets secured to the riser;
• a fixed axle mounted between the axle brackets;
• a pair of wheels having substantially the same perimeters rotatably mounted on the fixed axle, the perimeters of the fixed wheels being substantially greater than the perimeters of the castered wheels;
• said castered wheels and fixed wheels being positioned so that when the hand truck is substantially vertical on a horizontal surface, the point on the perimeter of the fixed wheels closest to the horizontal surface is a slight distance above the horizontal surface.

Apparatus for moving a hollow cylindrical load over a surface comprising:

• a pair of hand trucks, each of said trucks having a frame;
• a lift plate slidably mounted in each frame;
• means for raising and lowering the lift plate relative to the frame;
• a pair of fixed wheels and a pair of castered wheels mounted on each frame with the castered wheels mounted under the frame, the perimeters of the fixed wheels being substantially one-quarter of an inch above the surface when the truck is vertical and the castered wheels are in contact with said surface, load adaptor means mounted on each lift plate;
• and load support means for lifting said load, said load support means adapted to extend through the center of said hollow cylindrical load and to be removably mounted on the load adaptors.