Lifting and positioning apparatus for construction panels

Apparatus for lifting and positioning construction panels such as sheet rock, such apparatus comprising:

• a pair of independent lifting standards, each standard including a base, a fixed strut supported from said base to be retained in a generally vertical orientation, a movable strut, a panel supporting rail secured at the top of said movable strut in transverse relationship thereto, guide frame means secured to the movable strut for retaining said movable strut in sliding relation adjacent to and generally parallel with said fixed strut, a lifting handle fixedly secured to said movable strut, one-way latch means carried by said guide frame means and operative normally to prevent downward movement of said movable strut relative to said fixed strut, said latch means being releasable to enable such downward movement and providing for unrestricted upward movement of said movable strut relative to said fixed strut, a lower abutment block supported by said base to underlie said movable strut, and an upper abutment block secured near the upper end of said movable strut to overlie said fixed strut, the length of both said struts being established so that said upper abutment block rests on the top of said fixed strut and the bottom of said movable strut rests on said lower abutment block when said movable strut is in its lowermost position.