Panel lifting hoists

A panel lifting apparatus for detachable attachment to a panel lifting hoist or trolley, the apparatus comprising:

• a primary support member,
• a clamp for gripping engagement with a panel to be lifted,
• control means for actuating the clamp via a cable linking the clamp and the control means;
• wherein when a panel is to be lifted from a position off of an assembly comprising the panel lifting hoist or trolley and the panel lifting apparatus and onto the hoist or trolley, the clamp is brought into engagement with the panel and the control means actuated to draw the panel onto the hoist or trolley enabling support and carriage thereof,
• wherein the clamp is a scissor clamp comprising jaws and a pantograph which act in response to actuation of the control means such that the greater the panel load the greater the clamping force,
• and wherein the control means comprises a drive wheel having associated therewith the cable linked via at least one pulley with the scissor clamp,
• and wherein the primary support member comprises a column to which is attached a wedge plate which provides said detachable attachment to the hoist or trolley,
• and wherein the cable is anchored at one end on the column and travels via the clamp and said at least one pulley to an anchorage at its opposite end on or near the drive wheel.

A panel lifting assembly comprising;

• a panel support hoist or trolley having at least a ground engaging carriage and a support structure,
• a panel lifting apparatus having means to enable detachable attachment of the apparatus to and from the hoist or trolley;
• characterised in that the panel lifting apparatus comprises;
• a primary support member,
• a wedge-shaped plate extending from the support member which engages a saddle included on the panel lifting hoist or trolley, thereby providing the detachable attachment to the trolley or hoist,
• a clamp for gripping engagement with a panel to be lifted,
• control means for actuating the clamp via a cable linking the clamp and the control means;
• wherein when a panel is to be lifted from a position off of the assembly and onto the assembly, the clamp is brought into engagement with the panel and the control means actuated to draw the panel onto the assembly enabling support and carriage thereof.

A panel lifting trolley comprising a ground engaging carriage, a substantially upright mainframe, a panel support platform connected to the mainframe and capable of being tilted;

• wherein the panel support platform has thereon a saddle for detachably receiving a panel lifting apparatus on the support platform;
• wherein further the panel lifting apparatus comprises:
• a primary support member,
• a wedge-shaped plate extending from the primary support member which engages the saddle, thereby providing the detachable attachment to the trolley,
• a clamp for gripping engagement with a panel to be lifted, and
• control means for actuating the clamp via a cable linking the clamp and the control means;
• wherein when a panel is to be lifted from a position off the trolley and onto the trolley, the clamp is brought into engagement with the panel and the control means actuated to draw the panel onto the trolley enabling support and carriage thereof.