Vertical bore coil lifting apparatus

A vertical bore coil lifter including:

• at least one inner support for the inner wraps of a coil;
• at least one outer support for the outer wraps of the coil;
• and
• the inner support further comprising first and second inner legs, each leg having a foot at a remote end of said inner leg for traversing the vertical bore in the coil and adapted to extend under the coil when the coil is lifted;
• the outer support further comprising first and second outer legs, each leg having a foot at a remote end of said outer leg for traversing outside the coil and adapted to extend under the coil when the coil is lifted;
• the first outer leg and the first inner leg being pivotally connected by a first lifting pivot;
• the second outer leg and the second inner leg being pivotally connected by a second lifting pivot;
• the first inner leg and the second inner leg being pivotally connected by a release pivot;
• the lifting pivots comprising one or more first predetermined locations on the lifter;
• and
• a linkage between the at least one inner support and the at least one outer support arranged to selectively bring said inner support and said outer support toward each other for a closed configuration or away from each other for an open configuration for lifting and releasing of the coil, wherein the linkage is arranged to bring said inner support and said outer support away from each other in response to a lifting force applied at one or more first predetermined locations on the lifter.