Handle for lifting and transporting food pans

A pan lifting and transportation device comprising:

• a) a chassis extending substantially the length of the device;
• b) a lifting handle that is fixed with respect to the chassis;
• c) a lifting claw on each end of the chassis in which each lifting claw has a portion that is slide-ably attached to the chassis and constrained to move in a direction axial to the length of the chassis, a pan lid-clamping feature that is a portion of the lifting claw that is angled away from the axis of motion of the lifting claw in a direction downwards and away from the center of the device by an angle of between 45° and 90° from the axis of motion, and a lifting claw tab that extends from the lower end of the pan lid-clamping feature and is angled inwards towards the center of the device but downwards and away from the axis of motion of the lifting claw by between 1° and 30° with an inward facing, sharpened edge;
• and
• d) an over-center latching mechanism connected to the lifting claw on one end which comprises a latch lever pivotally connected to the chassis through one pivoting axis and pivotally connected to a joining link through a second pivoting axis where the joining link is pivotally connected to the axially constrained latching lifting claw through a third pivoting axis such that when the latch lever is opened, the latching lilting claw slides away from the lifting claw on the opposite end of the device, and when the latch lever is fully closed the latching lifting claw is secured such that any forces acting outwardly on the latched lifting claw tends to hold the latch more securely closed in an over-center arrangement.