Spreader frame
OwnerBjorn Reiner Sandrowskiinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spreader frame, comprising a set of outer bars and a corresponding set of inner bars, each outer bar having a series of apertures and each inner bar having a spring-biased pin shaped and oriented to fit into any aperture of the series of apertures, each inner bar slidably engaging each corresponding outer bar to form an expandable beam having a first end and a second end, and each beam being connected at its first end and second end to a further beam to form a frame, wherein for each beam, each aperture of the series of apertures other than a selected aperture is filled with a corresponding outer bar pin, and the inner bar is slidable within the outer bar to bring the spring-biased pin in position to insert into the selected aperture to fix the size of the beam.
Claims20
A spreader frame, the spreader frame having a size that is adjustable, the spreader frame comprising:
- plural beams connected lengthwise to form a frame, each beam comprising an outer bar and a corresponding inner bar, each outer bar having a series of apertures and each inner bar having a spring-biased pin shaped and oriented to displaceably engage any aperture of the series of apertures;
- each inner bar slidably engaging each corresponding outer bar to form one of the plural beams, each beam of the plural beams being expandable and having a first end, a second end and a length extending between the first end and second end;
- and
- for each beam of the plural beams, each aperture of the series of apertures other than a selected aperture is removably blocked, and the inner bar is slidable within the outer bar to bring the spring-biased pin in position to insert into the selected aperture to fix the length of the beam and the size of the spreader frame.
A spreader bar system, comprising:
- an outer bar and an inner bar, the outer bar having a series of apertures and the inner bar having a spring-biased pin shaped and oriented to fit into any aperture of the series of apertures;
- and
- the outer bar slideably engaging with the inner bar to form an expandable beam having a first end and a second end,
- wherein each aperture of the series of apertures other than a selected aperture is filled with a corresponding outer bar pin, and the inner bar is slideable to bring the spring-biased pin in position to insert into the selected aperture to fix the size of the beam.
A method of folding a spreader frame, the method comprising:
- providing a spreader frame having a first pair of opposing beams and a second pair of opposing beams, each beam of the first pair of opposing beams being connected to both beams of the second pair of opposing beams by first and second pairs of corner assemblies, and each beam of the second pair of opposing beams being connected to both beams of the first pair of opposing beams by corner assemblies, each beam of the first and second pairs of opposing beams having selectable folded length settings, each beam of the first and second pairs of beams being in an initially unfolded configuration;
- hoisting the spreader frame into the air so that the first pair of opposing beams is in a near vertical orientation;
- allowing the first pair of opposing beams to move into the selectable folded length setting under influence of gravity;
- lowering the spreader frame to a working height;
- unlocking the first pair of corner assemblies;
- hoisting the spreader frame into the air so that the second pair of opposing beams is in a near vertical orientation;
- allowing the second pair of opposing beams to move into the selectable folded length setting under the influence of gravity;
- lowering the spreader frame to a working height;
- unlocking the second pair of corner assemblies;
- and
- allowing the spreader frame to fold under the influence of gravity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.