Wall crane

Abstract

The wall crane is used to raise a wall from a horizontal to a vertical position. The crane has a base, a telescopic post pivotally connected to the base and a pulley connected adjacent to the top of the post. A hook is used to connect the crane to the wall and a cable extends from the hook, over the pulley and terminates at a winch. By reeling the hook toward the winch, the wall is raised. A catch is connected to the post and engages the wall when it has been raised to a vertical position to prevent the wall from toppling over backward away from the crane.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A hand-powered wall crane for raising a wall to a vertical position comprising: a base having means by which said base can be made stationary; a post pivotally connected to said base; a pulley connected to said post at a point spaced apart from said base; a hook for securing the wall; a cable extending from said winch, over said pulley and to said hook; and a winch for winding and unwinding said cable.  
     
     
         2 . The wall crane as claimed in  claim 1  further including stop means for selectively preventing pivotal movement of said post relative to said base such that said post can be made immovable relative to said base.  
     
     
         3 . The wall crane as claimed in  claim 1  further including a catch connected to said post for engaging said wall when in a vertical position and preventing further pivoting of said wall past said position.  
     
     
         4 . The wall crane as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said post is telescopic.  
     
     
         5 . The wall crane as claimed in  claim 1  further including means for preventing said cable from separating from said pulley.  
     
     
         6 . The wall crane as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said post extends from said base and terminates at an upper end, said upper end being bifurcated into two spaced apart branches, said pulley being rotatably disposed between said branches, said wall crane further including a retaining rod extending between said branches adjacent to said upper and preventing said cable from separating from said pulley.  
     
     
         7 . The wall crane as claimed in  claim 6  wherein said retaining rod is separable from said branches to permit removal of said cable from said pulley.  
     
     
         8 . The wall crane as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said catch has a pair of interconnected inner and outer arms, said inner arm extending outwardly from said post and terminating at said outer arm, said inner arm being disposed above said wall and said outer arm being disposed at an angle in the range of about 45 degrees to 60 degrees from said wall when said wall is in a vertical position.  
     
     
         9 . The wall crane as claimed in  claim 8  wherein said angle is about 50 degrees.  
     
     
         10 . A hand-powered wall crane for raising a wall to a vertical position comprising: a base having means by which said base can be made stationary, a post pivotally connected to said base; a pulley connected to said post at a point spaced apart from said base; a hook for securing the wall; a cable extending from said winch, over said pulley and to said hook; a winch for winding and unwinding said cable; stop means for selectively preventing pivotal movement of said post relative to said base such that said post can be made immovable relative to said base; and a catch connected to said post for engaging said wall when in a vertical position and preventing further pivoting of said wall past said position.  
     
     
         11 . The wall crane as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said post is telescopic.  
     
     
         12 . The wall crane as claimed in  claim 10  further including means for preventing said cable from separating from said pulley.  
     
     
         13 . The wall crane as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said post extends from said base and terminates at an upper end, said upper end being bifurcated into two spaced apart branches, said pulley being rotatably disposed between said branches, said wall crane further including a retaining rod extending between said branches adjacent to said upper end and preventing said cable from separating from said pulley.  
     
     
         14 . The wall crane as claimed in  claim 13  wherein said retaining rod is separable from said branches to permit removal of said cable from said pulley.  
     
     
         15 . The wall crane as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said catch has a pair of interconnected inner and outer arms, said inner arm extending outwardly from said post and terminating at said outer arm, said inner arm being disposed above said wall and said outer arm being disposed at an angle in the range of about 45 degrees to 60 degrees from said wall