Load handling method and apparatus therefor

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING A RELATIVELY HEAVY LOAD COMPRISING: SPACED PARALLEL SUPPORTS FOR THE LOAD, ONE OF SAID SUPPORTS BEING SHORTER THAN THE SUPPORTS ON EITHER SIDE THEREOF, A LIFT-TYPE CARRIER HAVING A PAIR OF PARALLEL FORK MEMBERS INSERTABLE BETWEEN SAID SPACED SUPPORTS AND UNDER THE LOAD DISPOSED ON SAID SUPPORTS, AND A U-SHAPED SUPPORTING UNIT FORMED BY A PAIR OF PARALLEL RIGID SLEEVES AND A RIGID MEMBER CROSS-CONNECTING SAID SLEEVES AT ONE END THEREOF, THE UPPER SURFACE OF EACH OF SAID SLEEVES AND SAID CROSS MEMBER BEING DISPOSED IN A COMMON PLANE, THE MAXIMUM VERTICAL DIMENSION OF SAID U-SHAPED SUPPORTING UNIT BEING LESS THAN THE VERTICAL DIMENSION OF SAID PARALLEL SUPPORTS SO THAT SAID SLEEVES ARE INSERTABLE BETWEEN SAID PARALLEL SUPPORTS AND UNDER THE LOAD DISPOSED THEREON, SAID FORK MEMBERS OF SAID LIFT-TYPE CARRIER BEING FREELY RECEIVABLE WITHIN SAID SLEEVES, ONE END OF SAID SHORTER SUPPORT BEING SPACED INWARDLY FROM THE ENDS OF THE ADJACENT SUPPORTS ON EITHER SIDE THEREOF TO ACCOMMODATE SAID CROSS MEMBER WHEN SAID SLEEVES ARE INSERTED BETWEEN SAID SPACED SUPPORTS TO POSITION SAID SLEEVES AND SAID CROSS MEMBER UNDER THE LOAD SO THAT SAID U-SHAPED SUPPORTING UNIT MAY BE LIFTED BY SAID LIFT-TYPE CARRIER INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LOAD AND SAID LOAD MAY BE LIFTED FROM SAID SPACED SUPPORTS.