Lifter-carrier for cylindrical objects

Claim 1

A lifter carrier for objects having cylindrical exterior surfaces comprising a boom assembly comprising a pair of elongated rotatable object-engaging booms having adjacent inner edges disposed in spaced substantial parallelism and having forward ends and rearward ends, said booms each having a longitudinal axis of rotation, a frame extending transverselly of said booms, means connecting said booms to said frame for the rotation of said booms about said axes respectively, a pair of brace beams attached to said frame at their forward ends and each having a rearward end connected to a respective one of said booms, said beams inclining toward said booms as the rearward ends of said brace beams are approached whereby said brace beams maintain said booms in spaced substantially parallel positions, a pair of horizontaly spaced rear ground-engaging means each having a ground-engaging surface attached directly to said booms and having lower portions each disposed during object-transportation at a substantial spacing below the respective one of said booms as seen in rear elevation, a humanly operable and steerable towing means disposed forwardly of said boom assembly and having at least two ground-engaging drive wheels, hitch means connecting said towing means and said main frame, forward elevating and connecting means operably correlated with said boom assembly and with said towing means and capable of being humanly controllable for causing said forward ends of said booms to raise and lower with respect to said drive wheels, said towing means and said boom assembly together defining a tow-boom assembly, a humanly operable boom elevation control means capable of controlling the rotational position of said booms with respect to said bar for disposing said ground-engaging surfaces each more to a side of its respective boom for loading than for object-transportation so that the upper surfaces of said booms are lower for object-loading and higher for object-transportation, said towing means being operable for driving forwardly or reverse whereby when said booms are in lower positions with respect to said drive wheels and with respect to said ground-engaging surfaces of said ground-engaging means then said towing means can be moved so as to back the rearward ends of said booms along two sides respectively of at least one of said cylindrical objects and under the curved sides thereof while said object is resting with its said cylindrical surface on a supporting surface over which said lifter carrier can be driven and whereby said booms can be raised with respect to said wheels and with respect to said pair of ground-engaging means so as to support said object while it is being transported by said lifter carrier.