The K size oxygen cylinder is the largest I handle in my shop. When I was younger and also had a helper I could manage to load and unload them without much thought. Recently it has become a hassle so I built a device to help me.
I cobbled it together from scrap pieces. The bottom is a rectangle with a cutout space at the front edge. I welded together three pieces of 1/8” x 4” flat bar as I did not have a piece of plate the right size at hand.
I welded a piece of 3/16” x 1.5” x 1.5’ angle along each side to keep the bottom of the cylinder from rolling off. On the back is another piece of the 1/8” x 4” flat bar which is set down about 1” to give the base a slight incline and to serve as a pivot line.
The handles are 14 gauge 1” square tube with three, 1/4” x 1” x 11” transverse pars bent to fit the curvature of the bottle.
I forged two 6” pieces of 5/8” round and welded the to the base to serve as the attachment points for the handle assembly. I made it detachable “just in case” but really didn’t have a certain reason.
It works pretty well. The Dakota tailgate height is 28”. At least it keeps the bottle from rolling around while I lift and shove it. I keep a 6’ and a 3 hook in the truck bed which can also hook the bottom of the bottle through the slot for pulling. When the bottle is in the bed I secure it with rubber cargo straps against the cylinder chock. I’ve been thinking about making a chock out of round rod to reduce the weight.
When this new helper isn’t enough I may have to think about a pulley rig or a come-along.
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