By ANDREA McCANN
Indiana Correspondent

MIDLAND, Ind. — Necessity, indeed, proved to be the mother of invention for Albert Canady of rural Greene County.

A heart attack in 1985 left Canady unable to move around like he used to, nor could he lift anything. But instead of letting his condition get him down, Canady invented “Handy Hoist” with the help of neighbor Tom Cullison, to help him continue to work around his property. Now he sells the plans for $19.95 so do-it-yourselfers can build their own just as he did.

“The plans include where you can buy the parts,” Canady said, adding that appropriate sizes and numbers are also included.
“Every nut and bolt.”

He said Handy Hoist is quite a bit different from other hoists. It breaks apart into easily-handled pieces that can be lifted and moved from one place to another. Altogether, it weighs less than 150 pounds. It attaches to Reese hitch, rather than having to be bolted down.

“It fits any vehicle equipped with a two-inch receiver hitch,” he explained. “It can lift up to 800 pounds, and it swivels 360 degrees.”

Handy Hoist stands approximately eight feet tall and has two outriggers on swivel wheels and a brake that won’t allow the winch to slip backward. There’s a manual model – HH-M, equipped with a crank-type winch – and an electric model – HH-E, equipped with a 12-volt DC winch.

It can lift appliances, engine blocks, tree trunks, garden tractors, electric wheelchairs and many other heavy, bulky items. It can then swivel them around and reset them in another place, such as in the back of a pickup truck.

“One guy bought one to lift his wife’s power chair into their pickup,” Canady said. “They like to go to flea markets and auctions. She said it’s been a lifesaver for her to be able to get around.”

Canady has a hitch on the front of his truck, as well as the back, because he sometimes finds it easier to use Handy Hoist when it’s in front of him. He also attaches his invention to the hitch on his garden tractor and recently pulled some shrubbery out of the yard with it for his wife, Linda.

Linda also uses Handy Hoist and tells about the time she picked up a furnace from an old house by herself.

“I was on oxygen,” she said. “I had my oxygen backpack on and did it with the hand crank. It’s so simple to do.”

Canady said the supplies needed to build a Handy Hoist are standard and available at most welding shops. When he made his prototype, he bought the steel, took it to a local welding shop and explained how he wanted it welded.

After using the prototype for a while, Canady and Cullison began to discuss getting it patented and manufacturing Handy Hoists.
According to an attorney, though, there were so many hoists on the market by that time it would’ve been useless to get a patent. Still, the men continued to consider it and do their research. In the end, the cost of liability insurance made their idea impossible.

That’s when one of Canady’s grandchildren suggested selling the plans.

Canady sent information about his design to Farm Show magazine, which showcases farmers’ inventions. They ran a free quarter-page ad for him and later included Handy Hoist in their “best of” edition.
Canady said he received several inquiries from that exposure and has sold Handy Hoist plans in numerous states and Canada.

To date, Canady said he hasn’t had any negative feedback about his design. He said as long as people follow the instructions, there shouldn’t be any problems, but he pointed out he can’t guarantee the quality of material if his instructions aren’t followed. In addition, he can’t guarantee the quality of a weld.

Although Canady has had no formal engineering education, he said he’s picked up much on-the-job knowledge through the years, working in several different fields.

“He’s a jack of all trades, master of none,” Linda said jokingly.
The retired machinist countered his wife, with a laugh and, “Oh, I’ve mastered some of them.”

Interested individuals can learn more about Handy Hoist or place an order at www.handyhoist.com or by writing Canady at: R.R. 1, P.O. Box 155A, Jasonville, IN 47438.

This farm news was published in the June 2, 2007 issue of Farm World, serving Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee.