Forklift-mounted implement or vehicle towing system
AssigneeCNH Industrial America LLC
InventorMarvin D. Kuebler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for interfacing with a hitch of an implement or a vehicle includes: a frame including at least one channel that is shaped to accept a tine of a forklift; a generally vertical spindle carried by the frame; an actuator carried by the frame; and a spindle engager pivotably coupled to the frame and linked to the actuator, the spindle engager defining an engaging position where the spindle engager engages the spindle and a non-engaging position where the spindle engager is out of engagement with the spindle. A forklift incorporating such a system and a method of hitching a forklift to an implement or a vehicle is also provided.
Claims20
A system for interfacing with a hitch of an implement or a towed vehicle, the system comprising:
- a longitudinal frame including at least one crossbar, the longitudinal frame comprising at least one channel that is shaped to accept a tine of a forklift, a vertically displaceable tine positioned therein;
- a spindle carried by the longitudinal frame;
- an actuator carried by the longitudinal frame;
- and
- a spindle engager carried by a portion of the longitudinal frame including the at least one crossbar, the spindle engager pivotably coupled to the portion of the longitudinal frame and operably linked to the actuator which is longitudinally aligned and parallel to the at least one channel, wherein the spindle engager comprises a pivotal end operably connected to the portion of the longitudinal frame and comprising at an opposite end a U-shaped hook that, when positioned in an engaged position with the spindle, surrounds only a portion of an outer circumference of the spindle, and the spindle engager is positioned in a parallel longitudinal alignment with a portion of the at least one channel when in the engager position, and wherein when the spindle engager is in a non-engaged position, the hook end of the spindle engager is positioned out of a parallel longitudinal alignment with the portion of the at least one channel, and the spindle is moved by the vertically displaceable tine into an opening in the hitch and the hook of the spindle engager engages the spindle to secure the spindle in the engaged position with the spindle engager.
A forklift for transporting implements or other vehicles, comprising:
- a chassis;
- at least one vertically displaceable tine carried by the chassis;
- and
- a hitch interfacing system, comprising:
- a longitudinal frame including at least one crossbar, the longitudinal frame comprising at least one channel with the at least one vertically displaceable tine placed therein;
- a spindle carried by the longitudinal frame;
- an actuator carried by the longitudinal frame;
- and
- a spindle engager carried by a portion of the longitudinal frame including the at least one crossbar, the spindle engager pivotably coupled to the portion of the longitudinal frame and operably linked to the actuator which is longitudinally aligned and parallel to the at least one channel, wherein the spindle engager comprises a pivotal end operably connected to the portion of the longitudinal frame and comprising at an opposite end a U-shaped hook that, when positioned in an engaged position with the spindle, surrounds only a portion of an outer circumference of the spindle, and the spindle engager is positioned in a parallel longitudinal alignment with a portion of the at least one channel when in the engager position, and wherein when the spindle engager is in a non-engaged position, the hook end of the spindle engager is positioned out of a parallel longitudinal alignment with the portion of the at least one channel, and the spindle is moved by the vertically displaceable tine into an opening in the hitch and the hook of the spindle engager engages the spindle to secure the spindle in the engaged position with the spindle engager.
A method of hitching a forklift to an implement or a vehicle, the method comprising:
- aligning a spindle carried by the forklift with a hitch opening of a hitch;
- vertically displacing at least one tine of the forklift to vertically displace the spindle such that a portion of the spindle is placed within the hitch opening;
- and
- pivoting a spindle engager pivotally linked to an actuator and carried by a portion of a longitudinal frame including at least one crossbar of the forklift, the spindle engager including a pivotal end operably connected to the portion of the longitudinal frame and an opposite end having a U-shaped hook, the hook pivoting to contact the spindle and engage only a portion of an outer circumference of the spindle when the spindle engager is moved into an engaged position, the spindle engager only moving into a parallel longitudinal alignment with the longitudinal frame when in the engaged position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.