# US 11,440,781 B2 · Apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,440,781 B2 - Document ID: US11440781B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/737,572 - Filed: 2020-01-08 - Published: 2020-07-16 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-01-15 - Assignees: Manitou Italia S.R.L. - Applicants: Manitou Italia S.R.L. - Inventors: Marco Iotti - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440781B2 ## CPC - B66F 9/12: Platforms; Forks; Other load supporting or gripping members - B66F 9/142: {Movements of forks either individually or relative to each other} - B66F 9/065: non-masted (mobile jacks of the garage type mounted on wheels or rollers B66F5/00) - B66F: HOISTING, LIFTING, HAULING OR PUSHING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. DEVICES WHICH APPLY A LIFTING OR PUSHING FORCE DIRECTLY TO THE SURFACE OF A LOAD ({invalid lifting devices A61G7/10; } mounting artificial islands on piles or like supports E02B17/00; scaffolding combined with lifting devices E04G1/22; lifting devices for sliding forms E04G11/24; lifting of buildings E04G23/06; shores or struts E04G25/00; lifts or other hoisting devices on ladders E06C7/12; props for mining E21D15/00) ## Abstract Described is an apparatus (2) for a self-propelled operating machine (10) comprising a supporting frame (21, 22, 23) designed to be fastened at the rear to an attaching device wherein an operating arm (102) of the machine (10) is provided and designed to be coupled at the front to a tool (3). The frame includes two lateral uprights (21, 22) joined at the top by a transversal plate (23). ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus (2) for a self-propelled operating machine (10) comprising a supporting frame (21, 22, 23) configured to be (A) fastened at the rear to an attaching device (101) coupled to an operating arm (102) of the machine (10), and (B) coupled at the front to a tool (3), wherein the supporting frame includes two lateral uprights (21, 22) joined adjacent the top by a transversal plate (23), wherein the transversal plate (23) has opposite upper and lower surfaces, the upper surface having a front edge and a back edge, the front edge being closer than the back edge to the front of the supporting frame (21, 22, 23); the apparatus (2) being configured and arranged so that (A) a first viewing area is provided above the upper surface of the transversal plate (23) and (B) a second viewing area is provided below the lower surface of the transversal plate (23), the first viewing area having a bottom, the bottom of the first viewing area being defined by the upper surface of the transversal plate (23), wherein a load-supporting grid (5) is removably attached to the upper surface of the transversal plate (23). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus (2) according to claim 1, wherein the transversal plate (23) is inclined downwards in the front direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus (2) according to claim 1, wherein the uprights (21, 22) are flat and parallel to each other and equipped with respective slots (211, 221) for receiving together an element (33) with an elongate shape for supporting the tool (3). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus (2) according to claim 1, comprising a central plate (25) connected to the transversal plate (23) and provided with a slot (251) for receiving an element (33) with an elongate shape for supporting the tool (3). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) An accessory (1) for a self-propelled operating machine, comprising an apparatus (2) according to claim 1 and a tool (3) mounted in a removable fashion to the apparatus (2). ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The accessory (1) according to claim 5, further comprising an element (33) which is elongate in shape and which supports the tool (3); wherein the accessory (1) includes at least one jaw (41, 42) which can be removably coupled to the element (33) for locking the tool (3) to a lateral upright (21, 22) of the apparatus (2). ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The accessory according to claim 5, wherein the apparatus (2) is a fork-carrier and the tool (3) is a fork equipped with prongs (31, 32). ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The accessory according to claim 7, wherein the transversal plate (23) lies in a plane which defines with a plane of the prongs (31, 32) an angle of between 20 and 30 degrees. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The accessory according to claim 8, wherein the angle is between 22 and 24 degrees. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The accessory according to claim 9, wherein the angle is substantially equal to 23 degrees. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus (2) according to claim 1, wherein the transversal plate (23) is a solid plate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus (2) according to claim 1, wherein the load-supporting grid (5) comprises a plurality of vertically-extending slats, each slat defining a plane which is substantially parallel to a plane defined by one of said lateral uprights (21, 22). ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus (2) according to claim 12, wherein the first viewing area is located between a pair of adjacent slats. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The apparatus (2) according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus (2) is configured and arranged so that a plurality of viewing areas, including the first viewing area, are provided above the upper surface of the transversal plate (23), each of the plurality of viewing areas having a bottom, each of the bottoms of the plurality of viewing areas being defined by the upper surface of the transversal plate (23). ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus (2) according to claim 14, wherein the load-supporting grid (5) comprises a plurality of vertically-extending slats, each slat defining a plane which is substantially parallel to a plane defined by one of said lateral uprights (21, 22); wherein each of the plurality of viewing areas is located between a different pair of adjacent slats. ### Claim 16 An accessory for a self-propelled operating machine, comprising: a fork-carrier; and a fork equipped with prongs, said fork being removably mounted to the fork-carrier, wherein the fork-carrier comprises a supporting frame (21, 22, 23) configured to be (A) fastened at the rear to an attaching device (101) coupled to an operating arm (102) of the machine (10), and (B) coupled at the front to fork, wherein the supporting frame includes two lateral uprights (21, 22) joined adjacent the top by a transversal plate (23), wherein the transversal plate (23) has opposite upper and lower surfaces, the upper surface having a front edge and a back edge, the front edge being closer than the back edge to the front of the supporting frame (21, 22, 23), wherein the fork-carrier is configured and arranged so that (A) a first viewing area is provided above the upper surface of the transversal plate (23) and (B) a second viewing area is provided below the lower surface of the transversal plate (23), the first viewing area having a bottom, the bottom of the first viewing area being defined by the upper surface of the transversal plate (23), and wherein the transversal plate (23) lies in a plane which defines with a plane of the prongs (31, 32) an angle of between 20 and 30 degrees. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The accessory according to claim 16, wherein the angle is between 22 and 24 degrees. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The accessory according to claim 17, wherein the angle is substantially equal to 23 degrees.