Tissue roll-handling clamp
AssigneeCascade Corporation
InventorStephen P. Lyda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tissue roll handling clamp, mountable on a vehicle such as a lift truck, has elongate, substantially equal-length, thin clamp arms with opposed tissue-engagement clamping surfaces. The clamp arms are capable of movement in unison by a frame assembly to alternative positions where the clamp arms extend longitudinally from the frame assembly selectively in either substantially horizontal or substantially vertical directions of extension. The frame assembly is capable of maintaining the respective clamping surfaces at substantially equal elevations to each other during such movement to substantially equalize the distribution of the weight of a clamped tissue roll between the opposed tissue-engagement clamping surfaces.
Claims6
A tissue roll-handling clamp mountable on a vehicle, said clamp having opposed tissue-engagement clamping surfaces capable of selectively clamping outwardly curved surfaces of a tissue roll, said clamp including a frame assembly for movably supporting respective proximal ends of a pair of selectively openable and closable elongate opposing clamp arms having respective distal ends to which respective ones of said clamping surfaces are connected, said clamp arms being capable of movement in unison by said frame assembly to alternative positions where said clamp arms extend longitudinally from said frame assembly selectively in either substantially horizontal or substantially downward directions of extension, said frame assembly being capable of maintaining said respective clamping surfaces at substantially equal elevations to each other during said movement.
A method of handling a tissue roll, having a tissue density no greater than about 0.015 pounds per cubic inch, by means of a vehicle-mounted roll-handling clamp, said method comprising:
- (a) providing said clamp with opposed tissue-engagement clamping surfaces capable of selectively clamping outwardly curved surfaces of said tissue roll, said clamp including a frame assembly for movably supporting respective proximal ends of a pair of selectively openable and closable elongate clamp arms having respective distal ends to which respective ones of said clamping surfaces are connected;
- (b) clamping opposite sides of said tissue role between said clamping surfaces;
- and
- (c) moving said clamp arms in unison by means of said frame assembly while clamping said tissue role, so as to cause both of said clamp arms to move selectively alternatively either to substantially horizontal or to substantially downward directions of extension relative to said frame assembly while maintaining said respective clamping surfaces at substantially equal elevations to each other during said moving of said clamp arms.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.