Barrier safety gate
OwnerCarl L. Stover, Craig T. Jones +1inventors
InventorsCarl L. Stover, Craig T. Jones, Dennis R. Weber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A barrier safety gate is provided which flexes and moves apart in order to receive the vertical path of motion of forks of a fork lift for loading and unloading from a raised platform. The barrier safety gate includes a first and a second pair of opening, flexible guidance members having a default, closed position and an opening, flexible path of motion. In particular, each pair of guidance members are laterally aligned to flex apart to receive the width of each respective fork of the fork lift which provides an opening force through their vertical paths of motion.
Claims12
A barrier safety gate operable to flex and move apart in order to receive a vertical movement of forks of a fork lift for loading and unloading from a raised platform, comprising:
- (a) first and a second pair of opening, flexible guidance members having a default, closed position and an opening, flexible path of motion, each pair of guidance members are laterally aligned to flex apart to receive a width of each respective fork of the fork lift providing an opening force through their vertical paths of motion;
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- (b) a support assembly for supporting the first and second pair of guidance members through their respective opening, flexible paths of motion.
A barrier safety gate operable to flex and move apart in order to receive a vertical movement of forks of a fork lift for loading and unloading from a raised platform, comprising:
- (a) first and a second pair of opening, flexible guidance rails having a default, closed position and an opening, flexible path of motion, each pair of guidance rails are laterally aligned to flex apart to receive a width of each respective fork of the fork lift providing an opening force through their vertical paths of motion;
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- (b) a support assembly for supporting the first and second pair of guidance rails through their respective opening paths of motion, the support assembly comprising:
- i) a first and second pair of stationary, laterally spaced, upright support members;
- ii) at least one lateral support member operably connecting each guidance rail with the respective upright support member, wherein each lateral support member provides a limited path of lateral movement between the support member and the guidance rail;
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- iii) at least one spring operably positioned between each guidance rail and each corresponding support member for providing a resistive counter force to the application of the opening force produced by the forks through their respective vertical paths of motion and biasing the guidance rails in their respective default, closed position, whereby during the vertical movement of the forks of the forklift, the first and second pair of guidance rails move and flex apart to accommodate the width of each fork as the forks move through a vertical path of motion, and when the forks are removed, the barrier safety gate will revert to the default, closed position.
A barrier safety gate operable to flex and move apart in order to receive a vertical movement of forks of a fork lift for loading and unloading from a raised platform, comprising:
- (a) first and a second pair of opening, flexible guidance rails having a default, closed position and an opening, flexible path of motion, each pair of guidance rails are laterally aligned to flex apart to receive a width of each respective fork of the fork lift providing an opening force through their vertical paths of motion;
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- (b) a support assembly for supporting the first and second pair of opening guidance rails through their respective opening paths of motion, the support assembly comprising:
- i) a first and second pair of stationary, laterally spaced, upright support members paired with the first and second guidance rails respectively;
- ii) at least one lateral support member operably connecting each respective flexible guidance rail with the corresponding upright support member, wherein each lateral support member is rigidly attached to the guidance rail and operably attached to the corresponding upright support member providing a limited path of lateral movement between the support member and the guidance rail;
- iii) at least one spring operably positioned between each guidance rail and each corresponding support member for providing a resistive counter force to the application of the opening force produced by the forks through their respective vertical paths of motion and biasing the guidance rails in their respective default, closed position;
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- iv) wherein at least one of the upright support members comprises a guidance pin and the corresponding lateral support member comprises a lateral slot, wherein the guidance pin is adapted to travel along the lateral slot permitting the corresponding guidance rail to move towards and away from the upright support member in a limited lateral path of motion as well as pivot about the guidance pin, whereby providing flexibility and vertical stability of the guidance rail throughout the opening path of motion of the guidance rail.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.