Forks for industrial vehicles and method of making same
AssigneeHyster-Yale Group, Inc.
InventorRobert C. Dunigan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fork for an industrial vehicle such as a forklift, and a method of making the same. The fork includes an elongate body portion, a toe portion, and, optionally, a heel portion. The elongate body portion may be formed in any length and coupled to the toe portion (and optionally, to the heel portion) to form a fork.
Claims29
-34. (canceled)
A method of making a fork for a forklift comprising making an elongate body portion, wherein making the elongate body portion comprises:
- forming a load portion and a truss portion coupled to the load portion, wherein the truss portion comprises a first strut coupled to the load portion and extending away from the load portion, a first cross beam coupled to the first strut and extending away from the first strut, a second strut coupled to the first cross beam and extending away from the first cross beam towards the load portion, a third strut coupled to the second strut and extending away from the load portion, a second cross beam coupled to the third strut and extending away from the third strut, and a fourth strut coupled to the second cross beam and extending towards the load portion and coupled to the load portion.
A method of making a fork for a forklift comprising making an elongate body portion, wherein making the elongate body portion comprises:
- using a cold-rolling process to form a steel sheet into an elongate body portion comprising:
- a load portion and a truss portion coupled to the load portion, wherein the truss portion comprises a first strut coupled to the load portion and extending away from the load portion, a first cross beam coupled to the first strut and extending away from the first strut, a second strut coupled to the first cross beam and extending away from the first cross beam towards the load portion, a third strut coupled to the second strut and extending away from the load portion, a second cross beam coupled to the third strut and extending away from the third strut, and a fourth strut coupled to the second cross beam and extending towards the load portion and coupled to the load portion;
- and
- applying a longitudinal weldment to couple a first longitudinal edge of the steel sheet to a portion of the steel sheet.
A method of making a fork for a forklift comprising making an elongate body portion, wherein making the elongate body portion comprises:
- using an extrusion process to form a polymer material into an elongate body portion comprising:
- a load portion and a truss portion coupled to the load portion, wherein the truss portion comprises a first strut coupled to the load portion and extending away from the load portion, a first cross beam coupled to the first strut and extending away from the first strut, a second strut coupled to the first cross beam and extending away from the first cross beam towards the load portion, a third strut coupled to the second strut and extending away from the load portion, a second cross beam coupled to the third strut and extending away from the third strut, and a fourth strut coupled to the second cross beam and extending towards the load portion and coupled to the load portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.