Lift truck with rotatable load-handling apparatus

In a lift truck having a load-lifting mechanism at its forward end for handling heavy loads,

• a boom means for attachment to said load-lifting mechanism including a generally horizontally disposed boom portion forwardly of said truck,
• a load carriage means spaced vertically below said boom portion,
• a vertical pivot shaft means rotatably supported by said boom portion and extending downwardly therefrom, a lower portion of said pivot shaft means being affixed to said carriage means to suspend and rotatably support said load carriage means below said boom portion,
• and fluid cylinder operated rotation means carried by said boom portion and connected to said pivot shaft means for pivoting said shaft means in opposite directions about the vertical axis thereof through an arc of at least 180.degree. and thereby pivoting said load carriage means and any load carried thereby to the same extent,
• said fluid cylinder operated rotation means includes a first floating lever rotatably connected to said pivot shaft means, a first fluid cylinder connected at one end to said boom means, a first fluid cylinder connected at one end to said boom portion and at its other end to said floating lever for rotating said floating lever about said pivot shaft means through at least about 90.degree. in opposite directions, a second fixed lever affixed to said pivot shaft means for rotation therewith, and a second fluid cylinder connected at one end to said floating lever and at its other end to said fixed lever for pivoting said fixed lever through at least about 90.degree. in opposite directions, whereby extension of said first cylinder causes rotation of said floating and fixed levers and thus said pivot shaft means through at least about 90.degree. in one direction about the vertical axis of said shaft means and extension of said second cylinder causes rotation of said fixed lever relative to said floating lever and thus said shaft means at least about an additional 90.degree. in the same said one direction, wherein said load carriage means includes a first horizontally disposed rotatable carriage frame suspended directly from said pivot shaft means to rotate therewith and a second horizontally disposed load pickup carriage frame spaced below said rotatable carriage frame, flexible suspension means suspending said pickup carriage frame from said rotatable carriage frame, and load pickup means carried by said pickup carriage frame, whereby operation of said rotation means to rotate said pivot shaft means causes rotation of said pickup carriage frame and any load supported thereby;
• said flexible suspension means includes a plurality of flexible members each are connected to a corresponding fluid cylinder operated slope adjustment means on said rotatable carriage frame for adjusting the slope of said pickup carriage frame at least laterally and longitudinally relative to said rotatable carriage frame.