Load handling vehicle with a bucket side tilt mechanism

A side tilt apparatus for coupling a bucket to a support member comprising:

• a frame, said frame comprising first and second parallel generally spaced apart side arm members, each said side arm member being adapted for pivotal connection to the support member such that said side arm members and thereby the frame project forwardly of the support member and are free to pivot about a first pivot axis, the free end portion of the frame being adapted for connection to the bucket;
• first fluid cylinder means pivoted at one end portion to said first side arm member and having its other end portion adapted for pivoting to the support member, second fluid cylinder means pivoted at one end portion to said second side arm member and having its other end portion adapted for pivoting to the support member, said first and second fluid cylinder means each including an associated hoist cylinder means for pivoting said frame about the first pivot axis;
• and
• said first fluid cylinder means including tilt cylinder means extensible and retractable along the same line as the associated hoist cylinder means for pivoting said first side arm about said first pivot axis and relative to said second side arm so as to tilt the free end portion of the frame and thereby tilt the bucket.

A load handling vehicle comprising:

• a body, said body including a support member;
• a bucket;
• a bucket supporting frame comprising first and second generally parallel spaced apart elongated side arm members, said frame also including a cross-frame member positioned with its longitudinal axis generally normal to said side frame members, said cross-frame member being pivoted at one end portion to a midsection of said first side arm member and pivoted at its other end portion to a midsection of said second side arm member such that said cross-frame member is free to pivot about its longitudinal axis, a first end portion of each said side arm member being pivoted to said support member such that said side arm members and thus said frame are pivotal about a first generally horizontal pivot axis, a second end portion of each said side arm member being pivoted to said bucket such that said bucket is pivotal about a second generally horizontal pivot axis, whereby pivoting said side arm members together in one direction about the first pivot axis raises the frame and thereby the bucket while pivoting said side arm members together in the other direction about the first pivot axis lowers the frame and thereby the bucket;
• a first hydraulic hoist cylinder pivoted at one end portion to said first side arm member and pivoted at its other end portion to said support member;
• a tandem hydraulic cylinder mechanism pivoted at one end portion to said second side arm member and pivoted at its other end portion to said support member, said tandem cylinder mechanism including a hoist cylinder portion operable together with said first hoist cylinder to raise and lower said side arm members together, said tandem cylinder mechanism also including a tilt cylinder portion operable to pivot said second side arm member about said first pivot axis and relative to said first side arm member to thereby tilt the portion of the bucket connected to said second side arm member relative to the portion of the bucket connected to said first side arm member;
• a first hydraulic dump cylinder pivoted at a first end portion to said bucket and pivoted at a second end portion to said first side arm member and a second hydraulic dump cylinder pivoted at a first end portion to said bucket and pivoted at a second end portion to said second side arm member, said first and second dump cylinders being operable together to pivot the bucket in either direction about said second pivot axis;
• and
• low pressure relief means for relieving hydraulic fluid pressure above a preselected magnitude at the bucket side of said first and second dump cylinders, said low pressure relief means being operable to permit said second dump cylinder to extend as said tilt cylinder portion extends and to permit said first dump cylinder to extend as said tilt cylinder portion retracts to thereby relieve stresses on the bucket during operation of said tilt cylinder portion.