Load lifting carriage and mast assembly

A carriage and mast assembly (10), comprising:

• (a) a lift mast (16) having outer sides (R, L), and having first (36) and second (38) movable inner uprights, first (26) and second (28) movable intermediate uprights, and first (20) and second (22) fixed outer uprights, said first inner (36), intermediate (26) and outer (20) uprights being nestled in one another, and said second inner (38), intermediate (28) and outer (22) uprights being nestled in one another;
• (b) a load carrying carriage (12);
• (c) first (48) and second (50) cylinder means for free lifting said carriage (12), each being positioned at the outer sides (R, L) of said mast (16), respectively, and each including a jacket (68) having an upper end being connected to said first (36) and second (38) inner uprights and a lower end having a fluid input port (72), and a piston rod (70) having a lower end being connected to said carriage (12);
• (d) first (52) and second (54) cylinder means for extending said first (36) and second (38) inner uprights relative to said first (26) and second (28) intermediate uprights and said first (26) and second (28) intermediate uprights relative to said first (20) and second (22) outer uprights, each being positioned at the outer sides (R, L) of said mast (16), respectively, and each including a jacket (84) having an upper end having a fluid output port (96) and being connected to said first (36) and second (38) inner uprights, and a hollow piston rod (86) having a fixed lower end having a fluid input port (88) and an upper end having a piston (92) having a fluid passage (94);
• and
• (e) first (98, 100, 102) and second (98, 100, 102) means for communicating fluid between said first (48) free lifting cylinder means and said first (52) extending cylinder means and between said second (50) free lifting cylinder means and said second (54) extending cylinder means, respectively, each including a rigid fluid conduit (98) having one end (102) being connected to said input port (72) of said jacket (68) and another end (100) being connected to said output port (96) of said jacket (84).

A carrige and mast assembly (10), comprising:

• (a) a lift mast (16) having outer sides (R, L), and having first (36) and second (38) movable inner uprights and first (20) and second (22) fixed outer uprights, said first inner (36) and outer (20) uprights being nestled in one another, and said second inner (38) and outer (22) uprights being nestled in one another;
• (b) a load carrying carriage (12);
• (c) first (48) and second (50) cylinder means for free lifting said carriage (12), each being positioned at the outer sides (R, L) of said mast (16), respectively, and each including a jacket (68) having an upper end being connected to said first (36) and second (38) inner uprights and a lower end having a fluid input port (72), and a piston rod (70) having a lower end being connected to said carriage (12);
• (d) first (52) and second (54) cylinder means for extending said first (36) and second (38) inner uprights relative to said first (20) and second (22) outer uprights, each being positioned at the outer sides (R, L) of said mast (16), respectively, and each including a jacket (84) having an upper end having a fluid output port (96) and being connected to said first (36) and second (38) inner uprights, and a hollow piston rod (86) having a fixed lower end having a fluid input port (88) and an upper end having a piston (92) having a fluid passage (94);
• and
• (e) first (98, 100, 102) and second (98, 100, 102) means for communicating fluid between said first (48) free lifting cylinder means and said first (52) extending cylinder means and between said second (50) free lifting cylinder means and said second (54) extending cylinder means, respectively, each including a rigid fluid conduit (98) having one end (102) being connected to said input port (72) of said jacket (68) and another end (100) being connected to said output port (96) of said jacket (84).