Upright for lift truck

In an upright structure for lift trucks and the like having one upright section including transversely spaced vertical rails, a first telescopic upright section including transversely spaced vertical rails mounted for elevation relative to said one section, a second telescopic upright section including transversely spaced vertical rails mounted for elevation relative to said first telescopic upright section, and a load carrier means mounted for elevation relative to said second telescopic upright section, the improvement comprising a sole asymmetric lift cylinder assembly mounted in the upright structure which is operatively connected to said first telescopic upright section, elongated flexible lifting means operatively connected to said cylinder assembly, to said one upright section and to said second telescopic section and having one end means thereof secured a substantial distance outwardly of one side only of the cylinder assembly in a direction which includes a lateral component and having the other end means thereof secured to said second telescopic section, said cylinder assembly together with said flexible lifting means being adapted to elevate said second telescopic section relative to the first telescopic section and the latter section relative to the one upright section, the lift cylinder being located a substantial distance toward one lateral side of the upright structure such that it projects at least partially into the area of interference by an adjacent vertical rail with the visibility of the operator from his normal line of sight through said adjacent vertical rail, said normal line of sight being defined when the operator is located in a predetermined designed position and attitude for normal operation of the lift truck, the operative connection of said cylinder assembly to said first telescopic section in relation to said one and other end means being such that at least approximately balanced lifting force moments act upon the upright structure in the transverse plane of the upright at least when a load is carried substantially centrally thereof.

In an upright structure for lift trucks and the like having one upright section including transversely spaced vertical rails, a telescopic upright section including transversely spaced vertical rails mounted for elevation relative to said one section and elevatable load carrier means mounted for elevation relative to said telescopic section, the improvement comprising a lift cylinder assembly mounted in the upright structure asymmetric thereof and operatively connected to said telescopic upright section, first and second wheel elements operatively connected to said lift cylinder assembly, said first and second wheel elements being mounted in substantial longitudinal rotating alignment and spaced relation one to the other, sole flexible lifting means reeved on said first and second wheel elements, said first and second wheel elements being mounted in such a manner that one end of said flexible lifting means is secured substantially centrally of said load carrier means and the other end means is secured a substantial distance outwardly of the one side of the lift cylinder assembly in a direction which includes a lateral component, said lift cylinder assembly being mounted intermediate the axes of rotation of said first and second wheel elements and being actuatable with the wheel elements and said flexible lifting means to elevate said load carrier means relative to the telescopic upright section and the latter section relative to the one upright section, the lift cylinder being located a substantial distance toward one lateral side of the upright structure such that it projects at least partially into the area of interference by an adjacent vertical rail with the visibility of the operator from his normal line of sight through said adjacent vertical rail, said normal line of sight being defined when the operator is located in a predetermined designed position and attitude for normal operation of the lift truck.

In an upright structure for lift trucks and the like having one upright section including transversely spaced vertical rails, a first telescopic upright section including transversely spaced vertical rails mounted for elevation relative to said one section, a second telescopic upright section including transversely spaced vertical rails mounted for elevation relative to said first telescopic upright section and a load handling carrier means mounted for elevation relative to said second telescopic upright section, the improvement comprising a lift cylinder assembly mounted in the upright structure asymmetric thereof and operatively connected to said first telescopic upright section, first and second wheel elements operatively connected to said lift cylinder assembly, said first and second wheel elements being mounted in substantial longitudinal rotating alignment and spaced relation one to the other, sole flexible lifting means reeved on said first and second wheel elements, said first and second wheel elements being mounted in such a manner that one end of said flexible lifting means is secured substantially centrally of said second telescopic section and the other end means is secured a substantial distance outwardly of the one side of the lift cylinder assembly in a direction which includes a lateral component, said lift cylinder assembly being mounted intermediate the axes of rotation of said first and second wheel elements and being actuatable with the wheel elements and said flexible lifting means to elevate said second telescopic section relative to the first telescopic section and the latter section relative to the one upright section, the lift cylinder being located a substantial distance toward one lateral side of the upright structure such that it projects at least partially into the area of interference by an adjacent vertical rail with the visibility of the operator from his normal line of sight through said adjacent vertical rail, said normal line of sight being defined when the operator is located in a predetermined designed position and attitude for normal operation of the lift truck, and a second cylinder assembly for elevating said load carrier means on said second telescopic section.

In an upright structure for lift trucks and the like having a fixed upright section including transversely spaced vertical rails, a first telescopic upright section including transversely spaced vertical rails mounted for elevation relative to said fixed section, a second telescopic upright section including transversely spaced vertical rails mounted for elevation relative to said first telescopic section and elevatable load carrier means mounted for elevation relative to said second telescopic section, the improvement comprising first and second wheel elements mounted operatively from said first telescopic section in substantial longitudinal rotating alignment and spaced relation one to the other, sole flexible lifting means reeved on said first and second wheel elements, said first and second wheel elements being operatively mounted from said first telescopic section in such a manner that one end means of said flexible lifting means is secured substantially centrally of said second telescopic section and the other end means is secured in vertically fixed relation to the fixed upright section, and a lift cylinder assembly mounted in the upright structure asymmetric thereof and operatively connected to said first telescopic section intermediate the axes of rotation of said first and second wheel elements for actuating the wheel elements and said flexible lifting means to elevate said second telescopic section relative to the first telescopic section and the latter section relative to the fixed section, the lift cylinder assembly being located a substantial distance toward one lateral side of the upright structure such that it projects at least partially into the area of interference by an adjacent vertical rail with the visibility of the operator from his normal line of sight through said adjacent vertical rail, said normal line of sight being defined when the operator is located in a predetermined designed position and attitude for normal operation of the lift truck.