Carriage assembly with shiftable forks

In a load lifting apparatus (10) having a generally vertically oriented mast assembly (12) and a carriage assembly (16) having an upper generally horizontal member (20) and a lower generally horizontal member (22) and being mounted to and translatable along said mast assembly (12), a side shifter (24) having upper (26) and lower (28) generally horizontal bars connected together and being mounted to and laterally translatable along said members (20 and 22), and a generally "L" shaped tine (36) having a generally vertical leg (38) having a top end portion (40) and a bottom end portion (42) and a generally horizontal leg (44) being associated with said side shifter (24), the improvement comprising:

• means (52) for mounting said top end portion (40) of said vertical leg (38) for transferring substantially only horizontal forces from said tine (36) to said upper bar (26);
• means (64) for mounting said bottom end portion (42) of said leg (38) for transferring vertical forces from said tine (36) to said lower bar (28);
• means (71) for maintaining said lower bar (28) from moving laterally away from said lower member (22), said maintaining means (71) being free from interference with relative longitudinal movement between said lower bar (28) and said lower member (22);
• retaining means (84) for retaining said vertical leg (38) adjacent said lower bar (28);
• means (88) for removably securing said retaining means (84) to a respective one of said tine (36) and said lower bar (28);
• and
• wherein said lower bar (28) has a top (67) and a bottom (90) and said retaining means (84) includes a ridge (89) extending from said lower bar (28) and a structure (86) connected to said tine (36), said ridge (89) having one side (91) facing away from said tine (36), said ridge (89) extending downwardly along said bottom (90), said structure (86) extending upwardly past said ridge (89) adjacent said one side (91) to adjacent said bottom (90).

In a load lifting apparatus (10) having a generally vertically oriented mast assembly (12) and a carriage assembly (16) having an upper generally horizontal member (20) and a lower generally horizontal member (22) and being mounted to and translatable along said mast assembly (12), a side shifter (24) having upper (26) and lower (28) generally horizontal bars connected together and being mounted to and laterally translatable along said members (20 and 22), and a generally "L" shaped tine (36) having a generally vertical leg (38) having a top end portion (40) and a bottom end portion (42) and a generally horizontal leg (44) being associated with said side shifter (24), the improvement comprising:

• means (52) for mounting said top end portion (40) of said vertical leg (38) for transferring substantially only horizontal forces from said tine (36) to said upper bar (26);
• means (64) for mounting said bottom end portion (42) of said leg (38) for transferring vertical forces from said tine (36) to said lower bar (28);
• a first bearing structure (93) attached to and extending along a respective one of said lower bar (28) and said lower member (22) and positioned in sliding contact with the other one of said lower bar (28) and said lower member (22) to transfer forces downwardly from the lower bar (28) to said lower member (22);
• and
• a second bearing structure (99) attached to and extending along a respective one of said lower bar (28) and said lower member (22) and positioned in sliding contact with the other one of said lower bar (28) and said lower member (22) to transfer forces upwardly from said lower bar (28) to said lower member (22).