# US 4,394,107 A · Tractor mounted forklift

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- Number: US 4,394,107 A
- Document ID: US4394107A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/318,662
- Filed: 1981-11-05
- Granted: 1983-07-19
- Earliest claimed: 1981-11-05
- Assignees: D & S Manufacturing Co.
- Inventors: Steve L. Siebert
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4394107A

## CPC

- B66F 9/06: movable, with their loads, on wheels or the like, e.g. fork-lift trucks (vehicle aspects B60 - B62; vehicles predominantly for transporting loads and modified to facilitate loading or unloading B60P1/00; low-lift hand trucks for transporting goods B62B3/06)
- B66F: HOISTING, LIFTING, HAULING OR PUSHING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. DEVICES WHICH APPLY A LIFTING OR PUSHING FORCE DIRECTLY TO THE SURFACE OF A LOAD ({invalid lifting devices A61G7/10; } mounting artificial islands on piles or like supports E02B17/00; scaffolding combined with lifting devices E04G1/22; lifting devices for sliding forms E04G11/24; lifting of buildings E04G23/06; shores or struts E04G25/00; lifts or other hoisting devices on ladders E06C7/12; props for mining E21D15/00)

## Abstract

A forklift assembly for use with tractors having a conventional three point hitch includes a frame mounted to the tractor via the three point hitch. Raising and lowering the three point hitch raises and lowers the frame. A tine assembly slides along the lateral sides of the frame. A roller is rotationally mounted between the lateral sides near their upper ends. One end of a first cable is attached to the roller and the cable is wrapped around it in a first direction and the other end is attached to a stationary point on the tractor at a point below the roller. Second cables are each attached to the roller at one end and wrapped in a second direction around the roller and the opposite ends are attached to the tine assembly. Movement of the frame upwardly unwinds the first cable from the roller and winds the second cables onto the roller to raise the tine assembly along the frame. The height the tines are raised is equal to the height travelled by the frame plus the additional height the tine assembly moves relative to the frame.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A forklift assembly for use in conjunction with a vehicle of the type having hitch means moveable in a generally vertical direction, the forklift assembly comprising:
a frame;
means for mounting said frame to the hitch means;
tine assembly means including a generally horizontal extension member moveably mounted parallel to a generally vertical first path along said frame;
roller means rotatably mounted to said frame;
a first cable having one end attached to and wrapped around said roller means in a first direction and having its other end attached to a point on said vehicle, said first direction chosen so that raising said frame along a generally vertical second path by the hitch means causes said first cable to unwind from said roller means; and
means operably coupling said roller means and said tine assembly means for raising said tine assembly along said first path when said roller is rotated in a second direction, said second direction being opposite said first direction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The forklift assembly of claim 1 wherein said tine assembly raising means includes a second cable, one end of which is attached to said roller and the other end of which is attached to said tine assembly means, so said second cable winds onto said roller means to raise said extension member relative to said frame along said first path when said roller is rotated in said second direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The forklift assembly of claim 1 wherein said extension member includes a plurality of horizontally extending tines.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The forklift assembly of claim 2 wherein said roller means includes a cylindrical roller around which said first and second cables are wrapped.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The forklift assembly of claim 2 including a plurality of second cables.

### Claim 6

A forklift assembly for use in combination with a tractor of the type having a hitch including power driven lift arms, the outer ends of said arms being movable along a generally vertical, typically arcuate path, the forklift assembly comprising:
a frame including a generally vertical path means;
means for mounting said frame to the outer ends of said arms;
at least one generally horizontally extending product support member;
means for slidably mounting said product support member to said frame for movement along said path means;
a roller rotatably mounted to said frame;
a first cable, one end attached to said roller and wound around said roller in a first direction, the other end attached to an attachment point on said tractor vertically below said roller, said first direction chosen so said first cable unwinds from said roller when the distance between said roller and said attachment point is increased; and
a plurality of second cables each having one end attached to said roller with the other end of each attached either to said slidable mounting means or to said product support member, said second cables adapted to wind onto said roller when said first cables unwind from said roller, whereby upward movement of the arms of the hitch moves said frame therewith causing said first cable to unwind from said roller as the distance between said roller and the attachment point increases so said second cables are wound onto said roller thereby raising said product support member along said path means on said frame.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The forklift assembly of claim 6 including a pair of tines and a pair of second cables.