US 4,565,485 AGranted

Mechanical grab and scoop combination

OwnerThomas S. Wilmaninventor

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Abstract

The grab (3) for handling material has two grab members (4, 5) one or both or which have tines (6, 7), the grab members being relatively movable to open or close the grab so that cohesive or rigid material can be grasped between the tines (6, 7). Additionally, one grab member (4) has side and bottom panels (21, 22) forming a scoop or bucket component and the other grab member (5) has a back panel (10) so that in one condition of the grab, e.g. when the grab members (4, 5) are closed, there is formed a complete scoop or bucket for scooping up granular or liquid material to be handled. In another embodiment, the grab member (5) may also have small side and bottom panels; in other examples the scoop may be provided wholly on one of the grab members. The grab avoids having to use separate devices respectively for grasping and for scooping operations. It is particularly suitable for mounting on a tractor vehicle, though the combined grab and scoop facility is applicable also to implements, utensils, tools or other apparatus, large or small, for materials handling.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A material handling apparatus for use on a vehicle, said apparatus being capable of acting both as a grab and as a scoop without having additional components fitted or removed, said apparatus comprising a fork member comprising a support structure, a set of tines carried by said support structure so that, in use, the tines project forwardly with respect to said vehicle, and a grab member having a further set of tines projecting therefrom, wherein:

(a) said grab member is pivotally mounted relative to the fork member so as to permit the fork and grab members to open and close thereby to bring the sets of tines carried thereby toward and away from each other so to grasp and accommodate material between them when they are at least partially together;
(b) said tines of the two sets are offset from each other laterally relative to one another so that the fork and grab members can be substantially closed, with the tines of one set fitting between the tines of the other set;
and
(c) at least said grab member is provided with a fixed scoop means such that when the fork and grab members are closed a material scoop is formed, with at least a portion of said scoop means on said grab member overlying at least a portion of said set of tines on the fork member.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.