US 5,496,146 AGranted

Steel slab and coil carrier

AssigneeKress Corporation

InventorsDennis R. Thomas, Paul A. Kane

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Abstract

An apparatus attached to a main frame of a vehicle for handling straddled loads including coil-shaped loads and slab-shaped loads entered into a load carrying space of the vehicle. The apparatus includes a moveable lift frame having both a tong assembly and probe assembly suspended therefrom. The tong assembly includes tong actuators and depending tongs for clamping a slab-shaped load, while the probe assembly includes a displaceable probe for penetrating coil shaped loads. When the apparatus is used for engaging a slab-shaped load, the probe is displaced so as to be withdrawn from the load carrying space, and the depending tongs are actuated to clamp the load. When the apparatus is used for engaging a coil shaped load, the probe is displaced into the load carrying space and the vehicle is moved to penetrate the load with the probe. With either load, the lift frame is then raised to elevate the engaged load.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A load handling apparatus attached to a main frame of a vehicle for handling loads including a first type of loads suitable for being penetrated and a second type of loads suitable for being clamped when disposed in a load carrying space thereof, comprising, in combination,

a lift frame, said lift frame being moveable relative to said main frame between a raised position and a lowered position, the difference in elevation of the lift frame relative to the main frame between said lowered and raised positions providing the lifting capability of the lift frame;
a tong assembly suspended from said lift frame for vertical movement up and down relative to said main frame, said tong assembly including at least one tong actuator and a pair of depending tongs for gripping and carrying one of said second types of loads disposed in the load carrying space;
a probe assembly connected to the lift frame for vertical movement up and down relative to said main frame, said probe assembly including a displaceable probe having a first position within the load carrying space and a second position substantially withdrawn from the load carrying space;
means for moving the probe between the first position for penetrating one of said first type of loads being entered into the load carrying space and the second position for avoiding said second types of loads disposed in the load carrying space;
means for actuating the tong assembly for clamping the depending tongs onto one of said second types of loads when disposed in the load carrying space;
and
means for actuating said lift frame to raise and lower the probe assembly and tong assembly relative to the main frame, thereby lifting and lowering the first and second types of loads in the load carrying space.

4 more elements

A penetrable coil carrying attachment for a load handling apparatus having a main frame, an elevatable lift frame with a tong assembly suspended therefrom, and lift means for actuating said lift frame, wherein the tong assembly has at least one pair of clampable tongs depending therefrom and includes means for unclamping said tongs to define a load carrying space and for clamping said tongs for gripping and carrying a clampable load, said penetrable coil carrying attachment comprising, in combination,

a probe assembly connected to the lift frame for vertical movement up and down relative to said main frame, said probe assembly including a displaceable probe movable between a first substantially horizontal position within the load carrying space and a second substantially horizontal position above the load carrying space;
and
positioning means for moving said probe between the first position for penetrating a penetrable coil being entered into in the load carrying space and the second position for avoiding clampable loads disposed in the load carrying space;
whereby actuating said lift means to raise and lower the lift frame relative to the main frame raises and lowers the tong assembly and the probe assembly, thereby lifting and lowering clampable loads and penetrable coils, respectively, in the load carrying space.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.