Load clamping apparatus with an increased extent of vertical movement

Abstract

A load clamping apparatus is provided for use with a forklift truck including a mast having a vertical guide channel, a lift carriage mounted to the mast for elevational movement therealong and a pair of spaced apart forks carried by the lift carriage to support a load to be handled. The load clamping apparatus comprises: a slider member slidably fitted into the vertical guide channel and elevationally movable along the mast, the slider member having a vertical guide groove; a clamp carriage slidably fitted into the vertical guide groove of the slidable member for pressing the load against the pair of spaced apart forks; an actuator pivotally affixed to the mast for causing the slider member to move up and down; upper and lower rotary guide rollers each rotatably mounted to top and bottom ends of the slider member; a first pliable connector having a first end anchored to the mast and a second end fixedly secured to the clamp carriage, the first pliable connector extending upwardly from the first end thereof, turning around the upper rotary guide rollers and then extending downwardly to reach the second end thereof; and a second pliable connector having a first end anchored to the mast and a second end fixedly secured to the clamp carriage, the second pliable connector extending downwardly from the first end thereof, turning around the lower rotary guide rollers and then extending upwardly to reach the second end thereof.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.