Load handling vehicle

A material handling vehicle capable of entry into confined height and width building entrances for such vehicles and of operating within space restricted locations, said material handling vehicle comprising:

• a structure having a load carrying means at one end of the vehicle, power means to raise the load carrying means,
• ground engageable propulsion means comprising a pair of front ground engageable wheels disposed one at each side of the vehicle and a pair of rear ground engageable wheels disposed one at each side of the vehicle, an operator's seat and an engine to provide power for said propulsion means to drive at least one of said pairs of wheels
• and for said power means to raise load carrying means, in which
• the load carrying means comprises a telescopic boom with a boom pivot mounted to the structure in close rearward proximity to the seat at a rear region of the boom for up and down swinging movement by said power means in a plane extending forwardly and rearwardly of the vehicle and the boom having a load carrying implement at a forward region thereof, the front ground engageable wheels are driven by said engine and the rear ground engageable wheels are steerable, and
• a region, disposed generally beneath the seat in which the engine is disposed,
• the boom being offset from the centre line of the vehicle substantially to overlie the front and rear wheels at one side of the vehicle
• the axis of rotation of the crankshaft of the engine extending in a direction generally longitudinal of the vehicle and generally parallel to the boom and
• being offset away from the centre line of the vehicle
• in a direction which is away from the boom enabling the boom to be unobstructed by the engine when overlying the front and rear wheels at one side of the vehicle, and
• wherein a vertically extending plane containing the centre line of the vehicle intersects the engine.