Building-erection structural member transporter

A machine-liftable and maneuverable, open cage load transporter for handling and promoting installation-site delivery, during the construction of a plural story structural building frame, of both linear and T-shaped building-frame beam components, where such T-shaped components include elongate, angularly intersecting and interconnected cap and stem sub-components, said transporter comprising:

• a fork-receiving side and an opposite building-frame-facing side, load-lateral-delivery side,
• a worker occupancy space fully occupying the inside of a worker-carrying cage structure, defined by substantially horizontal floor structure extending over the entire horizontal expanse of the cage structure, which is joined to substantially upwardly extending, open, and at least partially floor-perimeter wall structure, and
• disposed substantially directly overhead said floor and wall structures, and above said worker occupancy volume, generally upwardly facing, open, planar, horizontal, elongate, load-support deck structure having (a) one end adjacent the mentioned load-lateral-delivery side, (b) an opposite end defined by upwardly extending load-stop riser structure, and (c) including a pair of elongate, laterally spaced beam elements whose long axes extend generally between said sides, said deck-structure being adapted for the overhead supporting and load-carrying of all elongate building-frame beam components which are to be handled by the transporter, and having a framework which is open to the underlying worker occupancy volume so as to accommodate load-handling personnel access, and to promote attended personnel assistance, by a worker stationed in said occupancy volume,
• said deck structure further including, adjacent its said one end, a deployable lateral extension having an elongate beam cross-piece, which extension can be extended and withdrawn selectively and laterally outwardly from and inwardly toward said transporter's said load-lateral-delivery side to form, when extended outwardly, a substantially co-planar lateral extension of said load-support deck structure, thus to accommodate the delivery, toward a building frame installation site, of a transported and handled building-frame beam component,
• said beam elements in said deck structure being disposed to support both (a) a linear beam component, and (b) the cap sub-component in a T-shaped beam component in a condition with that cap sub-component's long axis extending generally transversely of the long axes of said beam elements and closely adjacent said load-stop riser structure, and said lateral extension, with the extension deployed and extending outwardly adjacent the transporter's said load-lateral-delivery side, being disposed to support the stem sub-component in such a T-shaped beam component with the long axis of that stem sub-component extending generally transversely relative to the long axis of said beam cross-piece.