Lift truck
AssigneeTygard Machine & Manufacturing Company
InventorEdward Tygard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lift truck includes a guide member secured to a mast of the lift truck and a guided member secured to a carriage vertically movable along the mast. The guided member engages with the guide member to resist twisting moments acting on the carriage and enable the carriage to move smoothly along the mast. A lift truck attachment for mounting on a lift truck includes a latching member which can restrict movement of the attachment with respect to the lift truck in a fore-and-aft direction of the lift truck.
Claims16
A lift truck arrangement comprising:
- a lift truck comprising a truck body having a plurality of wheels, a mast mounted on the truck body, a carriage supported by the mast and movable along the mast in a height direction of the mast, first and second forks supported by the carriage for movement along the mast, and a mounting bracket supported by the carriage;
- and
- a clamping apparatus supported by the first and second forks and including a cross-shaped frame having four legs extending outwards from a center of the frame, the legs including first and second legs aligned with each other and third and fourth legs aligned with each other and extending at right angles to the first and second legs, four clamping arms each mounted on one of the legs of the frame and movable with respect to the frame for grasping and releasing a load, a plurality of actuators connected to the clamping arms to move each clamping arm with respect to the frame towards and away from an opposing one of the clamping arms, first and second fork engaging members secured to the first and second legs of the frame, respectively, on opposite sides of the third leg and each shaped for receiving a horizontal portion of a fork of a lift truck, and first and second plates secured to the first and second fork engaging members, respectively, and extending upwards to above the first and second fork engaging members, each plate extending from one of the fork engaging members to the third leg of the frame,
- the mounting bracket comprising a plate having a front side facing the clamping apparatus and a tube extending from the front side, and
- the clamping apparatus including a connecting member sized to fit into the tube of the mounting bracket, the connecting member and the tube each having a hole through which a latching member can be inserted on the front side of the plate to detachably connect the connecting member to the mounting bracket to prevent the clamping apparatus from translating along the forks of the lift truck.
A clamping apparatus for mounting on a lift truck comprising a cross-shaped frame having four legs extending outwards from a center of the frame, the legs of the frame including first and second legs aligned with each other and third and fourth legs aligned with each other and extending at right angles to the first and second legs, four clamping arms each mounted on one of the legs of the frame and movable with respect to the frame for grasping and releasing a load, a plurality of actuators connected to the clamping arms to move each clamping arm with respect to the frame towards and away from an opposing one of the clamping arms, first and second fork engaging members secured to the first and second legs of the frame on opposite sides of the third leg and each shaped for receiving a horizontal portion of a fork of a lift truck, two support members mounted on the first fork engaging member and spaced from each other by a space for receiving a vertical portion of a fork of a lift truck engaged with the first fork engaging member, two support members mounted on the second fork engaging member and spaced from each other by a space for receiving a vertical portion of a fork of a lift truck engaged with the second fork engaging member, a first latching pin detachably engaged with aligned holes in the two support members for the first fork engaging member on an exterior of the first fork engaging member and behind a fork engaged with the first fork engaging member, a second latching pin detachably engaged with aligned holes in the two support members for the second fork engaging member on an exterior of the second fork engaging member and behind a fork engaged with the second fork engaging member, each latching pin being movable with respect to the first or second fork engaging member between a first position in which it prevents withdrawal of a fork of a lift truck from the first or second fork engaging member by extending into a path of movement, on the exterior of the first or second fork engaging member, for insertion and withdrawal with respect to the first or second fork engaging member of a fork of a lift truck having its horizontal portion disposed in the first or second fork engaging member, and a second position in which it permits withdrawal of a fork of a lift truck from the first or second fork engaging member, and first and second plates secured to the first and second fork engaging members, respectively, between the support members and the first and second legs of the frame and extending upwards to above the first and second fork engaging members, each plate extending from one of the fork engaging members to the third leg of the frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.