GB1022637A - Fork lift - Google Patents

Abstract

1,022,637. Gripping forks for lift trucks. CRAIG ALFORD Ltd. Sept. 14, 1962, No. 35129/62. Heading B8H. Tines of a gripping fork adapted to be inserted into spaces in the bottom row of a stack of articles such as bricks are each provided with rotatably mounted grippers which are released from their inoperative positions and fall into gripping engagement with the articles of the bottom row when the fork is lifted and engages the bottom surface of the second row of articles. As shown, the fork comprises tines 1 pivotally mounted on a shaft 4 attached to a support 5 on a truck. Control rods 12 are rotatably supported in bearings on each side of the inner tines and on the inner sides of the outer tines and each rod 12 is coupled by a rod 11 to arms 10 secured to a shaft 7 rotatably supported by the tines. Plates 8 secured to the shaft 7 are pivotally connected by a shaft 9 to the support 5 so that when the tines are raised to engage a load, the tines pivot about the shaft 4 causing rotation of the shaft 7 and upward movement of the rods 11 thereby rotating the control rods 12. The grippers 2 comprise arms 16 rotatably mounted on shafts 14 and provided with extensions 17 each having a concave upper surface which is engagable by a projection 13 secured to the associated control rod 12. In operation, when the tines are raised to engage the row of articles above the bottom row of the stack the control rods 12 rotate and move the projections 13 out of engagement with the extensions 17 whereupon the arms 16 fall into gripping engagement with the bottom row of articles. On setting down a stack, the tines are rotated in the opposite direction on the shaft 4 thereby rotating the control rods 12 and causing inward movement of the projections 13 which return the arms 16 to their inoperative position. The downward rotation of the tines about the shaft 4 is limited by a spring 19.