GB1603621A

GB1603621A - Load handling and moving device

Info

Publication number: GB1603621A
Application number: GB678877A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-05-04
Filing date: 1978-05-04
Publication date: 1981-11-25

Description

(54) LOAD HANDLING AND MOVING DEVICE (71) I, ROY SANDERSON, a British subject of Lancroft, Croft, Skegness, Lincolnshire, do hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a Patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a load handling attachment for load handling wheeled vehicles which vehicles are of the type having means to support an attachment such as uprights which support a transverse lift carriage mounted on the upright so as to be raised and lowered by means of an hydraulic or pneumatic power unit carried by the vehicle, or a mechanical loading shovel or front end loader tractor which shovel and loader tractor are provided with jib arms or the like to the free end of which an attachment can be secured.

The attachment according to the invention is primarily for farm and agricultural use for handling e.g. green animal feeding materials, silage, manures and like loose loads and the main object of the invention is to provide an attachment for a vehicle of the type above set forth which attachment can be mounted on and removed from the vehicle easily and can pick up loose loads and retain them for movement and discharge at a desired location.

According to the invention the attachment comprises a support frame or plate having means for mounting same on the lift carriage, jib arm or the like of the vehicle so as to reside vertically or substantially so when mounted, a plurality of load engaging prings or tines extending forwardly from said frame or plate in a common transverse plane and at or near the lower end thereof, a transverse pusher gate mounted to extend upwardly above said prongs or tines, a battery of co-planar load gripping claws mounted on the support frame or plate above the prongs or tines and pusher gate and so as to be swingable unitarily about a horizontal axis, hydraulic or pneumatic means for moving said pusher gate forwardly from the support frame or plate and retracting same thereto, hydraulic or pneumatic means for swinging said battery of claws about the said horizontal axis in the aforesaid manner upwardly to a location above the pusher gate and in the aforesaid manner swinging same downwardly, thereby to form a clamp in conjunction with the prongs or tines, wherein transverse concentric rotatable members to effect the movement of the pusher gate and claw battery are mounted on the support frame or plate to which transverse concentric rotatable members the gate and battery are connected and the hydraulic or pneumatic means are connected to said members to turn same, whereby in use, with the pusher gate retracted or free to move rearwardly and the battery swung upwardly, the vehicle can be driven so that the prongs or tines enter a stack or pile of material, the battery of claws then lowered to grip and clamp the material picked up and the vehicle moved to a desired location, when the battery is raised and the pusher gate moved away from the frame or plate to deposit the load picked up.

The prongs or tines preferably are secured at their rear ends to the support frame or plate and the pusher gate includes spaced apart generally vertical bars, said gate being mounted on the prongs so as to slide therealong and be constrained against vertical movement.

By way of example an embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings showing an attachment for use with a fork lift truck in which: Figure 1 is a side view showing the battery of claws raised and the pusher gate in its forward position, i.e. after load discharge, Figure 2 is a side view showing the battery of claws lowered and the gate retracted, i.e.

in the load holding position, Figure 3 is a view similar to Figures 1 and 2 with the claws raised and gate retracted, and Figure 4 is a front view of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, the device comprises a support frame A having hangers B for mounting on the lift carriage of a fork lift truck. A horizontal tube F is mounted on brackets G,G, secured to the support frame, one near each side thereof and claws of a battery E are mounted and secured on the tube F. A concentric tube L is within the tube F with its ends extending beyond the brackets, the tube F being connected at each side by linkage J, K, to a pusher gate H.

A horizontal series of spaced apart prongs or tines M is mounted on the support frame A to extend forwardly therefrom and the pusher gate carries brackets and rollers N,N, which run on selected prongs or tines (Figure 4).

The tube F is connected to the ram of an hydraulic cylinder and ram C. The tube L is connected to the ram of an hydraulic cylinder and ram D. It will be seen that hydraulic power can move the claws from the position shown in Figure 1 to that of Figure 2 and vice versa and likewise the power can move the gate from the position shown in Figure 1 to that of Figure 2 or 3 and vice versa.

An upper series of prongs or tines can be provided.

In use, the attachment is hung and secured on the lift carriage of a fork lift truck which can be a "rough terrain" truck and the gate fully retracted and claw battery raised (Figure 3). The attachment could be fitted to other mobile machines, such as a tractor front end loader or the like. The truck is then driven into the material to be handled so that the prongs or tines enter same and the claw battery then lowered to clamp the material picked up. The operation of the hydraulic cylinders and rams is by the hydraulic system of the truck.

The truck is then reversed and driven to the discharge location when the battery of claws is raised and the pusher gate moved fowardly to discharge the load, the gate then being retracted.

The operation can be performed either by hydraulic or pneumatic power, The arrangement can also be such that a single cylinder and ram can effect the sequence of operations which can be programmed to proceed automatically, the sequence being controlled by appropriate switch means to pick up and grip a load. Thus, the gate H can be retracted by the prongs or tines being driven into the load of material and at its final stage of retraction or after a delay automatically cause the claw battery to lower. The unloading is effected by actuating the cylinder and rams (or cylinders and rams) first to lift the battery and when this battery is at its final stage of lifting the gate H is pushed forwardly.

It will be appreciated that the attachment can be constructed for use with other load handling vehicles such as vehicles normally carrying a loading or earth moving shovel or a front loader tractor. In such a case the frame will be constructed for attachment to a jib arm assembly which extends from the vehicle which can be raised and lowered by hydraulic means. Thus, the support may comprise or include a back plate adapted for attachment to the jib arm assembly.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. An attachment for a vehicle of the type herein set forth, said attachment comprising a support frame or plate having means for mounting same on the lift carriage, jib arm or the like of the vehicle so as to reside vertically or substantially so when mounted, a plurality of load engaging prongs or tines extending forwardly from said frame or plate in a common transverse plane and at or near the lower end thereof, a transverse pusher gate mounted to extend upwardly above said prongs or tines, a battery of co-planar load gripping claws mounted on the support frame or plate above the prongs or tines and pusher gate and so as to be swingable unitarily about a horizontal axis, hydraulic or pneumatic means for moving said pusher gate forwardly from the support frame or plate and retracting same thereto, hydraulic or pneumatic means for swinging said battery of claws about the said horizontal axis in the aforesaid manner upwardly to a location above the pusher gate and in the aforesaid manner swinging same downwardly, thereby to form a clamp in conjunction with the prongs or tines, wherein transverse concentric rotatable members to effect the movement of the pusher gate and claw battery are mounted on the support frame or plate to which transverse concentric rotatable members the gate and battery are connected and the hydraulic or pneumatic means are connected to said members to turn same, whereby in use, with the pusher gate retracted or free to move rearwardly and the battery swung upwardly, the vehicle can be driven so that the prongs or tines enter a stack or pile of material, the battery of claws then lowered to grip and clamp the material picked up and the vehicle moved to a desired location, when the battery is raised and the pusher gate moved away from the frame or plate deposit the load picked up.

2. An attachment as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the prongs or tines are secured at their rear ends to the support frame or plate and the pusher gate includes spaced apart generally vertical bars, said gate being

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. of claws lowered and the gate retracted, i.e. in the load holding position, Figure 3 is a view similar to Figures 1 and 2 with the claws raised and gate retracted, and Figure 4 is a front view of Figure 3. Referring to the drawings, the device comprises a support frame A having hangers B for mounting on the lift carriage of a fork lift truck. A horizontal tube F is mounted on brackets G,G, secured to the support frame, one near each side thereof and claws of a battery E are mounted and secured on the tube F. A concentric tube L is within the tube F with its ends extending beyond the brackets, the tube F being connected at each side by linkage J, K, to a pusher gate H. A horizontal series of spaced apart prongs or tines M is mounted on the support frame A to extend forwardly therefrom and the pusher gate carries brackets and rollers N,N, which run on selected prongs or tines (Figure 4). The tube F is connected to the ram of an hydraulic cylinder and ram C. The tube L is connected to the ram of an hydraulic cylinder and ram D. It will be seen that hydraulic power can move the claws from the position shown in Figure 1 to that of Figure 2 and vice versa and likewise the power can move the gate from the position shown in Figure 1 to that of Figure 2 or 3 and vice versa. An upper series of prongs or tines can be provided. In use, the attachment is hung and secured on the lift carriage of a fork lift truck which can be a "rough terrain" truck and the gate fully retracted and claw battery raised (Figure 3). The attachment could be fitted to other mobile machines, such as a tractor front end loader or the like. The truck is then driven into the material to be handled so that the prongs or tines enter same and the claw battery then lowered to clamp the material picked up. The operation of the hydraulic cylinders and rams is by the hydraulic system of the truck. The truck is then reversed and driven to the discharge location when the battery of claws is raised and the pusher gate moved fowardly to discharge the load, the gate then being retracted. The operation can be performed either by hydraulic or pneumatic power, The arrangement can also be such that a single cylinder and ram can effect the sequence of operations which can be programmed to proceed automatically, the sequence being controlled by appropriate switch means to pick up and grip a load. Thus, the gate H can be retracted by the prongs or tines being driven into the load of material and at its final stage of retraction or after a delay automatically cause the claw battery to lower. The unloading is effected by actuating the cylinder and rams (or cylinders and rams) first to lift the battery and when this battery is at its final stage of lifting the gate H is pushed forwardly. It will be appreciated that the attachment can be constructed for use with other load handling vehicles such as vehicles normally carrying a loading or earth moving shovel or a front loader tractor. In such a case the frame will be constructed for attachment to a jib arm assembly which extends from the vehicle which can be raised and lowered by hydraulic means. Thus, the support may comprise or include a back plate adapted for attachment to the jib arm assembly. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. An attachment for a vehicle of the type herein set forth, said attachment comprising a support frame or plate having means for mounting same on the lift carriage, jib arm or the like of the vehicle so as to reside vertically or substantially so when mounted, a plurality of load engaging prongs or tines extending forwardly from said frame or plate in a common transverse plane and at or near the lower end thereof, a transverse pusher gate mounted to extend upwardly above said prongs or tines, a battery of co-planar load gripping claws mounted on the support frame or plate above the prongs or tines and pusher gate and so as to be swingable unitarily about a horizontal axis, hydraulic or pneumatic means for moving said pusher gate forwardly from the support frame or plate and retracting same thereto, hydraulic or pneumatic means for swinging said battery of claws about the said horizontal axis in the aforesaid manner upwardly to a location above the pusher gate and in the aforesaid manner swinging same downwardly, thereby to form a clamp in conjunction with the prongs or tines, wherein transverse concentric rotatable members to effect the movement of the pusher gate and claw battery are mounted on the support frame or plate to which transverse concentric rotatable members the gate and battery are connected and the hydraulic or pneumatic means are connected to said members to turn same, whereby in use, with the pusher gate retracted or free to move rearwardly and the battery swung upwardly, the vehicle can be driven so that the prongs or tines enter a stack or pile of material, the battery of claws then lowered to grip and clamp the material picked up and the vehicle moved to a desired location, when the battery is raised and the pusher gate moved away from the frame or plate deposit the load picked up.

mounted on the prongs or tines so as to slide therealong and be constrained against vertical movement.

3. An attachment as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the said concentric members include a transverse rotatable tube or tube assembly mounted on the support frame or plate above the gate and the support frame or plate carries hydraulic or pneumatic means connected to said tube or assembly which tube or assembly is connected by linkage of the gate, whereby said means effect the movement of the gate.

4. An attachment as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the claws are mounted at their one ends on a transverse tube or tube assembly above the gate to extend forwardly therefrom and second hydraulic or pneumatic means are connected to said second tube or assembly whereby said second hydraulic or pneumatic means effect the movement of the claw battery.

5. An attachment claimed in Claims 3 and 4, wherein the said concentric members comprise concentric tubes mounted on the support frame or plate, the outer tube carrying the claw battery, the inner tube extending beyond the outer tube at each end and being coupled by linkage to the gate.

6. An attachment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sequential actuation of the gate and claw battery to pick up and grip a load is effected automatically by switch means.

7. A load handling attachment for a vehicle of the type herein set forth, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.