JPH0755793B2 - Preloaded luggage handling truck - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a front-loading type cargo handling truck such as a forklift truck or a platform lift truck, and more particularly to a relatively narrow passageway through which the truck passes, a limited driving space such as a corridor and a doorway. Relates to trucks known to those of ordinary skill in the art to be compact structures having a width of less than 1.7 m, suitable for handling generally industrial loads in a warehouse that will be experienced by a.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The primary purpose of compact industrial preloading trucks is to lift and carry luggage on the front of the truck with adjustable, vertically moving teeth or platforms. Is. For convenience, the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to a forklift truck, but it will be understood that the description is equally applicable to a platform lift truck. In known forklift trucks,
The teeth are vertically movable along an upright frame or mast mounted on the front of the vehicle and the front of the driver. This mast or frame usually comprises a plurality of parts which extend to a considerable height to which the teeth can be moved and which can be extended to increase their overall height and thus the safe carrying height of the teeth. Good. In such known compact forklift trucks, the field of view in front of the driver is impaired because the structure of the frame or mast will be included. It is also a drawback that the structure of the mast or frame is usually high enough to prevent entry to and exit from a doorway such as a vehicle warehouse.
The mast or frame is made up of several parts that the fork can extend to increase the vertically adjustable height, which parts, even when retracted, have a suitable height for the factory building. Trucks are too high to get in and out of. Multiple and complex carrying masts or frame parts of varying length, for each lifting height, may be required for very high forklift capacity, with naturally high manufacturing costs. . Compact industrial forklift trucks are generally
Considered to be a relatively simple vehicle with necessary and limited functionality. Therefore, the design and construction of the truck minimizes manufacturing costs, while ensuring that the truck is reliable and effective, especially when in use, that the truck complies with certain safety standards normally set by authorized authorities. is necessary. This latter requirement is of particular importance for the stability of the forklift during hauling. Therefore,
The demand for compact industrial load handling trucks (forklift trucks or platform trucks) that accept relatively low manufacturing costs is likely to accept significant heights of effective load carrying and lifting while the front of the truck operator Field of view is not unnecessarily impaired by truck components, thereby providing stable load carrying characteristics within acceptable conditions.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide a compact forklift with an unobstructed driver's field of view and a stowable forklift, which is suitable for entering and exiting entrances and exits at appropriate heights in factory buildings. Is to provide a luggage handling truck.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above-described object is a compact front-loading luggage handling truck, which is placed at a width of the truck so as to be placed on both sides of the chassis and the truck. A pair of front wheels that come into contact with the ground, and a pair of rear wheels that come into contact with the ground and that are arranged on both sides of the track and are spaced apart by the width of the track, and the rear portions thereof. A single boom pivotally mounted on the chassis and extending in front of and behind the truck, for controlling the height of the boom by its pivoting movement and for raising or lowering the load carrying equipment. Powered means for holding an overlying relationship on one side of the truck;
Fixing means for accurately fixing the suspension of the wheels of the other pair of the two pairs to the chassis, wherein the wheels of one pair of the two pairs accurately and to the chassis. Rotatably mounted, the other pair of wheels of the two pairs are rotatably mounted to the chassis by the suspension, and at least any one of the pair of wheels is steerable. And providing a lateral play of the truck in which the boom lies generally above the front and rear wheels on one side of the truck and there is a play along the boom in which the driver should be located. This is achieved by providing a front-loading luggage handling truck, characterized in that it has a front end which is offset as much as possible and in which said luggage carrier is arranged.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a compact front-loading type luggage handling truck, which is placed on the ground and is separated by the width of the truck so as to be placed on both sides of the chassis and the truck. A pair of abutting front wheels and a pair of rear wheels abutting the ground, which are arranged on both sides of the track and are separated by the width of the track, and a rear portion of which is rotatable to the chassis. A single boom mounted on the vehicle and extending in the front and rear of the truck, with its pivoting motion controlling the height of the boom and raising or lowering the load carrying equipment on one side of the truck. Means for holding the overlying relationship of the wheels of the vehicle and a securing hand for accurately securing the suspension of the wheels of the other pair of the two pairs to the chassis. Has the door, the wheel of one pair of the two pairs of pair, precisely to the chassis, and mounted rotatably, the wheel of the other pair of said two sets of pairs,
At least one of the pair of wheels is steerable by the suspension and rotatably with respect to the chassis, and the boom is above the front and rear wheels on one side of the truck. Having a front end generally lying and offset to provide lateral play of a truck along which the play should be located along the boom and where the play is located, and where the load carrying equipment is located. A front-loading luggage handling truck is provided.

The load carrying facility preferably has a forklift pawl extending forward, but for convenience will be described hereafter. However, other equipment such as a horizontal platform extending forward may be used.

The compact truck of the present invention is 1.7
It has a total width of less than m, preferably in the range of 1.4 m to 1.5 m. The truck has a load capacity in the range of 3 to 4 tons, and has a length (not including a luggage carrier) and a height (including a driver's cab) of about 3 each.
m and 2.2 m. These latter features will appreciate that this truck is very compact as desired for maneuvering within the relatively narrow aisles and corridors of buildings such as warehouses and factories. This truck may have drive and power systems that are conventional for compact forklift trucks and suitable for the required load carrying capacity. Despite the relatively narrow width limitation imposed on the truck, the single boom of the forklift is offset to one side of the truck so that it overlies the wheels on one side of the truck, Sufficient and adequate space is provided laterally of the truck to accommodate the cab where the hand should be located. (Thus, while adjusting the height of the boom, the boom will move up and down along with the cab.) When the height is close to or at the lowest state (that state is The boom is positioned well below the horizontal line-of-sight of the truck driver, with the forklift (or other equipment) provided at the front end of the boom, which is the condition employed for truck movement. Thus, the upright frame or mast construction does not impair the driver's vision. From the above, with the boom down, the height of the truck will be determined by the roll bar on the cab or chassis, and if this height is kept in the 2.2's, It will be appreciated that trucks are unlikely to experience any difficulty in passing underneath the doorways they meet on the premises of factories and warehouses.

Preferably, the boom is telescopically arranged in a well-known manner to be extendable and retractable to adjust the forward reach and / or height of the forklift. Is equipped with. With such a telescopic boom the height of the forklift can be several times higher than the height of the truck,
On the other hand, the possibility of adjusting the track to its compact structure is retained.

It has been considered that the general attitude towards purchasing forklift trucks adopted by the industry minimizes design and manufacturing costs. Therefore, for the forklift truck and the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pair of front wheels are unsuspended and fixed to the chassis, while the rear wheels improve the luggage holding characteristics and ride comfort. Therefore, a suspension (controlled by any one of a mechanical system, a hydraulic system, a pneumatic system, and an electric system) is generally provided. One or both of the front and rear wheels may be steerable, but the rear wheels are preferably steerable. A special feature of the present invention is that the single boom is offset to the maximum limit (to provide sufficient space for the cab) and lies on one wheel of the truck, so that the wheel suspension is Fixing means are provided to fix the truck to the chassis accurately, and all four wheels are fixed to the chassis. The locking means may be driven manually or automatically in response to predetermined characteristics encountered while the truck is in use. The effect of the driven locking means is that the triangular system of support or stability to the chassis, provided by a pair of fixed wheels and a pair of other spring-loaded wheels, provides for all four wheels. When it is fixed to the truck chassis, it is transformed into a square system of support or stability, which results in increased truck stability and a larger moment is required to overturn the truck. Is.

For example, a sophisticated and very sturdy off-road luggage handling vehicle has been previously proposed which engages the ground of the vehicle's chassis, which is spring-suspended. Equipped with equipment for fixing wheels. Usually, this fixed equipment is implemented mechanically or hydraulically, generally using piston and cylinder devices, the wheels are spring-loaded independently, or several wheels are spring-loaded on a common axle. Suspended. Similar fastening means are provided for the appropriate pair of spring suspensions for the front or rear wheels of the compact truck of the present invention. When one of the various predetermined characteristics for the truck and the position of the truck is deemed suitable for safety purposes to improve the stability of the truck, the fastening means are predetermined. In response to the determined characteristics and position of the truck, it may be automatically driven to secure the wheel suspension to the chassis. For example, the fixing of the wheels may be determined by a predetermined elevation of the boom and / or a predetermined length of extension of the telescopic boom, a predetermined speed and a speed at which the truck can move reasonably while performing a load carrying operation. Lower speeds, and at a predetermined tilt angle relative to the chassis. For example, in response to a visual or audible alarm indicating that greater stability is required, even if it is appropriate for the anchoring means to be manually actuated, appropriate property changes and anchoring A sensor is provided that automatically responds to the control action of the means.

The truck is driven by either or both of the front and rear wheels, and the required wheel drive is performed and controlled in the conventional manner for compact industrial forklift vehicles.

From the above description, the truck of the present invention provides a unique combination of features of a compact industrial forklift truck or platform lift truck, and the combination of features is conventional compact industrial forklift truck or It will be appreciated that it offers considerable advantages in terms of load handling, stability and driver's perspective compared to platform lift trucks.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of a forklift truck assembled according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, but this embodiment is merely illustrative.

The illustrated vehicle supports a superstructure consisting of a forwardly arranged driver's cab 2 with an open mesh-shaped top (generally designated by 1 in FIG. 3). ) Is a compact industrial front-loading forklift truck. The driver's cab 2 has a width that is smaller than the overall width of the vehicle and is centerline 3 of the truck.
Offset from (FIGS. 2 and 4) towards one side of the track. The truck has four ground-engaging wheels consisting of front wheels 4 and 5 which are driving wheels rather than a pair of steering wheels and rear wheels 8 and 9 which are a pair of steering wheels. The front wheels are rotatably mounted on an axle 10 that is fixed to the chassis (without a suspension) and are spaced apart by the width of the track to be located on each side of the track. The pair of rear wheels 8 and 9 are rotatably and rotatably attached to an axle 11 (FIG. 3),
The portions are spaced apart by the width of the truck to be placed on either side of the truck and are pivotally adjustable for steering the truck (as indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 2). The axle 11 forms the part of the suspension whose rear wheels are spring-loaded with respect to the chassis 1.
In FIG. 3, the axle 11 is attached to the chassis 1 by a pivot 12 and has a coil spring suspension indicated by the reference numeral 13. The above suspensions have been described for convenience only, and many other types of suspensions may be used for the rear wheels, for example, independently as is well known to those skilled in the art. It may be spring loaded and equipped with hydraulic or active suspension. As shown in FIG. 2, the pair of rear wheels 8 and 9 are aligned with one of the front wheels 4 and 5 in the front-rear direction. The pair of front wheels 4 and 5 are conventionally driven by the engine or electric motor supported by the chassis in the engine compartment 14 behind the driver's cab 2.

The truck has a single telescopic boom 15 extending parallel to the center line 3 and offset from the center line 3 in the front-back direction of the track. The boom 15 is arranged on one side of the truck, generally alongside the driver's cab 2, to lie on the front wheels 5 and the rear wheels 9 on one side of the truck. The boom 15 has its rear end 17 on the chassis attached to the rear portion of the truck by a pivot 16. One or more hydraulic rams (not shown) are provided between the boom and chassis for rotation about pivot 16 to raise the boom from its lowest position.

The boom is formed by two telescopically connected box-shaped parts (a front part 15A and a rear part 15B with an end 17), the two box-shaped parts of which extend. Is controlled in a known manner to extend or retract the length of the boom to change its length, while its elevation angle also changes. In FIG. 5, the boom is shown in the most extended and raised (highest) and most retracted and lowest states, and the phantom line 18
Figures 19 and 19 show the approximate trajectory of the boom's forward end 15C in the most retracted (line 18) and most extended (line 19) cases. When the truck stands in a horizontal plane, the climb trajectory of the unloaded boom 15 is limited to a generally vertical plane in which the front and rear wheels on the same side of the boom are located. .

A horizontal crossbar 20 extends exactly laterally of the truck from the forward end 15C of the boom, and a pair of parallel arms 21 are secured to the crossbar 20 to provide a cross section of the crossbar 20. Extending radially outward. When the boom is at its lowest position, the crossbar 20 will
Located at the level (FIG. 1) below the area of the arm 21
Extends generally downward from the crossbar. An upright forklift frame 23, which extends over substantially the entire width of the truck, is attached to the free end of the arm 21 by a pivot 22. A ram 24 extends between the crossbar 20 and the forklift frame 23, and is pivotally connected to the crossbar 20 and the forklift frame 23 by pivots 25 and 26, respectively. The forklift pawl 27 projects forward of the frame 23,
It is also supported by the frame 23. (The claw 27 may be a portion integrally formed with the frame, or may be adjustable in the lateral direction of the frame 23 of the truck.)
The ram 24 operates when the height of the boom 15 is adjusted (see FIG. 5).
(As shown in FIG. 4), the rotational movement of the forklift frame 23 about the pivot 22 is controlled so that the pawl 27 is held in a substantially horizontal plane. For convenience, the ram 24 operates both as a subordinate automatic control device and as a ram that controls the raising of the boom.

In a typical commercially available vehicle, the forklift truck has a total length of about 3 m excluding the claw 27, a total width of about 1.5 m, and a height above the driver's cab. Is about 2.2 m. The pawls 27 are typically 1 m long and due to the size of the trucks described above, compact size trucks are capable of maneuvering in confined areas such as relatively narrow aisles and corridors. On the other hand, since it can pass under an ordinary doorway, it becomes clear that it is suitable to be used in a warehouse or other factories. Typically, the driver's cab 2 is approximately 1.1 m
Has a width (which is extremely wide enough to comfortably accommodate a driver of average size), so that the boom 15 of the box-shaped portion of the cab 2 is accommodated, about There is a lateral space of 0.4 m. Therefore, boom 1
5 is a rugged structure and other components in the superstructure, such as the gearing and control, which are necessary for both the substantial driving force of the engine or electric motor and both the steering of the vehicle and the driving of the boom. It will be appreciated that sufficient space is available to accommodate the. Generally, a forklift truck is about 3 times when the boom is retracted.
It has a maximum load capacity of 4 tons tons, and that load capacity is the length when the boom is extended most, for example from 3 m which is the length when it is most retracted.
It decreases as it is stretched to m. With proper control of the length and height of the boom 15, the forklift pawls 27 and the goods carried by the forklift are:
It can be moved over a considerable length and height from the truck. Furthermore, over the major part of these maneuver ranges, the driver's front view of the cab 2 is:
Without being blocked by any of the fork frame 23, the legs 21, the crossbar 20 and the ram 24, the driver can always monitor the position of the forklift pawl 27 and the load being carried by the forklift. In particular, from the driver's line-of-sight indicated by reference numeral 30 in FIG. 1, when the boom is retracted and is at or near its lowest state, the driver is substantially unobstructed in the forward field of view (see FIG. 1). It can be seen that the lower engine component 14 and the lower boom position, which have the reference numeral 31), likewise give a good rear view.

For forklifts, safe maneuvering and handling are essential within reasonably practical tolerances, especially when carrying loads. In achieving the objective of providing a compact forklift truck construction, it was necessary to position the boom 15 on one wheel of the vehicle. Therefore, when the boom is loaded, the suspension for the rear wheels 8 and 9 provides a triangular support system for the chassis 1 (which is between the front wheels 4 and 5 and the rear axle and chassis). (Which is a triangle formed by the pivot 12). Therefore, the rigidity of this triangular support is related to the characteristics of the spring 13 of the suspension. These springs provide some comfort for the driver while maneuvering the truck, and can hold four wheels on the ground while the truck travels over shallow, uneven surfaces. However, as the load on the boom increases, the chassis is subjected to a moment of force that tilts the chassis relative to its triangular support system, and the truck approaches an unstable condition. To alleviate this problem, the fixing means 40 is driven, which makes the rear wheels 8 and 9 unsuspended and effectively and rigidly attaches to the chassis 1. This effect translates a triangular support system for the chassis into a square support system provided by a pair of front and rear wheels, and thus compared to a triangular support system.
A greater force moment is required to lose track stability or to overturn the track. In this embodiment, the aforesaid securing means is shown as a pair of rams 40 connecting between the chassis and the rear axle 11 (FIG. 3), in two configurations (in the sense of removing the effect of the spring suspension). The elements can be fixed together. Other types of fastening means 40 can also be used, such as electrically driven mechanical fastening means. Despite the fact that the fastening means is preferably automatically driven in response to a signal generated by a predetermined characteristic of the truck or the position of the truck, it is deemed suitable by the truck driver. When
The fixing means may be driven manually. In view of this latter feature, the fixing means, for example, the telescopic boom of a predetermined elevation and / or length, (the truck is able to travel appropriately while carrying out the operation of carrying a predetermined load). A predetermined truck speed (such as when the truck is traveling at a lower speed than expected), a predetermined tilt angle of the chassis or the chassis and rear axle 11 A sensor (not shown) may be placed at a suitable position on the track to generate a signal for the locking means to be driven in response to a predetermined tilt angle between the and the like.

The truck described and illustrated so far has two sets of wheels in contact with the ground,
One or more pairs of wheels are provided on both sides of the vehicle such that each pair of wheels is generally longitudinally aligned with its corresponding conventional four wheels to increase the load capacity of the truck. Can be provided in each. The added wheels may be rotatably mounted, either fixed or suspended to the chassis, but in the latter case a fixing means similar to that shown at 40. Is added to the added wheels. Further, each wheel of the pair of front wheels or the pair of rear wheels can be replaced with a pair of wheels to increase the load capacity of the truck.

If the forklift is not operated while handling loads, a stabilizer (outrigger) (not shown) engages the ground from the chassis to improve truck stability. It may be supported on the chassis to temporarily extend into position.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, the driver's view is not obstructed, and the forklift which can be accommodated is provided, which is suitable for entering / leaving the entrance / exit of an appropriate height of the factory building. A compact luggage truck is provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a truck with a retractable boom in a retracted and lowest position.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a truck.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the truck.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a truck.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a truck that schematically illustrates the length of extension and the range of heights that a forklift of a retractable boom can utilize.

FIG. 6 is a side view seen from the opposite side of the truck.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 chassis 2 driver's cab 3 centerline 4, 5 front wheels 8, 9 rear wheels 10 axles 14 engine compartment 15 boom 15A boom front part 15B boom rear part 15C boom front end 16 pivot 17 boom rear end Part 18, 19 Imaginary line 20 Crossbar 21 Arm 22 Pivot 23 Forklift frame 24 Ram 25, 26 Pivot 27 Forklift claw 30 Driver's line of sight 31 Driver's forward view 40 Fixing means

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) Reference JP-A-53-32511 (JP, A) JP-A-48-51421 (JP, A) JP-A-51-68022 (JP, A) JP-A-3- 61296 (JP, A) Actual opening 51-69225 (JP, U) Actual opening 51-59011 (JP, U) Actual opening Sho 50-12415 (JP, U) Actual opening Sho 49-36622 (JP, U) Japanese Patent Publication Sho 55-20993 (JP, B2)

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. A compact front-loading luggage handling truck, comprising: a chassis and a pair of ground-contacting trucks, which are spaced apart by the width of the truck so as to be placed on both sides of the truck. A front wheel, a pair of rear wheels, which are arranged on both sides of the track and are spaced apart by the width of the track, and which are in contact with the ground, and are rotatably mounted on the chassis at their rear portions, And a single boom extending in the front and rear of the truck, on the wheels on one side of the truck to control the height of the boom by its pivoting movement and to raise or lower the load carrying equipment. A powered means for maintaining a lying relationship with the chassis and a securing means for accurately securing the suspension of the wheel of the other pair of the two pairs to the chassis. The pair of wheels of one of the two pairs are mounted on the chassis in a precise and rotatable manner, and the pair of wheels of the other pair of the two pairs are attached to the chassis by the suspension. And rotatably mounted, at least one of said pair of wheels being steerable, said boom generally lying above said front and rear wheels on one side of said truck and along said boom. Front load, characterized in that it has a front end which is offset to provide lateral play of the truck in which the play in which the driver is to be located is arranged and in which the load carrying equipment is arranged. Handling truck. 2. The load carrying facility has a forklift pawl extending forward.
Pre-loaded luggage handling truck described in. 3. A front-loading luggage handling truck according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the overall width is in the range 1.4 m to 1.5 m. 4. The front-loading type luggage handling truck according to claim 1, wherein the length of the vehicle body not including the length of the luggage carrying facility is approximately 3 m. 5. A driver's cab is provided in a play space in which the driver is to be located, the boom is aligned with the driver's cab, the height of the boom is adjustable, and the boom is on the wheel on one side. The front-loading luggage handling truck according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which lies down. 6. The height of the entire boom is about 2.2 m when the boom is at its lowest position.
Pre-loaded luggage handling truck described in. 7. The at least two booms are retractable and extendable and retractable to adjust forward reach and / or height of the load carrying equipment. A front-loading luggage handling truck according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises a portion. 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the suspension of the other wheel of the two pairs is implemented or controlled by any one of a mechanical system, a hydraulic system, a pneumatic system, and an electric system. 7. The front-loading type luggage handling truck according to any one of 7. 9. A front-loading luggage handling truck as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fixing means are manually operable to fix the suspension of the wheel. 10. The locking means is automatically actuated to lock the suspension of the wheel in response to a signal derived from a sensor responsive to changes in predetermined characteristics and position of the truck. The front-loading luggage handling truck according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein 11. The fixed means comprises a predetermined elevation angle of the boom, a predetermined extension length of a telescopic boom, a predetermined range of speed of the truck,
And automatically actuated in response to a signal provided by the track or by at least one of the predetermined tilt angles experienced in the track. Front-loading luggage handling truck. 12. The front-loading luggage handling truck according to claim 1, wherein the rear wheel is installed by the suspension. 13. The front-loading luggage handling truck according to claim 1, wherein at least the rear wheels are steerable.