JPH08133696A - Pusher device for forklift - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a pusher device which can prevent the runaway of a load at the time of extruding a face plate and which can appropriately perform the loading work for pulling a load onto a fork for loading. CONSTITUTION: A clamp unit 18 for gripping a pallet so as to prevent the runaway of a load is provided under a central part of a face plate 7. The face plate 7 is supported by a pantograph mechanism 8 through a cam member 16 and a support roller 15 freely to be displaced upward, and the clamp unit 18 is fitted to the face plate 7 through a hoisting rod 26 and a compression coil spring 27 freely to be displaced downward, and the clamp unit 18 is always held at a position matched with the fork height so that the clamp unit 18 can follow the pallet when a fork is moved up and down under the condition that the pallet is gripped.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pusher device for a forklift, which is mainly used for loading and unloading cargo on trucks and freight cars.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional pusher device for a forklift known as one of the attachments of a forklift is an upright which moves up and down together with a fork on the front side of a finger bar for hooking a fork fixed to a lift bracket which moves up and down along a mast. Equipped with a face plate. This face plate is moved in the front-rear direction via a pantograph mechanism that is expanded and contracted by a push cylinder, and is generally used in such a form that the load on the fork is pushed forward by the face plate together with the pallet. Incidentally, a push-pull device is known as a device similar to the above-mentioned pusher device, but this is mainly used for loading and unloading a sheet pallet, and the pusher device is mainly a wooden product having a fork insertion port. The two differ in that they are used for cargo handling of resin or iron pallets.

[0003]

However, according to the conventional pusher device, when the load is pushed out by the face plate together with the pallet onto the loading platform of a truck or a freight car, the load is usually runaway due to the frictional resistance on the upper surface of the loading platform. However, for example, when carrying out a cargo handling work such as unloading a load on a roller conveyor and pushing it out forward, if the face plate is operated incorrectly, the load may run away.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to prevent runaway of a load when a load is pushed out by a face plate and only to push out the load. Another object of the present invention is to provide a pusher device for a forklift truck, which is capable of carrying out a cargo handling work in which cargo is pulled in on a fork and loaded.

[0005]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is configured as follows. That is, according to the invention of claim 1, a mast, an elevating member capable of ascending and descending along the mast, a fork fixed to the elevating member, and the elevating member for pushing the load on the fork together with the pallet forward. A pusher device for a forklift including a face plate mounted so as to be movable back and forth, wherein a clamp unit capable of gripping a girder of the pallet is provided below the face plate, and the clamp unit is vertically displaced. It is characterized in that a clamp unit supporting device is provided for supporting the fork height at a position that always matches the fork height.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the pusher device for a forklift according to the first aspect, the clamp unit supporting device supports the face plate at a required height position while allowing the face plate to be displaced upward. It is characterized by comprising a supporting means and a clamp unit supporting means for supporting the clamp unit at a position aligned with the fork height while permitting downward displacement.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the pusher device for a forklift according to the first aspect, the clamp unit supporting device suspends and supports the clamp unit so as to be vertically movable with respect to the face plate. And an elastic member that is elastically deformable and that supports the clamp unit at a position that matches the height of the fork.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the pusher device for a forklift according to the second aspect, the face plate supporting means is a supporting member provided on a pantograph mechanism for supporting the face plate so as to be movable back and forth, and the face member. The face plate is provided on the plate and when the face plate is within the fork length range, the face plate is held at a required height by engaging with the support member so as to be separable from above. And a cam member that allows the face plate to be displaced downward by being disengaged from the support member when displaced forward.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the pusher device for a forklift according to the second aspect, the clamp unit supporting means urges the clamp unit mounted on the face plate so as to be vertically movable upward, and is elastic. And a stopper member that is provided on the face plate and abuts against a part of the clamp unit from above to support the clamp unit at a position aligned with the fork height.

[0010]

In the pusher device for a forklift according to the invention of claim 1 configured as described above, when pushing out a load by the face plate, the girder of the pallet is held by the clamp unit provided on the face plate. By fixing the to the face plate, the runaway of the luggage due to the pushing out of the face plate is avoided. Further, the clamp unit is used for cargo handling work in which loads are pulled and loaded on a fork.
That is, in this work mode, the face plate is moved forward, the girders of the pallet are held by the clamp unit, and then the face plate is pulled backward. It becomes possible to load.

During the above-mentioned work, the clamp unit is held at a height position aligned with the fork unless an external force acts in the vertical direction, so that the fork and the clamp unit can be inserted into the fork insertion port of the pallet without any trouble. . Further, since the clamp unit is allowed to be displaced in the vertical direction by the face plate supporting device, the clamp unit follows the movement of the pallet in the vertical direction in the pallet holding state. That is, the clamp unit corresponds to the relative vertical displacement between the fork and the pallet when the fork is moved up and down while holding the pallet.

Further, in the pusher device for a forklift according to the invention of claim 2, since the clamp unit is always held at the height position aligned with the fork, the fork and the clamp unit with respect to the fork insertion port of the pallet are held. The pallet gripping can be performed without any hindrance, and can be displaced together with the face plate through the face plate supporting means in the upward direction and can be independently displaced through the clamp unit supporting means in the downward direction. In the state, it follows the vertical movement of the pallet and responds to the relative vertical displacement of the fork and pallet.

In the pusher device for a forklift according to the third aspect of the present invention, the clamp unit suspended vertically by the suspension rod is always held by the elastic member at a position aligned with the fork height. Therefore, the fork and the clamp unit can be inserted into the fork insertion opening of the pallet without any hindrance over the entire movement range of the face plate, and when the fork is moved up and down while holding the pallet, the elastic member does not move. By doing so, it follows the pallet and is displaced, corresponding to the vertical relative displacement between the fork and the pallet.

In the pusher device of the forklift according to the invention of claim 4, when the face plate is within the range of the fork length, the face plate is held at the required height via the cam member that engages with the support member of the pantograph. Since the clamp unit is held at a position matching the height of the fork, the fork and the clamp unit can be inserted into the fork insertion opening of the pallet without any trouble. On the other hand, when the face plate is moved forward beyond the tip of the fork, the cam member is disengaged from the support member, so that the face plate is displaced downward. Therefore, the clamp unit can obtain a large amount of displacement by adding the displacement through the face plate to the downward displacement of itself, so that the vertical direction between the fork and the pallet during the pushing operation of the load by the face plate is large. It can handle relative movement.

Further, in the pusher device for a forklift according to the invention of claim 5, since the clamp unit is urged upward by the elastic member and pressed against the stopper member, the clamp unit is held at a position aligned with the fork height.
A stable support form without rattling can be obtained.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. First, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The perspective view of FIG. 1 and the side view of FIG. 2 show an outline of a pusher device for a forklift according to this embodiment. As shown in the drawing, a pair of left and right forks 4 are hooked via hooks 5 to a pair of upper and lower finger bars 3 fixed to a lift bracket 2 that can be raised and lowered along a mast 1 of the forklift. The finger bar 3 constitutes an elevating member.

The lattice-shaped face plate 7 for pushing out the load on the fork 4 is arranged in front of the finger bar 3 in an upright state, and at the same time, the finger bar 3 is provided.
Is supported by a pair of left and right expandable pantograph mechanisms 8 on a columnar holder 6 with a groove that is erected on the left and right ends of the front surface of the fork, and is moved back and forth on the fork 4 by a pair of left and right push cylinders 9. Has become.

An end portion of the link of the pantograph mechanism 8 on the holder side is vertically movably mounted via a roller 11 rolling inside the holder 6, and a lower end side of the link is rotatably attached to the holder 6 by a pin 10. Is attached to. On the other hand, at the end portion of the link on the face plate side, both upper and lower end portions, rollers 13U that roll inside the upright channel-shaped rail member 12 formed on the face plate 7,
13L is provided, and the moving range of the lower roller 13L is restricted by the upper and lower stoppers 14U and 14L. That is, the face plate 7 can be moved up and down with respect to the pantograph mechanism 8 within a range regulated by the stoppers 14U and 14L, and the face plate support means can always move the face plate 7 up and down at a required height position, preferably. The lower surface of the face plate 7 is horizontally moved in the front-rear direction while being supported at a position with a slight gap with respect to the upper surface of the fork 4.

The face plate support means is provided on the left and right support rollers 15 as support members provided on the left and right links at the forefront of the pantograph mechanism 8 and on the face plate 7 so that the support rollers 15 can be separated from above. The left and right cam members 16 are engaged with each other. The cam member 16 is provided on the rear surface of the tie bar 17 which is horizontally stretched between the left and right rail members 12 of the face plate 7 so as to project rearward in a substantially horizontal manner, and the engaging surface 16a with the support roller 15 has a pantograph mechanism. The face plate 7 is formed into a curved surface shape capable of absorbing the vertical movement due to the expansion and contraction of 8 and always holding the face plate 7 at a constant height position, and the protruding rear end portion side is formed into an upwardly inclined shape.

When the face plate 7 is within the length of the fork 4, the cam member 16 engages with the support roller 15 so that the face plate 7 has the required height. Although held at the position, when the face plate 7 moves forward beyond the tip of the fork, the cam member 16 is disengaged from the support roller 15 and allows the face plate 7 to be displaced downward due to its own weight. The face plate 7 displaced downward is held at a position where the upper stopper 14L is in contact with the lower roller 13L, and when the face plate 7 is pulled in, the protruding rear end of the cam member 16 is placed on the support roller 15 via the inclined surface. It will return to the initial position by climbing up.

A clamp unit 18 for gripping a pallet, specifically, for gripping a central girder 33a of the pallet 33 is installed at the lower center end on the back side of the face plate 7. It is arranged between the forks 4 so as not to interfere with the forks 4. Hereinafter, the clamp unit 18 will be described based on the plan view of FIG. 3 and the side view of FIG. The clamp unit 18 includes a clamp holder 19 arranged on the lower back side of the face plate 7.

The clamp holder 19 is the face plate 7
And a pair of left and right rear plates 19a disposed between the left and right rail members 12 and attached to the rail member 12 via a pair of upper and lower rollers 20 so as to be vertically movable. A clamp rail 21, which is composed of a front plate 19b to be coupled with the rear plate 19a and has a rectangular cross section, is horizontally extended between lower portions of the rear plate 19a.

A pair of left and right clamp arms 22 are slidably attached to the clamp rails 21 so that they can be opened and closed, and the tip ends of the clamp arms 22 pass through the lower surface of the face plate 7 to the front. The clamp pad 23 made of a cushioning material such as rubber is fixed to the opposite end surface of the tip portion of the clamp pad 23 while protruding a predetermined amount. That is, in this embodiment, the clamp arm 22 is closed in the gripping direction, and the pallet 33 is inserted into the fork insertion slot to grip the central girder 33a. Therefore, the vertical thickness of the clamp arm 22 is set to be approximately the same as the thickness of the fork 4.

A hydraulic clamp cylinder 24 is used in this embodiment as an actuator for moving the clamp arm 22 along the clamp rail 21 to open and close it. The clamp cylinder 24 is hung on both clamp arms 22. It is connected in a hand-over form. That is, the clamp cylinder 24 is arranged in parallel with the clamp rail 21 above the base portions of the left and right clamp arms 22, and the base end portion and the rod end portion of the bracket 25 are erected on the upper surfaces of the base portions of both clamp arms 22. Each has pin 2
It is connected via 4a and is operable on the driver's seat.

Then, the clamp unit 18 having the above structure
The clamp arm 22 is held at a position aligned with the fork height while being allowed to move downward by the clamp unit support means. The clamp unit support means is a left and right suspension rod 26 that suspends the clamp holder 19 so as to be vertically movable with respect to the face plate 7, and an elastically deformable elastic member that holds the clamp unit 18 at a position aligned with the fork height. And left and right compression coil springs 27.

The suspension rod 26 has screws at both upper and lower ends, extends vertically through a hole of a horizontal bracket 28 projecting from the lower outer surface of the left and right rail members 12, and has a lower end screw. Part is fastened with a nut 30 to a bracket 29 that horizontally protrudes from the front surface of the lower extension of the clamp holder 19, and a spring receiver 31 and a bracket that are fastened with a nut 32 to the upper end screw part thereof. It is urged upward by a compression coil spring 27 for lifting, which is interposed between the compression coil spring 27 and the coil 28.

In the clamp unit 18 suspended by the suspension rod 26 and biased upward by the compression coil spring 27 as described above, the lower roller 20 provided on the rear plate 19a is always provided on the rail member 12. Lower stopper 1
4L lower surface pressing contact, that is, clamp arm 2
2 is held at a position matching the fork height, with downward displacement allowed, and without wobbling.

As described above, in this embodiment, the clamp unit 18 is displaced in the upward direction via the face plate 7 supported by the face plate supporting means, and the clamp unit 18 is supported by the clamp unit supporting means. The face plate support means and the clamp unit support means are always in a position that is aligned with the fork height while allowing the clamp unit 18 to be displaced in the vertical direction. It constitutes a clamp unit supporting device for supporting.

Thus, in the clamp unit 18 according to the present embodiment, a floating support mechanism is employed in which the clamp arm 22 can freely move vertically and horizontally.
As a result, the pallet 33 by the clamp arm 22
The central girder 33a is gripped on the basis of the pallet, and in the gripped state of the pallet 33, the relative movement between the pallet 33 and the fork 4 is absorbed.

The pusher device for a forklift according to this embodiment is constructed as described above, and its operation and effect will be described below. In the empty state, the face plate 7 has the cam member 16 supporting roller 1 of the pantograph mechanism 8.
5, the clamp unit 18 is held at a required height position, and in the clamp unit 18, the lower roller 20 of the clamp holder 19 is connected via the compression coil spring 27 to the lower stopper 14L.
The position where the lower surface is pressed, that is, the clamp arm 22 is held at a position that matches the height of the fork.

Therefore, in this state, when the fork 4 is picked up by inserting the fork 4 into the fork insertion port of the pallet 33 on which the load W is loaded as shown in FIG. The clamp arm 22 is inserted without contacting the end surface of the pallet 33. And
After inserting the clamp arm 22, the clamp cylinder 24 is operated and the central girder 33a is gripped by the clamp arm 22, whereby the pallet 33 is fixed to the face plate 7 side. At this time, the clamp arm 22 that can move freely to the left and right performs the gripping action on the basis of the pallet 33, so that an unreasonable external force is applied to the pallet 33.

In addition, when the fork 4 is lifted to lift the load W as shown in FIG. 5B in the gripped state, or the fork 4 is moved to lower the transferred load W as shown in FIG. 5C. When the fork 4 is lowered, the fork 4 relatively moves with respect to the pallet 33 in the pallet insertion port, but the clamp unit 18 is displaced upwards via the face plate 7 with respect to the fork 4, and itself is downwardly moved. Corresponding to the above relative movement by displacing independently,
It is possible to prevent unreasonable external force from acting on the pallet 33.

The clamp unit 18 holding the pallet 33, when the load W is lowered onto the roller conveyor R and pushed forward by the face plate 7 as shown in FIG. 5C, the face plate 7 is pushed forward. Even if 7 is accidentally operated vigorously, runaway of the pallet 33 fixed to the face plate 7 side by the clamp unit 18 can be prevented.

By the way, during the actual pushing operation of the load W by the face plate 7, the fork 4 should be positioned in the forward tilted posture or the rearward tilted posture, or should be positioned higher than the roller conveyor R even if it is horizontal. Can be considered. Therefore, if the face plate 7 is pushed out in such a state, when the pallet 33 is transferred onto the roller conveyor R, the clamp pallet 18 due to the height difference between the fork height and the roller conveyor height.
There is a risk that the pallet 33 gripped at will be damaged by external force.

Therefore, in view of the above matters, in the present embodiment, when the face plate 7 moves forward beyond the range of the length of the fork 4, as shown in FIG. It is set so that it can be removed from. As a result, the face plate 7 can be displaced downward not only in the upward direction but also in the downward direction within the range regulated by the stopper member in the state where the face plate 7 has passed near the tip of the fork. Is large. Therefore, when the load W is pushed out, the clamp unit 18 can be adapted to the variation in the height of the roller conveyor 34 and the height of the fork.

On the other hand, in the working mode in which the cargo W placed in a recessed position where the fork 4 cannot reach is pulled in together with the pallet 33, the face plate 7 is similar to the above when the tip of the fork 4 is crossed. As the cam member 16 is disengaged from the support roller 15, the cam member 16 is displaced downward by its own weight.
Is returned to the initial position as it rides on the support roller 15, the clamp arm 22 is aligned with the fork height, and the fork 4 is smoothly inserted into the pallet 33 without interference.

As described above, according to the pusher device of this embodiment, when the face plate 7 pushes out a load, the pallet 33 is fixed to the face plate 7 side through the clamp arm 22 so that the pallet 33 is placed on the roller conveyor R. Since the runaway of the pushed-out load W can be avoided and the clamp arm 22 is always held at a position matching the height of the fork, the clamp arm 22 and the fork 4 are held against the pallet 33 when loading the load.
It is possible to insert without interfering with each other, and the pulling operation can be optimized.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
It will be described based on. In this embodiment, the clamp unit 18 is provided with brackets 7 of the face plate 7 via left and right suspension rods 34 provided upright on the brackets 19a at both left and right ends of the clamp holder 19.
a as an elastic member interposed between the head portion 34a of the hanging rod 34 and the bracket 7a and between the bracket 7a and the bracket 19a of the clamp holder 19 in a state of being movably suspended in a. The compression coil springs 35 and 36 are supported at a position matching the fork height.

That is, the suspension rod 34 and the compression coil springs 35 and 36 constitute a clamp unit supporting device, and the face plate 7 is attached to the pantograph mechanism 8 so as not to move vertically in this embodiment. To be In this case, the upper compression coil spring 35 that receives the weight of the clamp unit 18 has a higher spring constant than the lower compression coil spring 36 that does not receive it.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, the clamp unit 18 can be held at the position which always matches the fork height over the entire range of the front-back movement of the face plate 7. Therefore, as in the case of the above-mentioned embodiment,
When the load W is pushed out by the face plate 7, the central girder 33a of the pallet 33 can be gripped to avoid the runaway of the load W, and in the working mode of pulling the load W onto the fork 4, the fork 4 does not reach. Even when the baggage W in the deep position is pulled in, the fork 4 can be inserted into the fork insertion port of the pallet 33 without any trouble. Further, when the fork 4 is moved up and down while holding the central girder 33a of the pallet 33, the clamp unit 18 moves the compression coil springs 35, 36.
It is possible to respond to the relative displacement of the fork 4 and the pallet 33 in the vertical direction by following the displacement of the pallet 33 against the above.

FIG. 9 shows still another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the face plate 7 is vertically movable with respect to the pantograph mechanism 8, and
The upper stopper member 14U provided on the rail member 12 of the face plate 7 is the lower roller 1 of the pantograph mechanism 8.
It is configured to be supported by contacting the 3L from above. Further, the clamp unit 18 is hung from the bracket 7a of the face plate 7 via the left and right suspension rods 26 provided upright on the brackets 19a at the left and right ends of the clamp holder 19, and the rod heads 26a and The roller 20 under the clamp holder 19 is urged upward by the compression coil spring 27 interposed between the rail member 1 and the bracket 7a.
It is configured to be pressed against the lower surface of the stopper member 14L at the lower part of 2.

That is, in this embodiment, the clamp unit 18 is configured so that it can be displaced upward through the face plate 7 and itself can be displaced downward, and the stopper member 14 and the lower roller 13L. And constitute face plate support means, and the suspension rod 26 and the compression coil spring 27 constitute clamp unit support means. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the embodiment shown in FIGS.

[0043]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention,
When pushing the load on the fork forward with the pusher device and the load is placed on a place where the load is slippery like a roller conveyor, the clamp unit is operated to push the pallet to the faceplate side while pushing it out. As a result, runaway of luggage can be prevented and the safety of cargo handling work can be improved. On the other hand, during a cargo handling operation in which the load is pulled onto the fork, the clamp unit can be held at a position that matches the height of the fork. It can be carried out.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a main part of a pusher device with a clamp unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing an outline of a pusher device.

FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view showing a clamp unit.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of a clamp unit.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing an operation mode of the pusher device,
(A) shows a mode of inserting the fork and clamp unit into the pallet, (B) shows a mode in which the pallet is gripped and then lifted, and (C) shows a mode in which the pallet is gripped and lowered onto the roller conveyor.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing an operation mode when the face plate moves beyond the tip of the fork.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the same.

FIG. 9 is a side view showing still another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Mast 2 ... Lift bracket 4 ... Fork 6 ... Holder 7 ... Face plate 8 ... Pantograph mechanism 12 ... Rail member 13U, 13L ... Upper and lower rollers 14U, 14L ... Upper and lower stoppers 15 ... Support roller 16 ... Cam member 18 ... Clamp Unit 22 ... Clamp arm 26 ... Suspension rod 27 ... Compression coil spring

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A mast, an elevating member capable of ascending and descending along the mast, a fork fixed to the elevating member, and a fore-and-aft movement to the elevating member so as to push a load on the fork together with a pallet forward. A pusher device for a forklift having a face plate attached, wherein a clamp unit capable of gripping a girder of the pallet is provided below the face plate, and the clamp unit is allowed to be displaced in a vertical direction. A pusher device for a forklift equipped with a clamp unit support device that always supports the position that matches the fork height. 2. A state in which the clamp unit supporting device supports the face plate at a required height position while allowing the face plate to be displaced upward, and a state in which the clamp unit is allowed to be displaced downward. 2. The pusher device for a forklift according to claim 1, further comprising a clamp unit supporting means for supporting the fork at a position matching the fork height. 3. The clamp unit supporting device suspends and supports the clamp unit so as to be vertically movable with respect to the face plate, and elastically deforms to support the clamp unit at a position aligned with a fork height. The pusher device for a forklift according to claim 1, wherein the pusher device comprises a movable elastic member. 4. The face plate support means is provided on a pantograph mechanism for supporting the face plate so as to be movable back and forth, and a support member provided on the face plate, the face plate being within the range of the fork length. In some cases, the face plate is held at a required height by engaging the support member so as to be separable from above, and when the face plate is displaced forward of the fork, the face plate is separated from the support member to thereby move the face plate. The pusher device for a forklift according to claim 2, wherein the pusher device comprises a cam member that allows downward displacement of the shaft. 5. The clamp unit support means includes an elastic member that is attached to the face plate so as to be movable up and down and urges the clamp unit upward, and is provided on the face plate and part of the clamp unit. 3. The pusher device for a forklift according to claim 2, further comprising a stopper member that abuts from above and supports the clamp unit at a position aligned with the fork height.