US2387744A

US2387744A - Fork lift truck

Info

Publication number: US2387744A
Application number: US591044A
Authority: US
Inventors: George L Clapp
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1945-04-30
Filing date: 1945-04-30
Publication date: 1945-10-30
Anticipated expiration: 1962-10-30

Description

Oct. 30, 1945. v CLAPP 2,387,744

FORK LIFT TRUCK Filed April 30, 1945 IN V EN TOR.

crane.

Patented Oct. 30, 1945 UNITED TATES- PATENT 8 OFFICE Pasco,-Wash.

Application April 30, 1945, Serial No. 591,044

2 Claims. (Cl. 214-65)- Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

' amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. '757) The invention described herein, if patented may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to industrial trucks of the fork-lift type and refers specifically to an attachment thereto whereby a conventional fork-' lift truck may be temporarily converted into a An object of this invention is to provide a I means which will enable quick and easy conversion and reconversion from fork-lift truck to crane and vice versa.

Another object is to provide a means for temporarily converting a fork-lift truck which does not require the use of bolts or similar fastening devices. v 7

Further objects, advantages andfeatures will be apparent from the following specification read in conjimction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the front of a fork-lift truck equipped with the crane assembly 01' my invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the crane assembly of my invention showing the manner in which it fits on the truck lifting fingers, and

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines 8-4 of Figure .2.

Industrial trucks of the fork-lift type are used in 'warehouses, factories and docks to move matriel from one point to another. The materiel is carried on pallets which are picked up by lift- In the movement of materiel from one location .to another, especially in warehouses, efficient use of storage space requires that as many articles as possible be piled tier upon tier. Articles of more compact dimensions present little difficulty. Howevenin the case of elongated articles, it is tachment whereby the conventional fork-lift truck may be temporarily converted to a crane, thus dispensing with the requirement for additional warehouse equipment. The crane is used to move materiel which cannot beadequately handled by the fork-lift truck operating in the normal manner.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, and more specifically to Figure 1 thereof, the front of a conventional fork-lift truck has been shown to more clearly illustrate the relationship which the attachment of my invention bears thereto. The truck, indicated generally by the numeral i, is provided at its forward end with drive wheels 2. Lifting mechanism supports 3 are attached to the front of the truck by brackets 4. Substantially. L-shaped lifting fingers 5 are. pivotally mounted on a shaft 6 which is mounted in a frame 1. The frame 1 comprises a pair of vertica1 plates 24 and a bracket 25 in which the shaft 6 is supported. This frame I is attached to the lifting mechanism of the fork-lift truck which is mounted between the supports 3. In the conventional the horizontal.

' ingfingers mounted at. the front of the truck. a

difficult and sometimes impossible to stack them veryhigh. by using the conventional fork-lift truclrin the conventional manner.

Thusit may be seen that the normal use of the conventionalfork-lift truck is limited in its scope. Other'equipment must be available to properly handle articles which do not readily lend themselves tohandling by fork-lift trucks. An object' of my invention, therefore, is to provide an atfork-lift truck, vertical arms 26 of the lifting fingers 5 normally rest against the vertical plates 24.

Generally speaking, the attachment which enables the truck to operate as a crane comprises two basic assemblies, a heel support 8 and a boom extension 8. The heel support 8 cants the lifting fingers 5 at a fixed angle of inclination from The boom extension 9 is mounted on the free end of the lifting fingers 5 and forms an extension thereof.

The heel support 8 is metal casting comprising side frames l0 and II with lugs I 2 and I3 projecting from the upper rear ends thereof, a rear plate I! and a front plate I5 disposed at the rear and front respectively between said side frames.

The boom extension 9 is a metal casting comprising a frame I 6, an upper center cross member I! and a lower center cross member l8 disposed between the sides of the frame H5 at the center thereof, an upper rear cross member I 8 and a lower rear cross member 20 disposed be-. tween the sides of the frame l8 at the base thereof, and stops 2| disposed between the upper and the lower center cross members I! and I8 and adjacent each inner wall of the frame iii. An eye bolt 22 is mounted at the apex of the frame 16. To it may be connected any suitable mechanism 23 for engaging the wor In preparing the fork-lift truck for 'use as a crane, the heel support 8 is installed first. It is threaded upon the lifting fingers 5 with its rear 2 Y ase'mee I firmly supports the lifting fingers t in position at a fixed angle of inclination from the horizontal.

The boom extension 9 is mounted on the free end of the lifting fingers 5 by threading the frame l8 upon the fingers, with the .cross member l9 above and the cross member 20 beneath the fingers, until the tips of the fingers contact the stops 2| projecting inwardly from the frame It at a point adjacent the center cross members i1 and I8, as shown in Figure 3. Due to the angle of inclination of the lifting fingers, no bol ts or similar means are necessary to maintain .the boom extension in position. The apex of the frame It of the boom extension 9 is provided with a conventional means, such as an eye bolt 22, for supporting a tong assembly 23 or some similar means for engaging the object or article to be moved.

Only a very few minutes are required to convert the truck for use as a crane. No bolts or similar locking or securing devices are necessary when installing the boom extension and the heel support. The heel support is constructed so that any downward or rearward force exerted on the lifting fingers or on the heel support is transmitted to the vertical plates 24, thus locking the heel support more securely'in place. Movement of the boom extension 9 along the longitudinal axis of the lifting fingers 5 is limited by the stops 2| and by the angle of inclination of the liftin fingers themselves. Movement of the boom extension along the vertical axis of the lifting fingersis limited by the center cross members I! and I8, and the rear cross members l8 and 20.

/ and a frame to which the end of one arm of said load carrying meniber is connected: of a support," 5 upon which said lead carrying member rests, for canting said laterally extending load carrying when in position. the heel support 8 supports the lifting fingers I at a fixed angle of inclination from the horizontal. In order that the greatest possible operating range of the fork lift truck lifting mechanism in the vertical plane be utilized. it is preferred that this canting be suflicient to permit the work-engaging mechanism 23 to clear the floor or ground when the lifting fingers have been moved to their 'lowestposition in the vertical plane.

I claim:

1. The combinatiomwith a lift truck having a vertically movable, substantially L-shaped, load carrying member extending laterally therefrom,

member at a predetermined angle with respect to said frame, said support comprising an apertured frame threaded upon said load carrying member and having a portion thereof disposed between said member and said frame; and means mounted on the free end of said load carrying member to support a load grasping means.

2. The combination, with a lift truck having a vertically movable, substantially L-shaped, load carrying member extending laterally therefrom, and a frame to which the end of orie arm of said load carrying member is connected of a support, upon which saidload carrying member rests, for canting said laterally extending load-carrying member at a predetermined angle with respect to said frame, said support comprising an apertured frame threaded upon said load carrying member and having a portion thereof disposed between said member and said frame adjacent the juncture of the arms I of the substantially L-shaped load carrying member; and means mounted on the free end of said load carrying member to support a load grasping means.

GEORGE L. CLAPP.