US2690272A - Rotating load platform for lift trucks - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 28, 1954 QUAYLE ROTATING LOAD PLATFORM FOR LIFT TRUCKS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 11, 1949 #6 ATTORNEY Sept. 28, 1954 G. F. QUAYLE ROTATING LOAD PLATFORM FOR LIFT TRUCKS Filed March 11, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Sept. 28, 1954 QUAYLE 2,690,272

ROTATING LOAD PLATFORM'FOR LIFT TRUCKS Filed March 11, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 'ATTORNEY p 28, 1954 F. QUAYLE 2,690,272

ROTATING LOAD PLATFORM FOR LIFT TRUCKS Filed Sarah 11, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR W E W ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 28, 1954 ROTATING LOAD PLATFORM FOR LIFT TRUCKS George F. Quayle, Philadelphia, Pa, assignor to The Yale & Towne Manufacturing Company, Stamford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application March 11, 1949, Serial No. 80,891

Claims.

1 This invention relates to an industrial truck of the type in which a load carrier is moved vertically on uprights or the like, and is adapted to be rotated whereby to dump a load carried thereby. There are numerous structures of the particular class in the prior art, and in general the load car-- rier rotating means take the form of a hydraulic or electric motor in operating relation to a part of the carrier.

It is apparent that when a hydraulic motor is utilized in an arrangement of the particular class, hydraulic l nes must extend between the motor and a part of the main frame, with the lines flexing so that the motor together with the carrier may move vertically. Obviously, an arrangement of this type is objectionable because it is dimcult to mount the hydraulic lines so that they will not be damaged during the vertical movement of the carrier, and so that they will not interfere with the operation of the truck.

Where an electric motor is used, it is obvious that in addition to the expense of supplying an electric motonit is necessary to run electric wires to the motor from the main frame of the truck to supply the power, and that these lines must, of course, allow for a vertical movement of the load carrier relatively to the truck.

Some prior art trucks utilize an electric motor and a hydraulic motor both mounted on the moving carriage, with the electric motor operating a pump for generating the hydraulic pressure used by the hydraulic motor. This arrangement is used where it is desired to have the advantages of a hydraulic operation of the load without requiring long hydraulic lines extending to the main frame of the truck.

As my invention, I have conceived a structure whereby it is possible to rotate what I call a load carrier through means that are operative incidental to the normal linear movement of the load carrier on the'usual uprights or the like of a truck of the particular class. Thus, it is a feature of my invention that the mere linear movement of the load carrier relatively to the main frame of the truck will effect the actuation of means for rotating the load carrier.

More particularly, a feature of my invention resides in the utilization of a flexible member, preferably a sprocket chain, reeved over a series of rotating wheels, which will be sprockets where a chain is used, there being at least one sprocket for rotating the load carrier. So long as the rotating load carrier is predisposed against rotation, its linear movement will carry the flexible member with it, and this flexible member will rotate certain of the wheels over which it is reeved. When the flexible member is held against movement relatively to certain of the wheels over which it is reeved, and the load carrier moves linearly relatively to the main frame, it is obvious that the carrier rotating wheel or sprocket must then be rotated. This rotation is effective to rotate the load carrier.

As a further particular feature of my invention, means are provided for locking the flexible member, or the sprocket chain where that is used, against movement. As a more particular feature of this part of the invention, the locking means are in the form of a brake for one of the wheels. By applying this brake with varying degrees of pressure, the speed of rotation of the load carrier is readily and well controlled, as will be quite apparent.

As a further feature of my invention, I utilize novel means, preferably guide rollers, for yieldingly maintaining the load carrier against rotation during normal vertical movement thereof.

I have thus outlined rather broadly the more important features of my invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that my contribution to the art may be better appreciaed. There are, of course, additional features of my invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of the claims ap pended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception on which my disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures for carrying out the several purposes of my invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims to be granted me shall be of sufficient breadth to prevent the appropriation of my invention :by those skilled in the art.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a truck utilizing my invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the truck of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are further end elevations showing the loadcarriage and load carrier in different operating positions. Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation and section of a part of the invention. Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation of the load carriage with the load carrier removed. Fig. 7 is a section taken along lines l-'l of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a section taken along lines 8-8 of Fig. 6. Figs. 9 and 10 are sections taken respectively along lines 99 andlii-lt of Fig. 2. Fig. 11 is a section taken along lines 5 ll i of Fig. 8. Fig. 12 is a section taken along lines l2-l2 of Fig. 6.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, my invention is shown applied to what is known as a motorized hand truck. Obviously, it can be applied to any type of industrial truck having a load carriage movable on a part of the main frame. In the particular truck shown by me, the main frame is designated by reference numeral Ill and is shown supported on wheels I! and If, the wheel l2 being a traction and steering wheel, and adapted for steering by a handle l3, the end of which contains control switches M for a traction motor connected to driving wheels l2. A battery compartment 55 supplies the power for the traction motor and also for the motor that drives the usual pump for supplying fluid under pressure to a standard lifting ram l6. Lifting ram [5 is of that type well known in the art adapted to actuate a chain H through sprockets [8, one end of the chain being secured at I 9 to the main frame of the truck while the other end of the chain is secured at 26 to an elevating carriage 2 I.

Elevating carriage 2! is equipped with the usual upper and lower rollers 22 cooperating with vertical uprights 23 forming part of the main frame of the truck. In some cases, the uprights 23 are adapted for pivotal movement relatively to the main frame as about the axles 24 of the wheels H, and such movement is generally imparted by a hydraulic or electric motor through suitable mechanism. Insofar as my invention is concerned, it is merely necessary to know that the uprights 23 are part of the main frame of the truck and that the lifting carriage 2! is adapted for upward and downward vertical movement thereon, this movement being contributed by hydraulic ram I8 through the chains ll. The mechanism I have thus far described is old and well known in the art, and per se is not the invention of this application. The invention forming the subject matter of this application will now be set forth in detail.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 8, load carriage 2! is shown formed with a forward plate 25 to which is welded bearing support 26. This bearing support 2% has mounted thereon a spherangular outer race 2'! supporting ball bearings 28 that operate relatively to an inner race 29. Mounted for rotation with the inner race is a relatively heavy stub shaft Bil that is welded to form an integral part of the plate 3! of load carrier 32. A cover plate 33 is bolted to the stub shaft 3a to cover one end of the ball bearing mounting for the said stub shaft 36. The other end of the mounting is covered by a part of a sprocket wheel 35 that is keyed or otherwise fixed to the stub shaft as. In this way, the load carrier 32 is adapted for rotation with the stub shaft 38 and sprocket 34 relatively to the load carriage 2 l It will be appreciated that the spherangular outer race 27 of the ball bearing mounting for stub shaft 38 allows slight angular swinging movement of the load carrier 32 relatively to its axis of rotation, this movement being relied upon as will now be set forth. Thus, as is well shown in Figs. 8, 9, and 10, a pair of brackets 35 support a stabilizing roller 3t relatively to plate 25 of load carriage 2i. Similarly, a second pair of brackets 37 support a stabilizing roller 38. However, roller 38 extends outwardly relatively to the plate 25 beyond roller 33. Therefore, the two rollers will maintain the plate 3| of load carrier 32 in a plane determined by the peripheries of the said rollers, the necessary movement of the plate 3| for alignment with this plane being allowed by the nature 4 of the spherical surface ball bearing mounting of the shaft 38.

Plate EE is equipped with a groove 39, and as soon as this groove 39 moves into alignment with the roller :16, the roller moves into the said groove while the plate 3! swings into the particular plane shown in Fig. 8. It is in this plane that the plate 3| is intended to lie in the normal position of the load carrier 32. Therefore, any rotation of the load carrier 32 from its position if Fig. 8 must tend to move the entire load carrier out of the plane in which it lies in Fig. 8 in order to bring the groove 39 away from under roller 38. Because of the particular arrangement, the load carrier 32 is predisposed to remain in the plane shown in Fig. 8 relatively to the load carriage 2i and it follows therefore, that it takes rather considerable effort to move the load carrier out of the said plane through rotation thereof on the axis of the stub shaft 2-38. It can, therefore, be said that the stabilizing rollers 35 and 3t function not only to stabilize the load carrier, but also to maintain it yieldingly against rotation relatively to the load carriage 2 l.

The plate 3! of the load carrier 32 carries an upper integral ledge Ml and a similar lower int gral ledge ll. These ledges are utilized for mounting any type of load contacting mechanism, the general type now preferred in the art being a fork. As is probably best illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 8, and 11, I use a right fork Q2 and a left fork 43. Each fork has a vertical arm M and a horizontal tine 45. Each fork has further a laterally and horizontally extending bracket 45 bored for a plunger 47 urged downwardly by a spring 48 and adapted to be lifted against the pressure of the spring by a handle t9. Ledge 4! is formed with two series of bores 5%, there being one series for the right hand fork 52 and another series for the left hand fork it. When it is desired to apply a fork to the carrier 32, it is merely necessary to slip the upper end of the arm i l of the fork under the hook film of the upper ledge 4'!) while the horizontal bracket d6 rests on the lower ledge H. The plunger 47 of each fork will enter a particular one of the holes 5% of the lower ledge M depending on the horizontal spacing of the forks. Because of this construction of the parts, it is possible to adjust the forks toward and away from one another for cooperating with loads of different width.

The sprocket wheel 34, adapted for integral rotation with the stub shaft 34 and load carrier plate 3i, coacts with a sprocket chain 5i that is quite well shown in the several figures of the drawings. This chain moves over a series of sprockets, there being four of these sprockets in the preferred form of my invention. Two of the sprockets are designated by reference numerals {i2 and 53, these sprockets being mounted for free rotation on the plate 25 of load carriage 2!. The mounting means may be of any type, but in Fig. 12 I demonstrate how I prefer to mount the said sprockets, the particular mounting of Fig. 12 being that of sprocket 52.

The sprocket chain is further reeved over a sprocket 52 that is carried by an arm 55, this arm 55 being secured through a bolt 56 to one of the uprights 23. Arm 55 is readily adjustable about the axis of bolt 5t by means of an adjusting screw 51 suitably mounted as well illustrated on a bracket 58 fixed to one of the uprights 23. The particular mounting of the sprocket at is for the purpose of adjusting the position of the sprocket to compensate for variations in length of chain 5|.

The fourth sprocket is designated by reference numeral 59 and its mounting is best illustrated in Figs. 1, 5, and 12. Thus, sprocket 59 is carried by a shaft 60 and rotates on bearing sleeves Bl carried by a sleeve 62 welded to one of the uprights 23 through plates 23a. The left end of the shaft 69, as viewed in Figs. 5 and -6, carries a brake drum 63 with which coacts a brake band 55. One end of the brake band 64 is secured to a lever 65 pivoted at 66 to the left upright 23 while the other end of the brake band 54 is secured through a pivot shaft 61 to a part 68 integral with a rod 69. a lower surface of aguide bracket H for the rod 89 and the part 68 for normally urging the rod 59 downwardly in the several figures of the drawmgs.

A clevis 69a, integral with the upper end of the rod 69, is pivoted at T2 to a cylindrical part '53 (Figs. 6 and 7) mounted for rotation through a short shaft 14 relatively to spaced brackets f5, 15 welded to the left upright 25. Formed integrally, as by welding, with the part is is an operating lever 1'1; Obviously, the spring ill wili normally hold the rod 69 so that the brake band 64 will be loose relatively to brake drum 53. When the lever 71 is moved to rotate part 13 on its shaft M, the rod 69 will be moved vertically against the pressure of spring 7E! and the brake band will be applied forcefully to the brake drum 63. This will naturally hold the shaft til and the sprocket 59 against rotation.

Let us consider now that the load carrier is in its position of Fig. 8 relatively to the load A spring 10 operates between carriage 2| and that the load carriage 2! is in its position of Fig. 2. If hydraulic fluid is now supplied to the ram I6, it is obvious that the load carrier will move with the load carriage to the position of Fig. 3 from the position of Fig. 2. If the forks 42, 43 carry a bin B, that bin will be elevated to the position of Fig. 3, the tines of the forks coacting with flanges of the channels 88 for lifting the said bin. During this linear movement of the load carriage relatively to the uprights 23, the load carrier has been predisposed by rollers 36, 38 against rotation relatively to the load carriage, and the brake band 65 has not been applied against the brake drum 63. Therefore, the sprocketchain 5i was moved with the sprocket 34, the said chain rotating the guiding and controlling sprockets 54 and 59.

Let us now assume that with the bin in the position of Fig. 3, it becomes desirable to rotate the bin whereby to empty it of its load. The operator will then move lever 11 to rotate the part 13 about its shaft 14. This will move rod 69 to brake the drum 63 and lock the shaft es and sprocket 59 against rotation. At the same time, the operator will continue the movement of the load carriage vertically upwardly from the position of Fig. 3 to the position of Fig. 4. The extent of this movement is well measured in Figs. 3 and 4 by comparing the vertical positions of the sprocket 34 and shaftfill in the two figures. During this vertical movement of the load carriage, since the chain 5| cannot move, it is obvious that the sprocket 34 must rotate. This rotation of the sprocket will'naturally effect rotation of the load carrier 32, the first rotation of the load carrier being against the resistance of roller 38. Therefore, during the vertical move-- ment of the load carriage from the position of Fig. 3 to the position of Fig. 4, the load carrier 6 will rotate relatively thereto so as to turn the bin B upside down andempty it of its con tents. Now, by lowering the load carriage, the bin will be rotated back to the position of Fig. 3. Thereafter the brake band can be released to allow free rotation of sprocket 59 and free movement of chain 5| so that the load carriage may be lowered with the load carrier and the bin B from the position of Fig. 3 back to the position of Fig. 2.

It is now obvious that merely through the utilization of a series of sprockets and a sprocket chain, I can readily rotate the load carrier of my truck through the mere operation of the usual load carriage lifting mechanism. I am therefore able to dispense with the complex and costly load carrier rotating means of the prior art. Moreover, by the careful application of my braking mechanism, 1 can very readily control the speed of rotation of the load carrier in a manner that is extremely desirable. I believe that the con" siderable novelty of my invention and the contribution it makes to the art will now be unden stood.

I new claim:

1. in a truck of the class described, a main frame, a load carrier, means mounting said load carrier for linear movement on said main frame.

means mounting said load carrier for rotary movement relatively to said main frame, means actuated incidental to the linear movement of said load carrier relatively to said main frame for rotating said load carrier relatively to said main frame, rollers bearing between said load carrier and its mounting means for stabilizing said load carrier, and a depression into which one of said rollers enters in a particular rotated position of said carrier to hold said carrier yieldingly in said position.

2. In a truck of the class described, a main frame, a load carrier, means mounting said load carrier for linear movement on said main frame, spherical surface bearing means mounting said load carrier for rotary movement relatively to said mainframe, means actuated incidental to the linear movement of said load carrier relatively to said main frame for rotating said load carrier relatively to said main frame on said bearing means, rollers for stabilizing said load carrier, and a depression in said load carrier into which one of said rollers enters in a particular rotated position of said carrier whereby with said other roller to move said carrier on its bearing means thereafter to hold said carrier yieldingly in said particular rotated position.

3. In a truck of the class described, a main frame, a load carrier, means mounting said load carrier for linear movement on said main frame, means mounting said lead carrier for rotary movement relatively to said main frame, a series of rotating wheels mounted on said main frame, an actuator wheel fixed to said carrier with its axis coinciding with the axis of rotation of said carrier for effecting rotation of said carrier on its mounting means, a flexible member reeved over all of said wheels, the linear motion of said carrier and said actuator wheel acting to move said flexible member therewith relatively to the wheels when said flexible member is free to move with said load carrier and said actuator wheel is predisposed against rotation, and means whereby said flexible member is held against motion as said carrier moves linearly whereupon said flexible member in turn rotates said actuator wheel to rotate said carrier relatively to its mounting means as said load carrier moves linearly of said main frame.

4. In a truck of the class described, a main frame, a load carrier, means mounting said load carrier for linear movement on said main frame, means mounting said load carrier for rotary movement relatively to said main frame, rotating sprockets mounted on said. main frame, an actuator sprocket fixed to said carrier with its axis coinciding with the axis of rotation of said carrier for efiecting rotation of said carrier on its mounting means, a chain reeved over all of said sprockets, the linear motion of said carrier and said actuator sprocket acting to move said chain therewith relatively to the sprockets on said main frame when said chain is free to move with said load carrier and said actuator sprocket is predisposed against rotation, and means whereby said chain is held against motion as said carries. moves linearly whereupon said chain in turn rotates said actuator sprocket to rotate said carrier relatively to its mounting means as said load carrier moves linearly of said main frame.

5. In a truck of the class described, a main frame, a load carrier, means mounting said load carrier for linear movement on said main frame, means mounting said load carrier for rotary movement relatively to said main frame, rotating wheels mounted on said main frame, an actuator wheel fixed to said carrier with its axis coinciding with the axis of rotation of said carrier for effecting rotation of said carrier on its mounting means,

a flexible member reeved over all of said wheels, the linear motion of said carrier and said actuator Wheel acting to move said flexible member therewith relatively to the wheels on said main frame when said flexible member is free to move with said load carrier and said actuator Wheel is predisposed against rotation, a brake for one of the rotating wheels on said main frame for holding said wheel against rotation and thereby holding said flexible member against motion whereupon said fiexible member in turn rotates said actuator wheel to rotate said carrier relatively to its mounting means as said load carrier moves linearly of said main frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 949,526 Elliott Feb. 15, 1910 1,930,486 Pitts Oct. 17, 1933 2,335,572 Schroeder Nov. 30, 1943 2,418,693 Breslav Apr. 8, 1947 2,420,828 King May 20, 1947 2,442,571 Ruddock June 1, 1943 2,457,604 Schiro Dec. 28, 1948 2,468,326 Gleason Apr. 26, 1949 2,473,659 Musgrave June 21, 1949 2,507,583 Wellman May 16, 1950 2,522,128 Lehmann Sept. 12, 1950 2,541,268 Milz Feb. 13, 1951

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