US2828878A

US2828878A - Log handling machine

Info

Publication number: US2828878A
Application number: US606048A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert G Letourneau
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-08-24
Filing date: 1956-08-24
Publication date: 1958-04-01
Anticipated expiration: 1975-04-01

Description

R. G. LE TOURNEAU 2,828,878

April 1, 1958 LOG HANDLING MACHINE Filed Aug. 24, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 1, 1958 R. G. LE TQURNEAU Los HANDLING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 24, 1956 Fig. 4

April 1, 1958 R. G; LE ToURNEAU Loc; HANDLING MACHINE 4 sheets-sheet :s

Filed Aug. 24, 1956 April 1, 1958 R. G. LE TOURNEAU 2,828,878

LOG HANDLING MACHINE `4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 24, 1956 United tates had LOG HANDLING MACHINE Robert G. Le'lourneau, Longview, Tex.

Application August 24, 1956, Serial N o. 666,048

8 Claims. (Cl. 214-510) My invention relates to log handling machines, and more particularly to heavy duty machines for loading, unloading, and stacking logs.

In the past, logs have been handled, one at a time, by various types of machines, including the fork lift type. A machine capable of effectively handling several logs at a time, or a whole truck load, would greatly speed up operations, reduce required manpower, and release other equipment.

It is a general object of my invention to provide an improved log handling machine which shall be capable of handling several logs at a time.

Another object of my invention is to provide a heavy duty fork-lift type machine which shall be capable of loading or unloading an entire truckload of logs at a time.

Another object of my invention is to provide a forklift type log handling machine which shall be capable of self-loading, transporting, and self-unloading, logs by the truckload.

Another object of my invention is to provide a forklift type log handling machine which shall be capable of high-stacking logs by the truckload.

Another object of my invention is to provide a forklift type log handling machine having a novel and effective lift carriage structure and load clamping arrangement.

Another object of my invention is to provide a forklift type log handling machine having an improved unloader arrangement and structure.

These and other objects are eected by my invention as will 'oe apparent from the following description taken in i accordance with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application in which:

Fig. 1 is a left side elevational view of a log handling machine in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, with the near wheels removed;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the machine of Fig. l with the handling mechanism removed;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing construction of the lift carriage bed and frame;

Fig. 5 is an exploded schematic perspective view of the lift drive mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a schematic perspective View of the lift carriageassembly;

Fig. 7 is a partial schematic section View taken at line 7 7 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a schematic perspective view of the lift carriage assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 9 is a partial schematic section View taken on the lines 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Referring now to the drawings, particularly Figs. 1, 2 and 3, there is shown a fork lift type log handling machine including a front frame portion 11, a rear frame portion 13, front and

rear axles

15, 17, steering assembly 19, power plant 21, wheel and wheel drive assemblies 23, cab 25, operators seat 27, control station 29, lift assembly 2 31, and lift tilt mechanism 33. The front frame portion 11 is in the form of a long relatively deep and narrow re-inforced box beam. Transverse portions (not shown) within the beam provide compartments for various purposes as well as added strength to the structure. The top surface of the box beam tapers downward at the front end. The front axle 15 in the form of a re-inforced tubular member having bolt flanges 35 at its ends is rigidly lixed at its center portion to the front portion of said box beam 11 and transverse thereto. Fixed rigidly to the lower front portion of said front frame 11 in front of said front axle 15 and transversely symmetrical therewith are a pair of horizontally aligned balls 37 which are disposed to cooperate with sockets on the lift frame to be hereinafter described. The rear of the box member 11 is provided with rearwardly extending projections at its top and bottom. These projections carry inwardly disposed and vertically aligned balls 39 for cooperation with sockets on the rear frame portion to be hereinafter described. The rear face of the box member 11 tapers downwardly and forwardly between the projections. A slot is formed adjacent the top rear of the lower projection for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The bottom face of the box beam 11 adjacent the rear portion tapers downwardly and rearwardly and then rearwardly to the end of the lower projection. The rear frame 13 is in the form of a reinforced box beam structure relatively deep and narrow and having a large centrally disposed transverse slot for receiving the rear axle 17. This slot forms a saddle like structure over the rear axle, and carries oppositely disposed horizontally aligned sockets 41 at its transverse center. The rear axle 17 is in the form of a reinforced tubular member having bolt flanges .35 at its ends and carrying horizontally aligned oppositely disposed balls 43 at its transverse center. These balls 43 cooperate with the sockets 41 in the slot of the rear frame 13 to allow the axle 17 oscillating motion about a horizontal axis. Centrally disposed at the lower front portion of the rear frame and fixed rigidly thereto is a large sector gear 45 which extends forwardly into the small slot at the lower rear portion of the front frame 11. An electric motor and gear box 47 are fixed to the floor inside the front frame 11 at its rear portion with the gear box output pinion extending through the floor and engaging the sector gear 45 to provide for steering the machine by turning the rear frame assembly about its vertical pivot axis. Fixed rigidly to the lower rear portion of the rear frame and centrally disposed with respect thereto is a transversely extending power plant cradle 49 in the form of a shallow rectangular open-topped reinforced box structure. The power plant 21 comprises an internal combustion engine driving electric generators. Each wheel and wheel drive assembly 23 includes an electric motor 51 and a gearing system. The earing system is contained within the wheel itself and the electric motor is bolted to the wheel, then the entire assembly is bolted to the axle bolt flange 35 with the motor extending into the axle. For details of a similar wheel and wheel drive assembly, reference is made to my U. S. Patent No. 2,726,726 issued December 13, 1955. The lift frame 53, sometimes herein referred to as the elevator bed and frame, comprises a pair of substant-ially identical spaced parallel heavy channel members 55I disposed so that their side walls face outward. A pair ot' heavy rectangular bar members 57 of substantially the same length as said channel members are welded to the llat side of each channel member in spaced parallel relation and so that a side of each bar and an adjacent channel wall outside surface lie substantially in a common plane and thus each pair of bars forms a guideway for the carriage rollers to be hereinafter described. Each guideway is closed at its lower end by a short rectangular Patented Apr. 1, 1958' bar member 59. The channels are closed at their upper end by a rectangular steel plate 61. The channels are held apart in rigid relation by a plurality of transversely extending heavy box beam members which are fixed ladder-step fashion to the back'surfaces of the channels. These transversely extending members are for convenience designated as first, second, third, fourth, and fifth transverse brace members 63 looking from bottom to top in Fig. 4. The third and fourth said brace members are made smaller than the rest. A ball socket 65 is rigidly fixed to the back face of each channel at its lower end portion. Thesesockets are transversely aligned and cooperate with the balls 37 on the front of the machine front frame portion 11. A plurality of rectangular reinforcing plates 67 are disposed in spaced parallel relation and bridged across the side walls of each channel at each transverse brace location and also at the ball socket location. A plurality of heavy box beam diagonal brace members 69 are disposed in zig-zag fashion between the first and second, second and third, third and fourth, and fourth and fifth transverse brace members 69, respectively, and are fixed rigidly thereto. Additional strength and rigidity is added to the lift frame structure by a trusswork of tubular members. This trusswork comprises a first pair of tubular members 71 disposed to form the sides of an isoceles triangle with the said first transverse brace members 63 as the base of the triangle and the triangle lying in a plane perpendicular to the carriage guideway channels. A second pair of tubular members 73 is disposed to form a first V having each of its free ends fixed to a respective carriage guideway channel member just below said second transverse brace member, with said V lying in a plane perpendicular to the carriage guideway channels. A tubular member 75 has one end fixed to the apex of said isosceles triangle and the other end fixed to the apex of said first V and is parallel to said carriage guideway channel members. A further pair of tubular brace members 77 are disposed to form a second V with the apex fixed to the apex of said first isosceles triangle and the free ends fixed one to each carriage guideway channel just above the respective bearing mount socket 65. A further pair of tubular brace members 79 are disposed to form a third V with the apex fixed to the apex of said first V and the free ends fixed respectively to said fifth transverse brace member adjacent its end portion. A heavy duty sheave and sheave block assembly 81 is rigidly fixed to the elevator frame 53 at its upper end portion so that the sheave turns on a horizontal axis and so that a cable 83 is brought up on one side of the transverse brace members and over the sheave and down on the other side between the carriage guideways. The elevator frame assembly 53 is mounted on the front frame portion 11 of the machine by means of the cooperating balls 37 and sockets 65 hereinbefore mentioned. Tilting of the elevator frame about its pivot axis is provided by an Velectric motor driven rack and pinion arrangement. The rack 85 is pivoted at one end about a horizontal axis at 87, adjacent the apex of said first V of the elevator frame. A pair of heavy tubular members 89 are arranged generally in the form of an inverted V, with their free ends rigidly fixed to the upper face of the front frame 11 so that the V lies in a vertical plane with its apex just forward of the frame center portion. A pair of spaced parallel upstanding heavy plates 91 are fixed at the apex of the V, with guide rollers 93 bridging their upper portion. An electric motor driven gear box 95 is mounted on the outside of one of said plates with its output pinion extending through the plate to the inside. This output pinion engages the rack 85 of the tilting mechanism 33, while the rollers just mentioned serve to hold the rack into engagement with the pinion.

The cab of the machine is an enclosure of open tubular construction having side members 97, bottom members 99, a'floor 101, top members 103, and top 105. The cab oor supports the operators seat 27 and the control station 29 which is located immediately in front of the seat. The cab is supported by the front frame box beam 13 and by the frame members 89 that support the tilt rack drive. The cab 25 is positioned slightly above and just forward of the center portion of said box beam as shown by Fig. l and to the left side of the box beam, as shown by Fig. 3.

The lift carriage 107 assembly shown by Fig. 6 includes a pair of substantially identical upstanding parallel spaced main members 109 made from heavy steel slab material and having rectangular cross-section. Each member carries a projection 111 at the front face of its upper end portion, which projection has semi-circular peripheral shape, and has a centrally disposed bore for receiving an upper transverse tubular member 113. Each member carries also a projection 115 at the front face of its lower end, which projection provides a forwardly facing semi-circular slot, or opening, for receiving a lower transverse tubular member 117. The rear face of each member 109 is planar, as is the front face between the projections, and the planar portions are mutually parallel. The said main members 109 are held in fixed spaced parallel relation by the upper and lower transverse

tubular members

113, 117 aforementioned, which tubular members are received by the respective projections and are xed thereto by welding in relation such that their longitudinal axes are parallel, and so that perpendicular bisectors of said axes lie in a common plane which is parallel to the longitudinal axes of said main members and passes midway between them. The lower transverse tubular member 117 carries a receptacle 119 at each of its ends. Each receptacle is in the form of a rectangular box which is open at the top and front end and has its side walls bevelled at their top front portions. Each receptacle is made of heavy metal slab material and is fixed by welding to the respective end of the said tubular member at the rear portion of the outer surface of one side wall. The receptacles are designed to removably receive and support fork tines 121. Each fork tine 121 is a bar of heavy metal material of rectangular cross-section and has a top surface which tapers downwardly and forwardly over its length. The large end of each fork tine is received by a respective receptacle 119, the receptacle inside dimensions being chosen to provide a loose fit on said tine end portion. The receptacle side walls and the large end portion of the fork tines are provided with axially aligned holes adapted for receiving a pin 123 which acts to hold the tine 119 securely in place. A cotter key 125 is inserted in the end of the pin to hold the pin in place. The upper transverse tubular member 113 has a shaft 114 journalled therein by bearings, as shown by Fig. 7. Fixed to the shaft immediately beyond the left end of the tubular member, is a heavy metal disc 127, to which in turn is fixed a load clamping tusk 129. This tusk is fixed to the left hand surface of said disc 127 in a manner such that the tusk end extends slightly beyond the disc surface. This tusk is a length of heavy metal slab material of rectangular cross-section and having longitudinal contour corresponding generally to that of a parabolic curve with the axis of symmetry passing approximately just forward of the lower transverse tubular member when the tusk is in the position such that the free end is substantially vertical. In the position just mentioned, the free end of the tusk terminates at approximately the level of the tine 121. The tusk tapers slightly along a portion of its length so that it is smallest at the free end portion. The tip of the tusk is tapered further to present a wedge shape. Fixed to said shaft 114 immediately beyond the right end of said upper tubular member is a bull-gear 131, to which is fixed a second tusk '129 in the same relative relation as the other tusk was fixed to the disc. The two tuslts 129 are substantially identical. Iournalled to the shaft 114 at each end portion and normally depending therefrom is an unloader arm 133, The unloader arm is in each case made of heavy metal slab material and is tapered to a blunt point at its free end. The length of the unloader arm is in each case just less than the distance from its pivot axis to the upper outer surface of the lower transverse tubular member. Each unloader arm carries a projection 135 at its back face just below its pivot axis, which projection cooperates with the tusks 129 to effect unloading in a manner to be hereinafter described. Fixed on the upper side of the upper transverse tubular member adjacent its right end is a gear box mount bracket 137. A gear box 139 is mounted on said bracket with its output pinion disposed to engage said bull-gear aforementioned. The gear box just mentioned is driven by an electric motor 141 which is mounted thereto on the side opposite said output pinion.

Each said main member 169 of the lift carriage assembly carries a bearing roller 143 (only one shown) on its outer side near its lower end and another near its upper end. These bearing rollers rotate on axes parallel to the axes of said transverse tubular members. Each said main member also carries a side-thrust roller 145 (only two shown) near its lower end and another near its upper end. These side thrust rollers rotate on axes perpendicular to those of the bearing rollers. The bearing rollers are adapted for cooperation with the opposed walls of the lift frame guideways, while the side thrust rollers are adapted for cooperation with the third wall of said guideways. A lift block 147 in the form of a heavy rectangular metal slab bridges between said main members 199 at the rear portion of their inner faces and just below the upper transverse tubular member. The lift cable 33 is terminated at one end on this block.

The cable drive assembly comprises a cable drum 149, a gear box 151, an electric drive motor 153, and a mounting plate 155. The gear box and cable drum mounting plate is a plate of heavy metal sheet material which is fixed in an upright attitude to the right side rear of the lift frame 31 and extends rearwardly therefrom at the level between said rst and second transverse brace members 63 of the lift frame. The said plate is further supported by brace members 157 extending to it from the lift frame tubular truss-work. The plate has a centrally disposed opening adapted for receiving a bearing 159, and has a second opening vertically aligned with and below said centrally disposed opening adjacent the plate bottom portion (see Fig. 5). The lift cable drum 149 is disposed on one side of said plate 155 and is journalled to said plate by means of a shaft 161 carried by a bearing 159 which is in turn carried by said centrally disposed opening. The said shaft extends through opening and on the opposite side carries a spline 163 and is threaded at its end portion to receive a lock nut 164. A large bull gear 165 is splined on said shaft and secured in place by said lock nut. The gear box 151 is secured to said plate on the same side as said cable drum by bolts, so that its output pinion 167 extends through said second opening end engages said bull gear 165. A suitably shaped cover plate 169 is provided on the bull-gear side of said plate and is secured thereto by bolts (not shown) in aligned holes on the cover ange and the plate respectively. The electric drive motor 153 is secured to the gear box by bolts (not shown). The electric drive motor carries an electromagnetically operated brake 171 at its outer end portion. The brake is designed to be held off when the motor is energized and on when the motor is de-energized.

As hereinbefore mentioned, all of the Various functions of the machine are electrically powered and are controlled from the operators control station 29. Some of the components of the electrical system are mounted within the box beam of the front frame portion of the machine. Cover plates 173 on the side of said beam allow access to such components for maintenance and repair purposes. Fuel for the internal combustion engine is also carried in a compartment of the said box beam 11.

r at its top and forward The operations for which control is provided at the eperators control station are: wheel motors, forward and reverse; steering, left and right; lift mechanism tilt, forward and backward; lift carriage, up and down; and tusks, open and close.

For loading from a truck, the machine is maneuvered into position at the side of the truck with the tusks open and the tines under the load. The tines are then moved up to contact the load and the tusks are closed. The load is then raised off the truck, the lift mechanism is tilted back, and the load is carried by the machine to the unloading location, where the lift carriage is moved up or down to the desired unloading level and then tilted forward. As the tusks open beyond a predetermined point, the unloader arms are moved forward and outward to push the logs off the tines. If desired, logs may be loaded from a pile, in which case the machine is merely maneuvered into position with the tines perpendicular to the pile and the tines are pushed into the pile. The loose t of the tines in their receptacles allows some tine end play which together with lift carriage up or down adjustment makes effective loading comparatively easy.

The lift carriage assembly 175 shown by Fig. 8 includes a pair of substantially identical upstanding parallel spaced main members 177 made from heavy steel slab material having rectangular cross-section. The main members are held in rigid parallel spaced relation by upper and lower bridge members 179 which are heavy box beams bridging between the respective end upper and lower portions of the main members. Fixed rigidly to the front of said upper bridging member and said main members and centered on and extending transversely of said main members is a tusk support member 181. The tusk support member is made up of a hollow tubular member and end members 183 (see Fig. 9) which are fixed by welding to the ends of the tubular member. These end members each carry a bearing mount. A hollow shaft 184 extends through the tusk support member and is journalled thereto at 185, 187. A tusk 189 is mounted on each end of said shaft and fixed thereto by welding. A bull gear is fixed to the said shaft 184 adjacent the right hand end and intermediate the right hand tusk 189 and the bearing mount 185. A housing, or guard 193, covering said gear portion is fixed to the right end member 183 of said tusk support member 181. A motor and gear box mount bracket comprises an upstanding portion extending upwardly from said housing land fixed thereto. by a pair of brace members 197 which extend rearwardly and downwardly from the upper corners of said upstanding portion to said tusk support member 181. An electric motor driven gear box 199 is mounted to the upstanding portion of said bracket, with the gear box output pinion in mesh with said bull gear 191. Each said tusk 189 is a fabricated box beam having an arcuate portion forward of the pivot shaft 184 and a rear extension 201 rearward of the pivot shaft. Spaced tooth-like protrusions 203 are formed on the undersides of the tusks 189 to aid in gripping logs to be handled. Pivoted adjacent the rear end of each tusk rear extension is an unloader arm 295. The unloader arm is in each case made up of alength of heavy slab material tapered to a blunt point at its free end, and a pair of pivot ears fixed to and extending from the large end of the slab portion. Each unloader arm 205 carries a projection 207 at its back face just below its pivot axis, which projection cooperates with a projection 209 at the end of the tusk 189 rear extension to effect unloading in a manner to be hereinafter described.

Fixed rigidly to the front of said lower bridging member 179 and said main members 177 and centered on and extending transversely of ysaid main members is a tine support member 211. The tine support member is of hollow box-beam construction and has right-triangular The said upstanding portion is held rigid v transverse crosssection, with the hypotenuse facingto the front and forming a ramp-like surface. The tine support member carries a receptacle 213 at each of its front end portions. Each receptacle is in the form of a rectangular box which is open at the top and front end. The receptacles are designed to removably receive and support tines 215. Each tine 215 is a bar of heavy metal material of rectangular transverse section, and has a wp surface which tapers downwardly and forwardly over lts length. The large end of each tine is received by a respective receptacle 213, the receptacle inside dimensions being chosen to provide a loose lit on said tine end portion. The receptacle side walls and the large end portions of thev tines are provided with axially aligned holes adapted for receiving a pin 217 which acts to hold the tine securely in place. A cotter key 219 is inserted in the end of the pin 217 to hold the pin in place. A pair of parallel spaced guide extension members 221 are fixed to the back side of the tine support member 211 and extend upwardly and rearwardly therefrom, with the top face of the extension lying in the plane of the inclined face of the tine support member 211. The guide extension members 221 lie directly below the respective unloader arms S, and are of iength such that with the tusks in the fully closed position, the lower ends of the unloader arms rest on the upper faces of the respective guide extensions. The lift carriage guide roller arrangement and lift block are substantially identical to those hereinbefore described in connection with the lift carriage assembly shown by Fig. 6. The operation of the machine using the lift carriage of Fig. 8 is the same as that hereinbefore described, with the exception of unloader arm action. In the case of Fig. 8, as the tusks are opened, the unloader arms first merely slide down on the guide extensions and on the inclined face of the tine support member until the cooperating projections on the tusk rear extension and the unloader arms engage, after which time the unloader arms remain rigid with respect to the tusks and are lifted by the tuslt rear extensions and moved forward along an arcuate path to sweep the load off the tines. The primary advantage of the unloader arm arrangement of Fig. 8 is that the unloader arms, while sufficiently short to avoid fouling the ground when the lift carriage is in low position, yet they reach out forward sufiiciently far as the tusks are opened, to completely sweep the load off the tnes.

The foregoing disclosure and the showings made in the drawings are merely illustrative of the principles of this invention, and are not to be interpreted in a limiting sense.

I claim:

l. In a log handling machine of the fork-lift type, a lift carriage comprising a frame, load supporting means fixed to the lower portion of said frame, a shaft extending transversely of said frame at the upper portion thereof and transversely centered and journalled thereon with the length of said shaft exceeding the frame width, load clamping tusks supported by and fixed with respect to said shaft for rotation therewith, unloader arms journalled on said shaft at the end portions thereof, power operated means for rotating said tusks, and means responsive to opening of said tusks for causing said unloader arms to rotate in the forward direction to sweep over said load supporting means and force the load off.

2. In a log handling machine of the fork-lift type, a lift carriage comprising a frame, load supporting means fixed to the lower portion of said frame, a shaft extending transversely of said frame at the upper portion thereof and transversely centered and journalled thereon with the length of said shaft exceeding the frame width, load clamping tusks supported by and fixed with respect to said shaft for rotation therewith, a bull gear fixed to said shaft, and powered gear box fixed to said frame and having an output pinion engaging said bullgear,

3. In a log handling machine of the'fork-hft type, a lift carriage comprising a frame, load supporting means fixed to the lower portion of said frame, a shaft extending transversely of said frame at the upper portion thereof and transversely centered and journalled thereon, spaced load clamping tusks supported by and fixed with respect to said shaft for rotation therewith, said tusks having portions extending rearwardly of said shaft axis, unloader arms jcurnalied on said shaft and depending therefrom, power operated means for rotating said tusks, said unloader arms being laterally disposed on said shaft in position such that they will be engaged by the rearwardly extending portions of respective tusks as the tusks are opened and thus be forced to rotate in the forward direction sweeping over said load supporting means to force the load off.

4. In a log handling machine of the fork-lift type, a lift carriage comprising a frame, load supporting means fixed to the lower portion of said frame, said load supporting means including plane surface portions inclined upwardly and rearwardly, a shaft extending transversely of said frame at the upper portion thereof and transversely centered and journalled thereon, load clamping tusks supported by and fixed with respect to said shaft for rotation therewith, each said tusk having a rear extension portion extending rearwardly of said shaft axis, an unloader arm pivoted adjacent the end of each said rear extension about a horizontal axis and depending therefrom with the lower end portion of said arm normally in sliding contact with respective inclined plane portions of said load supporting means, and cooperating projections on each said tusk rear extension and unloader arm, said projections being disposed to engage when said tusks are opened beyond a predetermined position to maintain said respective unloader arm in fixed relation to said tuslr, whereby said unloader arm will sweep over said load support means to force the load oli as said tusks are opened.

5. In a log handling machine of the fork-lift type, a lift carriage comprising, a pair of upright spaced parallel main members, a load support member fixed rigidly to said main members at their lower end portions and extending transversely thereof and centered thereon, said load support member having its upper face inclined upwardly and rearwardly, guide extension members fixed rigidly to the rear surface of said load support member and having a surface coplanar with said load support member upper face, a shaft housing fixed to said main members adjacent their upper end portions and extending transversely thereof and centered thereon, a shaft journalled in said housing, load clamping tusks fixed to said shaft for rotation therewith, each said tusk having a rear extension portion extending rearwardly of said shaft axis, an unloader arm pivoted adjacent the end of each said rear extension about an axis parallel to said shaft axis with the lower end portion of said arm resting on said respective guide extension member when the tus'ks are in the fully closed position, cooperating projections on each said tusk rear extension and unloader arm, said projections being disposed to engage when said tusks are opened beyond a predetermined position to maintain said respective unloader arm in fixed relation to said tusks, whereby as said tusks are opened said unloader arms will at first slide downwardly on said guide extension members and on the upper face of said load supportY member and then be lifted outwardly to sweep the load off.

6. In a log handling machine of the fork-lift type, a lift carriage comprising, a frame having an upright central section, a transverse lower section fixed to and centered on said upright section, a transverse upper section fixed to the upper portion of said upright section and centered thereon, forwardly extending rectangular receptacles carried by said lower transverse frame section, said receptacles being open at their front ends, load supporting tines each having an end portion received by a respective receptacle, a pin extending through said receptacle side walls and said tine, the fit of said tine in said receptacle being such as to allow limited pivoting movement for said tine about the axis of said pin, a shaft journalled in said upper frame transverse portion and centered thereon, load clamping tusks supported by and fixed with respect to said shaft for rotation therewith, and powered means for rotating said shaft.

7. A cable drum mount and drive arrangement comprising, a rigid mounting plate, a shaft journalled solely on said mounting plate, a cable drum fixed to said shaft on one side of said mounting plate, a bull-gear fixed to said shaft on the other side of said mounting plate, a gear box fixed to said mounting plate on the same side as said cable drum and having an output pinion disposed on the other side of said plate and engaging said bull-gear, and an electric motor xed to and driving said gear box.

8. A log handling machine comprising a main frame supported by front and rear wheels, said main frame consisting of a single integral longitudinally extending member, a carriage bed assembly pivoted at its lower end to the front of said main member about a horizontal transverse axis, a rack pivoted at one end about a transverse horizontal axis on the rear of said carriage bed assembly, a pair of brace members fixed in an upright position on the top face of said main member to form an inverted V, and a rack drive mechanism xed to the apex of said V and engaging said rack.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,827,209 Robbins Oct. 13, 1931 2,323,605 Johnson July 6, 1943 2,397,045 Richey Mar. 19, 1946 2,418,251 Drott Apr. 1, 1947 2,491,030 Budrean Dec. 13, 1949 2,527,928 Heath Oct. 31, 1950 2,626,722v Talbott Ian. 27, 1953 2,717,704 Pilch Sept. 13, 1955 2,720,990 Beyerstedt et al Oct. 18, 1955 2,754,016 Anderson Iuly 10, 1956