US2860798A

US2860798A - Straddle carrier with dumping device

Info

Publication number: US2860798A
Application number: US471188A
Authority: US
Inventors: Franz H Van Hellen
Original assignee: Clark Equipment Co
Current assignee: Doosan Bobcat North America Inc
Priority date: 1954-11-26
Filing date: 1954-11-26
Publication date: 1958-11-18
Anticipated expiration: 1975-11-18

Description

Nov. 18, 1958 F. H. VAN HELLEN STRADDLE CARRIER WITH DUMPING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 26, 1954 INVENTOR. FRANZ H. VAN HELLEN v ATTY.

Nov. 18, 1958 F. H. VAN HELLEN STRADDLE CARRIER WITH DUMPING DEVICE Filed NOV. 26, 1954 FIG. 2

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTY.

Nov. 18, 1958 r F. H. VAN HELLEN 2,850,793

STRADDLE CARRIER WITH DUMPING DEVICE Filed Nov. 26, 1954 s Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR.

FRANZ H. VAN HELLEN ATTY.

STRA'DDLE CARRIER WITH DUB [PING DE-V ICE Franz 'H.' VanHellen,"St.Joseph; Mich assignofto Clark- Equipment' Company, a'corporation of Michigan Application November 26,1954, Serial No. 471,188

3 ClaimS. (Cl; 214-318) My present 'inventionisdirected to amethod of, and

means for, handling a load; particularly in connection with a load handling vehicle, such as" a straddle carrier.

It is an object of my-p'resent invention to provide a novel method of handling a load, such as a box of material, which includes, upending'the boxof mat'erial, after 7 ithas been dep'osited onthe ground, for dumping the material from the box.

It is another object of my present invention to provide mechanism for a load handling vehicle; which is capable of upending a load lying on the ground forwardly of the vehicle.

It is still another object of my present invention to'provide mechanism-which'ma'y be incorporated'with a load 3 handling vehicle, such as a st'raddle carrier," for selectively upendinga load after it has been transported to an unloading station and'deposited on the gr'ound'by the straddle carrier. I I

To accomplish the above objects, I incorporate novel upending-mechanism with a-straddle carrier, which mechanism includes power operated arm means pivotally'connected at one end to the straddle carrier and carrying'at the other end load upending means. Considering specifically, a load such as a'boxof material, thestraddle'carri'er is employed for engaging the box of material on the ground, transporting the box" from one location to another, and' depositing the boxon the ground. After the boX' of material has been deposited on the ground, the straddle carrier is backed from over the box and the upen'ding mechanism is employed for raising one end of the box so as to upend the latter for dumping the material from the box. Accordingly, it willbe seen that the straddle carrier, and the upending mechanism of my'present invention, maybe employed cooperativelyto carry out the method-"steps of myinventionfor handling a load, such as a box of material.

Now in order to acquaint those skilled in the art with the method and means for practicing-the principles of my present invention, I shall describe in connection with the accompanying drawings, a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure I is a perspective view of a straddle carrier with which the-dumping device of my present invention has been embodied for carrying out the method of my present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational 'view of the straddle carn'er'of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the straddle carrier of Figure l with the dumping device being shown in several different operating positions.

My present invention is-concerned with a new and novel method of handling aload, such as the open-topped tot'e' boxshow'n at- 8in Figure 1. After thebox-8 has ice been filled with material,.the followingmethod steps of my invention'may be employed for elfectingdumping of the material at a distantunloadingfistation. In accordance with my invention, the'box of material-is first engaged and raised from the ground. This may be accomplished with a load handling vehicle of the character to be described hereinafter. Then the elevated box of materialis transported by the load handling vehicle to the unloading station and deposited on the ground. Finally, the

box of material is upended from the position shown in solid lines in Figure 1 to the position shown in dot-dash lines in Figure 3 for dumping the materialfrom the-box.

To specifically perform upending of the box 8, I have invented mechanism which may be embodied with a load' handling .vehicle' in a manner that I shalldescribe hereinafter.

One type of load handling. vehicle which is adapted for use in'practicingthe method of my present invention is shown in the drawings at 10'; This vehicle is commonly termed a straddle carrier, since it carries a load at its underside and thus straddles the load being carried. The' straddle carrier ltl'comprises a horizontal, generally rectangular, main frame 12 havingvertical fork tube housf ings 14 at each corner. Fork tubes 16 'are-journaledin the housings 14 and at'their lower ends are secured to. forks 18 which support'horizontal stub shafts 20 upon which the'wheel and tire assemblies 22 are mounted. The four sets of fork tubes 16, forks 18, stub shafts 20, and

tire and wheel assemb1iesfl2 2are rotatable aboutthe vertical axesof the housings 14 for steering thestraddle' carrier. The main frame 12 supports an operators cab 24 and a primernover (enclosed by the hood 26) that is adapted to drive the rear pair of wheel assemblies 22" through power transmission means including a differential unit28 and a pair of drive shafts, one of which is indicated at 30 in Figure 1. The drive shafts 30are connected with the wheel assemblies 22 by means of sprockets wise of the vehicle by means of diagonal braces 36. Each post 34 carries a load hook or engaging plate 38, formed with a laterally inwardly directed foot or ledge 39, which is movable upwardly and downwardly on the post 34 by hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly means (not shown) acting through links 40. The selective movement of the plates 38 toward and away from each other, and

up and down, permits loads to be engaged and discharged conveniently, at the will of the operator of the vehicle.

I shall now describe the upending .mechanism of my" present invention which, when incorporated with a load handling vehicle, is operable to tilt a dump or tote box, such as is shown at 8 in Figure l, to empty the contents thereof. The upending mechanism is particular adapted for embodiment with the above described straddle carrier and comprises forwardly extending arm means including a pair of lengthwise extending arm members 44 which" are disposed at the sides of the vehicle 10. The rear ends of the arm members 44 are pivotally mounted at 46 about a transverse axis to the main frame 12 of theveh-icle adjacent the rear end thereof. The forward ends of the arm members 44 are curved downwardly and at their forwa'rd' termini support load upending means in the form of a horizontal, transversely extending, load upending bar or rod 48. Additional rigidity of the arm members 44 is obtained by means of a transverse brace member 49.

To perform its upending functions, the load upending bar 48 is moved upwardly and downwardly at the forward end of the vehicle. Such movement is effected by pivoting the arms 44 about the mountings 46 with power actu-' ated means including a pair of chain assemblies 50. Each chain assembly 50 is secured at its one end to the adjacent arm 44 and at its other end to the main frame 12 of the vehicle. In addition, each chain 50 is trained over a sprocket 52 that is pivotally mounted on the adjacent end of a transversely extending shaft 54. The shaft 54 is carried at the outer ends of the piston rods 56 of a pair of hydraulic piston and cylinder assemblies 58 having cylinders 60 secured to the main vehicle frame 12 inwardly of the sides thereof. The chains 50 and sprockets 52 serve as motion transmitting means between the hydraulic assemblies 58 and the arm members 44. The hydraulic assemblies 58 are operated by a conventional fluid pressure control system for eflecting upending of a load.

Upon the admission of fluid under pressure to the lower ends of the hydraulic cylinders 60, the piston rods 56 are distended upwardly, and the chains 50 are caused to travel in a counterclockwise direction over the sprockets 52. This action causes the ends of the chains 50, which are secured to the arms 44, to be drawn upwardly and eflects clockwise pivotal movement of the arms 44 about the mountings 46. The load upending bar 48 is elevated as the arms 44 are pivoted clockwise.

To lower the load upending bar 48, fluid is bled from the lower ends of the cylinders 60 while fluid under pressure is simultaneously directed to the upper ends of the cylinders 60. This causes the piston rods 56 to be retracted and the chains 50 to travel in a clockwise direction over the sprockets 52 Thus, the ends of the chains 50 which are secured to the arms 44 are played out and the arms 44 are permitted to pivot counterclockwise about the mountings 46.

One form of dump or tote box 8 which is particularly adapted for use in practicing my present invention comprises, as shown in Figure 1, vertical sides 62 spaced apart by a rear wall 63, and a bottom 64 having straight and inclined portions. Spaced runners 66 are employed to reinforce both the straight and inclined bottom portions 64. Suitably secured to the rear box wall 63 are a pair of rearwardly extending arm members 68 having cut-out portions 70 which serve to receive the load upending bar 48 whereby the tote box 8 may be upended upon suitable actuation of the upending mechanism.

The following is a description of my novel method of handling the box 8 with the above-described straddle carrier and upending mechanism of my present invention. After the box 8 has been filled with material, the straddle carrier 10 is driven over the box 8 so as to dispose the box under the main frame 12 as shown in solid lines in Figure 3. The load engaging plates 38 are then lowered on the posts 34 and the latter are swung laterally inwardly toward each other for disposing the plate feet 39 beneath the box 8. Finally, the load engaging plates 38 are elevated on the posts 34 for raising the box 8 from the ground to the position shown, for example, in dot-dash lines in Figure 2. The box 8 is now in position to be transported by the straddle carrier 10 to an unloading station.

After being transported to the unloading station, the box 8 is deposited by lowering the load engaging plates 38 until the box contacts the ground and by swinging the posts 34 laterally outwardly so as to withdraw the plate feet 39 from beneath the box. Then, to permit upending of the box 8, the straddle carrier 10 is backed away from the box to approximately the position shown in Figure l.

Upending of the box is carried out by lowering the load upending bar 48 to the position shown in solid lines in Figure 3 below the cut-out portions 70 of the box. The hydraulic piston and cylinder assemblies 58 are suitably actuated by the operator of the vehicle so as to move the load upending bar 48 progressively upwardly into the cut-out portions 70 shown in dash lines in Figure 3, through the position shown in dash-double-dot lines in Figure 3 and hence to the position shown in dot-dash lines. During this movement of the load upending bar 48, the box 8 is raised at its one end, rocked about the runners 66 from the straight to the inclined portions, and finally is tilted to the vertical position shown in dot-dash lines in Figure 3.

At this point, the material, which has been loaded in the box, will fall from the box under the force of gravity. If the material tends to adhere to the inside of the box, the latter may be jogged or jostled, by suitable actuation of the hydraulic piston and cylinder assemblies 58, while the straddle carrier is slowly backed away from the material being dumped. After the box 8 has been emptied, it is returned to its normal horizontal position shown in Figure 1 by lowering the load upending bar 48 while slowly moving the straddle carrier backwardly. The box 8 is then returned by the straddle carrier to a storage point, or a loading zone where it may again be filled with material that must be transported from one position to another.

From the foregoing description, it will be realized that the straddle carrier, and the upending mechanism of my present invention, may be cooperatively employed to carry out the method steps of my present invention which include upending the box of material, after it has been deposited on the ground, for dumping the material from the box.

Now while I have shown and described what I believe to be preferred method and means for carrying out the principles of my present invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various rearrangements and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In an industrial material handling vehicle of the type equipped to straddle, elevate, transport, and deposit box-like containers, the combination comprising, a hori zontal load upending bar disposed across the forward end of the vehicle, parallel arm members supported on the vehicle and carrying said bar therebetween, selectively operable power actuated means having connection with said arm members for raising and lowering said bar substantially vertically, and engagement means on the container adapted to be coupled with said bar whereby the container may be upended and its contents discharged by upward vertical movement of said bar.

2. In an industrial material handling vehicle of the type having a main frame and equipped to straddle, elevate, transport, and deposit box-like containers which are fitted with engagement means at one end thereof, the combination comprising, a horizontal load upending bar disposed across the front end of the vehicle, parallel arm means connected at one end to said load upending bar and pivoted at their opposite ends to the main frame of the vehicle, and power actuated means carried by the vehicle and having connection with said arm means for effecting pivotal movement of the latter thereby to raise and lower said upending bar as selected, the raising of said bar when the same is connected with the engagement means on the container causing the latter to be upended to discharge its contents.

3. In an industrial material handling vehicle of the class adapted to straddle, elevate, transport, and deposit box-like containers, the combination comprising, a horizontal upending bar disposed across the forward end of the vehicle, parallel arm means supporting said bar at its ends, means pivotally connecting said arm means to the vehicle, hydraulic piston and cylinder means carried by the vehicle, motion transmitting means including sprocket }and chain means interconnecting said arm means and said References Cited in the file of this patent ydraulic piston and cylinder means, means for selectively operating said hydraulic piston and cylinder means UNITED STATES PATENTS to elevate and depress said bar in response to pivotal 441,264 Van Wagenen Nov. 25, 1890 movement of said arm means, and load engagement 5 2,235,913 Beane Mar. 25, 1941 means provided on one end of the container for selective 2,415,014 Luebbers J an. 28, 1947 engagement by said bar, the elevation of said bar when 2,443,883 Arps June 22, 1948 engaged with the said load engagement means serving to 2,462,907 Savage Mar. 1, 1949 upend the container and unload the same. 2,463,802 Pilch Mar. 8, 1949