US2969991A

US2969991A - Frame construction for an industrial truck

Info

Publication number: US2969991A
Application number: US772329A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bronislaus I Ulinski
Original assignee: Yale and Towne Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Yale and Towne Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1958-11-06
Filing date: 1958-11-06
Publication date: 1961-01-31
Anticipated expiration: 1978-01-31

Description

Jan. 31, 1961 B. uLlNsKl FRAME CONSTRUCTION FoR AN INDUSTRIAL TRUCK med Nov. e, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Bo/wszfqu UL//vsm Jan. 31, 1961 B. l. uuNsKl FRANI: coNsIRUcIIoN FOR AN INDUSTRIAL TRUCK 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 6, 1958 R.. m N E W 4 r-rop/vcy FRAME CONSTRUCTION FOR AN INDUSTRIAL TRUCK Bronislaus I. Ulinski, Fiossmoor, Ill., assignor to The Yale and Towne Manufacturing Company, Stamford,

Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Nov. 6, 1958, Ser. No. 772,329

'1 Claim. (Cl. 280-150) This invention relates to industrial trucks and, more particularly, to the main frame structure for such trucks.

Those persons skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the construction of the main frame for trucks of this class presents a considerable problem. For example, it is necessary to maintain the truck of a size suitable for Operation in narrow warehouse aisles and freight cars, and the like. At the same time the frame must be sufticiently strong and rigd to support the various parts essential to the Operation of the truck as well as the heavy loads that must be lifted and transported.

Trucks of the class described carry some form of load handling attachment, such as a pair of forks and Uprights for elevating the forks and the load. 'These Uprights are carried by the frame at the front end of the truck immediately forward of the front wheels. To counterbalance the weight of the forks, Uprights and load, the truck must carry a heavy counterweight at its opposite end. This counterweight must be in proportion to the load handled, and since the same frame may frequently be used for several different load models, this matter of counterweight is very important as will appear presently.

The frame may also carry mechanism for tilting the load carrier, as well as a traction unit including a motor and steering linkage, a fluid pump for driving load lifting and tiltng hydraulic rams, a second motor for driving the pump and a reservoir for supplying fluid to the pump.

I have conceived by my invention a novel frame structure that enables me to meet all these requirements through a construction that is relatively simple and easy to manufacture.

As a particular feature of my invention, I provide as part of my frame, a pair of longitudinal complementary bars widely spaced for part of their length at the front end of the truck and then bent toward one another so as to be narrowly spaced at the rear end of the truck. The Value and utility of this feature will be amplified later.

As another feature of my invention, I Weld a heavy transverse tie bar to the narrowly spaced rear ends of the longitudinal bars. This transverse tie bar serves as a support for a series of counterweights in a number and weight to balance the load carried by the load handling attachment, as well as for a horzontal pivot or bearing upon which I mount the rear axle.

As a further feature of the invention, I secure a tank for containing hydraulic fluid just forwardly of the rear wheels. More particularly, I provide a center transverse tie plate welded to the underside of the longitudinal members at converging portions thereof between their widely and narrowly spaced portions. The fluid tank is bolted to the underside of this center tie plate.

As a still further feature of the invention, I secure a traction unit to the widely spaced ends of the bars, the traction unit housing extending between these widely spaced ends to add rigidity to the frame as an integral part thereof. I then suspend my fluid pump and its atent 2,969,991 Patented Jan. 31, 1961 operating motor from the longitudinal bars between the traction unit and the fluid reservoir.

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 appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of my invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of the claims appended 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 claim be regarded as including such equivalent constructions as do not depart from the spirit and scope of my invention, in order to prevent the appropriation of my invention by those skilied in the art.

A specific embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shownin the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the truck frame in accordance with my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the structure shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the rear section of the frame illustrating the assembly of the counterweights to the rear tie; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 3, but illustrating a greater number of counterweights mounted on the rear end of the frame.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 3 thereof, there is shown a truck frame comprisingl a pair of longitudinal

complernentary bars

10 and 11 widely spaced for part of their length at the front end of the truck and then bent to converge toward one another and narrowly spaced at the rear end of the truck. A transverse end plate or rear tie 12 is fixed to the rear ends of the side bars lt) and 11 as by Welding. Uprights 14 are supported at the front end of the truck forftilting movement by a pair of tilt rams 1'5 connected through brackets 16 to the side bars. i

A driving and traction unit 17 is supported at the forward end of the frame and includes a drive motor. 19, a front axle housing '20 extending between the

side bars

10 and 11 and connected to those bars at their widely spaced ends. Front wheels 21V are mounted outside of the

side bars

10 and 11 and supply traction and driving movement to the truck under the control of the motor 19.

To provide hydraulic power for driving the' rams 15 and other hydraulically controlled accessories, such as a load carriage, for example, the side bars support a second motor 22 just to the rear of the traction unit 17 and at a level below the top of the side bars. A fluid pump 24 is mounted in driven relation to the motor 22 and serves to provide hydraulic fluid under pressure to the various rams for operating parts of the truck.

As I have mentioned before, the side bars are bent toward one another so that they converge in a rearward direction for part of their length, as at 2'5. At this conaxle on the truck frame, a pivot 30 is welded to, the end plate 12 in the longitudinal axis of the truck, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The axle 28 is formed with a bearing to enable it to rock upon the pivot 30 when the rear wheels 29 move over irregular ground. The axle 28 is retained on the pivot 30 by an end plate 31 secured to the pivot by screws`32. The axle is also formed with a pair of lugs 33 that provide bearing surfaces in contact with the end plate 12 at points laterally spaced from the pivot 30 so as to accept forces that occur when the wheels 29 strike an obstruction, thereby minimizing bending stresses on the pivot.

The wheels 29 may be mounted for steering movement on the axle 28 in any suitable manner, and may conveniently utilize the novel mounting arrangement taught in my Letters Patent No. 2,829303, dated April 8, 1958, and entitled Steering System for Industrial Truck. In this construction, I utilize duplicate mounting members 34 formed with stub shafts for rotatably mounting the wheels 29 and also formed to mount axle king pins and a tie rod 35. In order to steer the rear wheels, the frame also supports a steering linkage that includes a hand steering wheel 36 connected to a conventional steering unit 37 by a steering column or post 39. The steering unit 37 is supported on the truck frame side bar and imparts rotary motion to a bar 40 that is connected to the steering unit through an adapter 41. The bar 40 is unversally jointed as at 42 to a shaft 44 that extends longitudinally of the truck. In order to obtain maximum rigidity for the steering mechanism, and to utilize the frame to best advantage, I place the shaft 44 in the plane of the

side bars

10 and 11 and I provide bearing means such as a bearing sleeve 45 that supports the shaft 44 for rotation by the bar 40 on a constant axis. This sleeve 45 is fixed to the frame and, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, actually passes through the side bar 10 at its converging part 25 to which it is welded so that the rear portion of the bearing sleeve 45 is adjacent the bar 10 where it is narrowly spaced from the bar 11. The rear portion of the sleeve terminates in substantial alignment with the steered wheels.

At its rear end, the shaft 44 protrudes from the bearing 45 and is connected to an end of a pitman arm 46. The other end of the pitman arm is connected to one end of a link 47. This link extends across the longitudinal axis of the truck and has its opposed end connected to the tie rod 35 at a point between the longitudinal truck axis and an end of the tie rod so that When the hand steering wheel is rotated, this movement is transmitted through the steering post 39 and steering unit 37 to the bar or end plate 12 may be utilized to support a series of counterweights, the number and weight of which may be altered as required to balance the load carried at the opposite end of the truck, or as may be required by different load models. Referring to Fig. 4, the bar 12 is shown in exploded relation to counterweight or ballast plates 49. It will be observed that the bar 12 has a series of bolt holes 50 and that registering holes 51 are provided in the plates 49 for reception of bolts 52 that secure the desired number of counterweights to the bar 12. The rear counterweight 49 has an upstanding part 54 that may comprise the rear wall of a compartment such as a battery compartm'ent, for example. As shown in Fig. 5, a greater number of counterweights may be supported on the bar 12 and, in this manner, the location of the upstanding part 54 may be altered to vary the size of the battery compartment.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I contribute by my invention a frame construction for an industrial truck that is of a size for Operation -in narrow warehouse asles, freight cars, and the like and that is at the same time sufliciently strong and rigid to support the various parts essential to the operation of the truck as well as .the heavy loads that must be lfted and transported. It Will also be seen that my novel frame enables me to carry all of the necessary operating mechanisms in a 'manner whereby they may operate freely of one another without adversely atfecting the stability of the truck under any load conditions.

I believe that the construction and Operation of my novel frame construction will now be understood and that the advantages of my invention will be fully appreciated by those persons skilled in the art.

I now clairn: In a truck of the class described, a main frame comprising a pair of spaced longitudinal bars, a heavy transverse bar secured to one end of said longitudinal bars with the upper surface thereof substantially flush with the upper surfaces of said longiutdinal bars, a transverse counterweight plate detachably secured to said transverse bar, said counterweight plate having a portion thereof extending upwardly a substantial distance above said transverse bar and forming the outer rear wall of a compartment for the truck, and a pluralty of counterweight plates nterposed between said first mentioned counterweight plate and said transverse bar and detachably secured to said transverse bar, the upper surfaces of said pluralty of counterweight plates being substantially flush with the supper surface of said transverse bar.

References Cited in the file 'of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,198,885 Billinghurst Sept. 19, 1916 1,321,857 Snell Nov. 8, 1919 l,715,639 Burrows June 4, 1929 2,304,443 Butler Dec. 8,,1942 2,381,729 Dunham Aug. 7, 1945 2,554,930 Ulinski May 29, 1951 '2,804,984 Ulinski Sept. 3, 1957 2,820,S56 Davis Ian. 21, 1958