UNITIZED BODY FOR ELECTRIC FORK-LIFT TRUCK AND PROCESS FOR
MANUFACTURING THE SAME
The present invention relates to a unitized body for electric fork-lift truck, as well as the process for manufacturing the same.
A unitized body for electric fork-lift truck conventionally is made with metallic plate and with metallic section bars, properly cut-to-size, bent and fastened therebetween by welding according to art known on itself.
Nevertheless, such unitized body involves a high technical and economical expense for the implementation thereof, as well as the availability of a huge number of constructive parts both during production and at the warehouse.
On the other hand, the process for manufacturing the same cannot be conveniently rationalized, for the several required welding procedures and for the large quantity of constructive parts of different kind (section bars and plates with different thicknesses) which are needed for manufacturing the body.
The present invention, starting as from knowing such drawbacks, aims at solving them.
An object of the present invention is to provide a unitized body for electric fork-lift truck which can be implemented with reduced technical and economical expense and which requires a reduced number of constructive parts.
Another object of the invention is to provide a unitized body for electric fork-lift truck which has a simplified and very rugged structure.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a process for manufacturing a unitized body for electric fork-lift truck which can be implemented in a rational and effective way and which allows reducing the number both of the required welding procedures and the parts necessary for manufacturing the same.
A still additional object of the invention is to provide a process as specified which can be implemented easily and carried out in a safe and reliable way.
In view of such objects, the present invention provides a unitized body for electric fork-lift truck mainly according to claim 1.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a process for manufacturing a unitized body for electric fork-lift truck mainly according to claim 13.
Additional advantageous features of the invention are described in the depending claims.
The present invention will be more evident by the following detailed description, by referring to the enclosed drawings, provided only by way of example, wherein:
figures 1 and 2, respectively, show a perspective front and rear view of three quarters of the unitized body for electric fork-lift truck according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention; figures 3 to 5, respectively, show a elevational front, back and side view and a view in different scale of the unitized body according to figures 1 and 2; figure 6 shows a top plan view of the unitized body according to figures 3 to 5, but having removed the protection top for illustrative clarity's sake;
figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the unitized body according to figure 1; figure 8 shows, schematically and in different scale, the plan development of the plates constituting the unitized body according to the previous figures.
By firstly referring to figures 1 to 7, the unitized body for electric fork-lift truck according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention is designated as a whole with 10.
Said body 10 comprises two essentially specular flanks 11 (according to a longitudinal vertical midplane) , each one formed by a respective spatial frame-like plate 11.1 with the outer peripheral outline substantially shaped like a right trapezium, having from time to time orthogonally inwardly bent edges and with inner quadrangular and vertically extended louvre. Said spatial frame 11.1 is made with a single-body plate sheet.
Each flank 11 on the lower side comprises a respective fixed front wheelhouse 12, formed by a longitudinally extended box-like plate constituting structural stiffening like a longitudinal member. Said wheelhouse 12 is implemented by bending and welding crop ends of stamped plate 12.1, 12.2. 12.2 ' assembled therebetween and with the respective flank 11. The plate crop end 12.2 has an integral horizontal bracket 12.2.1, forming the support for an electropump. Some lower tongues are designated with 12.3.
Said flanks 11 with the respective longitudinal member-like wheelhouses 12 are rigidly connected therebetween on the front side by means of a front member 13, formed by a cross vertical partially box-like plate 13.1. It is obtained from a plate sheet by bending orthogonally three peripheral edges, two edges thereof are assembled sideways along said
- A - flanks .
On the upper side, said flanks 11 are rigidly connected therebetween by means of a bridge-like top 14, constituting protection and formed by a perforated plate 14.1 with a slab bent on the front and on the rear side and by respective front curvilinear union members 14.2 and respective rear curvilinear union members 14.3 made in bent plate and which are assembled between said flanks 11 and said plate 14.1.
Said flanks 11 with respective longitudinal-member-like wheelhouses 12 are rigidly connected therebetween on the lower side by means of a mainly box-type central body 15, opened on the upper side, for containing the power supply batteries. Said box-type body 15 is constituted by a front cross vertical wall 15.1 and by a rear cross vertical wall 15.2 like cross ribs, formed by respective plane plates, assembled between said flanks 11, and by a horizontal bottom 15.3, formed by a plane plate assembled between said walls 15.1, 15.2 and said flanks 11 at the level of the respective wheelhouses 12. The rear wall 15.2 is provided with upper side inserted and longitudinally-oriented ears 15.21.
A wide free compartment is provided between said flanks 11 in front of said front wall 15.1 of the box-type body 15 and between said wall itself and said front member 13.
A thick rear cross horizontal-bracket-like plate 16, constituting supporting crosspiece for the motion transmission (not illustrated) of the fork-lift truck which is provided with the body 10, is fastened on the back side of said rear wall 15.2 of the box-type body 15, between the ears 15.2 ' and between said flanks 11. Said crosspiece 16 is equipped with upper vertical eyelets 16.1 for fastening the main ballast for balancing the weight.
Furthermore, two longitudinal and vertical supporting members 17, formed by respective plane plates specularly symmetrical with respect to said midplane and assembled between the back side of said wall 15.2 and said crosspiece 16, delimitate, even with the flanks 11, respective side rear compartments for housing the additional ballast for finely adjusting the weight balancing.
Some tie rods connecting the supporting members 17 with the flanks 11 and bearing respective pins with vertical axis (not illustrated) for supporting the additional ballast are designated with 18.
Two hangers for assembling the cover of the box-like body 15 are designated with 19. Other hangers are designated with 20 and 21. Tie rods and hangers are obtained from plate sheet. The hanger 20 is simple, whereas the two hangers 21, as well as the eyelets 16.1, are implemented by overlapping two identical bodies. Possible structural parts not mentioned in the description and not equipped with a number appear from the enclosed drawings and they, too, are obtained by shearing a plate sheet with a thickness equal to the one of the constructive parts mentioned above.
As it appears from the foregoing, the present invention provides a highly rugged unitized body 10 with a simple structure and formed by a reduced number of constructive parts (11.1; 12.1, 12.2, 12.2', 12.3; 13.1; 14.1, 14.2, 14.3; 15.1, 15.2, - 15.3; 16.1; 17) and complementary structural parts (18, 19, 20, 21), which are all (except for the crosspiece 16 supporting the transmission) implemented starting from one or more plate sheets with equal thickness. Said constructive parts are constituted by preformed plates and are assembled according to the assembling technique by welding.
Figure 8 illustrates the plan development of said constructive parts and complementary structural parts, obtained from one or more plate sheets with the same thickness. In said figure 8, each illustrated detail is designated with the same reference number of the corresponding preformed plate, but followed by a "0". The dimensional feature mentioned above, according thereto all constructive components (except for the crosspiece 16 supporting the transmission) are obtained from one or more plate sheets with equal thickness, simplifies the constructive process of the unitized body according to the invention and allows reducing the number of welding procedures. The present invention, then, allows achieving the objects illustrated in the background.
In a variant embodiment, said top can be constituted by a plane frame, formed by metallic tubular members, with mainly oval cross-section, which is fastened to the body' s flanks by means of bolts and whereon some metallic flat small crosspieces are fastened.
Said tubular members and said flat small crosspieces can be obtained starting from a plate sheet with the same thickness of the plates constituting the body.