Material or article handling – Elevator or hoist and loading or unloading means therefor – Comprising means enabling additional movement of carrier or...
Patent
1980-01-07
1982-06-22
Sheridan, Robert G.
Material or article handling
Elevator or hoist and loading or unloading means therefor
Comprising means enabling additional movement of carrier or...
B66F 914
Patent
active
043359922
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to material handling equipment and more particularly to fork lift vehicles. Specifically it deals with side shifting of the material handling forks and the associated hydraulic circuitry for operation of the side shifting arrangement.
2. Background Art
Material handling vehicles, such as fork lifts, in order to be useful, should have a certain degree of adjustability. This is particularly true if the vehicle is to be used to handle differing types of loads. It is also true in a material handling vehicle which handles similar loads, but in a different operating environment. For example, as the vehicle approaches the load to be handled, it is usual for the vehicle to approach the load at differing aspects. Even though these differing aspects may be of a minor amount, the load handling equipment, such as forks in the case of a fork lift, may not properly align with the load. When this occurs it requires a certain degree of maneuvering of the vehicle in order to obtain alignment of the load handling elements forks and the load.
After maneuvering to pick up the load and subsequent to picking up the load, the vehicle is ordinarily driven to the off-loading point. The same maneuvering of the vehicle at the off-loading point that occurred at the loading point may also be necessary. That is, the vehicle may not be aligned with the loading dock, truck, or the like and thus the material handling vehicle must maneuver in order to position the load properly.
In providing a capability to shift the load handling elements laterally relative to the vehicle, it is important not to degrade forward visibility from the operators station. It is equally important to reduce the offset of the load, from the vehicle center of gravity, referred as load moment offset. Other desiderata include reduction of the number of hydraulic lines, closer spacing of the forks, and providing an operating system for the load handling elements that is sensitive to the load carried.
Various solutions to these problems have been developed for material handling vehicles. Specifically side shifting forks to handle varying widths of loads are available. In a related field, that is in a vehicle that incorporates a pair of load clamps rather than forks, side shifting of the load has been provided along with the clamping feature. Such side shifting of the load in a clamping type vehicle permits pick up and subsequent placement of the load at a more specific location than would be readily available through maneuvering of the vehicle as discussed above. In the past the side shifting mechanism along with the necessary track structure to support the forks or clamps has degraded forward visibility because of the relatively massive track structure and further has required extensive hydraulic plumbing.
In other solutions the carriage upon which the forks are mounted has been designed to shift sideways in order to adjust or position the forks to pick up or deposit a load. Individual spacing of the forks upon such a side shift carriage may be accomplished manually or with additional hydraulic structure. In an arrangement such as the sideshift carriage wih hydraulically adjustable forks, the additional structure required to move the forks and carriage increases the load moment offset from the center of gravity of the vehicle by moving the forks further from the center of gravity. This, of course, reduces the load carrying capacity of the vehicle. Accordingly, reduction of the structure necessary to side shift the load, thus reducing the load moment offset, is advantageous. The reduction of the load moment offset by elimination of the structure to shift the carriage and concentration of the side shift capability in the forks alone also reduces weight of the overall attachment. It should be readily apparent that reduction of the overall weight and reduction of the load moment offset permits an increase in the load carrying capacity of the vehicle itself.
Individual fork adjustment may also be appropriate
REFERENCES:
patent: 2613830 (1952-10-01), Ponnequin
patent: 2795346 (1957-06-01), Farmer
patent: 2958436 (1960-11-01), Skutle
patent: 3166207 (1965-01-01), Quayle
patent: 3181430 (1965-05-01), Freedy et al.
patent: 3184088 (1965-05-01), Berge
patent: 4086843 (1978-05-01), Lorimor
patent: 4185944 (1980-01-01), Seaberg
Sheridan Robert G.
Towmotor Corporation
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