US2981429A - Paper roll handling truck - Google Patents

Description

April 1961 w. A. WILLIAMSON 2,981,429

PAPER ROLL HANDLING TRUCK Filed March 26, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR. WILLIAM A. WlLLIAMSON ATTORNEY April 25, 1961 w. A. WILLIAMSON PAPER ROLL HANDLING TRUCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 26, 1959 IN V EN TOR. WILLIAM A. WILLIAMSON ATTORNEY United States Patent PAPER ROLL HANDLING TRUCK William A. Wiliiamson, Battle Creek, Mich, assignor to Clark Equipment Company, a corporation of Michigan Filed Mar. 26, 1959, Ser. No. 802,079

16 Claims. (Cl. 214-654) This invention relates to an improvement in article handling attachments primarily designed for use in combination with a conventional motorized hand truck of well-known type.

More particularly, the invention relates to an improvement in the combination of a paperroll handling attachment and a low platform motorized hand truck wherein the attachment is adapted for pivotal movement between vertical and horizontal positions to facilitate loading, unloading and maneuvering thereof in close quarters. The invention has particular utility when the overhead clearance for the vehicle is restricted and when it is desired to use the truck for transporting articles over extended distances.

A paper roll handling attachment of a type similar to that of the present invention is disclosed in Bartel et al., U.S. Patent No. 2,714,969, dated August 9, 1955. In this patent the article handling attachment is mounted upon the vertically extending mast structure of a conventional lift truck and the articles are loaded, transported and unloaded with the attachment being movable only in a vertical direction relative to the mast structure.

It has been found that in some instances for specific loading, transporting and unloading operations the above mentioned article handling attachment cannot be used advantageously, particularly When transporting articles over long distances or when the overhead clearance is restricted. One particular example of such an operation occurs when it is desired to facilitate the loading of paper rolls onto a ship or the like. conventionally, the paptr rolls are loaded through the hatch of a ship into the hold by an overhead crane which sets the rolls down in a horizontal position. The rolls must then be moved to any point in the hold of the ship and tipped to a vertical position to prevent them from being crush-d in transit. In the past this task has been accomplished manually and has required three (3) men and a two wheel hand truck, therefore, resulting in the expenditure of considerable manual effort and requiring a considerable amount of time to load a ship.

The truck of the present invention being light in weight, highly maneuverable, and having the ability to receive, transport and discharge a load in either a horizontal or vertical position, not only considerably reduces the manpower required for an operation such as above described; but, will considerably reduce the amount of time required for such an operation.

The truck and attachment of the present invention also has another major advantage over the type of unit described in the above mentioned patent to Bartel et al. The Bartel et al. device, since it may handle a paper roll only in a vertical position, cannot transport such rolls over extended distances or over rough surfaces without the provision of some farm of safety device to prevent slippage of the roll. The vibration created by movement of the truck will tend to make the paper roll slip and tear on the load plate. Thus, if a truck equipped with the Bartel et al. device is used without some form of safety device in unloading a box car, for example, it can only go into the box car, pick up the load, and remove it to a loading dock where another machine equipped with a roll clamp must pick the roll up for further transport. The truck of the present invention, however, having the ability to tilt the load from the vertical to a horizontal position can not only unload the box car but can tilt the load into a horizontal position and move it directly to its ultimate destination.

With the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an industrial truckhaving an article handling attachment which may be loaded, transpoitd or unloaded in either a vertical or a horizontal position. 1

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an industrial truck of the above described type having an article handling attachment which may be pivoted from the vertical to the horizontal in order to facilitate maneuvering and use of the truck and attachment-in places where such universal loading and unloading positions are desirable.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an industrial truck of the above described type having an article handling attachment comprising separable elements which are disposed and controlled to move in unison when the attachment is in a vertical position; but, are automatically conditionedfor independent movement when the attachment is pivoted to a substantially horizontal position.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a novel automatically operable latching mechanism between the separable elements of an article handling attachment of the above described type.

Briefly stated, the present invention accomplishes the above stated objects by means of a new and novel construction wherein an article handling attachment, such as described in the aforementioned patent, is adapted for use in a modified power operated hand truck of the low platform type and wherein the mast structure to which the attachment is secured is adapted to be pivotally mounted for movement from a vertical position to a horizontal position relative to the frame of the truck. Power means are provided for pivoting the mast structure together with the attachment, and the trail wheels of the hand truck serve as roller bearings for the mast struc-' ture during pivoting thereof. The article handling attachment comprises an article grabbing device and a clamp plate which are separable elements. The article grabbing device is power operated for movement in two directions r:lative to the mast structureand automatically operable latch means are provided for disconnecting the clamp plate from the article-grabbing device when the mast structure is disposed in a horizontal position whereby the clamp plate together with the load may be moved manuallyand independently of the articlegrabbing device. The latch means is operable upon inclination of the mast structure from the horizontal position to automatically lock the clampplate relative to the article grabbing device for movement therewith as a unit.

The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taken with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features thereof are pointed out in the appended claims. The disclosure, however, is illustrative only and certain changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size and arrangement of parts within- In the accompanying drawings which form a part of.

this specification, like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, wherein.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing the general arrangement of the improved industrial truck of the present invention with the mast structure and article handling attachment in the horizontal position;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the truck shown in Fig. 1 and shows in more detail the general arrangement of certain elements thereof;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the trailing end of the truck showing the mast structure and article handling attachment in a vertical position with portions thereof being broken away to more clearly show certain constructional details and relationship of elements;

Figure 4 is a top plan view substantially as seen along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view substantially as seen along the line 5--S of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, the embodiment of the invention chosen for purposes of illustration includes a hand lift truck, indicated generally by the reference numeral 10, having a horizontally extending main frame 12. A pair of housing members 14 and 16 are mounted upon the main frame 12 and are, respectively, provided for enclosing certain components of the hydraulic fluid system which controls the load elevating mechanism, to be described hereinafter, and the batteries which supply power for operating various components of the truck 10.

The main frame 12 may be supported, in a conventiona1 manner, by means of a single motor operated driving and steering wheel 18 which is located directly beneath a housing member 20 which encloses certain of the operating elements therefor. Suitably mounted relative to the main frame 12,, adjacent the housing member 20 is a tubular steering handle 22. Mounted upon the upper end of the steering handle 22 is a steering head 24 which has mounted adjacent each side thereof a pair of aligned laterally projecting U-shaped hand grips 26. Conveniently disposed about the steering head 24 are a plurality of operating control elements 28 which are adapted to be manipulated for starting and stopping the truck 10, and for operating certain of the various hydraulic devices associated therewith. Control lines, connecting the vari ous hydraulic devices and the prime mover of the truck are disposed within the tubular steering handle 22.

The above described structure is generally typical of a number of various designs of hand lift trucks, known in the art, and detailed description of the various elements is not deemed necessary herein in order to obtain an understanding of the present invention.

The main frame 12 has rigidly secured thereto a pair of spaced longitudinally projecting load supporting frame members 30 which form extensions of the main frame 12 and are tied together adjacent their ends by means of transverse frame members 32 to form rigid, unitary structure. The frame structure thus formed may be secured together conveniently by means of welding or by any other suitable means.

Disposed transversely between the longitudinally extending frame members 30 is a mast structure or carriage generally indicated by the reference numeral 34. The carriage 34 generally comprises a pair of spaced longitudinally extending channel members 36 arranged in parallel relationship and adapted to closely fit within the space between the frame members 30 when in the position thereof shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The channel members 36 are each pivotally journaled relative to the frame members 30 adjacent their outboard ends by suitable bearing means, as indicated by the reference numerals 38, and may be secured together in their spaced relationship by means of suitable transverse frame members as indicated at 40.

Rotatably journaled upon each of the channel members 36 at the outboard ends thereof by means of suitable axles 42 are suitable wheel and bearing assemblies 44 which support the outboard end of the truck 10. Thus, the entire framework of the truck 10 comprising the mam frame 12, the load supporting frame, and the carriage 34 is supported for movement over the ground or other supporting surface by means of the single driving and steering wheel 18 and the two wheels 44, which together form a tricycle type of support.

As above mentioned the carriage 34 is pivotally mounted relative to the frame members 30. The carriage 34 is adapted and arranged to be pivotally revolved relative to the longitudinally projecting frame members between a substantially horizontal position as shown in Fig. 1 to a substantially vertical position as shown in Fig. 3. To that end, there is provided a pair of double-acting hydraulic cylinder and piston assemblies 46 located transversely outwardly of the frame members 30 and having one end thereof pivotally mounted relative to such frame members by means of suitable bearing blocks 48. The opposite end of each of the hydraulic cylinder and piston assemblies is pivotally mounted relative to the channel members 36 of the carriage 34 by means of suitable bearing blocks 50 which are longitudinally displaced relative to the pivotal bearings 38 a sufficient distance to provide a satisfactory moment arm. The effective moment arm is thus equal to the perpendicular distance from the center of the axles 42 to the line of action passing through the centers of the bearing blocks 48 and 50. When the carriage 34 is positioned as shown in Fig. l and hydraulic fluid is admitted under pressure to one end of the hydraulic cylinder and piston assemblies 46, the piston rods 52 thereof will be extended and the carriage 34 will be pivoted about the bearings 38 to the position thereof shown in Fig. 3. During such pivotal movement the wheels 44 will provide a rolling support for the carriage 34 and the load supporting frame. If fluid under pressure is subsequently admitted to the opposite ends of the hydraulic cylinder and piston assemblies 46 the piston rods 52 thereof will be retracted and the carriage 34 will be returned to the position shown in Fig. l. A suitable operating control element such as indicated at 54, located on the top of the compartment 14 may be provided for selectively controlling the admission offluid under pressure to either end of the hydraulic cylinder and piston assemblies 46, and such control may, if desired, be of such a type as to cause the piston rods 52 to be locked in any position thereof between the extremes shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Suitable balancing valve means may also be provided in the hydraulic circuit between the two hydraulic cylinder and piston assemblies to regulate and balance the flow of fluid under pressure thereto in a manner well-known in the art.

In the embodiment of the invention chosen for purposes of illustration, the carriage 34 is adapted and arranged to carry thereon an article handling attachment for the handling of paper rolls. The attachment generally comprises a pair of separable elements consisting of an article grabbing device or roll plug generally indicated at 56 and a clamp plate generally indicated at 58.

The article-grabbing device or roll plug 56 consistsof a plug or article engaging member 60 adapted to be inserted within the core 62 of a paper roll 64 (shown in phantom lines in Fig. 1). This member is provided with a laterally extending and generally rectangular portion 66 (Fig. 3) which carries thereon a plurality of rollers 68 adapted and arranged to slidably cooperate with a pair of spaced parallel channel supports 70 carried upon a support plate 72. The support plate 72 is provided at the sides thereof with a pair of spaced upstanding bracket elements 74 rigidly secured thereto, conveniently by means of welding, which in turn are rigidly secured to a base plate 76 which extends transversely across the channel members 36 of the carriage 34. Rigidly secured to the rectangular portion 66 of the article engaging mem- 'ber 60 is a bracket element '78 to which is'secured the piston rod 80 of a double-acting hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 82, the opposite end of which is suitably secured to the base plate 76. The support plate 72 is provided with a suitable elongated slot 84 through which the member 60 projects and provides for reciprocation of such member relative to the support plate upon energization of the hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 82. The assembly 82 may be selectively operated in a manner similar to the assemblies 46 above described under the control of a suitable operating control element such, for example, as indicated at 86 in Fig. 2 located on the top of the compartment 14.

Rigidly secured to the base plate 76 of the article grabbing device 56 are a pair of spaced supporting bracket elements 88 which are disposed in close cooperation with the transversely inwardly directed flanges of the channel members 36 of the carriage 34 and these bracket elements are interconnected by means of one or more suitable transverse elements 99 to form a rigid box-like structure. Suitably journaled upon the bracket elements 88 are spaced pairs of rollers 92 which fit within the channel members 36 of the carriage and thus slidably mount the article grabbing device for longitudinal movement relative to the carriage 34. To that end, there is provided a hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 94 having a piston rod 96 connected to the transverse element 90 and the opposite end thereof is connected to the lower transverse frame member 40 of the carriage 34. The hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 92 may also be selectively operated under the control of a suitable operating control element such, for example, as indicated at 98 in Fig. 2 located on top of the compartment 14.

The clamp plate 58 consists of a curved, sheet metal plate 100 which is formed as a substantially cylindrical segment having a radius of curvature which is preferably slightly larger than the radius of the largest cylindrical objects designed to be carried by the article handling attachment. The plate 190 is suitably secured to a base plate 102 by means such, for example, as a plurality of spaced mounting blocks 194 on each side thereof. The curved plate 1%, base plate 102 and mounting blocks 104 may be conveniently secured together by means of welding or other suitable fastening means; or they may, if desired be assembled together in such a manner as to make the curved plate 100 readily removable for substituting a clamp plate of different configuration depending upon the articles to be handled by the attachment.

Rigidly secured to the base plate N2 of the clamp plate assembly 58 are a pair of spaced supporting bracket elements 1% (Fig. which are disposed in close cooperation with the transversely inwardly directed flanges of the channel members 36 of the carriage 34. Suitably journaled upon the bracket elements 166 are spaced pairs of rollers 110 which fit within the channel members 36 of the carriage and thus slidably mount the clamp plate assembly 58 for longitudnial movement relative to the carriage 34.

The clamp plate assembly 58 is adapted for movement either manually and independently of the article grabbing device 56, or together therewith as a unit depending upon the position of the carriage 34 relative to the load supporting frame. To that end, there is provided a pair of automatically operated latch mechanisms, generally indicated by the reference numeral 112. Each of the latch mechanisms 112 generally comprises a lever member 114 which is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends upon the base plate 76- of the article grabbing device 56 as indicated at 116, and a ratchet element 118 which is rigidly secured to the base plate 1&2 of the clamp plate assembly 58. The lever member 114 is provided with a hook which is adapted and arranged to cooperate with the teeth on the ratchet elements 118. Secured to the lever member 114 at a point intermediate its ends is a laterally outwardly and backwardly projectingabutment 8 member 120 which is adapted and arranged to cooperate with the longitudinally projecting load supporting frame members 30 such that when the carriage 34 is in the position shown in Fig. 1, the'lever member 114 and ratchet element 118 are separated by pivotal movement of the lever 114. When in such position, it may be seen that the article grabbing device 56 and the clamp plate assembly 58 are movable longitudinally of the carriage 34 relative to one another, the article grabbing device 56 being movable under the control of the hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 94, and the clamp plate assembly 58 being conditioned for independent manual movement, as desired.

When pivotal movement of the carriage 34 is eifected by operation of the hydraulic cylinder and piston assemblies 46, the initial movement thereof from the position shown in Fig. 1 will cause the abutment member 120to disengage from the longitudinally projecting frame members 30 of the load supporting frame and the tooth of the lever 114 will engage with the ratchet element 118 to couple the clamp plate assembly 58 to the article grabbing device 56 so that they are then movable together as a unit under the control of the hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 94. It should be noted that suitable compression spring means 122 are provided adjacent the opposite end of the lever member 114 which operates to pivotally bias the lever member 114 into engagement with the ratchet element 118 so that such engagement will be automatically efiected when the abutment member 12% is moved slightly relative to the frame member 30. It is obvious, of course, that the elements of the latching mechanisms 112 may be reversed as to their relative positions on the.

article grabbing device 56 and the clamp plate assembly 58 without any material eitect upon the operation thereof.

Having now described in detail the structure and operation of the various elements of the industrial truck 10 of the present invention, it is believed that a better understanding or" the operation and advantages thereof may be had by describing, by way of example, a typical sequence of operation thereof. For purposes of the following description, let it be assumed that the industrial truck 10 is to be utilized to load a plurality of paper rolls abroad a box-car. Let it also be assumed that the paper rolls to be loaded are standing on end on a loading dock.

With the carriage 34 in its vertically upstanding position as shown in Fig. 3 and preparatory to engaging a paper roll, the plug member 60 of the article grabbing device 56 is moved to its outermost position by actuation of the hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly $2, and the hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 94 is actuated to move the article grabbing device 56 together with the clamp plate assembly 58 upwardly relative to the carriage 34 so that the bottom of the plug member 60 will clear the top of the paper roll.

The truck 1% may then be maneuvered into position toward the paper roll and the curved plate will contact the outer periphery of the roll and center the article grabbing device 56 in a position where the plug member 60' is directly above the core of the roll. The article grabbing device 56 and clamp plate assembly 58 are then lowered by actuation of the hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 94 until the plug member 6b is at an engaging level, whereupon the hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 82 is actuated to draw the plug member 60 and roll engaged thereby into firm frictional engagement with the curved clamp plate 182.

After thus engaging the roll, the hydraulic cylinder and piston assemblies 46 are actuated to pivot the carriage 34 about its pivotal axis 38 into the position thereof shown in Fig. l. The truck 10 may then be driven to its unloading destination and may if necessary, readily pass through a hatchway, or other access opening, having a restructed overhead clearance. When the unloading destination has been reach, the hydraulic cylinder and piston assemblies 46 will be actuated to return the carriage"34 to the upright position thereof shown in Fig. 3, and the roll may be released by first neutralizing the hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 82 to relieve the pressure holding the roll into frictional engagement with the clamp plate 58; then the hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 94 is actuated to raise the plug member 69 of the article grabbing device 56 to thereby clear the roll. The truck may then be returned to the loading dock to pick up another roll. The carriage 34 will, of course, be lowered again to provide clearance for the hatchway, if necessary.

If desired the truck 10 may also be utilized to receive and discharge loads with the carriage 34 in the horizontal position thereof as shown in Fig. 1. In such instances where the rolls are to be loaded with their longitudinal axes horizontal as in loading aboard a ship, for example, the truck 10 would be positioned to receive a roll to be deposited thereon such as by means of a small overhead crane or other suitable loading means. The roll would be deposited directly on the curved clamp plate 160 and the clamp plate assembly 53 can be manually moved relative to the article grabbing device 56 an amount sufiicient to insert the .plug member 60 into the core of the roll. The hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 82 would then be energized to firmly clamp the roll into frictional engagement with the clamp plate 102 for transporting to the unloading destination. The roll may then be unloaded in the same manner as previously described above, or it may be unloaded while the carriage 34 is in a horizontal position merely by neutralizing the hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 82 and either manually shifting the clamp plate assembly 58 relative to the article grabbing device 56 or by actuating the hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 94 to move the article grabbing device 56. The roll can then be removed by any other convenient form of handling mechanism located at the unloading destination.

During loading and unloading operations when the carriage 34 is in the vertical position thereof shown in Fig. 3, the hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 94 may be actuated as desired to compensate for variations in elevation between the level of the surface upon which the truck 19 may be supported and the elevation of the surface where it is desired to receive or deposit a load.

While the article grabbing device 56 has been specifically described herein by way of illustration as a device particularly designed for handling rolls of paper such as newsprint and the like, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that other forms of attachment may be utilized with equal facility in the truck 1t) of the present invention. The basic truck 16 of the present invention may, for example, be readily adapted to handle other various forms of loads by means of other specific forms of article grabbing devices, some of which are disclosed in the aforementioned patent to Bartel et al. The various specific structures and modifications disclosed in the Bartel et al. patent may be readily adapted for use with the improved truck of the present invention without requiring substantial modification.

It is, therefore, not intended that the present invention should be limited to the specific embodiment shown and described; nor otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an article handling device for an industrial truck or the like having a generally horizontally disposed wheel borne load supporting frame, a carriage mounted upon said frame for pivotal movement between substantially vertical and horizontal positions, contact means mounted upon said carriage for longitudinal movement relative thereto, said contact means being adapted and arranged to contact the surface of an article to be handled, grab means mounted upon said carriage for longitudinal movement relative thereto, said grab means being adapted and arranged to contact a portion of the article to be handled and operable to bias said surface of the article into contact with said contact means, and latch means having separable portions secured to said contact means and said grab means, said latch means being automatically operable in response to pivotal movement of said carriage to condition said grab means and said contact means for independent relative movement when said carriage is in a substantially horizontal position and to latch said grab means and said contact means together for unitary movement relative to said carriage when said carriage is inclined relative to the horizontal.

2. An article handling attachment according to claim 1, further including means for pivotally moving said carriage relative to said load supporting frame.

3. An article handling attachment according to claim 1, further including means mounted upon said carriage and operatively associated with said grab means for moving said grab means longitudinally relative to said carriage.

4. An article handling attachment according to claim 1, further including means for controlling the position of said grab means outwardly relative to said carriage, said means being controllable independently of the longitudinal movement of said grab means relative to said carrlage.

5. An attachment for a vehicle such as an industrial truck or the like having a generally horizontally disposed wheel borne load supporting frame, a carriage mounted upon said frame for pivotal movement between substantially vertical and horizontal positions, a backplate member mounted upon said carriage for longitudinal movement relative thereto, said backplate member being adapted and arranged to engage the surface of an article to be handled, article grabbing means mounted upon said carriage for longitudinal movement relative thereto, said article grabbing means extending outwardly relative to said backplate member said article grabbing means being operable to engage a portion of the article to be handled and to bias said article into frictional contact with said backplate member, and latch means having two separable portions attached, respectively, to said backplate member and said article grabbing means, said latch means being automatically operable to connect said backplate member to said article grabbing means for unitary movement longitudinally relative to said carriage when said carriage is inclined from the horizontal and to condition said backplate member and said article grabbing means for independent movement longitudinally relative to said carriage when said carriage is in a substantially horizontal position.

6. An article handling device according to claim 5, wherein one of said separable elements of said latch means comprises a pivotal lever having a portion thereof adapted and arranged to contact said load supporting frame when said carriage is positioned substantially horizontally, and further including means normally biasing said separable elements into latching position.

7. An attachment for a vehicle such as an industrial truck or the like having a generally horizontally disposed wheel borne load supporting frame and adapted to handle cylindrical rolls having an open core, said attachment comprising a carriage mounted upon said frame for pivotal movement between substantially vertical and horizontal positions, a first member for engaging a portion'of the outer surface of a roll and mounted for reciprocation longitudinally relative to said carriage, a second member for engaging the core of a roll also mounted for reciprocation longitudinally relative to said carriage, mechanism for moving said second member laterally toward and away from said first member to engage and disengage the roll from the first member, and means for automatically conditioning said first and second members for controlled movement longitudinally relative to said carriage in response to the angular position of said carriage.

8. Anattachment for a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein said last named means comprises a latch mecha- 9 nism having cooperating elements secured to said first and second members and being operable to couple said members for unitary movement when said carriage is inclined from the horizontal.

9. An article handling attachment for a vehicle such as an industrial truck or the like having a generally horizontally disposed load supporting frame, said attachment comprising a support element pivotally mounted for movement relative to said frame between substantially vertical and horizontal positions, an article contacting element mounted upon said support element for reciprocatory movement longitudinally relative thereto, an article grab element also mounted upon said support element for reciprocatory movement longitudinally relative thereto, and a latch mechanism having portions thereof on said contacting element and said grab element, means on said latch element adapted and arranged to cooperate with said load supporting frame to condition said contacting element and said grab element for independent movement longitudinally of said support element when said support element is substantially horizontal, means on said latch mechanism for automatically latching said contacting element and said grab element together for unitary movement when said supporting element is inclined relative to the horizontal.

10. An article handling attachment according to claim 9, further including means on said support element for selectively controlling the longitudinal movement of said grab element.

11. An article handling attachment according to claim 9, wherein said grab element is also adapted and arranged for lateral movement relative to said support element toward and away from said contacting element.

12. An article handling attachment according to claim 11, further including means mounted upon said pivotal support element for controlling the lateral movement of said grab element.

13. A load handling attachment for a vehicle such as an industrial truck or the like having a generally horizontally disposed wheel borne load supporting frame comprising a load lifting upright, pivot means mounting the upright. adjacent one end of the vehicle for pivotal movement from a substanially vertical to a substantially horizontal position relative to the vehicle, load engaging means connected to the upright for longitudinal movement relative thereto, said load engaging means including first and second longitudinally spaced load engaging portions, means normally connecting said first and second portions for simultaneous longitudinal movement on said upright, and means connected to the upright for actuating same about the pivot means as aforesaid, said means connecting the first and second portions being automatically conditioned upon pivotal movement of the upright from a vertical to a substantially horizontal position to disconnect said second portion from said first portion.

14. A load handling attachment as claimed in claim 13 wherein said connecting means between the first and second portions comprises first and second cooperable latching members mounted upon said first and second portions, respectively, one of which cooperable latching members is disconnected from the other latching member as the upright is moved towards a horizontal position, and automatically re-engages the other latching member as the upright is actuated away from a horizontal position.

15. A load handling attachment for a vehicle such as an industrial truck or the like having a generally horizontally disposed wheel borne load supporting frame comprising a load lifting upright, pivot means mounting the upright adjacent one end of the vehicle for pivotal movement from a substantially vertical to a substantially horizontal position relative to the vehicle, load engaging means connected to the upright for longitudinal movement relative thereto, said load engaging means including first and second longitudinally spaced load engaging portions, means normally connecting said first and second portions for simultaneous longitudinal movement on said upright, first and second cooperable latching members mounted upon said first and second portions, respectively, one of which cooperable latching members is disconnected from the other latching member as the upright is moved towards a horizontal position, and automatically re-engages the other latching member as the upright is actuated away from a horizontal position, wherein said first latching member engages a portion of the load supporting frame to disconnect itself from the second latching member as the upright is actuated towards a horizontal position, and means connected to the upright for actuating same about the pivot means as aforesaid, said means connecting the first and second portions being automatically conditioned upon pivotal movement of the upright from a vertical to a substantially horizontal position to disconnect said second portion from said first portion.

16. A load handling attachment for a vehicle such as an industrial truck or the like having a generally horizontally dispased wheel borne load supporting frame comprising a load lifting upright, pivot means mounting the upright adjacent one end of the vehicle for pivotal movement from a substantially vertical to a substantially horizontal position relative to the vehicle, load engaging means connected to the upright for longitudinal movement relative thereto, said load engaging means including first and second longitudinally spaced load engaging portions, means normally connecting said first and second portions for simultaneous longitudinal movement on said upright, first and second cooperable latching members mounted upon said first and second portions, respectively, one of which cooperable latching members is disconnected from the other latching member as the upright is moved towards a horizontal position, and automatically re-engages the other latching member as the upright is actauted away from a horizontal position, wherein upon disconnection of the first and second latching members, the said first portion continues to be actuatable positively in the upright, and the said second portion becomes freely movable in the upright relative to said first portion, and means connected to the upright for actuating same about the pivot means as aforesaid, said means connecting the first and second portions being automatically conditioned upon pivotal movement of the upright from a vertical to a substantially horizontal position to disconnect said second portion from said first portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 878,751 Schreiber Feb. 11, 1908 1,243,200 Moore Oct. 16, 1917 1,276,799 Northrup et al. Aug. 27, 1918 1,900,569 Lederer Mar. 7, 1933 2,714,969 Bartel et a1. Aug. 9, 1955 2,829,789 Gerhardt et a1. Apr. 8, 1958 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No; 2,981,429 April 25, 1961 William A. Williamson It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below,

Column 1, line '68, for "farm" read form column 5,

line 57, for longitudnial" read longitudinal column 6, line 29, after "moved" read only lines 72 and 78, for "restructed" read restricted column 10, line 31, for

" "dispased" read disposed Signed and sealed this 12th day of September 1961.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER DAVID L. LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents uscoMM-oc

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