A lift vehicle or truck can be fitted with a bale squeeze attachment to allow the lift vehicle or truck to move solid objects, such as straw bales. The bale squeeze attachment generally has two independently movable, solid, flat plates that are substantially parallel to each other and oppose each other in horizontal alignment. A lift vehicle or truck operator can control the horizontal movement of the two flat plates, moving them closer and further apart from one another in order to grasp an object between the flat plates (e.g., a bale) and release the object. In moving the flat plates closer together, a force is applied, which results in sufficient friction and pressure between the flat plates and the object to allow the lift vehicle or truck to grasp, squeeze, and lift the object. As such, commercially available bale squeeze attachments are suitable for grasping and lifting substantially rigid, cuboid objects. However, these attachments don't work particularly well in grasping and lifting malleable or soft objects because the two flat plates cannot apply sufficient force to grasp the malleable object without substantially deforming and damaging the malleable object. Thus, there exists a need for a lift vehicle or truck attachment that can grasp and lift malleable objects, such as filled or partially-filled lint bags.
The flat plates of a commercially available bale squeeze attachment for a lift vehicle or truck may easily burst a lint bag, or other malleable object, when grasping and trying to lift the malleable object. One reason for the damage is that the lint bag is easily deformed and there is no significant resistance to being squeezed by the flat plates, so the lint bag is easily burst. The present embodiments solve this problem by replacing at least one of the flat plates with a part-cylindrical side wall having a curvature that is similar to the curvature of the lint bag when full. Advantageously, the part-cylindrical side wall reduces the deformation of the lint bag when being squeezed for lifting, thereby reducing the likelihood of bursting.
However, even with two part-cylindrical side walls, when the part-cylindrical side walls are moved too close to one another, the lint bag may still burst due to excessive applied pressure from the side walls. The present embodiments solve this problem by including at least one stopper bar that prevents the part-cylindrical side walls from moving too close to one another. Advantageously, this limits the lint bag from being grasped and squeezed too tightly and thereby prevents the lint bag from being burst by the part-cylindrical side walls.
Additionally, by using at least one stopper bar to prevent the two part-cylindrical side walls from moving too close together when the lint bag is less full, the lint bag is not gripped as tightly and may therefore slip from the part-cylindrical side walls after the lint bag is lifted by the lift vehicle or truck. The present embodiments solve this problem by including at least one flat part-circular bottom plate fixedly coupled to at least one of the part-cylindrical side walls. Advantageously, the at least one flat part-circular bottom plate prevents the lint bag from slipping out from between the part-cylindrical side walls when lifted by the lift vehicle or truck.
In certain embodiments, a clamp adaptor mounts on a bale squeeze attachment of a lift vehicle or truck. The clamp adaptor includes: a) first and second opposing clamp-sides, each comprising: i) a part-cylindrical side wall having a first curvature with a radius about a vertical axis of the clamp adaptor; ii) a top bracket having a flat portion with a part-circular shape edge that fixedly couples at a first end with an outside portion of the part-cylindrical side wall at a first height, and having a vertical portion with attachment means at a second end, opposite the first end, that removably attach to one vertical side plate of the bale squeeze attachment; and iii) a bottom bracket having a flat portion with a part-circular shape edge that fixedly couples at a first end with an outside portion of the part-cylindrical side wall at a second height, lower than the first height, and a vertical portion having attachment means at a second end, opposite the first end, that removably attach to the one vertical side plate of the bale squeeze attachment; and b) at least one stopper bar attached to one of the first and second opposing clamp-sides. The first and second opposing clamp-sides are laterally independently movable by the bale squeeze attachment from a minimum separation distance defined by the at least one stopper bar to a maximum separation distance defined by the bale squeeze attachment, and the at least one stopper bar is sized to prevent the bale squeeze attachment from closing the first and second opposing clamp-sides beyond a reset minimum distance.
In certain embodiments, a clamp adaptor mounts on a bale squeeze attachment of a lift vehicle or truck to allow the lift vehicle or truck to lift a filled or partially filled malleable bag or similar container. The clamp adaptor comprising first and second opposing clamp-sides, each clamp-side having: a part-cylindrical side wall having a curvature with a radius about a vertical axis of the bag handling clamp adaptor; and a flat part-circular bottom plate fixedly coupled with the part-cylindrical side wall.
Advantageously, clamp adapter 100 may be attached to bale squeeze attachment 110 by any convenient means, including screws or bolts 104, 106 to allow the operator to use lift vehicle or truck 120 to lift malleable bag 102 without significantly deforming or substantially damaging malleable bag 102. Development of this clamp adapter 100 has solved many problems associated with lifting malleable objects including dropping the objects, ripping, or otherwise damaging the malleable objects.
In
Right clamp 202 also includes a top bracket or plate 210 formed from a substantially rectangular plate with a first long edge 211 formed (e.g., folded) at a 90-degree angle and a second edge, opposite the first edge, having a part-circular cutout corresponding to radius 304 (e.g., allowing for material thickness of part-cylindrical side wall 206) towards a front edge 213. In one embodiment, top bracket 210 has a length of thirty-six inches and a maximum width of fifteen inches tapering to a width of thirteen inches at a front edge. However, top bracket 210 hay have a length in the range of eighteen to fifty-four inches, and a width ranging between six and nineteen inches. Top bracket 210 is positioned in a horizontal plane and fixedly coupled (e.g., welded at seam 230, as shown in
Right clamp 202 also includes a bottom bracket or plate 214 formed from a substantially rectangular plate with a first long edge 215 formed (e.g., folded) at a 90-degree angle and a second edge, opposite the first edge, having a part-circular cutout corresponding to radius 304 (e.g., allowing for material thickness of part-cylindrical side wall 206) towards a front edge 217. Bottom bracket 214 is positioned in a horizontal plane and fixedly couples (e.g., welded at seam 232, as shown in
Top bracket 210 and bottom bracket 214 are substantially parallel and positioned at two different heights relative to right clamp 202, such that when fixedly coupled with flat plate 112, top bracket 210 and bottom bracket 214 rigidly attach right clamp 202 to flat plate 112 of bale squeeze attachment 110. In one embodiment, a distance between a top surface of top bracket 210 and a bottom surface of bottom bracket 214 is twenty-eight inches. However, the distance between the top surface of top bracket 210 and the bottom surface of bottom bracket 214 may range between fourteen and forty-two inches.
Top bracket 210 also includes a stopper bar 222 that is fixedly attached (e.g., welded at seam 242) to an inside surface of folded edge 211 such that stopper bar 222 is perpendicular to folded edge 211. Stopper bar 222 is for example a tube with an end plate 250 attached at a distal end (e.g., furthest from folded edge 211). Bottom bracket 214 also include a stopper bar 226 that is fixedly attached (e.g., welded) to an inside surface of folded edge 215. Stopper bar 226 is for example a tube with an end plate 252 attached at a distal end (e.g., furthest from folded edge 215). In one embodiments, when flat plates 112, 114 of bale squeeze attachment 110 are closed (see
As noted above, left clamp 204 is a mirror of right clamp 202 and includes top bracket 212 fixedly attached (e.g., welded at seam 236) to part-cylindrical side wall 208, bottom bracket 216 fixedly attached (e.g., welded at seam 238) to part-cylindrical side wall 208, a flat part-circular bottom plate 220 fixedly attached (e.g., welded at seam 240) to part-cylindrical side wall 208, stopper bar 224 fixedly attached (e.g., welded at seam 244) to top bracket 212, and stopper bar 228 fixedly attached (e.g., welded) to bottom bracket 216, each stopper bar 224, 228 with corresponding end plates 254 and 256, respectively.
Part-cylindrical side wall 206 and part-cylindrical side wall 208 may have other shapes without departing from the scope hereof. For example, part-cylindrical side wall 206 and part-cylindrical side wall 208 may be formed as a multi-faceted cylinder. In certain embodiments, part-cylindrical side wall 206 and part-cylindrical side wall 208 may be formed from a metal mesh.
During operation of lift vehicle or truck 120 and bale squeeze attachment 110, as flat plates 112 and 114 are closed around malleable bag 102, right clamp 202 and left clamp 204 are brought together until end plate 250 of the right clamp 202 contacts a corresponding end plate 254 of left clamp 204, and end plate 252 of the right clamp 202 contacts a corresponding end plate 256 of left clamp 204. As shown in
In certain embodiments, stopper bars 222, 224, 226, and 228 may be adjustable (e.g., using a screw thread mechanism, or sliding tubes and lock bolts) prior to operation of lift vehicle or truck 120 to allow an operator to set the minimum close distance between part-cylindrical side walls 206 and 208 corresponding to a size of malleable bag 102 that is to be lifted.
In certain embodiments, inner surfaces of part-cylindrical side walls 206 and 208 are augmented to increase frictions between part-cylindrical side walls 206 and 208 and malleable bag 102, such as with one or more of a grip tape, a grip pad, and/or a grip rubber coating.
Changes may be made in the above methods and systems without departing from the scope hereof. It should thus be noted that the matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The following claims are intended to cover all generic and specific features described herein, as well as all statements of the scope of the present method and system, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.
This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/223,754, filed Jul. 20, 2021. The entirety of this application is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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63223754 | Jul 2021 | US |