Patent Application
20130233812
This invention pertains to equipment used in a material handling operation and, more particularly, to a device for storing a carriage and lift forks used in conjunction with a fork lift truck.
Fork lift trucks are used in various material handling facilities to move goods from one location to another within the facility and on and off of trucks, trains, and vessels that transport such goods. A lift truck allows one individual to move several thousands of pounds of goods at one time resulting in greater efficiency in the handling of materials.
Many of today's lift trucks come with interchangeable lift forks and fork carriages that allow the trucks to lift various pallet sizes and other pieces of equipment. A problem associated with this versatility is the need to be able to store particular lift forks and carriages when they are detached from the truck and not in use. Because the lift forks and carriages are both heavy and cumbersome, they cannot be handled by one person alone. This results in a need for increased manpower to detach and transport a carriage or lift forks from a truck to a storage location. Given the weight of the equipment, their direct handling by individuals can result in personal injuries, some of which could be serious and result in lost productivity and workman compensation issues. Furthermore, given the footprint that the carriage and lift forks generate, it is neither safe nor practical to leave them merely strewn about any given location. For these and other reasons, a device that would allow one to safely stow a fork lift carriage and a plurality of lift forks when they are not attached to a lift truck would be an important improvement in the art.
A device for storing a fork lift carriage and a plurality of lift forks when each are detached from a fork lift truck is disclosed. The device is comprised of a base frame having a plurality of sides. A leg portion extends downward from an end of each of the plurality of sides forming the base frame. A plurality of elongated fork storage containers are attached to the base frame, and a carriage support rack is attached to the base frame opposite of the plurality of fork storage containers.
a is a side view showing a fork stand.
b is a side view showing a fork lift carriage.
Disclosed is a device 10 for storing a fork lift carriage 12 and a plurality of lift forks 14 when each are detached from a fork lift truck (not shown). As shown in
In an embodiment, as shown in
In an embodiment, the carriage support rack 26 includes a carriage mounting frame 32 extending from the base frame 18, and a carriage support 34 that extends from the carriage mounting frame 32. In a particular version of this embodiment, as shown in
In another version of the embodiment, the carriage support 34 is comprised of a pair of carriage support arms 56 that extend from the carriage mounting frame 32, as shown in
In an embodiment, the carriage-mounting-frame support brace 60 has a first end 62 and a second end 64 opposite the first end 62. The first end 62 of the carriage-mounting-frame support brace 60 is connected to the carriage mounting frame 32, and the second end 64 of the carriage-mounting-frame support brace 60 is attached to the base frame 18, whereby the carriage-mounting-frame support brace 60 forms approximately a 45° angle with both the carriage mounting frame 32 and the base frame 18, as shown in
In another embodiment, each of the plurality of fork storage containers 24 attached to the base frame 18 has a first end 28 and a second end 70. As shown in
In an embodiment, a retaining pin 80 extends from a top side 82 of each of the plurality of fork storage containers 24, as shown in
When the lift forks 14 are stored separately from the fork lift carriage 12, one of the plurality of forks 14 is placed into one of the plurality of fork storage containers 24.
When in operation, the device 10, which may be made of any suitable metallic-like material, is positioned in an area with enough space to allow for the maneuvering of the fork lift carriage 12 and the lift forks 14. If the lift forks 14 are to be stowed individually, an operator inserts the lifting prong 84 of a fork 14 into the opening of a fork storage container 24 proximal to the carriage support rack 26, such that the lifting prong 84 of the fork 14 slides into the passageway 72 in the container 24, as shown in
When an operator desires to store the fork lift carriage 12 along with the lift forks 14 attached to the carriage, the operator drives the lift truck up to the device, such that the lifting prongs of the forks 14 are aligned on the base frame 18 atop of the fork storage containers 24. In an embodiment when the plurality of the fork storage containers 24 are spaced apart from one another, the lifting prong 84 of the forks 14 may be aligned with the respective spaces 88 between each of the fork storage containers 24, as shown in
Once the lifting prongs 84 of the lift forks 14 are positioned on top of the fork storage container 24, the fork lift carriage 12 is attached to the carriage support rack 26. This may be done in an embodiment, by inserting a pair of carriage support arms 56 on the carriage support rack 26, through a respective pair of mounting rings 58 on the fork lift carriage 12, as shown in
All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.
Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. It should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are exemplary only, and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention.
