GB967731A - Lifting device - Google Patents

Abstract

967,731. Lifting cradles with gripping tines. DIESEL EQUIPMENT Ltd. Oct. 18, 1960 [Oct. 20, 1959], No. 35438/59. Heading B8H. The tines of a lift fork are pivotally mounted on a frame about an axis substantially perpendicular to the tines but spaced from their longitudinal axes so that limited pivotal movement takes place between the tines and the frame when the frame is raised and engages a load, this pivotal movement causing grippers on each tine to be moved towards grippers on an adjacent tine to engage articles between them. As shown in Figs. 1, 4, each tine 12 is hooked over a bar 14 on the frame 10 of a lifting cradle and is provided with a rotatable shaft 30 on which are secured grippers 18 and a lug 28. Plates 22, pivoted at 24 on the tines, are urged in a counterclockwise direction by torsion rods 36, each secured at one end 38 to the shaft 30 and at the other end to the tine 12, so that when there is no load on the tines the plates 22 bear against a beam 16 on the frame 10 with sufficient force to maintain a gap 40, Fig. 4, between the ends of the tines 12 and the beam 16. On raising the lift fork after the tines have been inserted between articles in the bottom layer of a stack, the tines pivot about bar 14 on engaging the next layer, thereby rotating the plates 22 against the action of torsion rods 36 and rotating the shaft 30 to cause the grippers 18 to engage the articles of the bottom layer. In a modification, Fig. 6, the plate 22 and shaft 30 are replaced by a slidable bar 52, mounted on parallel links 53 and provided with gripping pads 66. As the tines engage the load and pivot on the bar 14, the bar 52 is moved longitudinally and at the same time moves laterally to grip the load. In a further modification, Fig. 7 (not shown), a lifting frame is provided at each end of the tines.