US2893582A - Industrial truck - Google Patents

Description

July 7, 1959 R. w. PARCELL INDUSTRIAL TRUCK IJJ 5 4 1 2 M T W m MA. S V9 a e h S 70 Filed Jan. 2, 1958 Roma-4:4

July 7, 1959 R. w. PARCELL 2,893,582

INDUSTRIAL TRUCK Filed m. 2, 1958 a Sheets-Sheet 5 Aim.

United States Patent INDUSTRIAL TRUCK Application January 2, 1958, Serial No. 706,700 9 Claims. (Cl. 214-651) The present invention relates to a material-handling apparatus and, more particularly, to an industrial truck having an elevatable load carriage thereon and to an attachment for use therewith.

An important object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved attachment for an industrial truck, preferably an attachment to adapt the truck to handle cartons or crates having a downwardly facing abutment adjacent the upper portion thereof, the attachment comprising a frame having means for detachably connecting the frame to the elevatable load carriage of an industrial truck for side-shifting movement with respect thereto, a load supporting member adapted to engage or receive the underside of an abutment on the load to support and lift the load, and a mast assembly for guiding the load supporting member in its vertical movement and including a ram operable to move the load supporting member vertically and hold the member' in a selected position within its range of movement to accommodate handling various size crates and to make it possible to lift a crate when the attachment ispositioned on an industrial truck without operating the elevatable carriage, the mast assembly preferably comprising telescoping primary and secondary masts for guiding the movement of the load supporting member.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved material handling apparatus, particularly an industrial truck, having an elevatable carriage, a load carrier for the elevatable carriage, which carrier is adapted to handle either a carton having a strapped top thereon or a conventional crate and to elevate the carton or crate, as the case may be, relative to the carriage, the load carrier preferably being constructed in the form of an attachment which is quickly and easily connected to and detached from the elevatable load car riage.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved material-handling apparatus, particularly an industrial truck having an elevatable member, and uprights for supporting and guiding the elevatable member in its vertical movement which are so constructed and arranged that a relatively narrow spacing of the uprights is possible even though loadengaging members for handling the load are positioned between the uprights.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision, in an industrial truck having an elevatable load carriage, of a new and improved load carrier for the carriage, which carrier is provided with conventional fork members for engaging and handling a load that are swingable to an inactive position to readily and quickly convert the load carrier to adapt the same to handle crates or cartons, the load carrier including means different from the forks adapted to engage horizontally extending abutment means on the carton or crate to be handled to lift and support the carton or crate.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved industrial'truck including ice a load carrier having load engaging fork members which are supported for swinging movement to an out-of-theway position to permit the load carrier to be used to handle a load which does not require the use of fork members.

The invention resides in certain constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts and further objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which it relates from the following description of the preferred embodiment described with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary side elevational view of an industrial truck embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the truck shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately along line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of a portion of Fig. 1 showing the support for the pivoted fork member of the load carrier;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken approximately along line 55 of Fig. 4 and showing the detail of the support for the pivoted fork member of the load carrier;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional View taken approximately along line 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view taken approximately along line 7-7 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken approximately along line 88 of Fig. 3 showing the construction of one of the crate-handling members.

The present invention provides in a material-handling apparatus, such as an industrial truck, a load carrier which is preferably detaohably connected to an elevatable carriage of the material-handling apparatus and which has a load-handling member supported on the frame thereof for vertical movement with respect thereto, the load-handling member, according to one feature of the invention, having fork members thereon disposable in a first position where they are adapted to handle a load in a conventional manner and in a second position where they permit the load-handling member to be used to lift cartons and the like, the load-handling member being provided with a load-engaging member adapted to engage a horizontal abutment on the upper portion,

of the load, and preferably with load-engaging members for engaging and handling either a crate where the horizontal abutment is formed by a wooden member on the crate or a carton where the horizontal abutment is formed by the top of the carton. Preferably the load-handling member is supported and guided on the load carrier for vertical movement by masts, preferably telescoping masts comprising upright channel-like members having channels which open outwardly away from the other mast permitting the uprights to be spaced a minimum distance apart and to be utilized to support the load.

Referring to the drawing, the invention is shown as embodied in a lift truck 10 including a chassis 11 mounted on wheels 12 and having mounted on the front end thereof a mast assembly 13 for supporting and elevating a carriage 14. The elevatable carriage 14 has mounted thereon a load carrier 15 including an elevatable loadhandling member 16.

The mast assembly 13 for supporting and elevating the carriage 14 is of conventional construction and preferably includes a ram operable through suitable mechanism to raise and lower the carriage 14 and telescoping guides 17 for guiding the movement of the carriage. The ram and the means interconnecting the ram and the carriage,

including the telescoping guides, are of conventional construction and, in themselves, do not constitute a part of the present invention and, therefore, are not shown or described in detail. {While the construction of the mast assembly 13 is well known to those skilled in the art,.reference,is made to Patent No. 2,599,524 for. a complete showing and disclosure ofa mast assembly suitable for use with the present invention.

The carriage 14 comprises a frame 18 which extends.

transversely of the truck chassis and includes upper and lower horizontal bars 19 respectively adjacent the upper andlower portions thereof to which aframework 20 of the load carrier is removably connected. The framework includes upper and lower transverse plates 21 and is connected to thev carriage 14 by means comprising pairs of upper and lower bearing blocks 22, 23 fixed respectively to the upper and lower plates 21. The bearingblocks 22, 23 each have an aperture 24 therein for receiving the adjacent bar 19 and the bars 19 arerremovably supported in the frame 18 of the carriage 14 so as to permit the ready separation of the bearing blocks 22, 23 and the bars and the removal of the load carrier 15. The construction of the bars 19 and their support so as to permit the bars to be removed is conventional and does not, per se, form a part of the present invention.

The framework 20 and the load carrier 15 are preferably side shiftable relative to the load carriage 14 by operation of a double acting fluid pressure motor 26 having a cylinder element and cooperating piston element, one of'which is pivotally connected to a pin 27 extending upwardly from a boss 28 fixed to the top of the frame 18 and the other of which is pivotally connected to a bracket 29 fixed to the upper plate 21 of framework 20 and extending rearwardly therefrom. When pressure fluid is supplied to one side of the motor 26, the motor operates to shift the framework 20 and the load carrier 15 in one direction and when supplied to the opposite side oper-- ates to side shift the framework 20 and load carrier 15 in the opposite direction. When the framework 20 is side shifted, the upper bearing blocks 22 and the lower bearing blocks 23 slide on their respective bars 19.

While a specific construction has been shown for detachably connecting the framework 20 to the load carriage and for permitting side shifting movement therebetween, it is to be understood that other suitable and conventional constructions may be utilized.

In, accordance with the present invention the framework 20 has a mast assembly mounted thereon for supporting and guiding the load-handling member 16 for vertical movement. The mast assembly on the carrier 15 comprises a pair of spaced, vertically extending uprights or primary guides 30 fixed to the frame of the carrier and having the form of channel members with channels therein that open into the outer sides of the guides so as to face in opposite directions and away from each other. The guides are connected at their lower ends by the upper and lower plates 21 and at their upper ends by a transverse member 32. The plates 21' are connected to the rearward sides of the primary guides 30 and extend across the back of the guides.

The primary guides 30 each have a cooperating secondary guide 37 operable in a telescoping manner with respect thereto. The secondary guides 37 are channel members and have channels 38 which open to the outer sides of the secondary guides 37 so as to face in opposite directions away from each other and outwardly of the center line of the truck and the secondary guides are joined. by an upper tie member 40 connected between the upper edges of the secondary guides.

The load-handling member 16 is provided with pairs of vertically spaced wheels 43 which operates in the channels 38 to guide the vertical movement of the load carrier relative to the secondary guides. The wheels 43 are respectively supported. by spaced, vertical plates 44, 45 which constitute side plates forming a part of the frame of the load-handling member 16. The plates are disposed outwardly of, but adjacent the secondaryguides 37 and extend forwardly from the secondary guides and are joined by upper and lower transverse plates 46, 47, respectively, which also constitute a part of the frame of the load-handling member 16.

The load-handling member 16 is movable vertically, in the illustrated embodiment, by the operation of a dual lift cylinder assembly 48. The dual lift cylinder assembly 48 is a conventional cylinder assembly of the type completely shown and described in US. Patent 2,598,566 to Lehmann and, therefore, is not herein shown or described in detail. Suffice it to say that the cylinder assembly 48 includes a crosshead 50 which is moved vertically when fluid pressure is supplied to the cylinder assembly to effect the raising of the load-handling member 16. The crosshead 50 has a pair of spaced sprockets 51 supported thereon and over which are trained chains 52, or other suitable flexible connecting members, each having one of its ends connected to the lower transverse member '47 of the load-handling member and. its other end connected to an outer element 53 of the cylinder assembly. The initial movement of the crosshead 50 takes place upwardly with respect to the element 53 and with respect to a tubular member 54 forming a part of the cylinder assembly 48 and extending coaxially therewith upwardly to the tie member 40 joining the upper ends of the secondary guides 37. This portion of movement of the crosshead, through the chains 52, effects movement of the load-handling member 16 to a position adjacent the upper ends of the guides, as shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 1. It will be noted that the rate of movement of the load-engaging member 16 is twice that of the crosshead 50 and that the movement of the load-engaging member 16- from its lowermost position with respect to the secondary guide 37 to its uppermost position with respect thereto occurs without movement of the secondary guides relative to the primary guides 30. After the load-engaging member 16 is disposed adjacent the upper ends of the telescoping guides 37, the supplying of fluid pressure to the cylinder assembly 48 will effect vertical movement of both the elements 53, 54 and the crosshead 50 to raise the load-engaging member 16 and the secondary guides 37 as a unit with respect to the primary guides 30 and with respect to rod 55 disposed within the cylinder assembly 48 and fixed to the lower part of the load carrier frame. The construction and operation of the cy1 inder assembly 48 to effect the described movement is described in detail in the aforesaid patent and reference is made thereto for those who are unfamiliar with the type of conventional cylinder assembly described. It will be understood that other suitable cylinder assemblies can be utilized to elevate the load-handling member 16. Preferably, however, the cylinder assembly is such to permit the initial elevational movement of the load-engaging member tooccur without raising the secondary guide 37 relative to the primary guides 30 to facilitate the use of the truck in areas with limited overhead.

The load-handling member 16 is, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, provided with a plurality of crate-handling fingers 56 which are supported adjacent the upper portion of the load-handling member 16, a pair of carton lifting blades 57, 58 supported adjacent the lower end of the load-handling member 16, and a pair of fork members 60, 61 also supported adjacent the lower end of the load-handling member 16. The crate-handling fingers 56, the carton-handling members 57, 58, and the fork members 60, 61 adapt the loadhandling member 16 to handle loads in three different ways.

The fork members 60, 61 disposed adjacent the lower portion of the load-handling member 16 are respectively supported on pivot pins 62, 63. The pivot pins 62, 63. respectively extend horizontally outwardly from the side, plates 44, 45 and are connected at their inner ends to the respective one of the side plates so as to support the fork members 60, 61 adjacent opposite sides of the, loadengaging. member 16. The mounting and support for each of the fork members 60, 61 are the same and, therefore, onlythe support and mounting for the fork member 60 will be described but the reference numerals for the parts of the support and mounting for the fork member 60 will be applied to the corresponding parts for supporting and mounting the fork member 61. Referring to Figs. '4 and 5, the fork member 60 includes a horizontally extending portion for engaging the load and a vertically extending portion 65 extending upwardly from the innermost end of thehorizontal portion. A plate 66 is welded to the portion 65 of the fork member 60 and extends rearwardly therefrom parallel to the side plate 45 of the frame of the load-engaging member 16 and is provided with an aperture and a tubular boss 67 for receiving the pin 62 to support the fork member 60 on the pin. The plate 66 is connected to the portion 65 adjacent its outside edge, as the fork member 60 is viewed in Fig. 5, and the length of the pin 62 is such as to permit the fork member 60 to be shifted therealong from a position where the plate 66 is disposed immediately adjacent the side-plate 45 with the inner part of the portion 65 di-sposed in overlapping spaced relationship with, and in front of, the lower transverse frame member 47 of the load-handling member to an outer position on the pin 62 where the fork member is disposed, in its entirety,

outwardly of the adjacent side plate 45 of the frame of the load-engaging member, as shown in dot-dash lines in Figs. 2' and 5. When the fork member 60 is disposed in its outermost position on the pin 62, the fork member may be swung to a generally vertical position shown in dotdash lines in Figs. 1 and 2 for reasons which will be set forth hereinafter.

When the fork member 60 is horizontal and in its innermost position, a portion 68 of the plate 66 abuts a stop member 70 fixed to and extending outwardly from the side plate 44. The portion 68 of the plate member 66, when the fork member 60 is horizontal, extends upwardly from the rearward end of the plate 66 to engage the stop member 70 and the stop member 70 is provided with an ear 71 to prevent the plate member 66 and, in turn, the fork member 69 from shifting outwardly on the pin 62.

.The fork member 60 may be swung to a vertical position in which the fork member engages the forwardly facing side of the stop member 70 by first rotating the fork member to clear the portion 68 of the plate member from the ear 71 and then shifting the fork member 60 axially on the pin 62 to its outermost position shown in Figs. 2 and 5 where it can be rotated to a vertical position in engagement with the forwardly facing face of the stop member 70 and where the fork member is, for all practical purposes, rearward of the forward side of the load-handling member 16.

When the fork member 60 is in its inactive vertical position against the forwardly facing side of the stop member 70, the fork member is prevented from moving outwardly on the pin 62 by an end member 72 secured to the outer end of the stop member 70 and extending forwardly therefrom. The fork member 60 is prevented from falling forward when in its inactive vertical position by a sp'ringmember 73 secured to the outer side of side plate 45 and engageable with the fork member when in a vertical position to prevent its movement forwardly away from the stop member 70. Any other suitable conventional means may be utilized to secure the fork member 60 in its vertical position.

When the fork members are pivoted to their out-ofthe-way positions, the load-handling member 16 is adapted to handle a crate or a carton. If a crate is to be handled, the crate-handling fingers 56 are utilized. In the preferred embodiment, the crate-handling fingers 56 are disposed on opposite sides of the cylinder assembly 48 and rearwardly of the upper transverse member 46 of the frame of the load-handling member. There are, in

the illustrated embodiment, three crate-engaging fingers on each side of the cylinder assembly 48 and the fingers on each side of the cylinder assembly are adapted to extend outwardly and forwardly of the upper transverse member 46 through an opening 76 on the transverse member 46.

The crate-handling fingers 56 are of the same construction and function in the same manner as the cratehandling fingers disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,826,323 of Frank Schenkelberger and will be only briefly described herein and reference is made to the aforesaid patent application for a complete description of the structure and operation of the fingers. One of the fingers and the support therefor are shown in detail in Fig. 8. The finger'shown in Fig. 8 shall be designated hereinafter by the reference character 56a and as the finger and support therefor is described, it is to be understood that the other crate-handling fingers 56 are constructed and supported in a similar manner.

The finger 56a comprises a horizontal finger member 77 that extends outwardly through the adjacent opening 76 in the transverse member 46 of the frame of the loadhandling member and has a gripping element 78 secured to the outer end thereof. The gripping element 78 has serrations or teeth 79 along its upper edge and is adapted to engage the underside of a horizontal abutment on a crate. The horizontal abutment may be provided by a transverse horizontal frame member of the crate. The finger 56a is supported for retractive movement to a po sition inwardly of the forward edge of the transverse member 46 by a pair of parallel links 82, 83 which suspend the finger 56a from a block 84 secured to the rearward side of the transverse member 46. When the finger member 77 is in its projected or outermost position shown in Fig. 8, the adjacent sides of the links are in engagement with each other and't'ne links are biased to this position by a spring 85 connected by the links. If the industrial truck shown in the drawing is being manipulated to handle a load, i.e., a crate to be picked up by the crate-engaging finger 56 or another type of load, and the outer end of the finger 56a strikes an abutment or a portion of the load, the finger 77 will retract inwardly of the transverse member 46 and not interfere with the proper positioning ofthe load-handling member 16 with respect to the load.

When a crate is being handled, the outwardly extending fingers 56 are positioned, by operation of the cylinder assembly 48, under the horizontal abutment to be engaged and then the cylinder assembly is operated to raise the load-handling member 16 to engage the teeth 79 with the underside of the horizontal abutment to lift the crate to be handled as shown in Fig. 8. As the crate is lifted the fingers will swing inwardly until the crate rests against the transverse member 46.

It is again noted that each of the fingers 56 is supported in the same manner as the fingers 56a, and the fingers on each side of the cylinder assembly 48 are supported by one block 84 fastened to the transverse frame member 46.

The load-handling member 16 is also adapted to handle a carton provided with a strapped top, as shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 7. The tops of strapped cartons have depending sides which extend downwardly along the sides of the carton itself and the blades 57 are adapted to be inserted between the downwardly extending side of the top and the side of the carton. As is apparent from the drawings, the blades 57, 58 are vertical, platelike members which are supported in side-by-side relationship for individual swinging movement about a respective vertical axis to permit the blades to align them selves with the load. Preferably, the blades and their lower ends tilt inwardly at their lower ends toward the frame of the load-handling member. As is best shown in Fig. 7, the blade 57 is supported for swinging, selfaligning movement by a vertical pin 87 fixed to the lower transverse frame member 47 and having a portion 88 extending'above the member 47 and a shoulder portion 89 portion 88 of the pin 87 for swinging movement in a horizontal plane. The plate 91 is clamped against the shoulder portion 89 by a bolt 92 which threads into the upper end of the pin 87 and applies a clamping pressure to the plate 91 through a washer 93 and a sleeve 94 disposed intermediate the washer 93 and the plate 91. A guide element 96 is fastened to the plate 91 rearwardly of the blade 57 and is adapted to back and guide the depending portion of the carton top as the blade is being inserted between the carton top and the carton and also prevents bellying of the carton top when the carton is lifted. When the carton blade has been inserted between the top of the carton and the side as shown in Fig. 7, raising of the load carriage will cause the bottom of the carton to swing inwardly because of the aforementioned tilt of the blade members.

The blade 58 is constructed and supported in the same manner as the member 57 so that it will align itself with the carton being handled.

It will be noted that the blades 57, 58 form apron members for supporting the lower portion of the crate when the fingers 56 are being utilized to transport a crate, and also function as a backing plate for loads supported on the fork members 60, 61. Furthermore, when the blades 57, 58 are being utilized to lift a carton, the tele scoping guides 30, 37 function as an apron for supporting the lower portion of the load. When the lower portion of the load is disposed below the top of the primary guides 30, the load or carton bears against the primary guides and when disposed above the primary guides 30 the load bears against the secondary guides 37. It willbe noted that by arranging the guides 30, 37 so that the channels therein face outwardly instead of inwardly, as in conventional construction, the guides may be placed close together to permit the blades 57, 58 to provide an apron type support for a relatively narrow load.

By reference to Figs. 1-3, it can be seen that the secondary guides 37 are each provided with a gib 98 secured tothe outer edge thereof which extends along the forward side of the cooperating primary guide 30. The gibs 98 overlap the adjacent outer edge of the cooperating primary guide and the forward edge of the gib is flush with the forward side of the primary guide. As the secondary guide is raised the gibs 98 elevate therewith and provide a rest surface for a load when it is raised above the primary guide to a point where the lower portion could swing inwardly against the secondary guide and then catch on the top of the primary guide as the load is lowered. The lengths of the gibs are preferably sufiicient to prevent their lower ends from clearing the top of the primary guides upon elevation of the secondary guides. While the truck has been illus trated as having a single pair of carton handling blades 57, 58, it will be understood that a second set of blades similar to the blades 57, 58 could be mounted above the fingers 77, since the fingers will retract to permit the handling of a carton by a pair of blades so disposed. These additional blades can be supported onthe transverse plate 46 in the same manner as the blades 57, 58 are supported on the member 47.

A load carrier constructed and supported in accordance with the present invention permits a wide range of different size cartons and crates to be picked up and moved without elevating the load carriage 14 provided.

the abutment on the crate or carton to be engaged is not above the maximum vertical position of, the load-engaging member to be utilized with the load carriage 14 in. its lowermost position and also permits the trucks to be used to handle extremely large crates by elevating the load carriage 14 to enable the proper load-engaging members to engage the load to be handled. In, addition, the. load carrier. 15 provides an auxiliary lift which in;

creases the maximum height to which many loads may be lifted by a given truck.

It can now be seen that the objects heretofore enumerated and others have been accomplished and that the present invention provides, in a material-handling apparatus, a new and improved load-handling member and support therefor and a new and improved attachment for use with the elevatable carriage of a material-handling apparatus such as an industrial truck. A materialhandling apparatus embodying the present invention may be readily utilized to lift a load by means of conventional fork members, to lift a carton by means of generally vertical blade members, or to lift a crate by means of crate-engaging fingers. Furthermore, the material-handling apparatus embodying the present invention is extremely flexible and may be utilized to lift the load to extreme heights and, preferably, is constructed so that it may be used in spaces having low overheads.

While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in considerable detail, it is to be understood that it is hereby my intention to cover hereby all constructions and modifications and arrangements which fall within the ability of those skilled in the art and within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a material-handling apparatus, an elevatable load-handling member comprising a generally vertical frame, a plurality of crate-handling fingers, means sup porting said fingers on said frame in operative positions, carton-handling blade means comprising a generally vertical plate-like member, means connecting said blade means to said frame and supporting said blade means for limited movement with respect to said frame about a generally vertical axis, a pair of fork members, means connecting said fork members to frame and supporting said fork members for movement between generally horizontal positions extending forwardly from said frame adjacent the lower portion thereof to a generally vertical inactive position.

2. In a material-handling apparatus, an elevatable load-handling member comprising a generally vertical frame, a plurality of crate-handling fingers, means supporting said fingers in an operative position on said frame, carton-handling blade means comprising a generally vertical plate-like member, means connecting said blade means to said frame and supporting said blade means for limited movement with respect to said frame about agenerally vertical axis, a pair of fork members, means connecting said fork members to said frame adjacent the lower end thereof and supporting said fork members for movement between generally horizontal positions extending forwardly fromsaid frame adjacent to the lower end thereof to a generally vertical, inactive position, a framework including spaced uprights supporting said frame for generally vertical movement, fluid pressure means on said framework for raising and lowering said frame, and a mast assembly supporting said framework for elevational movement and including second fluid pressure actuated means for effecting the raising and lowering of said framework.

3. In a material-handling apparatus having an elevatable load-handling member, said member comprising a generally vertical frame, a plurality of crate-handling fingers, means supporting said fingers on said frame adjacent the upper portion thereof, carton-handling blade means disposed adjacent to said fingers comprising a generally vertical plate-like member, and means connecting said blade means to said frame and supporting said blade means for limited movement with respect to said frame about a generally vertical axis.

4. In a material-handling apparatus, a framework including a pair of spaced upright channel members each having the channel therein opening into the side of the channel member remote from the other channel member whereby said channels face outwardly of said uprights in opposite directions, a generally vertical frame extending transversely of said spaced upright channel members, wheel means connected to said frame and received in said channels to guide said frame in movement along said upright channel members, fluid-pressure actuated means on said framework for moving said frame relative to said upright channel members, and load-engaging and supporting means carried by said frame for handling cartons and comprising a blade member disposed in spaced relationship to said frame and lying in an approximately vertical plane but tilted to displace the bottom thereof toward said frame with respect to the top thereof, a supporting member connected to said blade member on the side thereof adjacent said frame, and pivot means connecting said supporting member to said frame for rocking movement about a generally vertical axis.

5. An elevatable material-handling load carriage com prising a generally vertical frame, a plurality of horizontally aligned carton handling blade members on one side of said frame, said blade members each lying in an approximately vertical plane, a respective support member connected to each of said blade members on the side thereof adjacent said frame, and pivot means connecting each of said support members to said frame for individual rocking movement about a generally vertical axis.

6. An elevatable material-handling load carriage as defined in claim wherein each of said blade members is tilted slightly with respect to the vertical to displace the bottom thereof toward said frame with respect to the top thereof.

7. An elevatable material-handling load carriage com prising a generally vertical frame, a carton handling blade member on one side of said frame, said blade member being disposed in an approximately vertical plane but tilted slightly to displace the bottom thereof toward said frame with respect to the top thereof, a support member connected to said blade member adjacent he central portion thereof and disposed on the side thereof adjacent said frame, and pivot means connecting said support member to said frame for rocking movement about a generally vertical axis.

8. An elevatable material-handling load carriage comprising a generally vertical frame, a carton handling blade member on one side of said frame, said blade member lying in an approximately vertical plane, a support member connected to said blade member on the side thereof adjacent said frame, and pivot means connecting said support member to said frame for rocking movement about a generally vertical axis.

9. An elevatable material-handling load carriage as defined in claim 8 wherein said blade member is tilted slightly with respect to the vertical to displace the bottom thereof toward said frame with respect to the top thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,582,999 Lehmann Jan. 22, 1952 2,698,698 Smith et a1. Jan. 4, 1955 2,701,031 Brumbaugh Feb. 1, 1955 2,744,645 Cirillo May 8, 1956 2,826,323 Schenkelberger Mar. 11, 1958

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