Abstract: Lift truck attachment assemblies are shown and disclosed. In some embodiments, the lift truck attachment assembly includes a carriage assembly having a carriage and a linear actuator attached to the carriage. The carriage is mountable to a lift truck, and the linear actuator includes a body and longitudinally opposed piston rods slidably received in the body, each of the piston rods having an end. The attachment assembly additionally includes a frame assembly slidably connected to the carriage. The frame assembly includes upper and lower transverse frame members and end vertical frame members connecting the upper and lower transverse frame members in a spaced relationship to define a frame central cavity therebetween. The linear actuator is disposed within the frame central cavity such that the ends of the piston rods contact the end vertical frame members allowing the linear actuator to slide the frame assembly laterally relative to the carriage assembly.

Abstract: Methods and systems for wirelessly transmitting power and/or data.

Abstract: Attachment assemblies for industrial material handling equipment are shown and disclosed. In some embodiments, the attachment assembly includes a carriage assembly having a carriage, wherein the carriage is mountable to industrial material handling equipment. The attachment assembly additionally includes a frame assembly connected to the carriage. The attachment assembly further includes a faceplate assembly fixedly attached to the frame assembly. The faceplate assembly is configured to receive one or more support members for supporting a load. The faceplate assembly includes one or more load cells configured to measure horizontal and vertical forces applied to the one or more support members.

Abstract: Lift truck attachment assemblies are shown and disclosed. In some embodiments, the lift truck attachment assembly includes a carriage assembly having a carriage and a linear actuator attached to the carriage. The carriage is mountable to a lift truck, and the linear actuator includes a body and longitudinally opposed piston rods slidably received in the body, each of the piston rods having an end. The attachment assembly additionally includes a frame assembly slidably connected to the carriage. The frame assembly includes upper and lower transverse frame members and end vertical frame members connecting the upper and lower transverse frame members in a spaced relationship to define a frame central cavity therebetween. The linear actuator is disposed within the frame central cavity such that the ends of the piston rods contact the end vertical frame members allowing the linear actuator to slide the frame assembly laterally relative to the carriage assembly.

Abstract: A load-handling clamp mountable on a lift truck is capable of clamping a load between respective opposed clamp arms each capable of hydraulic movement selectively toward or away from each other. One of the clamp arms is preferably substantially incapable of movement toward the other clamp arm unless actuated independently of the other clamp arm. One of the clamp arms also preferably has a lesser maximum range of hydraulic movement than the other of the clamp arms and is hydraulically movable at a maximum hydraulic pressure greater than that of the other clamp arm.

Abstract: A method for welding at least one hanger to a fork. A friction welding process may be used to create a weld between the hanger and the fork, after which the heat-affected zone (HAZ) may be allowed to cool. Preferably the cooling occurs until martensite is formed, after which a post-tempering current is applied to the HAZ.

Abstract: A load-bearing assembly including a clamping-force sensor in a pivoting support assembly that is adjustable to vary a radial spacing between a pivot pin and a clamp pad mounted on the support assembly. A plurality of clamping-force sensors may be included in a plurality of pivoting clamp pad support assemblies to support a clamp pad and may be arranged to sense the magnitude of a clamping force exerted by a particular adjustable pivoting clamp pad support assembly and send signals indicative of the magnitude of the force to a controller. A load sensor may be located between a pivot pin and a bearing block, or strain gauges may be mounted in the pivoting bearing block so as to measure forces carried through the bearing block. Force values sensed and transmitted to the controller may be used to evaluate and adjust the clamp arm assembly to grasp a load with a desired clamping force or distribution of clamping forces.

Abstract: Hydraulic valve circuitry adapted for hydraulic connection to a lift truck having a mast and at least one lift cylinder for alternately raising and lowering the mast. The hydraulic assembly is also adapted for hydraulic connection to an attachment to the lift truck, the attachment having opposed clamps actuated by respective clamp cylinders. The hydraulic assembly preferably comprises a valve circuit capable of causing the at least one lift cylinder to be an accumulator.

Abstract: Hydraulic valve circuitry adapted for automatic weight-responsive control of load-clamping members of a load-lifting system having a free lift mast. The load-lifting system generally includes one or more fluid power actuator for applying a gripping force to a load, at least one elongate, longitudinally-extensible fluid power lifting device having a free lift range of motion and at least one main lift range of motion, and manually operated load-clamping and load-lifting selector valves. The hydraulic valve circuitry provides, independently, weight-responsive control of the load-clamping members when lifting a load, full-time automatic weight-responsive force control of the load-clamping members without concurrent manual actuation of load-clamping or load-lifting selector valves, and equalization of sensed load weight so that the sensed load weight is substantially independent of the longitudinally-extensible position of the lifting device.

Abstract: A load-bearing assembly including a clamping-force sensor in a pivoting support assembly that is adjustable to vary a radial spacing between a pivot pin and a clamp pad mounted on the support assembly. A plurality of clamping-force sensors may be included in a plurality of pivoting clamp pad support assemblies to support a clamp pad and may be arranged to sense the magnitude of a clamping force exerted by a particular adjustable pivoting clamp pad support assembly and send signals indicative of the magnitude of the force to a controller. A load sensor may be located between a pivot pin and a bearing block, or strain gauges may be mounted in the pivoting bearing block so as to measure forces carried through the bearing block. Force values sensed and transmitted to the controller may be used to evaluate and adjust the clamp arm assembly to grasp a load with a desired clamping force or distribution of clamping forces.

Abstract: A load alignment aid with range finding sensors positioned diagonally on a mounting platform to calculate range, vertical alignment, and horizontal alignment. Each sensor measures a distance (d) from the mounting platform to the load. Where d(1) does not equal d(2) and d(1) does not equal d(3), a misalignment due to tilt or chassis misalignment is detected. The aid further includes a display which may show a graphic representation of the approach to a load and an alert for misalignment notification.

Abstract: A hydraulic control circuit operable to selectively hydraulically link first and second hydraulic actuators and to bypass that hydraulic link.

Abstract: A load-handling clamp mountable on a lift truck is capable of clamping a load between respective opposed clamp arms each capable of hydraulic movement selectively toward or away from each other. One of the clamp arms is preferably substantially incapable of movement toward the other clamp arm unless actuated independently of the other clamp arm. One of the clamp arms also preferably has a lesser maximum range of hydraulic movement than the other of the clamp arms and is hydraulically movable at a maximum hydraulic pressure greater than that of the other clamp arm.

Abstract: A telescoping weigh fork unit where a base fork has an integrated hydraulic cylinder and a slideable outer shoe on which are supported at least two load cells. Optionally the unit may include an outside telescopic fork shoe to which the load cells are mounted and which supports the outer shoe. Unit may further include a system to alert if distance or weight thresholds are exceeded or if a load cell is inoperable.

Abstract: Slide-bearing assemblies capable of enabling sliding of a load-carrying implement relative to a load-supporting structure, having first and second load-carrying surfaces, respectively, are disclosed. In one embodiment, the slide-bearing assembly includes substantially nonmetallic first and second elongate bearing elements extending in parallel to support the first load-carrying surface of the load-carrying implement slidably upon the load-supporting structure. One of the bearing elements being composed of multiple elongate pieces each shorter in length than a length of the other of the bearing elements. The slide-bearing assembly additionally includes a post that extends from a surface of each of the multiple elongate pieces, which is a surface that is opposed to the second load-carrying surface, each post is sized to fit in a respective recess of the second load-carrying surface.

Abstract: A contact pad is provided having a load-engaging front surface and an oppositely-facing rear surface, preferably comprising a cast metal contact pad having at least one depression adjacent to the rear surface and a tile embedded within the depression such that the tile has an exposed surface, and a wear element on the exposed surface. A method for manufacturing a contact pad having a load-engaging front surface and an oppositely-facing rear surface preferably includes the steps of embedding a mild steel tile within a contact pad casting pattern such that, once embedded, the embedded tile has an exposed weldable surface, casting the contact pad from ductile cast iron and applying a wear element on the weldable surface.

Abstract: A carriage for a lift truck arranged to provide for both lateral shifting and tilting of attachments such as forklift forks, in which an outer frame of the carriage is supported by a side-shifter cylinder-and-piston assembly incorporated in an inner frame, and in which the outer frame can be tilted with respect to the inner frame, about a laterally-extending central axis of the side-shifter cylinder-and-piston assembly.

Abstract: A slide-bearing assembly capable of enabling sliding of a load-carrying surface relative to a load-supporting structure, such that the slide-bearing assembly may include a first arrangement of at least one substantially nonmetallic elongate bearing element capable of extending along a first load-carrying surface and a second arrangement of at least two substantially nonmetallic elongate bearing elements capable of extending longitudinally in series along a second load-carrying surface parallel to the first load-carrying surface such that the second load-carrying surface is in non-coextensive supportive relationship with the first load-carrying surface.

Abstract: Different exemplary control systems for a hydraulically powered load-handling clamp, of the type usually mountable on industrial lift trucks or automatically guided vehicles, are disclosed. The disclosed systems variably limit a hydraulic force, by which load-clamping arms move a load substantially transversely, automatically depending on the weight of the load being moved, so as to avoid excessive transverse force applied to fragile loads.

Abstract: An opposable clamp arm of a load handling device such as a lift truck attachment. An upper clamp pad portion may have a generally planar plate as a main member and may have a load-gripping face layer. A lower clamp pad assembly has a plurality of separately replaceable wear-compensating load-contacting elements mounted interchangeably on a backing plate attached to a stabilizer member of the clamp arm. The load-contacting elements may be secured to the backing plate by retainer bars fastened to the backing plate with flanges of the retainer bars overlapping margins of the load contact elements.