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.

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: 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.

Abstract: A coupler is configured to couple an implement to an earth moving or materials handling machine. The coupler includes a locking member for locking a pin of an implement into a coupler in the recess. The locking member is driven by a hydraulic arrangement, with the hydraulic cylinder body being formed integrally with either the coupler body or the locking member. The coupler may be adapted to accommodate a range of implement pin spacings and/or diameters, so that the coupler can be used with different implements and in particular with different makes of implement.

Abstract: A layer-picking load-clamping and lifting assembly for mounting on a lift truck is capable of bidirectionally side-shifting a load-clamping assembly substantially straightly along a side-shifting length. The load clamping assembly has opposed clamp arms each selectively movable along a direction parallel to the side-shifting length so as to be selectively separable in a plurality of different possible relationships.

Abstract: A load-weighing assembly has a substantially laterally-extending beam-type load-weighing platform, and a substantially laterally-extending cantilever-type fork blade member located beneath the platform, interconnected by a load weight-measuring cell. The weight measuring cell is laterally movable with respect to at least one of the platform and blade member during an initial part of a load weighing process so as to minimize transmission of lateral force between the platform and the weight-measuring cell, thereby compensating for load-weighing errors which would otherwise occur.

Abstract: A fluid power control system for load handling mobile equipment includes a pair of hydraulic actuators for moving respective cooperating load-engaging members selectively toward or away from each other, or in a common direction, at respective asynchronous speeds to selectively attain either synchronous or asynchronous respective positions of the actuators. The actuators have sensors enabling a controller to monitor their respective movements and correct unintended differences in the actuators' respective movements, such as unintended differences in relative intended positions, speeds, or rates of change of speeds. Respective hydraulic valves responsive to the controller separately and nonsimultaneously decrease respective flows through the respective actuators to more accurately and rapidly correct differences from the intended relative movements of the actuators.

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 supported 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. 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-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 fluid power control system for load handling mobile equipment includes a pair of hydraulic actuators for moving respective cooperating load-engaging members selectively toward or away from each other, or in a common direction, at respective asynchronous speeds to selectively attain either synchronous or asynchronous respective positions of the actuators. The actuators have sensors enabling a controller to monitor their respective movements and correct unintended differences in the actuators' respective movements, such as unintended differences in relative intended positions, speeds, or rates of change of speeds. Respective hydraulic valves responsive to the controller separately and nonsimultaneously decrease respective flows through the respective actuators to more accurately and rapidly correct differences from the intended relative movements of the actuators.

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

Abstract: A load-handling clamp mountable on a lift truck has one or more hydraulic clamping cylinders of the type having two or more sequentially extensible stages capable of applying either load-weight-responsive variable hydraulic load-clamping force or, alternatively, load-size-responsive variable hydraulic load-clamping force, without risking the clamp's dropping of a clamped load. The length of the hydraulic clamping cylinder(s) may in some applications extend generally forwardly from a supporting lift truck, and in other applications extend generally laterally from a supporting lift truck.

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.