Abstract: A freight manipulation includes a tracked chassis with an articulated cantilever boom extending therefrom which is capable of swinging about a horizontal tilt axis. A tool carriage, mounted at the end of the boom by a multiple stage lift mast, has a pair of freight engaging tools thereon. the telescoping mast includes an upper frame connected to the boom for pivoting about a vertical axis, a middle frame, and a lower frame having the tool carriage slidably mounted thereon. A pair of secondary lift cylinders are connected between the upper and middle frames. A pair of secondary lift chains are connected between the upper and lower frames and engage pulleys on the middle frame such that as the secondary cylinders extend or retract to respectively lower or raise the middle frame, the lower frame is lowered or raised relative to the middle frame.

Abstract: An apparatus for and a method of emptying from a case a compressible load consisting of carton blanks, prongs penetrate through a preformed perforation in opposite side walls of the case and push the load away from those walls, an upper portion of the case is partially severed by knives along respective paths at those walls, other cuts are formed across the top wall along the other two side walls of the case, suction cups pull away that upper portion, the load is received between support fingers, the load and the lower portion of the case are turned through 180 degrees in a vertical plane, the inverted lower portion is removed from the load by suction cups, and a gripping head seizes the load and removes it from between the support fingers.