Patents by Inventor William C. Dickinson, Jr.

William C. Dickinson, Jr. has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5096018
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for securing a manbasket to the tines of a lifting fork of a forklift. A preferred embodiment comprises a tine clamp mounted to a tine socket on the manbasket. The clamp automatically applies a self-adjusting gripping force to the underside of the tine whenever the fork has elevated the manbasket and automatically releases the tine when the manbasket is resting upright on a reference surface. The tine clamp comprises a lever pivotably mounted at mid-length to the tine socket, at least one gripping cam rotatably mounted to one end of the lever, and a cam release member pivotably mounted to the opposite end of the lever. The lever is biased to keep the gripping edge surface of the cam in contact with the underside of the tine whenever the tine is in the socket and the manbasket is elevated. The cam has an outwardly spiraled profile to enable it to apply a gripping force to the tine that increases as the tine is urged more strongly out of the socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1992
    Assignee: Lifting Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: William C. Dickinson, Jr.