Including Fluid Ram Patents (Class 187/234)
  • Publication number: 20010022251
    Abstract: A mobile machine, in particular a fork lift truck, having a chassis and a cab located on the chassis. There are one or more pneumatic or hydropneumatic suspension elements to improve comfort and ride quality between the chassis and the cab.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2001
    Publication date: September 20, 2001
    Applicant: STILL GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Bavendiek, Dirk Scharr, Joachim Todter
  • Patent number: 6247887
    Abstract: The present invention discloses either an apparatus that is adapted for selective mounting to and demounting from a pallet jack for use therewith or a transport vehicle having an apparatus permanently mounted thereto, which can effectively and efficiently transport articles or stacks of objects, such as boxes, furniture, trays, or the like from one location to another. The apparatus comprises a housing and an article engaging and lifting member, which includes a base and a back support member for supporting the article or stacks of objects. The article engaging and lifting member is pivotally mounted to the housing, preferably adjacent the bottom of the back support member. In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes a first clamp member for maintaining the article adjacent the back support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignee: Multi-Shifter, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric D. Springston, John R. Pratt, John Schoenmaker, Dale A. Williams
  • Patent number: 6050367
    Abstract: A load stabilizing bi-directional vehicle having a steerable front and a steerable rear wheel and a pair of lateral wheels for maintaining the balance of the bi-directional vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Inventors: Theodore Tvetene, Donald Tvetene, Michael Tvetene, Gregg Tvetene
  • Patent number: 6021869
    Abstract: A lift truck, especially for use in air cargo handling, includes a drive part having at least one driving wheel and a load part guided at the drive part and having at least one roller. Two lifting devices are operable in sequence. The lifting devices each set a height of the load part relative to the drive part in a respective lifting stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: ICE Cargo Equipment Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Horst Fischer
  • Patent number: 6022183
    Abstract: A mobile machine for lifting massive objects which includes a primary hydraulic cylinder whose piston chamber is hydraulically connected on a high pressure end thereof to a high pressure end of one or more secondary hydraulic lifting cylinders for operation of the lifting cylinder(s) in unison to lift the object. The total maximum effective volume of the piston chamber(s) of the secondary cylinder(s) is at least equal to the maximum effective volume of the piston chamber of the primary cylinder. The sum total effective cross-sectional area of all of the secondary cylinder piston chambers is greater than the corresponding cross-sectional area of the primary cylinder chamber to provide an output lifting force of the secondary cylinder(s) which is greater than the input force applied to a piston rod of the primary cylinder necessary to transfer hydraulic fluid from the primary cylinder to the secondary cylinder(s) to produce the enhanced output lifting force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: Steel Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: James C. Walters, Kelley R. Brooks
  • Patent number: 5984050
    Abstract: A carriage suspension system for use with a lift truck having a tractor, a mast including a vertical track and a carriage suspended from the track for movement therealong. The carriage is raised and lowered via chains, one end of each chain being secured via a compressible spring which isolates the carriage from tractor vibrations and oscillations. The track restricts lateral carriage movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: The Raymond Corporation
    Inventor: David A. Ronald
  • Patent number: 5941347
    Abstract: A portable lift for transporting cargo between different vertical levels of a building. The lift comprises a frame mounted for movement on a plurality of wheels. A carriage having a cantilevered platform that is adapted to support the cargo is mounted for vertical movement on the frame between a lower level and an upper level. The wheels can be manually moved between a lower supporting position where they support the frame for movement to an upper, non-supporting position. Movement of the wheels to the upper, non-supporting position automatically engages a locking mechanism to lock the frame to the building to prevent accidental movement of the frame during a loading operation. The platform of the carriage can be selectively positioned at either a lower position to receive cargo from mechanical handling equipment, or at an upper position to receive a manually carried cargo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Assignee: Pflow Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Robert H. Pfleger, Gene M. Barth
  • Patent number: 5918703
    Abstract: A low-lifting industrial truck with a driving unit having two wheels and two jibs protruding from a front thereof. The jibs are attached to a vertical frame (5), which is vertically movable in relation to the driving unit by means of a hydraulic cylinder (8). The frame (5) is connected, through links (11, 12), to a cradle (10) included in the driving unit (1), the cradle is connected, by a hinge (15), to a cross bar (16) which, at opposite ends, is, through steering pins, connected to side stands (17, 17') being supported by drivable wheels (2, 2') which are rotatably mounted in bearings. The jib having a rolling device with vertically acting hydraulic cylinders which allow each individual jib to be raised and lowered in relation to the rolling device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Inventor: Sven Nordstrom
  • Patent number: 5820330
    Abstract: A transport appliance (10) to be actuated manually serves for handling large-volume reels (11) of packaging material. This transport appliance (10) is equipped with a lifting mechanism (23) which in each case grasps a reel (11) with vertical positioning, specifically by means of carrier rods (24, 25) on the cylindrical circumferential surface. The lifting mechanism (23) is operated hydraulically by means of a vertical hydraulic cylinder (33) which is supplied with oil via a hydraulic pump (38) to be operated by hand, in order to raise the carrier rods (24, 25) together with the reel (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: Focke & Co. (GmbH & Co.)
    Inventors: Heinz Focke, Johann Koster, Hugo Mutschall
  • Patent number: 5752584
    Abstract: An improved pallet truck, having an extended length pair of forks capable of supporting multiple, side-by-side, pallets which may be raised well above the floor to assist an operator in an order selection operation, includes a first fork lifting mechanism connected to one end of a pair of primary forks. A pair of load wheels are mounted on levers at a other end of the forks and are mechanically connected to the first fork lifting mechanism which causes the other end of the primary forks to be raised from a lower level to an upper level simultaneously with the raising of the first end thereby to maintain the primary forks level while lifting the maximum capacity of the truck. A pair of secondary forks are mounted above the primary forks and are movable from a nested position with respect to the first forks to a raised position by a second fork lifting mechanism carried by the primary forks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel C. Magoto, Gerald R. Metzger
  • Patent number: 5699878
    Abstract: Apparatus for raising a conveyor above the surface of a poured concrete structure as the structure is formed includes a post moveable in a vertical direction that supports a conveyor on top of the post. A horizontal support tube is connected to the post, as well as a collar. A jack engages the support and raises the post and collar. A hydraulic means then places a base around the post below the collar so that when the jack is lowered, the conveyor, post and collar are supported by the newly placed base, thereby raising the conveyor relative to the surface of the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1997
    Assignee: Rotec Industries
    Inventors: Robert F. Oury, Mark S. Dingeldein, Alan S. Ledger, Joseph P. Gallione
  • Patent number: 5678659
    Abstract: An order picking truck, in particular a high-lift order picking truck, is equipped with a driver's stand (3), a load-picking fork (5) and a wall (11) separating the driver's stand (3) from the load area. The fork (5) is secured on an initial lift device (7, 8, 9, 10) so that it can be moved up and down relative to the driver's stand (3). According to the invention, an additional lift device (17, 18, 20) is provided with which a load on the fork can be raised beyond the highest position of the initial lift device. The fork has two-part fork tines (12, 13) which each have a load picking upper part (13) and a lower part (12) secured to the initial lift device. Each two-part fork tine includes a scissor construction (19) guiding the upper part (13) of the tine parallel with the lower part (12) of the tine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Wagner Fordertechnik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Klaus Vetter, Kurt Walter
  • Patent number: 5649608
    Abstract: A load transport lifter having the following characteristics: a lift platform with a moveable base frame connected to a cylinder mechanism and struts; upper sprockets are attached to the end of the piston rod of the cylinder mechanism and lower sprockets are attached to a lift mechanism disposed along the struts; a cable or chain, one end of which is fixed to the lift platform, is wound around the upper and lower sprockets and is fixed at the other end to the top of the struts; further, coil springs are attached to the lift mechanism and adapted to push it downward; finally, a locking mechanism is adapted to lock the lift mechanism in a set position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 22, 1997
    Assignee: Bishamon Industries Corporation
    Inventor: Yuuji Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 5593270
    Abstract: A compact utility trailer for pick-up and delivery of relatively small sized lots of material is readily towable behind a variety of commonly driven vehicles such as automobiles, pick-up trucks and the like, and contains a hand operated hydraulic jack-operated forklift that allows a pallet of material to be easily seized and lifted into a transport position within the confines of the trailer. The trailer comprises a front end hydraulic jack-mounting portion, and a rear end pallet-housing portion affixed thereto within which a pallet is to be seized and transported. The front end hydraulic jack-mounting portion has a longitudinal member having a trailer hitch fixture. A floor is affixed to the front end portion, and a hydraulic jack is mounted to the floor. A driven piston of the jack is vertically translatable to engage a fork lift-translating lever unit, which is coupled to a fork lift frame supported in the rear end portion of the trailer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1997
    Inventor: Howard E. Richards
  • Patent number: 5499695
    Abstract: A workstation for filling muffin pans and the like by means of a piston filler fed from a hopper located in surmounting relation to the piston filler, the invention further includes a lift assembly mounting the combined piston filler and hopper for vertical motion to facilitate removal of all material being dispensed from the hopper and to allow the hopper to be quickly and safely scraped and cleaned. The lift assembly of the invention holds the piston filler and hopper at an adjustable level above the floor which is best suited to the height of a user performing pan filling operations at the workstation, the lift assembly acting to controllably lower the piston filler and associated hopper not only for scraping and cleaning but also for filling of the hopper with bulk material which is to be dispensed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1996
    Inventor: Lewis G. Doom, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5415516
    Abstract: A compact utility trailer for pick-up and delivery of relatively small sized lots of material is readily towable behind a variety of commonly driven vehicles such as automobiles, pick-up trucks and the like, and contains a hand operated hydraulic jack-operated forklift that allows a pallet of material to be easily seized and lifted into a transport position within the confines of the trailer. The trailer comprises a front end hydraulic jack-mounting portion, and a rear end pallet-housing portion affixed thereto within which a pallet is to be seized and transported. The front end hydraulic jack-mounting portion has a longitudinal member having a trailer hitch fixture. A floor is affixed to the front end portion, and a hydraulic jack is mounted to the floor. A driven piston of the jack is vertically translatable to engage a fork lift-translating lever unit, which is coupled to a fork lift frame supported in the rear end portion of the trailer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1995
    Assignee: Anvil Products
    Inventor: Howard E. Richards