Shock absorbing attachment for fork lift trucks

Claim 1

IN A FORK LIFT TRUCK, A PALLET LIFTING FORK HAVING A HORIZONTAL ARM TO ENTER THE PALLET AND A VERTICAL ARM ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE LEAD BOARD OF THE PALLET AND LIKELY TO IMPART AN ABRUPT SHOCK FORCE TO SAID LEAD BOARD DAMAGING IT, A RESILIENT RUBBER-LIKE SHOCK ABSORBING PAD OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME WIDTH AS THE VERTICAL ARM OF SAID FORK AND MOUNTED DIRECTLY UPON THE FORWARD FACE OF SAID VERTICAL ARM AND COVERING THE SAME FROM A POINT ADJACENT THE HORIZONTAL FORK ARM TO A POINT GENERALLY MIDWAY UP THE VERTICAL ARM, A SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID ANCHOR PLATE EMBEDDED BODILY WITHIN SAID RUBBER-LIKE PAD AND ENTIRELY ENCLOSED BY THE PAD WITH PORTIONS OF THE PAD HAVING SUBSTANTIAL THICKNESS ARRANGED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF AND AROUND THE MARGIN OF THE ANCHOR PLATE, A PAIR OF SPACED STUDS RIGIDLY SECURED TO THE ANCHOR PLATE WITHIN SAID PAD AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES THERETO AND PROJECTING OUTWARDLY OF THE REAR FACE OF THE PAD DURING USE THEREOF, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID STUDS BEING SCREWTHREADED, SAID VERTICAL ARM OF SAID FORK HAVING A PAIR OF VERTICALLY SPACED OPENINGS FORMED THERETHROUGH RECEIVING SAID STUDS, AND A NUT ENGAGING SAID THREADED STUD AND BEARING UPON THE REAR FACE OF SAID VERTICAL ARM TO RELEASABLY SECURE THE PAD TO THE VERTICAL ARM.