Fork lift truck with a self-contained gripping and latching assembly

Claim 1

IN AN INDUSTRIAL TRUCK HAVING A SUPPORTING CHASSIS AND EMBODYING LOAD SUPPORTING MEANS ACTUATABLE TO A PLURALITY OF LOAD DISLODGING POSITIONS AND LOAD PUSHER MEANS EXTENDABLE IN A FIRST DIRECTION OVER SAID SUPPORTING MEANS TO DISLODGE A LOAD THEREFROM; PALLET GRIPPING MEANS FOR GRIPPING A LOAD SUPPORTING PALLET INCLUDING A FRAMEWORK EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY ACROSS THE FRONT OF SAID TRUCK BEING FREE OF SAID SUPPORTING CHASSIS, A BLADE MOVABLY CARRIED IN SAID FRAME WORK, A CLAMPING BAR ATTACHED TO SAID FRAMEWORK AND POSITIONED TO BE OPERABLE WITH SAID BLADE TO GRIP A PALLET THEREBETWEEN, MEANS FOR SINGULARLY LATCHING SAID FRAMEWORK TO SAID LOAD SUPPORTING MEANS AND SAID PUSHER MEANS INCLUDING BOLT MEANS SLIDABLY CARRIED IN SAID FRAMEWORK, KEEPER MEANS CARRIED ON SAID LOAD SUPPORTING MEANS AND SAID LOAD PUSHER MEANS AND POSITIONED FOR LATCHING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BOLT MEANS, SAID PALLET GRIPPING MEANS BEING EXTENDABLE IN SAID FIRST DIRECTION OVER SAID LOAD SUPPORTING MEANS WITH SAID PUSHER MEANS, SAID BLADE BEING THEREAFTER ACTUABLE WITH SAID CLAMPING BAR TO GRIP A LOAD SUPPORTING PALLET THEREBETWEEN, SAID PUSHER MEANS BEIGN RETRACTABLE IN A SECOND DIRECTION OVER SAID LOAD SUPPORTING MEANS WHEREBY SAID PALLET GRIPPING MEANS PULLS SAID PALLET AND LOAD ONTO SAID SUPPORTING MEANS, SAID PALLET GRIPPING MEANS BEING SUBSEQUENTLY LATCHED TO SAID LOAD SUPPORTING MEANS AND OPERABLE TO RETAIN SAID PALLET THEREON AS SAID PUSHER MEANS IS AGAIN EXTENDED IN SAID FIRST DIRECTION TO DISLODGE SAID LOAD FROM SAID PALLET.