Vacuum type load handling apparatus

Claim 1

IN A LIFT TRUCK HAVING AN UPRIGHT MAST MOUNTED FOR FORWARDLY AND REARWARDLY TILTING MOVEMENT AND MEANS FOR MOVING SAID MAST FROM A REARWARDLY INCLINED POSITION TO A FORWARDLY INCLINED POSITION, A LOAD CARRIAGE MOVABLE VERTICAL ALONG SAID MAST, AN UPRIGHT VACUUM FACE PLATE INCLUDING A LOAD-ENGAGING FACE, UNIVERSAL JOINT MEANS MOUNTING SAID FACE PLATE ON SAID CARRIAGE FOR UNIVERSAL PIVOTING MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID CARRIAGE AND WITH SAID FACE FACING IN A FORWARDLY DIRECTION, ABUTMENT TYPE STOP MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE BELOW SAID UNIVERSAL JOINT MEANS, SAID STOP MEANS DISPOSED ON EACH OF OPPOSITE SIDES OF A VERTICAL LINE THROUGH THE PIVOTAL CONNECTION OF SAID FACE PLATE AND SAID CARRIAGE, SAID STOP MEANS BEING SPACED REARWARDLY OF THE PLANE OF SAID FACE IN ALL POSITIONS OF SAID FACE PLATE SUCH THAT WHEN SAID MAST IS FORWARDLY INCLINED AND SAID FACE IS OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH A LOAD, SAID FACE PLATE IS PIVOTABLE ABOUT ITS UNIVERSALY CONNECTION WITHOUT INTERFERENCE FROM SAID STOP MEANS TO ENABLE SAID FACE PLATE TO ADJUST ITS POSITION TO THAT OF A LOAD UPON ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID LOAD, AND SUCH THAT WHEN SAID FACE PLATE ELEVATES A LOAD SAID FACE PLATE IS CAUSED TO TILT ABOUT ITS HORIZONTAL PIVOTAL AXIS TO ABUT SAID STOP MEANS AND THUS STABILIZE SAID LOAD.