Battery enclosing counterweight for fork lift trucks

Claim 1

IN A MASTED FORK LIFT TRUCK HAVING GROUND ENGAGING FRONT AND REAR WHEELS AND A CHASSIS CARRIED ON SAID WHEELS AND HAVING SIDE AND REAR FRAME MEMBERS, SAID SIDE FRAME MEMBERS BEING LATERALLY SPACED APART AND EXTENDING LENGTHWISE ALONG OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE CHASSIS AND THE REAR FRAME MEMBER BEING CONNECTED TO AND SPANNING THE SIDE MEMBERS AT THEIR REAR ENDS; (A) A SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED BALLAST WEIGHT FOR THE TRUCK HAVING (1) A FORWARDLY FACING SURFACE ON ITS BIGHT PORTION WHICH IS SHAPED IN CONFORMITY TO THE REAR SURFACE OF THE REAR FRAME MEMBER SO AS TO BE CLOSELY OPPOSABLE THE SAME, (2) HAVING AN UPWARDLY AND FORWARDLY OPENING RECESS IN ITS BIGHT PORTION, AND (3) HAVING ARMS WHICH PROJECT A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE FORWARDLY OF SAID SURFACE AND WHICH ARE SPACED APART LATERALLY TO EMBRACE THE REAR END PORTIONS OF THE SIDE FRAME MEMBERS, SAID ARMS BEING OF SUCH LENGTH AND SIZE THAT THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF THE BALLAST WEIGHT IS LOCATED NEAR SAID SURFACE; (B) COOPERATING TONGUE AND SOCKET CONNECTION MEANS ON THE BIGHT PORTION OF THE BALLAST WEIGHT, BETWEEN THE ARMS, AND ON THE REAR FRAME MEMBER, BETWEEN THE SIDE FRAME MEMBERS, COOPERABLE TO SUPPORT THE BALLAST WEIGHT ON THE REAR OF THE CHASSIS WITH SAID SURFACE ON THE BIGHT PORTION OF THE BALLAST WEIGHT CLOSELY OPPOSING THE REAR FRAME MEMBER, SAID CONNECTION MEANS BEING ENGAGEABLE AND DISENGAGEABLE BY RELATIVE FORE-AND-AFT MOTION BETWEEEN THE BALLAST WEIGHT AND THE CHASSIS; (C) COOPERATING READILY RELEASABLY FASTENING MEANS ON THE FRONT PORTION OF EACH ARM OF THE BALLAST WEIGHT AND ON A PART OF THE CHASSIS ADJACENT THERETO FOR SECURING THE ARM TO THE CHASSIS, SAID FASTENING MEANS AT EACH SIDE OF THE BALLAST WEIGHT COOPERATING WITH ONE ANOTHER AND WITH THE TONGUE AND SOCKET CONNECTION ONE MEANS TO SECURE THE BALLAST WEIGHT TO THE CHASSIS; AND (D) A BATTERY CASE SUPPORTED BY THE FRAME MEMBERS AND DISPOSED GENERALLY OVER THE REAR WHEELS OF THE TRUCK AND PROJECTING REARWARDLY BEYOND SAID REAR FRAME MEMBERS WITH ITS LOWER REAR PORTION RECEIVED IN AND CLOSELY FITTING SAID RECESS IN THE BIGHT PORTION OF THE BALLAST WEIGHT.