Method and means providing overhead protection and access to industrial trucks

Claim 1

A METHOD OF MANIPULATING OVERHEAD GUARD STRUCTURE FOR INDUSTRIAL TRUCKS AND THE LIKE HAVING AN UPRIGHT MAST MOUNTED FORWARDLY OF THE TRUCK AND WHEREIN THE GUARD IS OF GENERALLY U-SHAPED CONFIGURATION AND IS INVERTEDLY MOUNTED ON THE TRACK INDEPENDENTLY OF THE MAST FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT IN A FORWARD DIRECTION, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF TILTING THE MAST OF THE TRUCK RELATIVE TO THE GUARD FROM A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL TO A FORWARDLY INCLINED POSITION, CONDITIONING THE GUARD STRUCTURE FOR FORWARD PIVOTAL MOVEMENT INCLUDING DISCONNECTION OF A PORTION OF THE GUARD STRUCTURE FROM THE REAR PORTION OF THE TRUCK, AND PIVOTING THE U-SHAPED GUARD STRUCTURE ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS IN A FORWARD DIRECTION INTO THE SPACE FORMERLY OCCUPIED BY THE MAST AND INTO ABUTMENT WITH THE MAST STRUCTURE PROVIDING AN UNOBSTRUCTED SPACE ABOVE THE REAR PORTION OF THE TRUCK TO FACILITATE THE REMOVAL THEREFROM OF EQUIPMENT THEREIN.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF MANIPULATING OVERHEAD GUARD STRUCTURE FOR INDUSTRIAL TRUCKS AND THE LIKE HAVING AN UPRIGHT MAST MOUNTED FORWARDLY OF THE TRUCK AND WHEREIN THE GUARD IS OF GENERALLY U-SHAPED CONFIGURATION AND IS INVERTEDLY MOUNTED ON THE TRACK INDEPENDENTLY OF THE MAST FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT IN A FORWARD DIRECTION, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF TILTING THE MAST OF THE TRUCK RELATIVE TO THE GUARD FROM A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL TO A FORWARDLY INCLINED POSITION, CONDITIONING THE GUARD STRUCTURE FOR FORWARD PIVOTAL MOVEMENT INCLUDING DISCONNECTION OF A PORTION OF THE GUARD STRUCTURE FROM THE REAR PORTION OF THE TRUCK, AND PIVOTING THE U-SHAPED GUARD STRUCTURE ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS IN A FORWARD DIRECTION INTO THE SPACE FORMERLY OCCUPIED BY THE MAST AND INTO ABUTMENT WITH THE MAST STRUCTURE PROVIDING AN UNOBSTRUCTED SPACE ABOVE THE REAR PORTION OF THE TRUCK TO FACILITATE THE REMOVAL THEREFROM OF EQUIPMENT THEREIN.

Claim 3

A METHOD OF REMOVING EQUIPMENT FROM THE REAR PORTION OF INDUSTRIAL LIFT TRUCKS, AND THE LIKE, HAVING AN UPRIGHT PIVOTABLE MAST MOUNTED FORWARDLY OF THE TRUCK AND OVERHEAD GUARD STRUCTURE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ADJACENT THE FORWARD END OF THE TRUCK EXTENDING OVER AND CONNECTED TO THE REAR PORTION OF THE TRUCK, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF DISCONNECTING THE GUARD STRUCTURE FROM THE REAR PORTION OF THE TRUCK, ACTUATING THE REAR PORTION OF THE GUARD STRUCTURE TOWARD THE MAST, ACTUATING THE MAST TO A REARWARDLY TILTED POSITION, THEREAFTER TEMPORARILY CONNECTING THE GUARD STRUCTURE TO THE MAST, ACTUATING THE MAST AND CONNECTED GUARD STRUCTURE TOGETHER TO A FORWARDLY TILTED POSITION TO PROVIDE UNOBSTRUCTUED VERTICAL AIR SPACE ABOVE THE REAR PORTION OF THE TRUCK, AND UTILIZING EQUIPMENT ABOVE THE REAR PORTION OF THE TRUCK FOR REMOVING FROM THE REAR PORTION OF THE TRUCK BY WAY OF SAID VERTICAL AIR SPACE COMPONENT DEVICES THEREOF.

Claim 4

A METHOD OF REMOVING EQUIPMENT FROM THE REAR PORTION OF INDUSTRIAL LIFT TRUCKS, AND THE LIKE, HAVING AN UPRIGHT PIVOTABLE MAST MOUNTED FORWARDLY OF THE TRUCK AND OVERHEAD GUARD STRUCTURE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ADJACENT THE FORWARD END OF THE TRUCK EXTENDING OVER AND CONNECTED TO THE REAR PORTION OF THE TRUCK, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF DISCONNECTING THE GUARD STRUCTURE FROM THE REAR PORTION OF THE TRUCK, ACTUATING THE REAR PORTION OF THE GUARD STRUCTURE TOWARD THE MAST, ACTUATING THE MAST TO A REARWARDLY TILTED POSITION, THEREAFTER TEMPORARILY CONNECTING THE GUARD STRUCTURE TO THE MAST, ACTUATING THE MAST AND CONNECTED GUARD STRUCTURE TOGETHER TO A FORWARDLY TILTED POSITION TO PROVIDE UNOBSTRUCTUED VERTICAL AIR SPACE ABOVE THE REAR PORTION OF THE TRUCK, AND UTILIZING EQUIPMENT ABOVE THE REAR PORTION OF THE TRUCK FOR REMOVING FROM THE REAR PORTION OF THE TRUCK BY WAY OF SAID VERTICAL AIR SPACE COMPONENT DEVICES THEREOF.