Lifting arrangement

Claim 1

A LIFTING ARRANGEMENT FOR A FORK TRUCK AND LIKE VEHICLE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) A SUPPORT; (B) A COLUMN HAVING A BOTTOM PORTION AND A TOP PORTION ELONGATED IN A COMMON UPRIGHT DIRECTION, (1) SAID BOTTOM PORTION BEING FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT, AND SAID TOP PORTION BEING GUIDED ON SAID BOTTOM PORTION FOR LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID BOTTOM PORTION, (2) WHEREBY THE LENGTH OF SAID COLUMN MAY BE VARIED BETWEEN A MINIMUM AND A MAXIMUM, (C) A PRESSURE-FLUID OPERATED MOTOR INCLUDING A CYLINDER MEMBER HAVING AN UPRIGHT AXIS AND DEFINING A CAVITY THEREIN, AND A PLUNGER MEMBER AXIALLY MOVABLE INWARD AND OUTWARD OF SAID CAVITY, WHEREBY SAID MOTOR AXIALLY CONTRACTS AND EXPANDS DURING RELATIVE AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBERS, (1) ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF SAID MOTOR BEING FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT, AND THE OTHER MEMBER MOVING UPWARDLY AWAY FROM SAID ONE MEMBER DURING THE EXPANSION OF SID MOTOR; (D) FIRST PULLEY MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID OTHER MEMBER; (E) A FIRST, ELONGATED, FLEXIBLE TENSION MEMBER TRAINED OVER SAID FRIST PULLEY MEANS AND HAVING TWO END PORTIONS, (1) SAID END PORTIONS BEING RESPECTIVELY FASTENED TO SAID BOTTOM PORTION AND TO SAID TOP PORTION, AND BEING AT LEAST IN PART DOWNWARDLY SPACED FROM SAID PULLEY MEANS WHEN SAID COLUMN IS AT SAID MAXIMUM LENGTH AND AT SAID MINIMUM LENGTH THEREOF; (F) SECOND PULLEY MEANS ON SAID TOP PORTION UPWARDLY SPACED FROM SAID OTHER MEMBER OF THE MOTOR; (G) THIRD PULLEY MEANS ON SAID OTHER MEMBER OF SAID MOTOR; (H) A LOAD CARRIER ARRANGED FOR UPRIGHT MOVEMENT ALONG SAID TOP MEMBER; (I) A SECOND, ELONGATED, FLEXIBLE TENSION MEMBER TRAINED OVER SAID SECOND AND THIRD PULLEY MEANS, AND HAVING ONE END PORTION ATTACHED TO SAID LOAD CARRIER; AND (J) FASTENING MEANS FASTENING THE OTHER END PORTION OF SAID SECOND TENSION MEMBER TO ONE OF SAID TOP PORTION AND SAID OTHER MEMBER FOR UPWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID LOAD CARRIER WHEN SAID PLUNGER MEMBER MOVES INWARD OF SAID CYLINDER MEMBER.