Fork-lift finger construction

Claim 1

FOR USE WITH A ARTICLE-LIFTING APPARATUS HAVING A MOBILE HOIST PROVIDED WITH AN L-SHAPED FINGER HAVING AN UPRIGHT PORTION AND A GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING TERMINAL PORTION SHIFTABLE THROUGH A GENERALLY UPRIGHT, RECIPROCABLE PATH OF TRAVEL, A FINGER EXTENSION COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED, RIGID PLATE OF GREATER LENGTH AND WIDTH THAN SAID TERMINAL PORTION OF THE FINGER; AN ELONGATED STRAP MEMBER HAVING OPPOSED ENDS THEREOF SECURED TO THE PLATE ADJACENT ONE END OF THE LATTER, SAID MEMBER DEFINING A LOOP ADJACENT SAID ONE END OF THE PLATE, THE UPRIGHT PORTION OF THE FINGER BEING RECEIVED THROUGH SAID LOOP WITH THE PLATE SUPPORTED BY SAID TERMINAL PORTION OF THE FINGER DISPOSED THEREUNDER, THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID PLATE BEING PROVIDED WITH A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING BEVEL HAVING A ROUNDED, CONVEX EDGE ADJACENT THE OTHER END OF SAID PLATE; AND MEANS ON THE PLATE ENGAGEABLE WITH THE TERMINAL PORTION OF THE FINGER FOR RELEASABLY HOLDING THE PLATE ON THE FINGER, SAID HOLDING MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED, ELONGATED, DOWNWARDLY PROJECTING FLANGES ON SAID PLATE, SAID FLANGES EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE PLATE AND DISPOSED TO OPPOSITELY ENGAGE THE TERMINAL PORTION OF SAID FINGER, ONE OF SAID FLANGES EXTENDING FROM THE BIGHT OF SAID LOOP FORWARDLY IN PARALLELISM WITH SAID OTHER FLANGE, A THIRD FLANGE EXTENDING IN PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP TO SAID PAIR OF FLANGES, AND BRACE MEMBERS SECURED TO SAID PLATE AND INTERCONNECTING SAID ONE FLANGE WITH SAID THIRD FLANGE, SAID FLANGES TAPERING UPWARDLY AS THE FORWARDMOST ENDS THEREOF ARE APPROACHED.