Lifting apparatus

Claim 1

A load lifting apparatus for demountable attachment to the forks of a fork lift truck for use in lifting bulk containers from above, comprising a pair of support elements for engagement longitudinally along the arms of said forks, a transverse frame supported by said support elements and movable transversely thereof and having at least one transverse frame member with end frame members across the ends thereof, antifriction members between said support elements and said forks, means for securing each support element to one of said forks and including a power operated device operable to cause relative movement between each said support element and one of said forks generally longitudinally of the forks, a separate power device operable to cause relative movement between said frame and said support elements transversely thereof, load engaging devices one at each end of each said end frame member engageable with spaced members on the upper portions of an associated bulk container, separate power operated devices operable to cause the load engaging devices to be engaged with or disengaged from said container spaced members, guide members engageable with spaced faces on said container to permit the apparatus to be brought accurately into register with the top of the container, and control means operable to cause actuation of each of said power operated devices whereby said load engaging devices can be brought into register with said spaced members on the container by providing movement of said frame across or along the load or slewed about a vertical axis to dispose the load in balance supported beneath the apparatus.