Straddle truck for containers

Claim 2

In a straddle truck for containers including two upright lateral frames, driving and steering wheels on said frames for supporting the truck on a traffic surface simultaneously engaging said wheels, each lateral frame including a front column, a rear column, an upper horizontally extending frame member connecting respective upper portions of said columns, and a lower horizontally extending frame member connecting respective lower portions of said columns, transverse connecting means connecting said lateral frames, a horizontally extending carrier frame arranged between said lateral frames, hoist means on said upper portions and connected to said carrier frame for raising and lowering the same, the improvement which comprises: a. guide means mounted on said wheels and respectively receiving said lower portions of said columns for vertical movement; b. said upper frame member being fixedly secured to said upper portions of the columns in each lateral frame; c. said transverse connecting means fixedly connecting said upper frame member and the columns of each lateral frame to the upper frame member and the columns of the other lateral frame; d. actuating means for vertically moving one of said columns relative to the associated guide means; and e. coupling means for coupling said hoist means and said actuating means for lowering said carrier frame relative to said upper portions when said columns are moved vertically upward by said actuating means.

Claim 3

In a truck as set forth in claim 1, limiting means for limiting said movement of each column to an overall maximum height and minimum height of the column as measured from said traffic surface, said maximum height being approximately fifty percent greater than said minimum height.

Claim 4

said arresting means including i. a plurality of wedge-shaped clamping members movably mounted on said lower frame member, ii. operating means for moving said clamping members into engagement with said one column through the apertures of said sleeve member, and iii. cam means on said lower frame member engaging said clamping members during said moving thereof by said operating means.

Claim 5

said arresting means including i. a plurality of wedge-shaped clamping members movably mounted on said lower frame member, ii. operating means for moving said clamping members into engagement with said one column through the apertures of said sleeve member, and iii. cam means on said lower frame member engaging said clamping members during said moving thereof by said operating means.

Claim 6

In a truck as set forth in claim 1, said guide means being secured on respective terminal parts of said lower frame members.

Claim 7

In a truck as set forth in claim 1, said actuating means including a hydraulic motor secured to said one column for movement therewith, and a tension member having respective terminal portions secured to said hydraulic motor and said guide means.

Claim 8

In a truck as set forth in claim 4, said one column being hollow, said tension member passing from said hydraulic motor downward through the hollow interior of said one column, and deflecting means deflecting said tension member upwardly from the lower portion of said one column, said lower portion being formed with an opening for passage of said tension member.

Claim 9

In a truck as set forth in claim 1, one of said columns being hollow, said hoist means including motor means mounted in the hollow interior of said one column and a tension member connected to said motor means and to said carrier frame.

Claim 10

In a truck as set forth in claim 6, said actuating means including a hydraulic motor secured to one of said columns for movement therewith, and a tension member having respective terminal portions secured to said hydraulic motor and said guide means, said coupling means including two pulley members, said tension members being respectively trained over said pulley members, and means for securing said pulley members to each other for joint rotation.

Claim 11

In a straddle truck for containers including two upright lateral frames, driving and steering wheels on said frames for supporting the truck on a traffic surface simultaneously engaging said wheels, each lateral frame including a front column, a rear column, an upper horizontally extending frame member connecting respective upper portions of said columns, and a lower horizontally extending frame member connecting respective lower portions of said columns, transverse connecting means connecting said lateral frames, a horizontally extending carrier frame arranged between said lateral frames, hoist means on said upper portions and connected to said carrier frame for raising and lowering the same, the improvement which comprises: a. guide means mounted on said wheels and respectively receiving said lower portions of said columns for vertical movement; b. said upper frame member being fixedly secured to said upper portions of the columns in each lateral frame; c. said transverse connecting means fixedly connecting said upper frame member and the columns of each lateral frame to the upper frame member and the columns of the other lateral frame; d. actuating means for vertically moving one of said columns relative to the associated guide means; and e. arresting means for arresting said columns in each of a plurality of vertically spaced positions,

Claim 12

In a straddle truck for containers including two upright lateral frames, driving and steering wheels on said frames for supporting the truck on a traffic surface simultaneously engaging said wheels, each lateral frame including a front column, a rear column, an upper horizontally extending frame member connecting respective upper portions of said columns, and a lower horizontally extending frame member connecting respective lower portions of said columns, transverse connecting means connecting said lateral frames, a horizontally extending carrier frame arranged between said lateral frames, hoist means on said upper portions and connected to said carrier frame for raising and lowering the same, the improvement which comprises: a. guide means mounted on said wheels and respectively receiving said lower portions of said columns for vertical movement; b. said upper frame member being fixedly secured to said upper portions of the columns in each lateral frame; c. said transverse connecting means fixedly connecting said upper frame member and the columns of each lateral frame to the upper frame member and the columns of the other lateral frame; d. actuating means for vertically moving one of said columns relative to the associated guide means; and e. arresting means for arresting said columns in each of a plurality of vertically spaced positions,

Claim 13

In a truck as set forth in claim 8, a casing fixedly fastened to said lower frame member, the apertured portion of said sleeve member, said clamping member, and said operating means being mounted in said casing.

Claim 14

In a truck as set forth in claim 9, said operating means including a hydraulic motor.

Claim 15

In a straddle truck for containers including two upright lateral frames, driving and steering wheels on said frames for supporting the truck on a traffic surface simultaneously engaging said wheels, each lateral frame including a front column, a rear column, an upper horizontally extending frame member connecting respective upper portions of said columns, and a lower horizontally extending frame member connecting respective lower portions of said columns, transverse connecting means connecting said lateral frames, a horizontally extending carrier frame arranged between said lateral frames, hoist means on said upper portions and connected to said carrier frame for raising and lowering the same, the improvement which comprises: a. guide means mounted on said wheels and respectively receiving said lower portions of said columns for vertical movement; b. said upper frame member being fixedly secured to said upper portions of the columns in each lateral frame; c. said transverse connecting means fixedly connecting said upper frame member and the columns of each lateral frame to the upper frame member and the columns of the other lateral frame; d. actuating means for vertically moving one of said columns relative to the associated guide means; e. a first radial flange on the upper end of the lower portion of each column above the associated guide means; f. a second radial flange on the lower end of the upper portion of each column and releasably fastened to the associated first flange; and g. seating means on the associated guide means abuttingly engaging said first flange during downward vertical movement oF the same and thereby limiting said downward movement,

Claim 16

In a straddle truck for containers including two upright lateral frames, driving and steering wheels on said frames for supporting the truck on a traffic surface simultaneously engaging said wheels, each lateral frame including a front column, a rear column, an upper horizontally extending frame member connecting respective upper portions of said columns, and a lower horizontally extending frame member connecting respective lower portions of said columns, transverse connecting means connecting said lateral frames, a horizontally extending carrier frame arranged between said lateral frames, hoist means on said upper portions and connected to said carrier frame for raising and lowering the same, the improvement which comprises: a. guide means mounted on said wheels and respectively receiving said lower portions of said columns for vertical movement; b. said upper frame member being fixedly secured to said upper portions of the columns in each lateral frame; c. said transverse connecting means fixedly connecting said upper frame member and the columns of each lateral frame to the upper frame member and the columns of the other lateral frame; d. actuating means for vertically moving one of said columns relative to the associated guide means; e. a first radial flange on the upper end of the lower portion of each column above the associated guide means; f. a second radial flange on the lower end of the upper portion of each column and releasably fastened to the associated first flange; and g. seating means on the associated guide means abuttingly engaging said first flange during downward vertical movement oF the same and thereby limiting said downward movement,