Van carrier vehicle

Claim 2

A load handling vehicle comprising a horizontally extending U-shaped frame forming an open bay for embracing a load to be engaged by the vehicle, transversely spaced hoist motor means supported from opposite legs of the U-shaped frame, and a pair of generally U-shaped lifting arm means extending longitudinally and transversely of the open bay and disposed in open pocket facing relation such that each pair of longitudinally adjacent legs thereof are operatively connected to the hoist motor means on one side of the vehicle.

Claim 3

A load handling vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said U-shaped lifting arm means comprises a lever the transversely spaced legs of which are pivoted from transversely spaced parts of the vehicle legs, said pair of lifting arm means moving arcuately together in opposite directions in the open bay of the vehicle when pressure fluid is directed to the hoist motor means.

Claim 4

A load handling vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein a generally horizontal lifting frame depends from said pair of lifting arm means which extends longitudinally of the open bay and is adapted to engage van containers and the like embraced within the open bay, said pair of lifting arm means being actuatable arcuately in opposite directions to elevate the lifting frame in a generally horizontal plane.

Claim 5

A load handling vehicle as claimed in claim 3 wherein operator controlled lifting frame adjustment means is connected between each end of the lifting frame and the adjacent end of the lifting arm means.

Claim 6

A load handling vehicle as claimed in claim 4 wherein said adjustment means may be energized to shift said lifting frame transversely of said open bay or to actuate said lifting frame in a rotative or pivotal motion, whereby to align said lifting frame with a van container to be engaged.

Claim 7

A load handling vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said lifting arm means tends to compensate for loads asymmetric in a direction transverse of the vehicle by effectively shifting a portion of the asymmetric load from the most heavily loaded side of the vehicle to the opposite side thereof.

Claim 8

A load handling vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein a pair of longitudinally spaced, transversely extending pivot shafts are supported from each leg of the U-shaped frame, the legs of each U-shaped lifting arm means being supported for pivotal movement from each transversely spaced coaxial pair of pivot shafts, and link and lever means interconnecting each longitudinally spaced pair of pivot shafts for mechanically shifting an asymmetric load portion longitudinally from a more heavily loaded end of the vehicle to a less heavily loaded end thereof.

Claim 9

A load handling vehicle comprising a horizontally extending U-shaped frame forming an open bay for embracing a load to be engaged by the vehicle, a pair of transversely spaced cylinder-piston means supported from opposite legs of the U-shaped frame, a pair of longitudinally spaced and transversely extending pivot shafts supported from and above each leg of the frame, a pair of generally U-shaped lifting arm assemblies which extend longitudinally of the open bay of the vehicle in open facing relation to each other and each of which has the legs thereof mounted on one pair of the transversely spaced pairs of pivot shafts in such a manner that the pair of lifting arms together form a pair of U-shaped first-Class lever means forming oppositely arcuately actuatable lifting means, said cylinder-piston means being operatively connected to the adjacent opposed ends of the legs of the lever arms, and a longitudinally extending lifting frame located in a generally horizontal plane, supported from the lifting arms and elevatable thereby in a generally horizontal plane during arcuate movement of the lifting arms, said lifting frame being adapted to engage van containers and the like embraced within the open bay of the vehicle.

Claim 10

A load handling vehicle comprising a horizontally extending U-shaped frame forming an open bay for embracing a load to be engaged by the vehicle, a pair of transversely spaced cylinder-piston means supported from opposite legs of the U-shaped frame, a pair of longitudinally spaced and transversely extending pivot shafts supported from and above each leg of the frame, a pair of generally U-shaped lifting arm assemblies which extend longitudinally of the open bay of the vehicle in open facing relation to each other and each of which has the legs thereof mounted on one pair of the transversely spaced pairs of pivot shafts in such a manner that the pair of lifting arms together form a pair of U-shaped first-Class lever means forming oppositely arcuately actuatable lifting means, said cylinder-piston means being operatively connected to the adjacent opposed ends of the legs of the lever arms, and a longitudinally extending lifting frame located in a generally horizontal plane, supported from the lifting arms and elevatable thereby in a generally horizontal plane during arcuate movement of the lifting arms, said lifting frame being adapted to engage van containers and the like embraced within the open bay of the vehicle.

Claim 11

A load handling vehicle as claimed in claim 8 wherein means is connected operatively between the lifting arms and the lifting frame for adjusting the position of the lifting frame in a horizontal plane relative to the lifting arms.

Claim 12

A load handling vehicle as claimed in claim 8 wherein linkage means is connected between each longitudinally spaced pair of pivot shafts in order to compensate for asymmetric loads carried by the lifting frame.

Claim 13

A wheeled vehicle comprising a horizontally extending U-shaped frame forming an open bay for embracing a load to be transported by the vehicle, said vehicle having a fixed wheel base a pair of transversely spaced hoist motor means mounted upon opposite legs of the U-shaped frame, and a forwardly extending lifting arm and a rearwardly extending lifting arm pivoted from each leg of the U-shaped frame and on opposite sides of the adjacent hoist motor means both said lifting arms on each side being connected to the respective hoist motor means for actuation arcuately in opposite directions, said pairs of lifting arms being adapted to be operatively connected to a load to be engaged and transported by the vehicle.

Claim 14

A wheeled vehicle comprising a horizontally extending U-shaped frame forming an open bay for embracing a load to be transported by the vehicle, said vehicle having a fixed wheel base a pair of transversely spaced hoist motor means mounted upon opposite legs of the U-shaped frame, and a forwardly extending lifting arm and a rearwardly extending lifting arm pivoted from each leg of the U-shaped frame and on opposite sides of the adjacent hoist motor means both said lifting arms on each side being connected to the respective hoist motor means for actuation arcuately in opposite directions, said pairs of lifting arms being adapted to be operatively connected to a load to be engaged and transported by the vehicle.

Claim 15

A wheeled vehicle as claimed in claim 11 wherein a load engaging frame is supported from the remote end portions of the pairs of lifting arms and is adapted to be actuated vertically thereby in a horizontal plane.