Adjustable, self-locking load supporting mechanism for booms

Claim 2

A load supporting device for mounting on a boom comprising a slide member movable along the boom when not locked thereto, said slide member partially encircling the boom, said slide member having legs depending below the boom, and a locking member pivotally mounted on the legs of said slide member in close proximity to the bottom of the boom, said locking member having means to receive a load, said locking member shiftable into locking engagement with the boom in response to a shift from a perpendicular relationship between the longitudinal direction of the boom and the direction of the force of the load.

Claim 3

The load supporting device of claim 1, wherein said locking member comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper portion including a top locking surface closely adjacent and parallel to the bottom of the boom, said lower portion including the means to support a load.

Claim 4

The load supporting device of claim 2, wherein said locking member further comprises a pair of vertical longitudinally positioned plate members, each having an upper hole and a lower hole therethrough in vertical alignment, the horizontal axes of said holes being parallel to each other and to the bottom of said boom, the axes of said holes also being transverse to the longitudinal axis of the boom; at least one transverse bar member to which said longitudinally positioned plate members are securely attached in spaced relationship, said transverse bar having a flat horizontal top locking surface projecting above said longitudinally positioned plate members and located adjacent the bottom of the boom; and a pin removabLy supported in the lower ends of the legs of said slide member in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the boom, said pin passing through said upper holes providing pivotal movement of said locking member, said lower holes providing for the support of a load.

Claim 5

A load supporting mechanism comprising in combination: a boom, a slide member mounted on the boom for movement therealong when not locked thereto, and a locking member comprising a clevis member and a pin, said clevis member having a flat horizontal top locking surface normally positioned parallel to the underside of said boom, said pin removably supported in the lower end of said slide member, said clevis member mounted on said pin to pivot in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of said boom with said top locking surface closely adjacent the bottom of said boom, said locking member normally held in a predetermined relationship to said boom by the force of the load, said top locking surface of said locking member spaced from said boom while said predetermined relationship is maintained, said top locking surface engaging said boom to lock said slide member to said boom when said predetermined relationship is altered, said slide member being free to slide along the longitudinal axis of said boom when said top locking surface is parallel to the underside of said boom, said slide member being locked in a fixed position relative to said boom when said clevis member is tilted slightly on said pin causing wedging of said top locking surface against the bottom of said boom.

Claim 6

A load supporting mechanism comprising in combination: a boom, a slide member mounted on the boom for movement therealong when not locked thereto, and a locking member comprising a clevis member and a pin, said clevis member having a flat horizontal top locking surface normally positioned parallel to the underside of said boom, said pin removably supported in the lower end of said slide member, said clevis member mounted on said pin to pivot in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of said boom with said top locking surface closely adjacent the bottom of said boom, said locking member normally held in a predetermined relationship to said boom by the force of the load, said top locking surface of said locking member spaced from said boom while said predetermined relationship is maintained, said top locking surface engaging said boom to lock said slide member to said boom when said predetermined relationship is altered, said slide member being free to slide along the longitudinal axis of said boom when said top locking surface is parallel to the underside of said boom, said slide member being locked in a fixed position relative to said boom when said clevis member is tilted slightly on said pin causing wedging of said top locking surface against the bottom of said boom.

Claim 7

The load supporting mechanism of claim 4, wherein said clevis member comprises a pair of longitudinal vertically positioned plate members, a pair of transverse vertically positioned spaced apart plate members, and a pin removably mounted in the lower end of said slide member, each longitudinal plate member having an upper hole and a lower hole therethrough with the axes of said holes being parallel to each other and to the bottom of the boom transverse to the longitudinal axis of the boom, said transverse plate members being perpendicularly secured to said longitudinal plate members in spaced apart relationship symmetrically about a vertical centerline through the upper and lower holes, said transverse plate members each having a flat, horizontal top edge locking surface projecting above said longitudinal plate members and positioned closely adjacent the underside of the boom, said pin passing through said upper holes of said longitudinal plate members providing pivotal movement of said clevis member in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the boom, said lower holes of said longitudinal plate members providing for the support of a load, whereby when said clevis member is tilted slightly in one direction, the top edge surface of one of said transverse plates will wedge against the underside of the boom and when said clevis member is tilted slightly in the opposite direction, the top edge surface of the other of said transverse plate members will wedge against the underside of the boom providing locking of said slide member in either direction of movement.

Claim 8

In an extensible boom attachment for a lift truck having an elevating carriage, the attachment having a frame removably supported on the elevating carriage and having an extensible boom comprising an outer boom section supported in and projecting substantially horizontally from the frame and an inner boom section being slidingly and telescopingly received in the outer boom section, the improvement of an adjustable self-locking load support mechanism which comprises: a. a yoke member slidingly supported on either one of the boom sections, said yoke member mounted on the one boom section for movement therealong in an infinite number of positions between the ends of the one boom section when not locked thereto, said yoke member partially encircling the one boom section, said yoke member having a pair of legs extending downwardly below the bottom of the one boom Section and having a pin removably mounted in the lower ends of said legs; and b. a locking member pivotally mounted on said pin of said yoke member, said locking member having means to support a load and having a locking portion closely adjacent and parallel to the bottom of the one boom section, said locking member normally held in a predetermined relationship to the one boom section by the force of the load and said locking portion spaced from the one boom section while said predetermined relationship is maintained, said locking portion engaging the one boom section to lock said yoke member to the one boom section when said predetermined relationship is altered by tilting of the one boom section from a horizontal position or by tilting of said locking member from a vertical direction by the force of the load supported on said locking member, said yoke member being easily removed from the one boom section by removing said pin and said locking member.

Claim 9

In an extensible boom attachment for a lift truck having an elevating carriage, the attachment having a frame removably supported on the elevating carriage and having an extensible boom comprising an outer boom section supported in and projecting substantially horizontally from the frame and an inner boom section being slidingly and telescopingly received in the outer boom section, the improvement of an adjustable self-locking load support mechanism which comprises: a. a yoke member slidingly supported on either one of the boom sections, said yoke member mounted on the one boom section for movement therealong in an infinite number of positions between the ends of the one boom section when not locked thereto, said yoke member partially encircling the one boom section, said yoke member having a pair of legs extending downwardly below the bottom of the one boom Section and having a pin removably mounted in the lower ends of said legs; and b. a locking member pivotally mounted on said pin of said yoke member, said locking member having means to support a load and having a locking portion closely adjacent and parallel to the bottom of the one boom section, said locking member normally held in a predetermined relationship to the one boom section by the force of the load and said locking portion spaced from the one boom section while said predetermined relationship is maintained, said locking portion engaging the one boom section to lock said yoke member to the one boom section when said predetermined relationship is altered by tilting of the one boom section from a horizontal position or by tilting of said locking member from a vertical direction by the force of the load supported on said locking member, said yoke member being easily removed from the one boom section by removing said pin and said locking member.

Claim 10

The extensible boom attachment of claim 6 wherein said locking member has at least one upper hole to receive said pin and has at least one lower hole vertically below the upper hole to support a load, said locking portion of said locking member being perpendicular to a centerline through the upper and lower holes, said yoke member being free to slide along said one boom section when the centerline through the upper and lower holes remains perpendicular to the bottom of said one boom section, but said yoke member is locked to said one boom section when the perpendicular relation of the centerline through the upper and lower holes in said locking member to the bottom of said one boom section is changed, said locking portion no longer being parallel to the bottom of said one boom section and wedging of said locking portion against the bottom of said one boom section results.

Claim 11

An adjustable, self-locking load supporting mechanism for mounting on a boom comprising: a boom; a slide member mounted on said boom and movable therealong when not locked thereto, said slide member having at least one leg depending below said boom; and a locking member pivotally mounted on the lower end of said leg, said locking member having means to receive a load and having a locking portion spaced from the bottom of said boom in a predetermined clearance relationship when said boom is horizontal and when the force of the load is acting vertically, said locking portion engaging the bottom of said boom to lock said slide member to said boom when said predetermined relationship is altered by inclining said boom from a horizontal position or by tilting said locking member due to a change in direction of the force of the load away from the vertical.

Claim 12

An adjustable, self-locking load supporting mechanism for mounting on a boom comprising: a boom; a slide member mounted on said boom and movable therealong when not locked thereto, said slide member having at least one leg depending below said boom; and a locking member pivotally mounted on the lower end of said leg, said locking member having means to receive a load and having a locking portion spaced from the bottom of said boom in a predetermined clearance relationship when said boom is horizontal and when the force of the load is acting vertically, said locking portion engaging the bottom of said boom to lock said slide member to said boom when said predetermined relationship is altered by inclining said boom from a horizontal position or by tilting said locking member due to a change in direction of the force of the load away from the vertical.

Claim 13

In an extensible boom attachment for a lift truck having an elevating carriage, the attachment having a frame removably supported on the elevating carriage and having an extensible boom supported by the frame and projecting substantially horizontally from the frame, the extensible boom comprising a first boom section slidingly and telescopingly received in a second boom section, the improvement of an adjustable self-locking load support mechanism which comprises: a. a yoke member slidingly supported on either one of the boom sections and movable therealong in an infinite number of positions between the ends of the one boom section when not locked thereto, said yoke member having at least one leg depending below the one boom section; b. a locking member pivotally mounted on the lower end of said one leg of said yoke member, said locking member having means to support a load and having a locking portion spaced from the bottom of the one boom section in a predetermined clearance relationship when the boom section is horizontal and when the force of the load is acting vertically, said locking portion engaging the bottom of the one boom section to lock said yoke member to the one boom section when said predetermined relationship is altered by inclining the one boom section or by tilting said locking member due to a change in direction of the force of the load away from the vertical.

Claim 14

In an extensible boom attachment for a lift truck having an elevating carriage, the attachment having a frame removably supported on the elevating carriage and having an extensible boom supported by the frame and projecting substantially horizontally from the frame, the extensible boom comprising a first boom section slidingly and telescopingly received in a second boom section, the improvement of an adjustable self-locking load support mechanism which comprises: a. a yoke member slidingly supported on either one of the boom sections and movable therealong in an infinite number of positions between the ends of the one boom section when not locked thereto, said yoke member having at least one leg depending below the one boom section; b. a locking member pivotally mounted on the lower end of said one leg of said yoke member, said locking member having means to support a load and having a locking portion spaced from the bottom of the one boom section in a predetermined clearance relationship when the boom section is horizontal and when the force of the load is acting vertically, said locking portion engaging the bottom of the one boom section to lock said yoke member to the one boom section when said predetermined relationship is altered by inclining the one boom section or by tilting said locking member due to a change in direction of the force of the load away from the vertical.