Self-storing material handling attachment for lift trucks

Claim 2

A self-storing material handling attachment mountable on a transport vehicle comprising, material engaging means, frame means including an upright frame member for attachment directly to said transport vehicle, and a horizontally disposed transverse member rigidly supported on said frame member, said transverse member of said frame means supporting said engaging means and said upright member being removably mounted on a transport vehicle, and support means including a multiplicity of leg members borne by said frame means for movement relative to the frame means between retracted positions permitting unrestricted operation of the vehicle and extended positions for supporting the attachment independently of the vehicle, wherein at least one of said leg members is slidably mounted on said upright frame member, and at least one of said leg members is pivotably mounted on said transverse member, and wherein said pivotal legs include a lower surface-engaging foot end, an upper locking end, and an extended intermediate portion connecting said ends, power means borne by said frame pivotally connected to each said pivotal leg adjacent its locking end for swinging the leg between a substantially vertically disposed frame supporting position and a substantially horizontally disposed retracted position, and lock means on said transverse member for fixedly retaining said locking end of the leg in each of said leg positions.

Claim 3

The self-storing material handling attachment of claim 1 further including a plurality of locking pins individually retaining said slidably mounted leg members on the upright frame assembly, and at least one pivot pin mounting each pivotal leg member on the transverse member.

Claim 4

The self-storing material handling attachment of claim 2 wherEin said locking pins associated with the slidable leg members are selectively employed to retain said legs in an extended and retracted position, and said pivot pins provide a fulcrum about which the pivotally mounted leg members assume their extended and retracted positions.

Claim 5

The self-storing material handling attachment of claim 1 wherein said slidable legs extend and retract in a substantially vertical direction, said legs further including a generally vertically oriented portion with a foot member depending therefrom, said vertically oriented portion defining a series of holes along the length thereof, an upright bracket affixed to said frame and shaped to slidably receive said leg portion therein, said bracket further defining at least one hole positioned to correspond with the holes on said leg portion one at a time, and a removable pin insertable in the bracket hole and any of said leg holes in alignment therewith for retaining said leg in the extended and retracted position.

Claim 6

A self-storing material handling attachment mountable on a transport vehicle comprising, material engaging means, frame means including an upright frame member for attachment directly to said transport vehicle, and a horizontally disposed transverse member rigidly supported on said frame member, said frame means supporting said engaging means and removably mounted on a transport vehicle, and support means including a multiplicity of leg members borne by said frame means for movement relative to the frame means between retracted positions permitting unrestricted operation of the vehicle and extended positions for supporting the attachment independently of the vehicle, wherein, a least one of said leg members is slidably mounted on said upright frame member, and at least one of said leg members is pivotably mounted on said transverse member, and wherein said pivotal legs include a lower surface-engaging foot end, an upper locking end, and an extended intermediate portion connecting said ends, said intermediate portion further defining an elongated slot therethrough adjacent said locking end, a pin mounted in said frame and extending through said slot, power means borne by said frame pivotally connected to each said pivotal leg adjacent its locking end for swinging the leg about said pin between a substantially vertically disposed frame supporting position and a substantially horizontally disposed retracted position, and lock means on said transverse member for fixedly retaining said locking end of the leg in each of said leg positions.

Claim 7

A self-storing material handling attachment mountable on a transport vehicle comprising, material engaging means, frame means including an upright frame member for attachment directly to said transport vehicle, and a horizontally disposed transverse member rigidly supported on said frame member, said frame means supporting said engaging means and removably mounted on a transport vehicle, and support means including a multiplicity of leg members borne by said frame means for movement relative to the frame means between retracted positions permitting unrestricted operation of the vehicle and extended positions for supporting the attachment independently of the vehicle, wherein, a least one of said leg members is slidably mounted on said upright frame member, and at least one of said leg members is pivotably mounted on said transverse member, and wherein said pivotal legs include a lower surface-engaging foot end, an upper locking end, and an extended intermediate portion connecting said ends, said intermediate portion further defining an elongated slot therethrough adjacent said locking end, a pin mounted in said frame and extending through said slot, power means borne by said frame pivotally connected to each said pivotal leg adjacent its locking end for swinging the leg about said pin between a substantially vertically disposed frame supporting position and a substantially horizontally disposed retracted position, and lock means on said transverse member for fixedly retaining said locking end of the leg in each of said leg positions.

Claim 8

The self-storing material handling attachment of claim 5 in which said lock means includes a pair of spaced upper and lower right angularly related notches in the frame for alternatively receiving said locking end of the leg, and a camming surface on the frame angularly extending between said notches against which said locking end of the leg is slidably guided during movement of the leg between its frame supporting and retracted positions.