Transverse-traveling load handling vehicle

Claim 2

A load handling vehicle comprising: a chassis having mast means thereon and including telescoping frame members whereby various length loads may be accommodated, further said chassis including a plurality of longitudinal transport wheels and power means for motivating said longitudinal transport wheels, and a plurality of lateral transport wheels and power means for motivating said lateral transport wheels in both forward and reverse directions relative to their lateral direction of travel, said lateral transport wheels being mounted on the said telescoping frame members of the chassis for movement therewith, and further including hydraulic jack means for positioning said lateral transport wheels from an inoperative position out of contact with the vehicle-supporting surface to an operative position in contact with the vehicle-supporting surface and wherein said longitudinal transport wheels are out of contact with the vehicle-supporting surface, said lateral transport wheels engaging said vehicle-supporting surface to allow movement of said vehicle in a direction transverse to the direction of movement normally provided by the longitudinal transport wheels and wherein a first plurality of said lateral transport wheels are mounted on outrigger means pivotally attached to said vehicle, and wherein said hydraulic jack means comprise a first plurality of hydraulic jacks for motivating said outrigger means from an inoperative position to an operative position whereby said transport wheels mounted thereon are in contact with the vehicle-supporting surface at a point spaced outwardly of the longitudinal transport wheels, and a second plurality of hydraulic jacks so disposed as to motivate a second plurality of lateral support wheels in a generally vertical direction from an inoperative position to an operative position whereby said transport wheels are in contact with the vehicle-supporting surface.

Claim 3

A load handling vehicle comprising: a chassis including a set of transport wheels adapted to move the vehicle in a predetermined forward-reverse linear direction; a frame mounted on said chassis; telescoping frame members mounted on said frame and extending longitudinally of said chassis; track members extending transversely of said chassis and frame; VERTICAL mast members adapted to transversely move on said transverse track members; load handling means adapted to travel in a generally vertically-oriented direction on said mast means; outrigger means pivotally mounted on said transverse track members; track extension means mounted on said outrigger means; vehicle support means mounted on the side of the vehicle opposite to said outrigger means wherein said outrigger means and said vehicle support means are so dimensioned that the wheel means are, in their retracted position, disposed in elevationally-spaced relation above the surface supporting the vehicle; pivotal lateral transport wheel means having a position downwardly depending from said outrigger means, and a retracted position; extensible lateral transport wheel means having a position downwardly depending from said vehicle support means, and a retracted position; said pivotal wheel means and said extensible wheel means adapted in their depending positions to raise said vehicle transport wheel means to a position elevationally spaced above the surface supporting the vehicle and being oriented in right angular relation to said transport wheel means to provide said vehicle with a transverse directional movement capability relative to a longitudinal axis of the chassis thereby allowing said vehicle to move transversely from an aisle into a load storage area to any depth desired, said pivotal wheel means also serving to stabilize said track extension means and thereby said vertical mast members; power means drivingly connected to at least one of said wheel means to provide the vehicle with a transverse forward-reverse directional movement; power means whereby said outrigger means and said pivotal wheel means are pivoted to a position below and substantially parallel to the transversely-oriented track means, and said extensible support wheel means is, in its retracted position, raised vertically upwardly above the support surface; and power means to move said wheel means between their depending and retracted positions is a hydraulic jack means.

Claim 4

A load handling vehicle comprising: a chassis including a set of transport wheels adapted to move the vehicle in a predetermined forward-reverse linear direction; a frame mounted on said chassis; telescoping frame members mounted on said frame and extending longitudinally of said chassis; track members extending transversely of said chassis and frame; VERTICAL mast members adapted to transversely move on said transverse track members; load handling means adapted to travel in a generally vertically-oriented direction on said mast means; outrigger means pivotally mounted on said transverse track members; track extension means mounted on said outrigger means; vehicle support means mounted on the side of the vehicle opposite to said outrigger means wherein said outrigger means and said vehicle support means are so dimensioned that the wheel means are, in their retracted position, disposed in elevationally-spaced relation above the surface supporting the vehicle; pivotal lateral transport wheel means having a position downwardly depending from said outrigger means, and a retracted position; extensible lateral transport wheel means having a position downwardly depending from said vehicle support means, and a retracted position; said pivotal wheel means and said extensible wheel means adapted in their depending positions to raise said vehicle transport wheel means to a position elevationally spaced above the surface supporting the vehicle and being oriented in right angular relation to said transport wheel means to provide said vehicle with a transverse directional movement capability relative to a longitudinal axis of the chassis thereby allowing said vehicle to move transversely from an aisle into a load storage area to any depth desired, said pivotal wheel means also serving to stabilize said track extension means and thereby said vertical mast members; power means drivingly connected to at least one of said wheel means to provide the vehicle with a transverse forward-reverse directional movement; power means whereby said outrigger means and said pivotal wheel means are pivoted to a position below and substantially parallel to the transversely-oriented track means, and said extensible support wheel means is, in its retracted position, raised vertically upwardly above the support surface; and power means to move said wheel means between their depending and retracted positions is a hydraulic jack means.