Crane-type stacker

Claim 2

In a material handling apparatus a vertical telescopic mast assembly comprising a plurality of relatively movable members, means operatively connecting one of said members to another of said members for movement therealong, a third member, means for connecting said third member to said one of said members for movement therealong, means connected between said another member and said third member for contracting said mast, means on said third member and said one of said members for limiting movement of said third member relative to said one of said members in an upwardly direction, means disengaging said means and limiting movement of said one of said members along said other of said members when said one of said members is in a predetermined position along said other of said members.

Claim 3

In a material handling apparatus a vertical mast assembly comprising a plurality of relatively movable members, means operatively connecting one of said members to another of said members for movement therealong, a third member, means for connecting said third member to said one of said members for movement therealong, means for raising said third member, first abutment means on said third member, a fourth member pivotally connected to said one of said members by spaced links and having its lower end engageable with said abutment means on said third member, a second abutment means connected to said fourth member engageable with and movable along said other of said members, an aperture in said other of said members in the path of movement of said second abutment means along said other of said members whereby said fourth member will disengage said first abutment means upon said second abutment means engaging in said aperture.

Claim 4

In a material handling apparatus a vertical mast assembly comprising a plurality of relatively movable members, means operatively connecting one of said members to another of said members for movement therealong, a third member, means for connecting said third member to said one of said members for movement therealong, means for raising said third member, first abutment means on said third member, a fourth member pivotally connected to said one of said members by spaced links and having its lower end engageable with said abutment means on said third member, a second abutment means connected to said fourth member engageable with and movable along said other of said members, an aperture in said other of said members in the path of movement of said second abutment means along said other of said members whereby said fourth member will disengage said first abutment means upon said second abutment means engaging in said aperture.

Claim 5

In a material handLing apparatus a vertical mast assembly comprising a plurality of relatively movable members, means operatively connecting one of said members to another of said members for movement therealong, a third member, means for connecting said third member to said one of said members for movement therealong, means for raising said third member, first abutment means on said third member, a fourth member pivotally connected to said one of said members by spaced links and having its lower end engageable with said abutment means on said third member, a second abutment means connected to said fourth member engageable with and movable along said other of said members, an aperture in said other of said members in the path of movement of said second abutment means along said other of said members, and means for limiting movement of said one of said members along said other of said members upon said second abutment means engaging in said aperture.

Claim 6

In a material handLing apparatus a vertical mast assembly comprising a plurality of relatively movable members, means operatively connecting one of said members to another of said members for movement therealong, a third member, means for connecting said third member to said one of said members for movement therealong, means for raising said third member, first abutment means on said third member, a fourth member pivotally connected to said one of said members by spaced links and having its lower end engageable with said abutment means on said third member, a second abutment means connected to said fourth member engageable with and movable along said other of said members, an aperture in said other of said members in the path of movement of said second abutment means along said other of said members, and means for limiting movement of said one of said members along said other of said members upon said second abutment means engaging in said aperture.

Claim 7

In a material handling apparatus a vertical mast assembly comprising a plurality of relatively movable members, means operatively connecting one of said members to another of said members for movement therealong, a third member, means for connecting said third member to said one of said members for movement therealong, means for raising said third member, first abutment means on said third member, a bell crank lever pivotally connected to said one of said members and having one arm connected to said first abutment means, second abutment means on the other arm of said bell crank lever engageable with and movable along said other of said members, an aperture in said other of said members in the path of movement of said second abutment means along said other of said members whereby said bell crank lever will be disconnected from said first abutment means and movement of said one of said members along said other of said members will be limited upon said second abutment means engaging in said aperture.

Claim 8

In a material handling apparatus a vertical mast assembly comprising a plurality of relatively movable members, means operatively connecting one of said members to another of said members for movement therealong, a third member, means for connecting said third member to said one of said members for movement therealong, means for raising said third member, first abutment means on said third member, a bell crank lever pivotally connected to said one of said members and having one arm connected to said first abutment means, second abutment means on the other arm of said bell crank lever engageable with and movable along said other of said members, an aperture in said other of said members in the path of movement of said second abutment means along said other of said members whereby said bell crank lever will be disconnected from said first abutment means and movement of said one of said members along said other of said members will be limited upon said second abutment means engaging in said aperture.

Claim 9

In a material handling apparatus a vertical mast assembly comprising a plurality of relatively movable members, means operatively connecting one of said members to another of said members for movement therealong, a third member, means for connecting said third member to said one of said members for movement therealong, means for raising said third member, first abutment means on said third member, a fourth member pivotally connected to said one of said members by spaced links and having its lower end engageable with said abutment means on said third member, a bell crank lever pivotally connected to said one of said members and having one arm connected to said fourth member, second abutment means on the other arm of said bell crank lever engageable with and movable along said other of said members, an aperture in said other of said members in the path of movement of said second abutment means along said other of said members whereby said fourth member will disengage said first abutment means and movement of said one of said members along said other of said members will be limited upon said second abutment means engaging in said aperture.

Claim 10

In a material handling apparatus a vertical mast assembly comprising a plurality of relatively movable members, means operatively connecting one of said members to another of said members for movement therealong, a third member, means for connecting said third member to said one of said members for movement therealong, means for raising said third member, first abutment means on said third member, a fourth member pivotally connected to said one of said members by spaced links and having its lower end engageable with said abutment means on said third member, a bell crank lever pivotally connected to said one of said members and having one arm connected to said fourth member, second abutment means on the other arm of said bell crank lever engageable with and movable along said other of said members, an aperture in said other of said members in the path of movement of said second abutment means along said other of said members whereby said fourth member will disengage said first abutment means and movement of said one of said members along said other of said members will be limited upon said second abutment means engaging in said aperture.

Claim 11

In a material handling apparatus a movable overhead support, a vertical telescopic mast assembly comprising a plurality of relatively movable mast sections, means connecting the upper end of one of said mast sections to said overhead support, means operatively connecting another of said mast sections to said one of said mast sections for movement therealong between a first position in which its lower end is below the lower end of said one of said mast sections and a second position above the first position, a load carriage, means for connecting said load carriage to said another of said mast sections for movement therealong between positions adjacent to the lower and upper ends of said another of said mast sections, means connected between said one mast section and said load carriage for raising and lowering said load carriage and contracting and extending said mast, and means preventing movement of said load carriage along said another of said mast sections unless said other of said mast sections is in a predetermined raised position along said one of said mast sections.

Claim 12

In a material handling apparatus a movable overhead support, a vertical telescopic mast assembly comprising a plurality of relatively movable mast sections, means connecting the upper end of one of said mast sections to said overhead support, means operatively connecting another of said mast sections to said one of said mast sections for movement therealong between a first position in which its lower end is below the lower end of said one of said mast sections and a second position above the first position, a load carriage, means for connecting said load carriage to said another of said mast sections for movement therealong between positions adjacent to the lower and upper ends of said another of said mast sections, means connected between said one mast section and said load carriage for raising and lowering said load carriage and contracting and extending said mast, and means preventing movement of said load carriage along said another of said mast sections unless said other of said mast sections is in a predetermined raised position along said one of said mast sections.

Claim 13

In a material handling apparatus a movable overhead support, a vertical mast assembly comprising a plurality of relatively movable mast sections, means connecting the upper end of one of said mast sections to said overhead support, means operatively connecting another of said mast sections to said one of said mast sections for movement therealong between a position in which its lower end is below the lower end of said one of said mast sections and a position in which its upper end is adjacent to the upper end of said one of said mast sections, a load carriage, means for connecting said load carriage to said another of said mast sections for movement therealong between positions adjacent to opposite ends of said another of said mast sections, means for raising said load carriage from a position adjacent to the lower end of said another of said mast sections to a position adjacent to the upper end of said one of said mast sections, abutment means on said load carriage and said another of said mast sections for moving said another of said mast sections with said load carriage, and means disengaging said abutment means and limiting downward movement of said other of said mast sections along said one of said mast sections when the upper end of said other of said mast sections reaches a position adjacent to the upper end of said one of said mast sections.

Claim 14

In a material handling apparatus a movable overhead support, a vertical mast assembly comprising a plurality of relatively movable mast sections, means connecting the upper end of one of said mast sections to said overhead support, means operatively connecting another of said mast sections to said one of said mast sections for movement therealong between a position in which its lower end is below the lower end of said one of said mast sections and a position in which its upper end is adjacent to the upper end of said one of said mast sections, a load carriage, means for connecting said load carriage to said another of said mast sections for movement therealong between positions adjacent to opposite ends of said another of said mast sections, means for raising said load carriage from a position adjacent to the lower end of said another of said mast sections to a position adjacent to the upper end of said one of said mast sections, abutment means on said load carriage and said another of said mast sections for moving said another of said mast sections with said load carriage, and means disengaging said abutment means and limiting downward movement of said other of said mast sections along said one of said mast sections when the upper end of said other of said mast sections reaches a position adjacent to the upper end of said one of said mast sections.

Claim 15

In a material handling apparatus a movable overhead support, a vertical mast assembly comprising a plurality of relatively movable mast sections, means connecting the upper end of one of said mast sections to said overhead support, means operatively connecting another of said mast sections to said one of said mast sections for movement relative thereto between a position in which its lower end is below the lower end of said one of said mast sections and a position in which its upper end is adjacent to the upper end of said one of said mast sections, a load carriage, means for connecting said load carriage to said another of said mast sections for movement therealong between positions adjacent to opposite ends of said another of said mast sections, power means at the upper end of said other of said mast sections connected by a flexible means to said load carriage for raising said load carriage, first abutment means on said load carriage, a member pivotally connected to said other of said mast sections by spaced links and having its lower end engageable with said abutment means on said load carriage, a bell crank lever pivotally connected to said other of said mast sections and having one arm connected to said member, second abutment means on the other arm of said bell crank lever engageable with and movable along said one of said mast sections, an aperture in said one of said mast sections in the path of movement of said second abutment means along said one of said mast sections whereby said member will disengage said first abutment means and said other of said mast sections will be fixed to said one of said mast sections upon said second abutment means engaging in said aperture.

Claim 16

In a material handling apparatus a movable overhead support, a vertical mast assembly comprising a plurality of relatively movable mast sections, means connecting the upper end of one of said mast sections to said overhead support, means operatively connecting another of said mast sections to said one of said mast sections for movement relative thereto between a position in which its lower end is below the lower end of said one of said mast sections and a position in which its upper end is adjacent to the upper end of said one of said mast sections, a load carriage, means for connecting said load carriage to said another of said mast sections for movement therealong between positions adjacent to opposite ends of said another of said mast sections, power means at the upper end of said other of said mast sections connected by a flexible means to said load carriage for raising said load carriage, first abutment means on said load carriage, a member pivotally connected to said other of said mast sections by spaced links and having its lower end engageable with said abutment means on said load carriage, a bell crank lever pivotally connected to said other of said mast sections and having one arm connected to said member, second abutment means on the other arm of said bell crank lever engageable with and movable along said one of said mast sections, an aperture in said one of said mast sections in the path of movement of said second abutment means along said one of said mast sections whereby said member will disengage said first abutment means and said other of said mast sections will be fixed to said one of said mast sections upon said second abutment means engaging in said aperture.