Vehicle with retractable guard

Claim 2

In a materials handling vehicle including an operator''s station having vehicle controls adjacent thereto and accessible therefrom, an operator safety guard comprising: a. shield means for protecting said operator''s station from objects falling thereon, b. support means including first and second upright means projecting upwardly from said vehicle and permanently attached to and between respectively the front and rear portions of said vehicLe and said shield means, c. means for retracting and extending said first upright means and thereby moving said shield means between a substantially horizontal protective position over said operator''s station and a substantially vertical, lowered position wherein the overall height of said vehicle is reduced, d. a first edge of said shield means during movement thereof moving with the extending end of said first upright means while the opposite edge of said shield means pivots in an arc about said first edge thereof.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: a. said first upright means includes upper and lower telescoping sections, and b. said moving means causes relative telescoping movement between said upper and lower sections.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein: a. said moving means comprises fluid actuated piston and cylinder means associated with said first upright means for causing said relative telescoping movement between said upper and lower sections thereof.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein: a. said first upright means includes a plurality of first upights each including upper and lower sections, b. said moving means includes fluid actuated piston and cylinder means associated with one of said first uprights, and c. means is provided for transmitting relative telescoping movement between the upper and lower sections of said one of said first uprights to another of said first uprights.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said transmitting means includes: a. a toothed sprocket associated with a section of each of said first uprights, b. a rotatable shaft interconnecting each of said sprockets, and c. means engageable by the teeth of said sprockets mounted on the other of said sections of each of said first uprights.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said second upright means includes: a. a fixed lower leg, b. link means extending between said shield means and said fixed lower leg, and c. means pivotally mounting said link means adjacent one end thereof on said shield means and adjacent an opposite end thereof on said fixed lower leg.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein: a. said fixed lower leg of said second upright means is mounted adjacent one side of said vehicle.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: a. said vehicle controls accessible from said operator''s station include controls for said shield moving means.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said shield moving means includes: a. fluid actuated piston and cylinder means, b. solenoid means for directing pressurized fluid selectively to opposite sides of said piston of said piston and cylinder means, and c. switch means controlling said solenoid means.

Claim 11

In a materials handling vehicle including an operator''s station having vehicle controls adjacent thereto and accessible therefrom, an operator safety guard comprising: a. a pair of fixed, tubular, lower, upright sections mounted adjacent the forward end of said vehicle and having means defining inwardly facing longitudinally extending slots therein, b. a pair of upper upright sections telescopically received in said lower upright sections and having inwardly projecting portions extending through said slots, c. a protective shield of grating construction pivotally attached adjacent a forward edge thereof to said inwardly projecting portions of each of said upper sections, d. a chain mounted on and extending longitudinally of each of said upper sections, e. a toothed sprocket rotatably mounted on each of said lower sections with the teeth thereof in engagement with one of said chains and interconnected by a cross shaft for transmitting movement of one of said upper sections to the other thereof, f. a double acting, hydraulic piston and cylinder with the cylinder thereof fixed with respect to one of said lower sections and said piston thereof interconnected by means of a piston rod to said one of saId upper sections, g. solenoid means for selectively directing pressurized hydraulic fluid to opposite sides of said piston, h. switch means for controlling said solenoid means, i. a fixed lower leg mounted adjacent the rear of said vehicle, and j. a link pivotally mounted adjacent its lower end to said fixed rear leg and adjacent its upper end to said shield means.

Claim 12

In a materials handling vehicle including an operator''s station having vehicle controls adjacent thereto and accessible therefrom, an operator safety guard comprising: a. a pair of fixed, tubular, lower, upright sections mounted adjacent the forward end of said vehicle and having means defining inwardly facing longitudinally extending slots therein, b. a pair of upper upright sections telescopically received in said lower upright sections and having inwardly projecting portions extending through said slots, c. a protective shield of grating construction pivotally attached adjacent a forward edge thereof to said inwardly projecting portions of each of said upper sections, d. a chain mounted on and extending longitudinally of each of said upper sections, e. a toothed sprocket rotatably mounted on each of said lower sections with the teeth thereof in engagement with one of said chains and interconnected by a cross shaft for transmitting movement of one of said upper sections to the other thereof, f. a double acting, hydraulic piston and cylinder with the cylinder thereof fixed with respect to one of said lower sections and said piston thereof interconnected by means of a piston rod to said one of saId upper sections, g. solenoid means for selectively directing pressurized hydraulic fluid to opposite sides of said piston, h. switch means for controlling said solenoid means, i. a fixed lower leg mounted adjacent the rear of said vehicle, and j. a link pivotally mounted adjacent its lower end to said fixed rear leg and adjacent its upper end to said shield means.

Claim 13

In a materials handling vehicle including an operator''s station having vehicle controls adjacent thereto and accessible therefrom, an operator safety guard comprising: a. shield means for protecting said operator''s station from objects falling thereon, b. upright means including upper and lower sections permanently joined for longitudinal movement with respect to each other, c. said lower sections being fixed to said vehicle and said upper sections being permanently and pivotally attached to said shield means, d. means for causing said relative longitudinal movement between said upper and lower sections, and e. means for pivoting said shield means about its pivotal connection to said upper sections as said upper sections are moved with respect to said lower sections to cause said shield means to assume a position substantially parallel to said upright means when said upper sections are moved downwardly and a position overlying said operator''s station when said upper sections are moved upwardly.

Claim 14

In a materials handling vehicle including an operator''s station having vehicle controls adjacent thereto and accessible therefrom, an operator safety guard comprising: a. shield means for protecting said operator''s station from objects falling thereon, b. upright means including upper and lower sections permanently joined for longitudinal movement with respect to each other, c. said lower sections being fixed to said vehicle and said upper sections being permanently and pivotally attached to said shield means, d. means for causing said relative longitudinal movement between said upper and lower sections, and e. means for pivoting said shield means about its pivotal connection to said upper sections as said upper sections are moved with respect to said lower sections to cause said shield means to assume a position substantially parallel to said upright means when said upper sections are moved downwardly and a position overlying said operator''s station when said upper sections are moved upwardly.