Materials handling apparatus

Claim 2

In a materials handling apparatus for orienting a load between the horizontal and vertical positions, a generally Lshaped frame having a horizontal and vertical leg, a first track provided on the horizontal leg of said frame, a second track provided on the vertical leg of said frame, a movable generally L-shaped load carrying member having first and second load supporting surfaces disposed generally normal to each other and corresponding to the horizontal and vertical positions for a given load, one of said load supporting surfaces comprising a transversely extending plate member and the other load supporting surface comprising transversely spaced and aligned arms, first carriage means at one end of the first load supporting surface of the load carrying member and guided by the horizontal track, second carriage means at the opposite end of the first load supporting surface of the load carrying member and guided by the vertical track, and means for driving the respective carriage means along the corresponding tracks to move the load carrying member to provide for the desired orientation for a load from the one load supporting surface to the other load supporting surface of said member.

Claim 3

The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein a ramp is provided along at least one longitudinal edge of the transversely extending plate to provide for greater ease of loading and unloading the load carrying member.

Claim 4

The invention as set forth in claim 2 wherein the ramp is formed integrally with the transversely extending plate.

Claim 5

In a materials handling apparatus for orienting load between vertical and horizontal positions, a frame, a generally horizontal track and generally vertical track provided on the frame and disposed generally normal to each other, a generally L-shaped load carrying member having first and second load supporting surfaces disposed generally normal to each other means at one end of the first load supporting surface of the load carrying member and guided by the horizontal track, means at the other end of the first load supporting surface of the load carrying member and guided by the vertical track, a pair of elongate flexible members having one end thereof anchored to the frame and the respective opposite ends thereof connected to the load carrying member at corresponding ends of the first load supporting surface, and an hydraulic cylinder-piston assembly engageable intermediate the length of each said flexible member and being selectively operable to displace at least some portion of the length of the corresponding flexible member to drive the load carrying member relative to the corresponding track, said cylinder-piston assemblies being adapted to work in opposition to each other with one of the cylinder-piston assemblies being extendible to drive the corresponding end of the load carrying member through the corresponding flexible member to provide the desired orientation of the load carrying member while the other of the cylinder-piston assemblies is caused to contract by the other flexible member and is adapted to brake the opposite end of the load carrying member whereby to maintain full control of the load carrying member during orienting movement thereof.

Claim 6

In a materials handling apparatus for orienting load between vertical and horizontal positions, a frame, a generally horizontal track and generally vertical track provided on the frame and disposed generally normal to each other, a generally L-shaped load carrying member having first and second load supporting surfaces disposed generally normal to each other means at one end of the first load supporting surface of the load carrying member and guided by the horizontal track, means at the other end of the first load supporting surface of the load carrying member and guided by the vertical track, a pair of elongate flexible members having one end thereof anchored to the frame and the respective opposite ends thereof connected to the load carrying member at corresponding ends of the first load supporting surface, and an hydraulic cylinder-piston assembly engageable intermediate the length of each said flexible member and being selectively operable to displace at least some portion of the length of the corresponding flexible member to drive the load carrying member relative to the corresponding track, said cylinder-piston assemblies being adapted to work in opposition to each other with one of the cylinder-piston assemblies being extendible to drive the corresponding end of the load carrying member through the corresponding flexible member to provide the desired orientation of the load carrying member while the other of the cylinder-piston assemblies is caused to contract by the other flexible member and is adapted to brake the opposite end of the load carrying member whereby to maintain full control of the load carrying member during orienting movement thereof.

Claim 7

In a materials handling apparatus for orienting a load between vertical and horizontal positions, a frame, a generally horizontal track and a generally vertical track provided on the frame and disposed generally normal to each other, a generally L-shaped load carrying member having first and second load supporting surfaces disposed generally normal to each other, means at one end of the first load supporting surface of the load carrying member and guided by the horizontal track, means at the other end of the first load supporting surface of the load carrying member and guided by the vertical track, a pair of lengths of roller chain having one end thereof anchored to the frame and the respective opposite ends thereof connected to the load carrying member at corresponding ends of the first load supporting surface, and a single-acting cylinder-piston assembly corresponding to each said length of roller chain, said cylinder-piston assemblies having sprockets engageable with the corresponding roller chain and being adapted to work in opposition to each other with one of the cylinder-piston assemblies being extendible to drive the corresponding end of the load carrying member to provide the desired orientation of the load carrying member while the other of the cylinder-piston assemblies is caused to contract by the other length of roller chain and is adapted to brake the opposite end of the load carrying member whereby to maintain full control of the load carrying member during orienting movements thereof.

Claim 8

In a materials handling apparatus for orienting a load between vertical and horizontal positions, a frame, a generally horizontal track and a generally vertical track provided on the frame and disposed generally normal to each other, a generally L-shaped load carrying member having first and second load supporting surfaces disposed generally normal to each other, means at one end of the first load supporting surface of the load carrying member and guided by the horizontal track, means at the other end of the first load supporting surface of the load carrying member and guided by the vertical track, a pair of lengths of roller chain having one end thereof anchored to the frame and the respective opposite ends thereof connected to the load carrying member at corresponding ends of the first load supporting surface, and a single-acting cylinder-piston assembly corresponding to each said length of roller chain, said cylinder-piston assemblies having sprockets engageable with the corresponding roller chain and being adapted to work in opposition to each other with one of the cylinder-piston assemblies being extendible to drive the corresponding end of the load carrying member to provide the desired orientation of the load carrying member while the other of the cylinder-piston assemblies is caused to contract by the other length of roller chain and is adapted to brake the opposite end of the load carrying member whereby to maintain full control of the load carrying member during orienting movements thereof.