Operator{3 s station optionally stationary or elevated

Claim 2

In a lift truck of the type having a main frame and front and rear wheels supporting said main frame, the combinations comprising: a vertical mast rigidly secured to said main frame intermediate said front and rear wheels and including a pair of uprights, a carriage mounted on said mast for vertical reciprocal movement between a fully lowered position and a fully raised position including a transverse carriage plate adjacent the front of said mast, a pair of laterally spaced brackets rigidly secured to the rear of said transverse carriage plate and extending rearwardly therefrom, rollers rotatably mounted on said brackets and cooperatively engaging said uprights whereby said carriage is connected thereto for vertical reciprocal movement, a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending arms rigidly secured at their rear ends to said carriage plate, and a transverse fork mounting plate connected to the front of said longitudinally extending arms, and an operator''s station mounted on said main frame independently of said carriage and disposed laterally between said arms and longitudinally between said plates, said operator''s station being of sufficiently small lateral and longitudinal dimensions so as to permit said carriage to be elevated from its fully lowered position to its fully raised position without lifting said operator''s station.

Claim 3

The structure of claim 1 wherein said fork plate is pivotally connected on a transverse pivot axis to the lower forward ends of said arms and a pair of extensible and retractable actuators interconnect said arms and said fork mounting plate so as to permit selectively tilting of said fork mounting plate upon actuation of said actuators.

Claim 4

The structure of claim 2 wherein said arms are hollow and said actuators are substantially disposed therein.

Claim 5

The structure of claim 1 wherein said operator''s station is mounted on said main frame in a manner permitting vertical separation therefrom and further comprising latching means for selectively connecting said operator''s station to said carriage, said latching means being selectively operable by an operator at said operation''s station and including cooperable latching parts on said operator''s station and carriage.

Claim 6

In a lift truck of the type having a main frame, a pair of laterally spaced front support wheels journaled on the front of the main frame and at least one floor engaging rear support wheel journaled on the rear of the main frame, the combination comprising: a source of power mounted on the rear of said main frame, a vertical mast rigidly secured to said main frame forwardly of said source of power and longitudinally intermediate said front and rear wheels, a carriage mounted on said mast for vertical reciprocal movement including a transverse carriage plate, a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending support arms rigidly secured at their rear ends to said carriage plate, and a transverse fork mounting plate connected to said support arms, an operator''s station supportable on said main frame between said support arms and between said carriage and fork support plates, and selectively operable latching means including latching components mounted on said operator''s station for horizontal shifting movement between retracted and latching positions and complementary latching parts on said carriage, said latching components in their latching position cooperatively engaging said latching parts when said carriage is raised whereby said operator''s station elevates with said carriage when the latter is elevated, said operator''s station remaining in its supported position on said main frame when said latching components are in said retracted position and said carriage is elevated.

Claim 7

In a lift truck of the type having a main frame, a pair of laterally spaced front support wheels journaled on the front of the main frame and at least one floor engaging rear support wheel journaled on the rear of the main frame, the combination comprising: a source of power mounted on the rear of said main frame, a vertical mast rigidly secured to said main frame forwardly of said source of power and longitudinally intermediate said front and rear wheels, a carriage mounted on said mast for vertical reciprocal movement including a transverse carriage plate, a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending support arms rigidly secured at their rear ends to said carriage plate, and a transverse fork mounting plate connected to said support arms, an operator''s station supportable on said main frame between said support arms and between said carriage and fork support plates, and selectively operable latching means including latching components mounted on said operator''s station for horizontal shifting movement between retracted and latching positions and complementary latching parts on said carriage, said latching components in their latching position cooperatively engaging said latching parts when said carriage is raised whereby said operator''s station elevates with said carriage when the latter is elevated, said operator''s station remaining in its supported position on said main frame when said latching components are in said retracted position and said carriage is elevated.

Claim 8

The structure of claim 5 and further comprising locking means for automatically connecting said operator''s station to said carriage when the operator''s station is raised by said carriage from said main frame.

Claim 9

The structure of claim 6 wherein said locking means comprises locking elements reciprocably mounted on said operator''s station for movement between retracted and latching positions, complementary locking parts on said carriage adapted for locking engagement with said locking elements and spring loaded operating means connected to said locking elements and in abutable relation to said main frame operative to move said locking elements from their retracted position to their latching position when said operator''s station is raised from said main frame.

Claim 10

The structure of claim 5 wherein said latching parts are laterally spaced vertical slots in said carriage plate open at the upper edge of the latter and said latching components are laterally spaced longitudinally reciprocable pins with recessed portions adapted to be received in said slots when said carriage is raised with said pins in said latching position.

Claim 11

The structure of claim 8 and further comprising cooperable abutments on the lower front part of said carriage plate and the lower rear of said operator''s station engageable upon the latter being raised by said carriage.

Claim 12

The structure of claim 9 wherein said abutment on said operator''s station includes a roller having a transverse axis.

Claim 13

The structure of claim 5 wherein said carriage mounting plate is pivotally connected to said arms on a transverse axis and selectively expansible and contractable actuators interconnected between said carriage and fork mounting plate operable to tilt the latter.

Claim 14

The structure of claim 11 wherein said arms are hollow and said actuators are disposed at least in part within said arms.

Claim 15

In a lift truck of the type having a main frame and front and rear wheels supporting said main frame, the combinations comprising: a vertical mast rigidly secured to said main frame, a carriage mounted on said mast for vertical reciprocal movement between a fully lowered position and a fully raised position including a transverse carriage plate adjacent said mast, a transverse fork mounting plate spaced longitudinally from said carriage plate, and a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending arms rigidly secured at their longitudinally opposite ends to said carriage plate and fork mounting plate, respectively, an operator''s station supportable on said main frame and disposed laterally between said arms and longitudinally between said plates, and selectively operable latching means for optionally connecting said operator''s station to said carriage including latching parts on said operator''s station shiftable horizontally between a fully extended latching position in which they are engageable with said carriage and a fully retracted position in which they are free from engagement with said carriage throughout the full reciprocal movement of the latter on said mast, said operator''s station being elevated with said carriage when the latter is elevated and said latching parts are in their fully extending latching position and said operator''s station remaining on said main frame when said latching parts are in their fully retracted position and said elevator is elevated from its fully lowered position to its fully raised position.

Claim 16

In a lift truck of the type having a main frame and front and rear wheels supporting said main frame, the combinations comprising: a vertical mast rigidly secured to said main frame, a carriage mounted on said mast for vertical reciprocal movement between a fully lowered position and a fully raised position including a transverse carriage plate adjacent said mast, a transverse fork mounting plate spaced longitudinally from said carriage plate, and a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending arms rigidly secured at their longitudinally opposite ends to said carriage plate and fork mounting plate, respectively, an operator''s station supportable on said main frame and disposed laterally between said arms and longitudinally between said plates, and selectively operable latching means for optionally connecting said operator''s station to said carriage including latching parts on said operator''s station shiftable horizontally between a fully extended latching position in which they are engageable with said carriage and a fully retracted position in which they are free from engagement with said carriage throughout the full reciprocal movement of the latter on said mast, said operator''s station being elevated with said carriage when the latter is elevated and said latching parts are in their fully extending latching position and said operator''s station remaining on said main frame when said latching parts are in their fully retracted position and said elevator is elevated from its fully lowered position to its fully raised position.

Claim 17

The structure of claim 13 and further comprising: a lift jack, a control for said lift jack having a raised condition of adjustment for effecting extension of said lift jack, and interlock means operatively associated with said latch means and control for preventing extension of said lift jack except when said latching parts are in eitheR of said fully extended latching or retracted positions.