Patent US3715542A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US3918600A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3918600A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for handling articles
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1973-11-05
•
Granted: 1975-11-11
•
Expires: 1993-11-05
Abstract
Abstract A method of and apparatus for article handling wherein tote pans, containing the articles to be handled, are transported between stations using a fork lift truck having forks adapted to embrace the sides of the pan and underlie specially constructed flanges at the upper margins thereof. The pans are provided with upwardly and outwardly sloping opposed side walls terminating at their upper edges with laterally outwardly projecting flanges which preferably are in the form of downwardly opening troughs unobstructed at their ends and of a width sufficient to embracingly overlie the upwardly facing supporting surfaces of laterally spaced apart parallel forks of the fork lift truck, which forks are laterally spaced apart to embrace the upwardly sloping sides of the pans and be elevated and guided by the sloping walls into supportive relation with the flanges. The method involves depositing articles in a pan resting on a support, moving the fork lift truck such that the forks slidably embrace the upwardly sloping sides of the pan, elevating the forks with the same riding up the side walls of the pan and thereby guided into supporting relationship beneath the flanges, and continuing to elevate the forks to raise the pan off the support, moving the pan by shifting the fork lift truck to another location and at such location lowering the forks to deposit the pan on a support. The flanges of the tote pans are provided with apertures adapted to receive upwardly extending projections on the forks whereby a pan is prevented from inadvertent dislodgment from the forks.
Inventors
- 👤 Gilbert T Lyon
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 06:02
CPC Classifications
B; B66; B66F; B66F9/00; B66F9/06; B66F9/075; B66F9/12; B66F9/18; B65; B65D; B65D25/00; B65D25/20; B65D25/22
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
451 words
In combination, a fork lift truck having a pair of laterally spaced forwardly projecting fork members each having an upwardly facing tote pan supporting edge, an article-carrying generally rectangularly shaped tote pan adapted to carry small but relatively heavy articles, said pan having a bottom and two pairs of opposed side walls joined at their side edges to form the four corners of the tote pan, said pairs of opposed side walls sloping upwardly and outwardly from said bottom and each having an outwardly projecting continuous flange along its upper edge, reinforcing means secured to the side walls and to the flanges along the length thereof, such flanges being adapted to seat respectively over the said tote pan supporting edges of the spaced fork members of the fork lift truck, each flange having a lateral width at least slightly greater than the tote pan supporting edge of the fork member upon which it seats, each flange of at least one of said two pairs of opposed side walls having an elongate aperture therethrough disposed intermediate the opposite ends thereof and said fork members having upwardly projecting lugs registrable with and receivable through said apertures and being of such a height as to project upwardly above the flanges when fully received in said apertures, said fork members being laterally spaced apart a distance greater than the width oF the bottom of the tote pan and substantially equal to the width of the pan measured between the opposed longitudinally extending side walls of the pan adjacent to their respective flanges, said flanges having their undersides unobstructed throughout their respective lengths including their opposed ends whereby said fork members are receivable linearly through said two opposed open unobstructed ends of the flange portions and whereby such fork members are shiftable upwardly against the flanges into seating position thereunder to support the tote pan, with the upwardly projecting lugs received within said flange apertures with which they register and visibly projecting thereabove, said sloping side walls of the pan engagingly cooperating with the fork members to align the latter with the flanges during such upward shifting of the fork members, the transverse width of each fork member not exceeding the width of the flange supported thereon so that the pans may be assembled in side-by-side relationship with their adjacent flanges in abutting contact with one another,and said lugs being upstanding from said fork members and having their side surfaces and their front and rear surfaces respectively in sloping convergence upwardly toward one another to guide the lugs into the apertures of the flanges whereby the pan is positioned longitudinally and transversely relative to the fork members as the fork members engage and lift the pan.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
451 words
In combination, a fork lift truck having a pair of laterally spaced forwardly projecting fork members each having an upwardly facing tote pan supporting edge, an article-carrying generally rectangularly shaped tote pan adapted to carry small but relatively heavy articles, said pan having a bottom and two pairs of opposed side walls joined at their side edges to form the four corners of the tote pan, said pairs of opposed side walls sloping upwardly and outwardly from said bottom and each having an outwardly projecting continuous flange along its upper edge, reinforcing means secured to the side walls and to the flanges along the length thereof, such flanges being adapted to seat respectively over the said tote pan supporting edges of the spaced fork members of the fork lift truck, each flange having a lateral width at least slightly greater than the tote pan supporting edge of the fork member upon which it seats, each flange of at least one of said two pairs of opposed side walls having an elongate aperture therethrough disposed intermediate the opposite ends thereof and said fork members having upwardly projecting lugs registrable with and receivable through said apertures and being of such a height as to project upwardly above the flanges when fully received in said apertures, said fork members being laterally spaced apart a distance greater than the width oF the bottom of the tote pan and substantially equal to the width of the pan measured between the opposed longitudinally extending side walls of the pan adjacent to their respective flanges, said flanges having their undersides unobstructed throughout their respective lengths including their opposed ends whereby said fork members are receivable linearly through said two opposed open unobstructed ends of the flange portions and whereby such fork members are shiftable upwardly against the flanges into seating position thereunder to support the tote pan, with the upwardly projecting lugs received within said flange apertures with which they register and visibly projecting thereabove, said sloping side walls of the pan engagingly cooperating with the fork members to align the latter with the flanges during such upward shifting of the fork members, the transverse width of each fork member not exceeding the width of the flange supported thereon so that the pans may be assembled in side-by-side relationship with their adjacent flanges in abutting contact with one another,and said lugs being upstanding from said fork members and having their side surfaces and their front and rear surfaces respectively in sloping convergence upwardly toward one another to guide the lugs into the apertures of the flanges whereby the pan is positioned longitudinally and transversely relative to the fork members as the fork members engage and lift the pan.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
50 words
The invention defined by claim 1 characterized in that the forks have a vertical dimension less than vertical dimension between the bottom of the tote pan and the undersides of the flanges and have a thickness adjacent the tote pan flange supporting edge which is less than their vertical dimension.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
The invention defined in claim 1 characterized in that the flanges of the tote pan define downwardly opening troughs and the upper edge of each fork is sized to be received upwardly within one of the troughs.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
The invention defined by claim 1 characterized in that the forks each have an upwardly facing tote pan flange engaging edge extending gradually angularly upwardly to tilt the pan toward the truck as it is lifted by the forks.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
The invention defined by claim 1 characterized in that the flanges of the tote pan comprise elongated members of generally L-shaped cross-section with one leg of the L-shape secured to the upper marginal edge of the side wall and the other leg projecting laterally therefrom.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
441 words
In combination, a fork lift truck having a pair of laterally spaced forwardly projecting fork members each having an upwardly facing tote pan supporting edge, an article-carrying generally rectangularly shaped tote pan adapted to carry small but relatively heavy articles, said pan having a bottom and two pairs of opposed side walls joined at their side edges to form the four corners of the tote pan, at least one of said two pairs of opposed side walls sloping upwardly and outwardly from said bottom and each having an outwardly projecting continuous flange along its upper edge, said fork members being laterally spaced apart a distance greater than one dimension of the bottom of the tote pan and substantially equal to the same dimension of the pan as measured between the opposed sloping side walls adjacent to the flanges thereof and such that the two flanges seat respectively over the said tote pan supporting edges of the spaced fork members of the fork lift truck, each said fork member having a thickness not greater than the width of the flange which it supports and a vertical dimension less than the distance between the flange which it seats and the bottom of the tote pan, each said flange further having a slot therethrough disposed intermediate the opposite ends thereof and extending parallel to the side wall from which the flange projects, said fork members having upwardly projecting lugs registrable with and shaped to be received in said slots, each said lug having a horizontal dimension paralleling its fork member which is greater than its height and a height which is greater than the thickness of the slotted flanges with the result that when the lug is fully received in the slot of one of the flanges its upper section will visibly project above the flange, said flanges having their undersides unobstructed throughout their respective lengths including their opposed ends whereby said fork members are receivable linearly through said two opposed open unobstructed ends of the flange portions and whereby such fork members are shiftable upwardly against the flanges into seating position thereunder to support the tote pan with the upwardly projecting lugs fully received within said slots with which they register whereby the pan is interlocking positioned longitudinally and transversely relative to the fork members as the fork members engage and lift the pan, said fork members being engageable with the sloping side walls of the pan during such upward shiftable movement of the fork members thereby to laterally adjust the pan and fork members relative to one another and thus vertically align the flanges with the fork members upon which they seat.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
441 words
In combination, a fork lift truck having a pair of laterally spaced forwardly projecting fork members each having an upwardly facing tote pan supporting edge, an article-carrying generally rectangularly shaped tote pan adapted to carry small but relatively heavy articles, said pan having a bottom and two pairs of opposed side walls joined at their side edges to form the four corners of the tote pan, at least one of said two pairs of opposed side walls sloping upwardly and outwardly from said bottom and each having an outwardly projecting continuous flange along its upper edge, said fork members being laterally spaced apart a distance greater than one dimension of the bottom of the tote pan and substantially equal to the same dimension of the pan as measured between the opposed sloping side walls adjacent to the flanges thereof and such that the two flanges seat respectively over the said tote pan supporting edges of the spaced fork members of the fork lift truck, each said fork member having a thickness not greater than the width of the flange which it supports and a vertical dimension less than the distance between the flange which it seats and the bottom of the tote pan, each said flange further having a slot therethrough disposed intermediate the opposite ends thereof and extending parallel to the side wall from which the flange projects, said fork members having upwardly projecting lugs registrable with and shaped to be received in said slots, each said lug having a horizontal dimension paralleling its fork member which is greater than its height and a height which is greater than the thickness of the slotted flanges with the result that when the lug is fully received in the slot of one of the flanges its upper section will visibly project above the flange, said flanges having their undersides unobstructed throughout their respective lengths including their opposed ends whereby said fork members are receivable linearly through said two opposed open unobstructed ends of the flange portions and whereby such fork members are shiftable upwardly against the flanges into seating position thereunder to support the tote pan with the upwardly projecting lugs fully received within said slots with which they register whereby the pan is interlocking positioned longitudinally and transversely relative to the fork members as the fork members engage and lift the pan, said fork members being engageable with the sloping side walls of the pan during such upward shiftable movement of the fork members thereby to laterally adjust the pan and fork members relative to one another and thus vertically align the flanges with the fork members upon which they seat.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein each said lug exhibits a truncated formation and terminates in an upper end face which occupies less area than the base of the lug.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
The combination as set forth in claim 7 wherein the upper end face of each lug is inclined downwardly in the direction of the free end of the fork member on which it is carried.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The combination as set forth in claim 8 wherein the upper end face of each lug is convexly rounded.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
70 words
The invention defined in claim 1 characterized in that the lugs have the same width as said fork members at the base of the lugs and have both lateral surfaces tapering inwardly from said base, the front and rear surfaces of said lugs converging upwardly toward one another whereby the pan is positioned longitudinally and transversely relative to the fork members as the fork members engage and lift the pan.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
70 words
The invention defined in claim 6 characterized in that the lugs have the same width as said fork members at the base of the lugs and have both lateral surfaces tapering inwardly from said base, the front and rear surfaces of said lugs converging upwardly toward one another whereby the pan is positioned longitudinally and transversely relative to the fork members as the fork members engage and lift the pan.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
408 words
In combination, a fork lift truck having a pair of laterally spaced forwardly projecting fork members each having an upwardly facing tote pan supporting edge, an article-carrying generally rectangularly shape tote pan adapted to carry small but relatively heavy articles, said pan having a bottom and two pairs of opposed side walls joined at their side edges to form the four corners of the tote pan, at least one of said two pairs of opposed side walls sloping upwardly and outwardly from said bottom and each having an outwardly projecting continuous flange along its upper edge, said fork members being laterally spaced apart a distance greater than one dimension of the bottom of the tote pan and substantially equal to the same dimension of the pan as measured between the opposed sloping side walls adjacent to the flanges thereof and such that the two flanges seat respectively over the said tote pan supporting edges of the spaced fork members of the fork lift truck, each said fork member having a thickness not greater than the width of the flange which it supports and a vertical dimension less than the distance between the flange which it seats and the bottom of the tote pan, each said flange further having a slot therethrough disposed intermediate the opposite ends thereof, said fork members having upwardly projecting lugs registrable with and shaped to be received in said slots, said flangees having their undersides unobstructed throughout their respective lengths including their opposed ends whereby said fork members are receivable linearly through said two opposed opeN unobstructed ends of the flange portions and whereby such fork members are shiftable upwardly against the flanges into seating position thereunder to support the tote pan with the upwardly projecting lugs received within said slots with which they register, said fork members being engageable with the sloping side walls of the pan during such upward shiftable movement of the fork members thereby to laterally adjust the pan and fork members relative to one another and thus vertically align the flanges with the fork members upon which they seat, and said lugs being upstanding from said fork members and having their side surfaces and their front and rear surfaces respectively in sloping convergence upwardly toward one another to guide the lugs into the apertures of the flanges whereby the pan is positioned longitudinally and transversely relative to the fork members as the fork members engage and lift the pan.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
408 words
In combination, a fork lift truck having a pair of laterally spaced forwardly projecting fork members each having an upwardly facing tote pan supporting edge, an article-carrying generally rectangularly shape tote pan adapted to carry small but relatively heavy articles, said pan having a bottom and two pairs of opposed side walls joined at their side edges to form the four corners of the tote pan, at least one of said two pairs of opposed side walls sloping upwardly and outwardly from said bottom and each having an outwardly projecting continuous flange along its upper edge, said fork members being laterally spaced apart a distance greater than one dimension of the bottom of the tote pan and substantially equal to the same dimension of the pan as measured between the opposed sloping side walls adjacent to the flanges thereof and such that the two flanges seat respectively over the said tote pan supporting edges of the spaced fork members of the fork lift truck, each said fork member having a thickness not greater than the width of the flange which it supports and a vertical dimension less than the distance between the flange which it seats and the bottom of the tote pan, each said flange further having a slot therethrough disposed intermediate the opposite ends thereof, said fork members having upwardly projecting lugs registrable with and shaped to be received in said slots, said flangees having their undersides unobstructed throughout their respective lengths including their opposed ends whereby said fork members are receivable linearly through said two opposed opeN unobstructed ends of the flange portions and whereby such fork members are shiftable upwardly against the flanges into seating position thereunder to support the tote pan with the upwardly projecting lugs received within said slots with which they register, said fork members being engageable with the sloping side walls of the pan during such upward shiftable movement of the fork members thereby to laterally adjust the pan and fork members relative to one another and thus vertically align the flanges with the fork members upon which they seat, and said lugs being upstanding from said fork members and having their side surfaces and their front and rear surfaces respectively in sloping convergence upwardly toward one another to guide the lugs into the apertures of the flanges whereby the pan is positioned longitudinally and transversely relative to the fork members as the fork members engage and lift the pan.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-11-10 | 1979-05-12 | 1979-11-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-11-10 | 1983-05-12 | 1983-11-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-11-10 | 1987-05-12 | 1987-11-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |