Load lifting and transferring device with multiple powered belts

Claim 2

A load-lifting and transporting device comprising in combination, a wheel-supported base, a cabinet adjustably carried by said base and positionable upwardly therefrom, roll means mounted on said cabinet adjacent one edge thereof, a carriage supported by said cabinet and forwardly extensible past said one edge of the cabinet into engagement with the object to be lifted, said carriage including a plate hingedly mounted at one of its ends to the carriage, a belt entraining roller at the distal end of said plate, a power roll, a load contacting belt entrained on the power roll and plate mounted roller and having top and bottom runs, the bottom run of said belt in supported contact with the cabinet mounted roll means during extension and retraction of the carriage, said plate also supported by said cabinet roll means, powered means concealed within said cabinet coupled with said carriage and imparting forward and rearward movement thereto, and belt control means including fixed axis, cable reels mounted adjacent opposite sides of said cabinet, a carriage-mounted cable reel in driving connection with said carriage power roll, said belt control means further including a continuous cable a lower run of which directly interconnects the cabinet-mounted cable reels, an upper run of the cable additionally entrained about said carriage mounted cable reel, operator controlled locking means for locking one of said cabinet-mounted reels against rotation whereupon forward extension of the carriage toward an object to be lifted will cause rotation of said carriage-mounted cable reel and said carriage power roll and hence movement to the load contacting belt in a direction opposite to the forward movement of the carriage, subsequent unlocking of the locking means prior to carriage retraction permitting the carriage mounted cable reel, power roll and belt with loaded object thereon to remain in a fixed relationship to the carriage during retraction of same.

Claim 3

The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said carriage is slidably supported by a top wall of the walled cabinet, said powered means includes arms swingably mounted within the cabinet and attached at their distal ends to the underside of said carriage.

Claim 4

The device as claimed in claim 2 including hydraulic cylinders coupled to said arms at points intermediate the arm ends.

Claim 5

The device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said arms include telescopic end members attached to said carriage.

Claim 6

The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said carriage includes a belt supporting roll subjacent the forward end of said hinged plate, said belt supporting roll additionally adapted to traverse a load supporting surface to partially support the hinged plate of the carriage during a load lifting operation.

Claim 7

The device claimed in claim 1 additionally including, a pair of panels laterally disposed on opposite sides of said cabinet, pivot means interconnecting each of said panels and the cabinet permitting movement of each panel about a horizontal axis, independently adjustable means coupled intermediate each of said panels and said cabinet for positioning of the panels through approximately 180° about their respective horizontal axes, a carriage slidably mounted on each panel and forwardly extensible beyond one panel side into engagement with the object to be lifted, each panel mounted carriage including a power roll and a plate hingedly mounted at one of its ends to the carriage, said plate having a belt entraining roller at its distal end, a load contacting belt carried by each of said panel mounted carriages and having top and bottom runs entrained on said power roll and the plate mounted roller, and bracket means pivotally interconnecting the cabinet supported carriage with each panel mounted carriage at points along said horizontal axes enabling the imparting of forward and rearward movement to the panel mounted carriages by said cabinet supported carriage while permitting panel adjustment about their respective axes by said adjustable means.

Claim 8

A load lifting and transporting device imparting lifting and lateral motion to an object to be transported, said device comprising, a wheel supported base, a cabinet adjustably supported on said base and including powered means, a pair of panels hingedly mounted to and projecting laterally from opposite sides of the cabinet, each panel adapted for hinged movement about a horizontal axis, adjustable means extending intermediate the cabinet and each panel for hingedly positioning each panel independently about its horizontal axis, cabinet mounted carriage means slidably supported by the top wall of said cabinet and positioned thereon by said powered means, panel carriage means slidably supported by each of said panels, means interconnecting the cabinet and panel carriage means for transmission of fore and aft movement to the panel carriage means, each of said cabinet and panel carriage means including, a belt having an upper run for contact with the object being lifted, a hinged plate underlying and supporting said upper belt run including a lead roller, a belt powering roll, means coupling each of said power rolls to one another in a universal manner, belt control means on said cabinet including, fixed axis reels mounted on opposite sides of the cabinet, cable means entrained about and extending intermediate said reels, a shiftable reel on the cabinet carriage means in driving connection with the power roll on the cabinet carriage, said cable means also entrained about said shiftable reel, reel locking means on said cabinet for locking one of the cabinet mounted reels against rotation whereupon forward extension of the cabinet carriage will impart rotation to the shiftable reel and belt power roll of the cabinet carriage to cause the upper run of the carriage belts to move simultaneously in a direction opposite to the forward movement of carriage travel during load engaging extension of the carriages, and unlocking of said one cabinet mounted reel prior to retraction of the carriage permitting the shiftable carriage supported reel to remian inoperable during carriage retraction permitting the belt on each carriage to remain fixed on its respective carriage during retraction.

Claim 9

A load lifting and transporting device imparting lifting and lateral motion to an object to be transported, said device comprising, a wheel supported base, a cabinet adjustably supported on said base and including powered means, a pair of panels hingedly mounted to and projecting laterally from opposite sides of the cabinet, each panel adapted for hinged movement about a horizontal axis, adjustable means extending intermediate the cabinet and each panel for hingedly positioning each panel independently about its horizontal axis, cabinet mounted carriage means slidably supported by the top wall of said cabinet and positioned thereon by said powered means, panel carriage means slidably supported by each of said panels, means interconnecting the cabinet and panel carriage means for transmission of fore and aft movement to the panel carriage means, each of said cabinet and panel carriage means including, a belt having an upper run for contact with the object being lifted, a hinged plate underlying and supporting said upper belt run including a lead roller, a belt powering roll, means coupling each of said power rolls to one another in a universal manner, belt control means on said cabinet including, fixed axis reels mounted on opposite sides of the cabinet, cable means entrained about and extending intermediate said reels, a shiftable reel on the cabinet carriage means in driving connection with the power roll on the cabinet carriage, said cable means also entrained about said shiftable reel, reel locking means on said cabinet for locking one of the cabinet mounted reels against rotation whereupon forward extension of the cabinet carriage will impart rotation to the shiftable reel and belt power roll of the cabinet carriage to cause the upper run of the carriage belts to move simultaneously in a direction opposite to the forward movement of carriage travel during load engaging extension of the carriages, and unlocking of said one cabinet mounted reel prior to retraction of the carriage permitting the shiftable carriage supported reel to remian inoperable during carriage retraction permitting the belt on each carriage to remain fixed on its respective carriage during retraction.

Claim 10

The device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said shiftable reel of the belt control means is rotated during forward extension of the cabinet carriage by said cable means extending intermediate the shiftable reel and a lockable fixed axis cabinet reel, said shiftable reel simultaneously during forward extension of the cabinet carriage retrieving cable means extending intermediate the shiftable reel and remaining fixed axis reel on the cabinet.

Claim 11

The device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said powered means include arms swingably mounted within the cabinet and attached at their distal ends to the underside of said cabinet carriage means.

Claim 12

The device as claimed in claim 9 including hydraulic cylinders coupled to said arms at points intermediate the arm ends.

Claim 13

The device as claimed in claim 10 wherein said arms include telescopic end members attached to the cabinet carriage.

Claim 14

The device as claimed in claim 7 wherein each of said carriage means additionally includes a belt supporting roll subjacent one end of of the hinged plate adapted for traversing a load supporting surface to partially support their respective carriages therein during a load lifting operation.