Hydraulic power piping unit for a lift truck

Claim 1

In a lift truck having a truck body and a full free lift upright assembly, the assembly including a pair of laterally spaced outer stationary masts connected together by at least a cross beam, a pair of laterally spaced inner masts connected together by upper and middle tie beams and movable vertically relative to the outer stationary masts, and a free lift cylinder attached to the middle tie beam of the inner masts for providing a free lift movement for a bracket member relative to the inner masts; said middle tie beam being arranged approximately midway of said inner masts in a vertical direction; a hydraulic power piping unit for a connection between a hydraulic control valve unit mounted in the truck body and a hydraulic actuator for an attachment to be mounted on the bracket member, comprising: support means attached to said cross beam of said outer stationary masts, for holding a first assembly of hydraulic hoses extending toward said hydraulic control valve unit; a first pulley means rotatably held by said middle tie beam of said moveable inner masts and vertically movable with respect to said middle tie beam of said movable outer masts, for guiding a second assembly of flexible hydraulic hoses hanging down in a loose U-shape and having first upper ends thereof connected to said first assembly of hydraulic hoses and second upper ends thereof, said first pulley means including an elongated support member extending from said middle tie beam which connects said inner masts, said support member having a vertical opening, a pulley shaft slidably supported in said vertical opening, and a pulley rotatably mounted on said pulley shaft; spring biasing means for biasing said pulley downwardly in a vertical direction with respect to said middle tie beam of said movable inner masts to maintain said second assembly of hydraulic hoses in a taut condition during operation of said lift truck; a second pulley means rotatably mounted on a vertical piston rod of said free lift cylinder, for supporting a third assembly of flexible hydraulic hoses extended in a loose inverted U-shape and having first lower ends thereof connectable to said hydraulic actuator and second lower ends thereof; and joint means attached to said middle tie beam of said movable inner masts, for fluidly connecting said second upper ends of said second assembly of hydraulic hoses and said second lower ends of said third assembly of hydraulic hoses.