GB946580A - Vehicles for transporting palletless loads - Google Patents

Abstract

946,580. Low-lift trucks. UNILEVER Ltd. April 16, 1962 [April 20, 1961], No. 14247/61. Heading B8H. A vehicle for handling palletless loads comprises arms 3, provided with gripper plates 8 and secured to bars 6 which are slidable, under the action of hydraulic rams 7, in a housing 2 mounted on a steering and driving unit 4. The arms 3 are supported by wheels 10 mounted in forks 11 which are pivotable about axes 12 under the action of hydraulic rams 13. In operation, the rams 13 are retracted to lower the arms 3 until rollers 15 engage the ground and rollers 10 are raised from the ground, whereupon the rams 7 are retracted to move the arms 3 towards each other to grip the load between the plates 8. The rams 13 are then extended to raise the load and the rollers 15 from the ground. The rollers 15 may be adjusted vertically relative to the arms 3 by screw jacks 16 and the wheel 5 may be movable vertically with the wheels 10 to maintain the arms 3 horizontal. In a modification (not shown), the rollers 15 are omitted and the axles of the wheels 10 are lengthened to allow transverse movement of the wheels on the axles. In a further modification (not shown), the rollers 15 are omitted and the wheels 10 are replaced by castors.