Importance

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Abstract

A load-lifting mechanism at the front of a lift truck carries an upright boom with a pair of parallel spaced-apart forwardly cantilevered boom portions rotatably supporting a horizontal pivot tube between their forward ends. A vertical pivot shaft rotatably carried by the pivot tube suspends a grapple beneath the cantilevered boom portions. The grapple includes a yoke mounting and a pair of grapple arms opened and closed by single or dual hydraulic cylinders. A mechanical link interconnects the grapple arms so that they open and close together and to the same extent. A pair of fluid cylinders on the cantilever boom portions pivot the pivot tube to swing the shaft and grapple fore and aft. A rotation mechanism between the cantilever boom portions and their cylinders rotates the pivot shaft and connected grapple about the axis of the shaft. The mechanism is carried by a V-shaped framework supported by the pivot tube and includes a first fluid cylinder connected at one end to the framework and at the other end to a first floating lever rotatably mounted on the pivot shaft. A second floating lever connected to the first lever is also rotatable on the pivot shaft. A second fluid cylinder is connected at one end to the second lever and at the other end to a crank lever fixed to the shaft. By stroking these cylinders to operate the levers, the grapple can be pivoted in either direction through an arc of at least 180.degree. about the axis of the shaft.

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First Claim