Patent ID: 9604830
Date: 2017-03-28
CPC Classifications: B66C,B66F,Y10S

Claim:
1. A clamping apparatus comprising: a frame adapted for mounting on a forklift having a mast so as to be raised and lowered along the mast, the frame having a widthwise direction which is parallel to a widthwise direction of the forklift and a fore-and-aft direction which is parallel to a fore-and-aft direction of the forklift when the frame is mounted on the forklift; a carriage supported by the frame for movement with respect to the frame in the widthwise direction of the frame; first and second lifting arms supported by the carriage and extending in the widthwise direction of the frame, each of the lifting arms having a substantially flat contact surface opposing the contact surface of the other lifting arm for contacting a load between upper and lower ends of the load, the second lifting arm including a plurality of rollers rotatable about a generally vertical axis and positioned on the second lifting arm so as to contact the load between the upper and lower ends of the load and between the contact surfaces of the first and second lifting arms as viewed from above; and a drive mechanism operatively connected to one of the lifting arms for moving the one of the lifting arms in the fore-and-aft direction of the frame to enable the lifting arms to grasp and release the load.