Patent ID: 7896358
Filing Date: 2011-03-01
Classification: B66F

Abstract:
1. A lift truck comprising: a frame; a motor and wheels mounted on the frame with at least one wheel driven by the motor and another wheel suspended from the frame; a movable lift mast mounted on the frame for vertically extending and retracting and having a mass sufficient to tilt the frame of the truck such that a portion of the frame adjacent the suspended wheel changes its relative position with respect to ground when the truck stops abruptly or changes direction abruptly; a magneto-rheological damper coupled between the suspended wheel and the frame; a fork adapted to move along the mast; a sensor for producing a feedback signal indicating at least one of a height of the mast, a weight of a load on the fork, and a speed of the lift truck; and a vehicle control system monitoring the feedback signal and adjusting a damping force of the magneto-rheological damper based on the feedback signal, said vehicle control system driving the damper to a selected damping force value between a minimum damping force and a maximum damping force as a function of a level of the feedback signal.