Patent ID: 6027303
Filing Date: 2000-02-22
Classification: B66F

Abstract:
A lift truck comprising:a self-propelled main frame having front and rear ends and including:a pair of parallel horizontal rails extending in a fore-and-aft direction,ground support wheels for supporting the frame for travel along the ground, the ground support wheel including a pair of front ground support wheels disposed adjacent front ends of respective ones of the rails, and at least one rear ground support wheel located at a rear end of the main frame,a motor for driving at least one of the ground wheels, anda latch disposed adjacent a rear end of the main frame and including a catch portion, the latch arranged to extend downwardly such that the catch portion faces generally upwardly to grasp a ground-mounted anchor for anchoring the rear end of the main frame against upward movement;a mast mounted on the rails for movement in a fore-and-aft direction along the rails, the mast being movable to a rearward position in which the mast is situated closer to the at least one rear ground support wheel than to the front ground support wheels,a first drive mechanism for propelling the mast forwardly and rearwardly along the rails;a lift assembly mounted on the mast for vertical movement relative thereto, the lift assembly including a pair of lift arms having respective generally horizontal portions extending in the fore-and-aft direction; anda second drive mechanism for raising and lowering the lift assembly.