Patent ID: 6068086
Filing Date: 2000-05-30
Classification: B66F

Abstract:
A fork lift mechanism, comprising:a mast;a carriage slidably supported by the mast, the carriage including a backing plate;at least one fork pivotally supported by the carriage, including a fork tine and a fork back; andat least one latch supported by the mast, the at least one latch capable of selectively engaging the fork back;wherein under normal operating conditions the at least one fork back engages the carriage backing plate so that the fork tine extends generally perpendicularly outwardly from the carriage as the carriage is moved relative to the mast, but when the at least one latch is caused to engage the fork back, the fork back is pulled away from the backing plate as the carriage is raised to cause the fork tine to pivot and lie generally parallel to the carriage.