Abstract:
A load transfer platform adapted for attachment to a lift truck has a pair of laterally extending roller conveyor which are spaced in a front to rear direction thereby providing a pathway there between for a workman loading and unloading merchandise.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This invention is an improvement of the loading platform disclosed in the inventor&#39;s U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/607,700 filed Jun. 27, 2003 for a Loading Platform Assembly. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Warehouse type home improvement and builders supply stores use order picker lift trucks to move bulky merchandise between storage, point of display and customer loading. The hereinbefore identified loading platform assembly is a lift truck attachment designed to quickly and safely provide transport for wide entryway or patio door modules and large crates or appliances. When moving large boxes or crates onto or off of the roller conveyor, the workman must stand at one side of or at the end of the roller conveyor and these positions are awkward and not the most effective for applying force to move the merchandise on to or off of the roller conveyor. Since the roller braking mechanism is released during loading and unloading, it would be dangerous to stand on the roller conveyor during loading or unloading operations in attempting to gain a force applying advantage relative to the conveyed merchandise.  
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The improved loading platform uses two parallel roller conveyors with a walkway there between. This permits the workman to place at least one foot on the walkway separating the conveyors when pushing a container or appliance off the loading platform or when placing such item onto the loading platform. Thus the workman can apply effective cargo moving force from a correct force applying position. This attachment reduces worker fatigue and injury potential and also increases efficiency through reduction of time required to load and unload merchandise. The improved loading platform places the sockets for the legs of an upright brace in a side support beam for one of the roller conveyors so as to not obstruct the walkway between the roller conveyors. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0004]     One embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings in which:  
         [0005]      FIG. 1  shows the loading platform being used to transport a patio door unit;  
         [0006]      FIG. 2  shows the loading platform being used to transport a boxed appliance and  
         [0007]      FIG. 3  is a vertical section of a brace socket built into a roller support beam. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  illustrates a lift truck attachment in the form of a load transfer platform  11  which includes a horizontally disposed deck  12  having a pair of parallel hollow frame members  13 ,  14  on its underside presenting end openings  16 ,  17  adapted to receive a pair of forks of an order picker lift truck, not shown. A pair of parallel horizontal and roller conveyors  18 ,  19 , spaced from one another in a front to rear directions are mounted on the deck  12  by roller support beams  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24  which rotatably support the shafts, not shown, of the rollers  26 . The deck  12  has a front side  27 , a rear side  28  and a laterally opposite sides  29 ,  30 . The deck  12  includes a floor segment  31  at the backside of the roller conveyor  19  and a floor segment  32  between the roller conveyors  18 ,  19 . Tall flat items such as the illustrated entrance door module  33  are placed on the roller conveyor  19  and leaned against an upright support brace  36  whose legs  37 ,  38  are mounted in sockets  39 ,  41  formed in the roller support beam  23 , which are shown in greater detail in  FIG. 3 . The brace  36  includes a hook segment  42  at its top for stabilizing tall items. A front guardrail  46  is provided at the front of the attachment  11  and sockets  51 ,  52  are shown at one side of the deck  12  for receiving legs  48 ,  49  of a side brace  47  shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  shows the loading platform assembly  11  adjusted for transport of a boxed appliance  56 . The upright brace  36  shown in  FIG. 1  has been removed in  FIG. 2  and the side guard  47  is shown detached from its sockets  51 ,  52 . The floor segment  32  between the roller conveyors  19 ,  21  forms a pathway which permits the workman  57  to place one foot on one side of the conveyor  19  and the other foot on the other side of the conveyor  19 . This positions the workman  57  in better position to efficiently apply force to the boxed appliance  56  when moving it onto or off of the loading platform  11 . It should be understood that a releasable brake mechanism, like that shown in my hereinbefore identified U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/607,700, is provided to, brake the rollers  26  of the conveyors  18 ,  19  while the merchandise is being transported.  
         [0010]     As shown in  FIG. 3  the socket  39  for the leg  37  of the brace  36  includes a U shaped segment  61  welded to the channel shaped beam  23 . The socket  39  and the socket  41  are positioned laterally between the shafts  66  of adjacent rollers  26  which are journal in the webs of the channel shaped beams  23 ,  24 .  
         [0011]     The illustrated lift truck attachment provides an improved safe loading platform which is particularly useful in handling merchandise in a builders or homeowners supply stores of the warehouse type where merchandise is stocked in rocks and also displayed at floor level.