Self-loading and unloading truck trailer assembly

A self-loading and unloading truck trailer rig assembly wherein the cargo truck driver's cab comprises a split configuration mounted at one end of its chassis and a forklift mounted at the other end of the chassis. The mast of the forklift is pivotally mounted to the other end of the chassis and is arranged to lie on top of the chassis longitudinally thereof when the cargo truck is in transit on the highway and is movable to extend laterally of the chassis at its other end when the cargo truck is disconnected from its trailer and is serving as a forklift. When the cargo truck operates as a forklift, a part of its driver's cab is rotated 180 degrees to the rear of the chassis for operator control of the movement of the forklift and cargo truck.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to apparatus for moving material such as loaded 
pallets, and more particularly, to a dual purpose cargo truck and trailer 
arrangement of large load handling capacity having a forklift operable at 
the rear of the cargo truck by an operator's cab forming one-half of the 
cargo truck driver's cab which is rotatable to the back of the chassis of 
the cargo truck when needed for controlling the forklift. 
In accordance with present practice, where movement of large quantities of 
relatively small articles is required, or when large items pallet mounted 
need to be removed from a truck bed, a forklift must be available at the 
unloading site. Many unloading sites do not have forklifts available and 
consequently, one must be carried or trailered by the cargo truck. If the 
forklift is bed mounted on the trailer, it reduces the cargo carrying 
space of the apparatus. 
Thus, a need exists for a cargo truck chassis mounted forklift which is 
separate from the trailer of the truck assembly and wherein one-half of 
the driver's cab is selectively movable rearwardly on the truck chassis to 
position it for controlling the forklift operations at the rear of the 
chassis. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,980,269 discloses a truck chassis having a conveyor 
platform provided on its upper surface with a forklift assembly adjacent 
its front end with the capability of rotating its mast 180 degrees to 
cause it to overlie the conveyor platform. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,254,900 discloses a truck employing a cab which is movable 
relative to the truck chassis without affecting the steering position of 
the wheels of the truck. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,398,984 discloses a truck chassis carrying a flat cargo 
deck wherein the driver's seat and manual vehicle controls are mounted in 
the cab in the cab. The cab is swingable on a horizontal arc about the 
left front corner of the chassis selectively into a transit position in 
front of the deck and into a load transfer position at the left side of 
the deck. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,409 discloses a side loader vehicle comprising front 
and rear body portions supported on front and rear road wheels and 
interconnected by a backbone along one side of the vehicle. A recess is 
provided in the opposite side of the vehicle extending substantially to 
the backbone with a fork mast load lifting assembly mounted for power 
operated movement in the recess. 
None of the known prior art disclose a cargo truck which, when separated 
from its semitrailer, can function to load and unload its trailer as well 
as function as a forklift for other work requirements. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the invention claimed, a new and improved self-loading 
and unloading truck trailer rig assembly is provided, the cargo truck of 
which serves both as a vehicle prime mover as well as a forklift vehicle 
with minor automatic adjustments. 
It is, therefore, one object of this invention to provide a new and 
improved vehicle prime mover which carries the mast of a chassis mounted 
forklift in a horizontal position longitudinally of its chassis when 
trailer hauling, and which may be vertically positioned when disconnected 
from the associated trailer. 
Another object of this invention is to provide such a prime mover with a 
driver's cab substantially one-half of which may be rotated to the rear of 
its chassis for operator control of the forklift at the rear of the 
chassis. 
A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved prime 
mover substantially one-half of the driver's cab of which may be rotated 
180 degrees to the rear of its chassis for steering and movement control 
of a forklift at the rear of the chassis. 
A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved motor 
vehicle wherein a part of the driver's cab is movably arranged with 
respect to the vehicle chassis, wherein a part of its cab may operate the 
prime mover from either end of its chassis. 
Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent as 
the following description proceeds, and the features of novelty which 
characterize this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the 
claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring more particularly to the drawings by characters of reference, 
FIGS. 1-5 disclose a new and improved self-loading and unloading truck 
trailer rig assembly 10 comprising a prime mover, such as cargo truck 11 
and an associated semitrailer 12. 
The cargo truck 11 comprises a driver's cab 13 split substantially in half 
to form a cargo truck cab portion 13A and a rotatable forklift operator's 
cab portion 13B. An adjustable connecting means 14 is provided for 
selectively connecting and disconnecting semitrailer 12 to the cargo truck 
11. As will be explained more fully below, the connecting means 14 
comprising the known fifth wheel connection which is selectively operable 
to connect and disconnect the semitrailer from the cargo truck, and when 
so disconnected renders the cargo truck operable to function as a forklift 
vehicle. 
When the driver's cab 13 and its two portions 13A and 13B occupy its 
forward position, as shown in FIG. 1, the driver in cab portion 13A will 
be suitably positioned to operate the vehicle including the cargo truck 
and semitrailer in transit, as on a highway. On the other hand, when 
portion 13B of the driver's cab is in the dash line position, shown in 
FIG. 4, it occupies a rearward position for controlling a forklift 15, the 
mast 16, of which lies horizontally on and longitudinal of chassis 17 of 
cargo truck 11 when assembly 10 is functioning as a prime mover, and is 
elevated or tilted to a substantially vertical position on chassis 17 
prior to the rotation of cab portion 13B to the rear of the chassis when 
cargo truck 11 is operating as a forklift vehicle. 
The vehicle body comprises, in addition to chassis 17, a front axle 18 
mounting steerable front wheels 19 and 20 and a rear axle 21 mounting dual 
tire propelling rear wheels 22 and 23. A power plant, including an 
internal combustion engine 24 and a change speed transmission and direct 
mounted heavy duty hydraulic pump (not shown) are suitably mounted on the 
chassis with conventional power transmission mechanism (not shown) 
connecting the transmission in driving relation with the rear wheels 22 
and 23. 
The semitrailer 12 is provided with the usual extensible wheel assembly 26, 
including a wheel 27 which is lowered to the ground to support the front 
end of the semitrailer when it is detached from the cargo truck. The front 
end of the semitrailer may be elevated sufficiently by means of a jack 28 
mounted underneath the chassis 29 at the front 30 of the semitrailer. This 
jack may be operated hydraulically by the operator of the rig assembly 10 
in or on the cargo truck to lift a kingpin (not shown) of the semitrailer 
out of a fifth wheel assembly 31 mounted on the chassis of the cargo truck 
11 in a conventional manner. 
In accordance with the invention claimed, a forklift 15 is mounted on the 
rear of chassis 17 of the cargo truck 10 with its mast 16 comprising the 
usual rectangular shaped configurations forming rails 32 and 33 which are 
pivotally mounted one to each side of the rear of chassis 17 for movement 
from a horizontal position lying on top of chassis 17 to a substantially 
vertical position by a hydraulic means 34, shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C. This 
assembly includes a fork or similar load engaging member which is capable 
of being raised, lowered and shifted inwardly and outwardly about the 
vertical axis of forklift 15 in a conventional manner. 
The conventional forklift 15 comprises a pair of relatively flat 
horizontally disposed tines 36. Each of the tines is provided with a 
vertically positioned extension 37 which is secured to cross bars, not 
shown, of mast 16. These bars are provided with rollers engagable in 
tracks disposed along each side of rails 32 and 33 in the manner shown in 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,980,269 and included herein by reference. 
By means of the roller connection, forklift 15 is capable of vertical 
movement on rails 32 and 33 and any suitable mechanism such as hydraulic 
means 38, shown in FIG. 5, may be utilized for effecting the conventional 
raising and lowering of the fork on the relatively stationary rails or 
arms 32 and 33. 
As described in broad terms, mast 16 of forklift 15 is stored when cargo 
truck is normally traveling along highways and the like, and when the 
semitrailer of the rig assembly is disconnected from the cargo truck, mast 
16 is elevated or tilted through 90 degrees from the position illustrated 
in FIG. 1 of the drawings to that illustrated in FIGS. 2B and 2C for 
forklift activities and then returned to its normal position illustrated 
in FIG. 1, and the semitrailer then again reconnected to the cargo truck 
through utilization of the fifth wheel assembly in the conventional 
manner. 
In accordance with the invention claimed, a part of the divided driver's 
cab 13 comprises portion 13B which is movable from the right side of the 
cargo truck as shown in FIG. 1 through 180 degrees to the position shown 
in FIG. 2C for operating forklift 15. 
The reason for relocating this portion of the cab and drive mechanism is to 
permit the driver of the forklift to face his load and place him in the 
position of a driver of a conventional forklift vehicle. 
As shown in FIG. 5, cab portion 13B of the forklift is provided with a pair 
of controls 40 and 41 which control the movement of forklift 15 up and 
down mast 16 in a conventional manner by hydraulic means 38 and also 
controls the movement of tines 36 laterally inwardly and outwardly of 
vertical extension 37 of forklift 15 by hydraulic means 42. 
Cab portion 13B is mounted on top of an arm 43 that is pivotally mounted on 
chassis 17 for limited movement about a vertically positioned pin 44. 
Roller bearings, not shown, are mounted within a sleeve 45 fitted around 
pin 44 which is secured to arm 43 by welding so that arm 43 extends 
laterally therefrom. 
FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4 and 5 illustrate, for example, one form of a reversible 
power transmitting mechanism for effecting arcuate translatory back and 
forth movement of cab portion 13B between its transit and cargo transfer 
positions. This form of mechanism comprises a pair of sprocket wheels 47 
and 48 for rotation of arm 43 about pin 44 with wheel 48 being fixedly 
attached to a drive shaft of a hydraulic motor 49. An endless chain 50 is 
trained about the sprocket wheels. 
The hydraulic motor 49 comprises a cylinder and a double acting ram, i.e., 
its piston rod may be forced by fluid pressure back and forth between 
retracted and extended positions controlled by limit switches 51 and 52 
which are engaged in the two controlled positions by control switch 53 in 
cab portion 13B of the cargo truck. 
FIG. 5 illustrates in diagrammatic form the electrical and hydraulic system 
operating rig assembly 10. As shown, the hydraulic system comprises a 
reservoir 54, the hydraulic fluid of which is moved under pressure into a 
manifold 55 by a suitable pump 56 which is actuated by an electric motor 
57 energized through an on-off switch 58 by a suitable battery 59. 
As shown in FIG. 5, the operator of the cargo truck in cab portion 13A may 
actuate main forklift cylinder 34 by use of control switch 60 to raise or 
lower mast 16 of forklift 15 from its storage position shown in FIG. 1. At 
this point in time, cab portion 13B may be rotated from its transit 
position shown in FIG. 1 to its forklift control position shown in FIG. 2C 
by use of control switch 53 which may be located in cab portion 13A or at 
some point along the side of the cargo truck outside of the cab. 
Since both cab portions 13A and 13B are intended to have dual controls for 
operating the cargo truck, when cab portion 13B has been rotated to its 
forklift control position, as shown in FIG. 2C, the operator of the 
forklift may move the cargo truck in any direction he chooses in the same 
manner as the operator of a forklift controls his vehicle. 
Thus, in accordance with the teaching of this invention, a cargo truck may 
be readily converted from a transit cargo hauler to a forklift with a 
minimum of conversion parts. 
An improved self-loading and unloading truck trailer rig assembly is thus 
provided in accordance with the stated objects of the invention, and 
although but one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and 
described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various 
changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the 
spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.