Patent Publication Number: US-2013233812-A1

Title: Fork lift carriage and fork stand

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention pertains to equipment used in a material handling operation and, more particularly, to a device for storing a carriage and lift forks used in conjunction with a fork lift truck. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Fork lift trucks are used in various material handling facilities to move goods from one location to another within the facility and on and off of trucks, trains, and vessels that transport such goods. A lift truck allows one individual to move several thousands of pounds of goods at one time resulting in greater efficiency in the handling of materials. 
     Many of today&#39;s lift trucks come with interchangeable lift forks and fork carriages that allow the trucks to lift various pallet sizes and other pieces of equipment. A problem associated with this versatility is the need to be able to store particular lift forks and carriages when they are detached from the truck and not in use. Because the lift forks and carriages are both heavy and cumbersome, they cannot be handled by one person alone. This results in a need for increased manpower to detach and transport a carriage or lift forks from a truck to a storage location. Given the weight of the equipment, their direct handling by individuals can result in personal injuries, some of which could be serious and result in lost productivity and workman compensation issues. Furthermore, given the footprint that the carriage and lift forks generate, it is neither safe nor practical to leave them merely strewn about any given location. For these and other reasons, a device that would allow one to safely stow a fork lift carriage and a plurality of lift forks when they are not attached to a lift truck would be an important improvement in the art. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A device for storing a fork lift carriage and a plurality of lift forks when each are detached from a fork lift truck is disclosed. The device is comprised of a base frame having a plurality of sides. A leg portion extends downward from an end of each of the plurality of sides forming the base frame. A plurality of elongated fork storage containers are attached to the base frame, and a carriage support rack is attached to the base frame opposite of the plurality of fork storage containers. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing the fork lift carriage with forks removed and a fork lift carriage and fork stand. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the fork lift carriage and fork stand. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing a plurality of lift forks. 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of a fork lift carriage and fork stand. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of a fork lift carriage and fork stand. 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of a fork lift carriage and fork stand. 
         FIG. 7   a  is a side view showing a fork stand. 
         FIG. 7   b  is a side view showing a fork lift carriage. 
         FIG. 8  is a front view of a fork lift carriage and fork stand showing the carriage attached to the stand. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view showing a fork lift carriage and fork stand with the lift forks stowed in the stand. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view showing a fork lift carriage and fork stand with the carriage and forks stowed together on the stand. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Disclosed is a device  10  for storing a fork lift carriage  12  and a plurality of lift forks  14  when each are detached from a fork lift truck (not shown). As shown in  FIGS. 1-2  and  4 - 8 , the device  10  is comprised of a base frame  18  having a plurality of sides  20 . A leg portion  22  extends downward from an end of each of the plurality of sides  20  forming the base frame  18 . A plurality of elongated fork storage containers  24  are attached to the base frame  18 , and a carriage support rack  26  is attached to the base frame  18  opposite of the plurality of fork storage containers  24 . 
     In an embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  5  and  7 , a first end  28  of each of the plurality of fork storage containers  24  extends beyond the base frame  18 , and a counterbalancing leg portion  30  located proximal to the first end  28  of the fork storage containers  24  extends angularly downward from the sides  20  of the base frame  18  aligned parallel to an elongated axis of said fork storage containers  24 . 
     In an embodiment, the carriage support rack  26  includes a carriage mounting frame  32  extending from the base frame  18 , and a carriage support  34  that extends from the carriage mounting frame  32 . In a particular version of this embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  4 , the carriage mounting frame  32  is comprised of a first component  36  attached at a first end  38  to the base frame  18 , a second component  40  attached at a first end  42  to the base frame  18  and displaced from the first component  36 , and a joining component  44  having a first end  46  and a second end  48 , whereby the first end  46  of the joining component  44  is attached to a second end  50  of the first component  36 , and the second end  48  of the joining component  44  is attached to a second end  52  of the second component  40 , thereby forming a frame opening  54 . 
     In another version of the embodiment, the carriage support  34  is comprised of a pair of carriage support arms  56  that extend from the carriage mounting frame  32 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . In such an embodiment, the fork lift carriage  12  includes mounting rings  58 , as shown in  FIGS. 7   b  and  8 , and each mounting ring  58  receives one of the pair of carriage support arms  56 . In still another embodiment, a carriage-mounting-frame support brace  60  extends from the carriage mounting frame  32  to the base frame  18 . 
     In an embodiment, the carriage-mounting-frame support brace  60  has a first end  62  and a second end  64  opposite the first end  62 . The first end  62  of the carriage-mounting-frame support brace  60  is connected to the carriage mounting frame  32 , and the second end  64  of the carriage-mounting-frame support brace  60  is attached to the base frame  18 , whereby the carriage-mounting-frame support brace  60  forms approximately a 45° angle with both the carriage mounting frame  32  and the base frame  18 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  5  and  7   a . In a particular version of this embodiment, a support bracket  64  has a first end  66  and a second end  68 , the first end  66  of the support bracket  64  is attached to the carriage mounting frame  32  and the support bracket  64  extends perpendicular therefrom, and the second end  68  of the support bracket  64  is attached to the carriage-mounting-frame support brace  60 . In one embodiment, the carriage support  34  forms approximately a 90° angle with the carriage mounting frame  32 , as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 7   a.    
     In another embodiment, each of the plurality of fork storage containers  24  attached to the base frame  18  has a first end  28  and a second end  70 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , both the first and second ends  28 ,  70  define an opening, and a passageway  72  extends through the fork storage container  24  from the first end  28  to the second end  70 . In still another embodiment, at least one support beam  74  extends across an underside of the plurality of fork storage containers  24 . In a particular version of this embodiment, a first support beam  74  extends across the underside of the plurality of fork storage containers  24  proximal to a second end  70  of the fork storage containers  24 , and a second support beam  76  extends across the underside of the plurality of fork storage containers  24  approximately midway between the second end  70  of the fork storage containers  24  and the carriage mounting frame  32 . In a more particular version of this embodiment, the support beam  74  defines a passageway that extends through the support beam  74 . 
     In an embodiment, a retaining pin  80  extends from a top side  82  of each of the plurality of fork storage containers  24 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  4 ,  5 ,  7   a  and  8 . When stowing the fork lift carriage  12  and the lift forks  14  together on the device  10  with the lift forks  14  still attached to the carriage  12 , one of the plurality of forks  14  fits between a pair of retaining pins  80 . In an embodiment, a retaining pin  80  is located approximately at a midpoint along the length of each of the plurality of fork storage containers  24 . In a particular version of this embodiment, the retaining pin  80  is T-shaped, as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     When the lift forks  14  are stored separately from the fork lift carriage  12 , one of the plurality of forks  14  is placed into one of the plurality of fork storage containers  24 . 
     When in operation, the device  10 , which may be made of any suitable metallic-like material, is positioned in an area with enough space to allow for the maneuvering of the fork lift carriage  12  and the lift forks  14 . If the lift forks  14  are to be stowed individually, an operator inserts the lifting prong  84  of a fork  14  into the opening of a fork storage container  24  proximal to the carriage support rack  26 , such that the lifting prong  84  of the fork  14  slides into the passageway  72  in the container  24 , as shown in  FIG. 9 . Once the lifting prong  82  of the fork  14  is completely inserted in the passageway  72 , the operator disconnects the fork or forks  14  to be stored from the lift truck, inserts spacer tube  102 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , removes pin  104 , shown in  FIG. 3 , and screws down retaining pin  80  to trap and secure the fork  14  into the device  10 . The carriage attachment portion  86  of the fork  14  extends upward from the fork storage container  24  at approximately a 90° angle. 
     When an operator desires to store the fork lift carriage  12  along with the lift forks  14  attached to the carriage, the operator drives the lift truck up to the device, such that the lifting prongs of the forks  14  are aligned on the base frame  18  atop of the fork storage containers  24 . In an embodiment when the plurality of the fork storage containers  24  are spaced apart from one another, the lifting prong  84  of the forks  14  may be aligned with the respective spaces  88  between each of the fork storage containers  24 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . By removing pin  100  ( FIG. 7   b ) the carriage  12  with forks  14  can be detached from the fork lift and stored on the device  10 . 
     Once the lifting prongs  84  of the lift forks  14  are positioned on top of the fork storage container  24 , the fork lift carriage  12  is attached to the carriage support rack  26 . This may be done in an embodiment, by inserting a pair of carriage support arms  56  on the carriage support rack  26 , through a respective pair of mounting rings  58  on the fork lift carriage  12 , as shown in  FIGS. 7   a ,  8  and  10 . 
     All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein. 
     The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention. 
     Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. It should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are exemplary only, and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention.