Patent ID: 7665949

Claim:
A pick up assembly for carriage by a forklift comprising a horizontal head with an array of suction devices projecting downwardly from the head having ends which lie substantially in a common plane so as to contact a load surface of a layer of goods or part thereof, a part in the head to connect the head to a vacuum source and means capable of detachably mounting the assembly on the lifting portion of a forklift, the head having a vacuum chamber common to the array and the chamber being connectable to a vacuum source on the forklift, wherein the suction devices each comprise a resilient bellows for sealing against the goods, a passage intermediate the bellows and the head providing flow connection between the bellows and the vacuum chamber, an upper valve seat in the passage, a lower valve seat in the passage, and a valve member in the passage capable of moving from one seat to the other such that contacting of the resilient bellows with the load surface of the goods and disengaging of the resilient bellows from the load surface of the goods being used to respectively lower and raise the valve member relative to the lower valve seat, and wherein the passage cross-section is greater than the valve member cross-section allowing the valve member to float between the upper and lower seats as air continues to flow around the valve member from the surface of the goods and into the passage when the bellows contact the goods and vacuum is being applied thereby maintaining partial vacuum in the passage for lifting and the valve member is adapted to rise to close against the upper valve seat when the bellows are not sealed against the goods thereby preventing air flow into the head.