Patent Document

BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    This disclosure relates to tightening devices, and particularly, to a tightening device and a manual fork truck using the tightening device. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Manual fork trucks are widely used for lifting and transporting goods. Goods are put directly on the pallet fork of the manual fork truck, and may fall off the pallet fork. Thus, an extra tightening device is often mounted to the manual fork truck to tightly hold and secure the goods, thereby preventing the goods from falling off the pallet fork during the lifting and transporting process. 
         [0005]    However, known tightening devices are bulky and may have complex structures taking up relatively large spaces, and may not tighten the goods well. 
         [0006]    Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements of an embodiment. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  shows an isometric view of an embodiment of a manual fork truck employing a first embodiment of a tightening device. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  shows an isometric view of a second embodiment of the tightening device. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  shows an isometric view of another embodiment of a tightening assembly of the tightening device in a manual fork truck. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of a manual fork truck  100  comprises a truck body  10 , and a tightening device  30  mounted on the truck body  10 . The tightening device  30  tightly holds and secures goods on the truck body  10 . The truck body  10  comprises a base bracket  11 , two pallet forks  13 , two load wheels  15 , a guide wheel  17 , and an operating pusher  19 . 
         [0012]    The base bracket  11  is a substantially trapezoidal shaped base, and comprises a first end  111  which is substantially trapezoidal shaped, a second end  113  opposite and parallel to the first end  111 , and a top surface  115  interconnecting the first end  111  and the second end  113 . 
         [0013]    The two pallet forks  13  are substantially rectangular board shaped. The tow pallet forks  13  are separately mounted to the first end  111  of the base bracket  11 , and positioned adjacent to a bottom portion of the base bracket  11 . The two pallet forks  13  cooperatively form a carrying space (not labeled) together with the base bracket  11 , for loading goods (not shown). Each of the two pallet forks  13  defines a mounting hole  133  adjacent to a distal end of each of the two pallet forks  13 , away from the base bracket  11 . The mounting hole is substantially rectangular shaped. In an alternative embodiment, the mounting hole  133  may be a mounting slot recessed from a bottom surface of the pallet fork  13 , away from the base bracket  11 . The mounting slot partially receives each of the two load wheels  15 . 
         [0014]    Each of the two load wheels  15  is oppositely mounted to a bottom portion of each of the two pallet forks  13 , and partially received within the mounting hole  133 . 
         [0015]    The guide wheel  17  is rotatably and adjustably mounted to the second end  113  of the base bracket  11 , adjacent to a substantially middle portion of the bottom portion of the base bracket  11 . A direction of the guide wheel  17  can be adjusted for guiding and adjusting directions of the truck body  10 . 
         [0016]    The operating pusher  19  is adjustably hinged to the second end  113  of the base bracket  11 , adjacent to and above the guide wheel  17 , for being handled by an operator during use. 
         [0017]    The tightening device  30  is mounted on the top surface  115  of the base bracket  11 . The tightening device  30  tightly holds and secures goods on the pallet forks  13  of the truck body  10 . The tightening device  30  comprises a tightening rod  31 , a fixing portion  33  on one end of the tightening rod  31 , and a plurality of tightening assemblies  35  separately and axially assembled to the tightening rod  31 . In the illustrated embodiment, the tightening rod  31  is a hollow cylindrical post made of metallic material. The fixing portion  33  comprises a plurality of strengthening rib sheets projecting radially from an outer periphery of the distal end of the tightening rod  31 . The plurality of strengthening rib sheets are substantially triangular shaped, and configured to facilitate fastening the tightening rod  31  with the top surface  115  of the base bracket  11 . The fixing portion  33  is fixedly welded to the top surface  115  of the base bracket  11  in one embodiment. 
         [0018]    Each of the plurality of tightening assemblies  35  comprises at least one tightening arm  351 , and a tightening belt  353 . In the illustrated embodiment, each of the plurality of tightening assemblies  35  comprises two tightening arms  351  symmetrically projecting from the outer periphery of the tightening rod  31 , and a tightening belt  353 . Each of the two tightening arms  351  is substantially U-shapes. The tightening belt  353  has one end connected to one of the two tightening arms  351 , and one free end. 
         [0019]    As in use, the goods are put on the two pallet forks  13  and received within the carrying space of the manual fork truck  100 , the free end of the tightening belt  353  tightly surrounds the goods and is finally detachably connected to another one of the two tightening arms  351 . Thus, the goods is securely held to the truck body  10 . 
         [0020]    Also referring to  FIG. 2 , wherein an isometric view of a second embodiment of a tightening device  40  is shown. The tightening device  40  has a structure similar to that of the tightening device  30  of the first embodiment. The tightening device  40  comprises a tightening rod  41 , a fixing portion  43  on one end of the tightening rod  41 , and a plurality of tightening assemblies  45  separately and axially assembled to the tightening rod  41 . Each of the plurality of tightening assemblies  45  comprises two tightening arms  451 , and a tightening belt  453 . Each of the two tightening arms  451  is substantially U-shapes. The difference between the first and the second embodiments is that the tightening rod  41  has a hollow telescopic structure. The tightening rod  41  comprises a plurality of hollow tubes  411  telescopically connected together one by one. In the illustrated embodiment, the tightening rod  41  is substantially stepped shaft shaped and comprises four hollow telescopic tubes  411  of different diameters. 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , wherein an isometric view of another embodiment of a tightening assembly  90  is shown. The tightening assembly  90  comprises a rope barrel  91  which is a hollow cylinder, a tightening rope  93  with one end rotatably coiled around the rope barrel  91  and one free end, and two rolling wheels  95  oppositely and rotatably mounted to two ends of the rope barrel  91 . The free end of the tightening rope  93  is exposed to the outside. In use, one of the two rolling wheels  95  of the tightening assembly  90  is fixed to the tightening rod  31  or the tightening rod  41 . The free end of the tightening rope  93  may be pulled out to tightly surround the goods and connected to one of the two tightening arms  351  or the two tightening arms  451 , thereby by holding and securing the goods to the truck body  10 . When in an unused state, the tightening rope  93  is coiled around the rope barrel  91 . 
         [0022]    The tightening device  30  or the tightening device  40  has a simple structure with small volume, and is easy to operate with excellent tightening capabilities, thereby providing great convenience to the operator. The tightening device  30  or the tightening device  40  may not take up carrying spaces of the truck body  10  since it is mounted on the top surface  115  of the base bracket  11 . 
         [0023]    It is to be understood, however, that even through numerous characteristics and advantages of the disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Technology Category: 7