Combilift

Other

Combilift Research and Development

Martin McVicar

Robert Moffett

Mark Whyte

Meredith Hall

A forklift reach mechanism () has a main support () connected between a carriage () and a set of forks (). The carriage is moveable vertically on a mast (). The main support is lifted by a connecting member () that depends from an articulated levelling assembly comprising a pair of arms () connected pivotally together and connected at their other ends to the mast and carriage respectively. The levelling assembly causes the distal end of the main support, on which the forks are mounted, to travel horizontally towards or away from the mast as the carriage is raised or lowered. The reach mechanism is operated by an extensible actuating member () such as a hydraulic cylinder that acts between the carriage and the connecting member, providing a strong and compact reach mechanism.

Forklift reach mechanisms

An apparatus () for loading a shipping container (), comprising a transfer plate () having a series of holes () therein and configured to slide, together with an article thereon, into and out of the shipping container (), and a transfer means () positioned underneath the transfer plate () and configured to engage with the holes in the transfer plate and to retract or extend after engagement with the holes to pull the transfer plate into and out of the shipping container.

Apparatus for loading articles into a shipping container

A steering system () for a vehicle wheel () has a wheel carrier () for mounting a steered wheel (), the wheel carrier () being rotatably mounted with respect to the vehicle about a steering axis to allow the wheel () to be steered. A hydraulic cylinder () has a piston therein and a rigid connecting rod assembly () extending from the piston out of the cylinder (). The rigid connecting rod assembly () comprises a first section () adapted to reciprocate into and out of the cylinder () and a second section () rigidly extending from the first section () to a pivot point connection () where it is pivotally connected to the wheel carrier () at an offset from the steering axis. The hydraulic cylinder () is pivotally mounted on the vehicle such that it is prevented from translational movement relative to the vehicle but capable of changing its orientation with respect to the vehicle. Due to the rigid connecting rod assembly () and the pivot connection to the wheel carrier (), as well as the pivotal mounting of the cylinder () on the vehicle, lateral strains on the seals of the hydraulic cylinder () are avoided.

Hydraulic steering systems for vehicle wheels

A pedestrian truck () steered with a tiller () is operable in a first mode where a controllable front wheel () is aligned generally parallel with a front-rear center line of the truck, or a second mode where the wheel is generally perpendicular to the front-rear center line. A steering controller can operate in either a normal steering mode to steer the rear steerable wheel () in the same sense (clockwise or anticlockwise) as the tiller is rotated and in an alternate steering mode to steer the rear steerable wheel in the opposite sense to the rotation of the tiller. A steering mode selector is provided which automatically engages the alternate steering mode when the truck is in the second mode of operation and either (i) the tiller is positioned on the same side of the center line as the controllable front wheel and the drive direction is such that the tiller leads the truck (FIGS.-), or (ii) the tiller is positioned on the same side of the center line as the castor front wheel () and the drive direction is such that the tiller trails the truck (FIGS.).

Pedestrian truck steering

Forklift

A motorized truck with tiller such as a pallet carrier or forklift truck has a tiller-controlled steerable wheelwhich is steered by a motor having an associated steering motor controller. The steering motor controller in a normal mode of operation detects movement of the tiller as it is rotated relative to the chassis to steer the truck, and outputs control signals to cause the steering motor to steer the wheel such that it follows the tiller angle with a fixed, predetermined offset (which may be zero or non-zero). In a realignment mode of operation, the controller can change the predetermined angular offset, and the controller can preferably align the wheel with the tiller or with an axis of the chassis. The truck can be maneuvred more easily into and out of tight spaces with the operator and tiller offset to the side of the truck. The tiller can also be offset manually from the wheel by decoupling the tiller and wheel, and thereby changing the predetermined offset for subsequent operation.

Motorised truck with tiller

An articulated vehicle [has a first body section [a second body section [and an elongate projection [projecting from the first body section [towards the second body section [A pair of steering cylinders [are mounted such that they are partially or wholly disposed in or on the elongate projection [and are disposed one above the other so they overlap vertically, thereby narrowing the projection at the end nearer the first body section [and allowing the second body section [to be rotated closer to the centre line. A rotatable shaft [of the second body section [is mounted towards the far end of the elongate projection [and is steered by a pair of linkages such as chains [each of which is connected to the shaft [and to a respective one of the steering cylinders [The chains [wrap around the shaft [] with a circumferential overlap, though they are spaced vertically. This circumferential overlap allows steering angles significantly in excess of 180&#xb0; to be achieved.

Steering mechanism for an articulated vehicle

A load-carrying truck has a fork lift mechanism mounted on a chassis, a pair of front wheels () and a single rear wheel (). At least one front wheel () and the rear wheel () are driven wheels whose speed is varied relative to one another differently depending on whether the truck is being driven in a forward reverse mode with the front wheels () aligned generally parallel to the front-rear axis of the chassis and with steering controlled by steering the rear wheel (), or a sideways mode with the rear wheel () aligned generally perpendicular to the front-rear axis of the chassis and with steering controlled by steering the at least one of the front wheels (). When the truck is operated in forward/reverse mode and is steered towards the side on which the driven front wheel () is located, the relative speed () of that wheel is decreased progressively and comes to a stop when the axis of rotation of the rear wheel () intersects the front wheel position, and is driven in reverse at increasing speeds as the axis of the rear wheel () passes that point of intersection with further increasing steering angle. In the sideways mode of operation when the truck is steered in the direction towards the rear end of the chassis, the relative speed of the rear wheel () is decreased progressively and comes to a stop when the axis of rotation of the steered front wheel () intersects the rear wheel position, and the rear wheel () is driven in reverse at increasing speeds as the axis of the steered front wheel () passes said point of intersection with further increasing steering angle.

Load carrying trucks

A straddle carrier comprises a frame () having opposite substantially parallel sides () and which is configured for straddling a container to be lifted and transported between said opposite sides. The carrier has three ground wheels () and () to enable the frame to be positioned over the container. The ground wheels comprise a first ground wheel () disposed at least approximately centrally on one side () of the frame, and second and third ground wheels () disposed at opposite ends of the other side () of the frame. The second and third wheels () are steerable by rotation about respective substantially vertical axes ().

Growing community of inventors

County Monaghan, Ireland

Martin McVicar