Patent · US Expired

Fork lift with laterally travelling system

US6675927B1 · kind B1 · utility

6Cited by
7References
1Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 23, 2001
Grant dateJan 13, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 23, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB62D7/1509
  • WIPO fieldHandling
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A fork lift with a laterally travelling system, wherein when a running mode is switched from a normal running in which right and left front wheels and rear wheels face in a longitudinal direction to a lateral running, rotating means is operated to rotate a turning member about a vertical axis in order to change the direction of the front wheels relative to that of a vehicle body, a change in running direction can be performed smoothly because the front wheels are formed integrally with a running drive device, and the front wheels are driven in forward and reverse directions by the running drive device after the front wheels are turned to face sideways so that a fork lift can run laterally and the rear wheels can be changed in direction in a follow-up manner by a turning caster system or can be changed in direction forcibly in the same manner as the front wheels, whereby the wheels of a drive system, though the fork lift is of a type capable of performing a normal forking operation, can be steered to face sideways so that it can run laterally to, for example, perform transportation of long materials with ease through a fork.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.