[0001] This invention relates to an attachment capable of being quickly and easily fitted
to the forks of a fork lift truck so as to enable a load to be suspended from the
said forks and lifted or lowered by raising and lowering the forks which serve as
a jib.
[0002] As will hereinafter become apparent the attachment may also with advantage be used
separately with a hoist or crane. With both its uses the load is spread evenly between
lifting points on the attachment so as to be evenly balanced and manipulated and controlled.
[0003] According to the present invention there is provided a load lifting attachment for
use with the fork lifts of a fork lift truck, or with a hoist or crane, that comprises
a main member adapted at each of its two ends to be engaged with the forks of a fork
lift truck and provided at each of said ends with a shackle or the equivalent to which
load lifting chains, ropes or the like can be engaged and the load spread and distributed,
said main member being fitted centrally between said ends with a hook mounted in such
a manner that in one position in which it can depend from said member, it can be used
as a lifting hook, or in an alternative position into which it can be swung upwardly
to extend above said member, can be engaged with a hoist or crane and a load raised
by chain or ropes connected with said shackles.
[0004] The attachment thus enables a load to be lifted in say one of three different ways
viz, by connecting the attachment to the fork lifts of a fork lift truck and coupling
the load to the two end shackles; by coupling the attachment to said forks and using
said centrally disposed hook in its downwardly directed position, or using the attachment
separately from a fork-lift truck with the hook in an upwardly directed position and
engaged with a hoist or crane and a load coupled to said two end shackles on the attachment.
[0005] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention tie members are provided that
facilitate fixing of the attachment to the forks of a fork-lift truck to prevent unintended
movement of the attachment relatively to said forks, and also facilitate use of the
attachment with varying sizes of forks of different fork-lift trucks.
[0006] To enable the invention to clearly be understood and readily carried into effect
a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example with reference
to the accompanying drawings, wherein:-
Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the general principle of the invention
and one way of using the attachment,
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the attachment drawn to a larger scale,
Figure 3 illustrates how the attachment is formed with sleeves to enable it to be
slid into position on the forks of a fork-lift truck,
Figure 4 shows how the attachment may be used independently of a fork lift and solely.
in conjunction with a hoist or crane,
Figure 5 is a rear perspective view of tie members by which the attachment may be
securely held in position on lift forks,
Figure 6 illustrates how the ties are fitted to lift forks and connected to the attachment
after the latter is slid on to the forks, and
Figure 7 is a view showing the attachment used separately and engaged with a hoist
or crane.
[0007] Referring firstly to Figure 1 which shows the attachment applied to a fork lift,
the invention basically consists in providing a main member consisting of two laterally
spaced apart angle section parallel beams 1 which are adapted, as hereinafter fully
explained, to be quickly and esily securely attached, in a readily removable manner,
to the forks 2 of a fork lift truck so as to enable said forks to be utilized as a
jib and raise or lower a load connected to the attachment. The beams 1 are formed
centrally between their ends with aligned holes 3 for receiving a pivot pin 4 from
which can be suspended a hook 5, preferably a swivel hook, with which a load (according
to one use of the attachment) can be engaged. These beams 1 can be of angle, channel
or other suitable section metal members to bear a load and spread the latter over
the fork area to give stability.
[0008] Plates 6 (Figure 2) are fixed to the ends of the beams 1 and serve to hold the beams
together and act as load spreaders, these plates 6 depending from the beams and each
being formed adjacent to its lower end with a hole 7 through which can pass a suitable
hook or shackle 8, the hole 7 preferably being triangular to take the pin end of the
shackle 8 with which is engaged a load lifting chain or rope 8a.
[0009] As shown in Figure 3, two angle-section members 9 are used to join the plates 6 to
the beams 1 where they meet to form sleeves that can be slid on to the forks 2.
[0010] Two angle section plates 10 (Figure 4) are fixed to the back of the beams 1 and these
plates 10 are formed with bolt holes 10a through which bolts can be engaged and passed
through holes 15 at the front ends of ties 11 about to be referred to. This Figura
4 illustrates how the attachment, by its hook 5 (which is reversed so as to extend
upwardly from the beams), can be suspended from a hoist, or crane, so as to serve
as a load spreader as diagrammatically illustrated by Figure 7.
[0011] To enable the attachment to be secured to the forks 2 of a fork lift truck the side
plates 6 and the angle plates 9 are formed with holes 6a and 9a respectively for the
reception of bolts that can tighten the attachment sideways and vertically on the
forks 2 where they pass through said sleeves. Due to the taper on the forks 2, ties
11 (Figures 5 (rear view) and 6 (front vieu)) are provided that are formed at their
rear ends with abutments 12 that engage behind the forks to prevent the attachment
sliding forwards and a bar 13 is fixed to the ties near the heel of the fork to prevent
the tie 11 dropping down. A transverse member 14 at the front of each tie is formed
with the bolt hole 15 (previously referred to) to faciliatate fixing of the angle
plates 10 of the attachment to the ties and for adjustment purposes.
[0012] When used the ties 11 are first placed over the forks 2 of a fork lift truck and
the attachment is then slid over the forks and the attachment bolted to said forks
and tightened to fit the attachment to different sizes of forks. The fork lift can
then be used as a crane by raising and lowering the forks.
[0013] Existing known attachments for use with fork lift trucks are adapted to replace the
forks with a jib attachment, or involve sliding of another jib, with sleeves attached,
on to existing forks. Both these known attachments are heavy, cumbersome and expensive.
[0014] Advantages of the attachment of this invention are that (a) it can be safely used
in all industries where fork lift trucks are used; (b) it is ideal for use on occasions
where the odd lift has to be made and where fork lift forks themselves are not suitable;
(c) it is light in weight and can be quickly and easily fitted to, and subsequently
removed from, a fork lift truck and (d) by reversing the hook 5, i.e. swinging it
upwardly from its downwardly directed position shown in Figures 1, 2 and 6 to its
upwardly directed position shown in Figures 4 and 7, the attachment can be used as
a load spreader for general purpose work on a crane or hoist in a workshop, warehouse
or elsewhere.
[0015] Although the attachment has been described as being constructed from beams, end plates
and angle pieces it will be appreciated that it may be designed to form these parts
integrally as castings.
1. A load lifting attachment for use with the fork lifts of a fork lift truck, or
with a hoist or crane, characterised in that it comprises a main member (1) adapted
at each of its two ends (9) to be engaged with the forks (2) of a fork lift truck
and provided at each of said ends with a shackle or the equivalent (8) to which load
lifting chains, ropes or the like (8a) can be engaged and the load spread and distributed,
said main member (1) being fitted centrally between said ends with a hook (5) mounted
in such a manner that in one position in which it can depend from said member, it
can be used as a lifting hook, or in an alternative position into which it can be
swung upwardly to extend above said member, can be engaged with a hoist or crane and
a load raised by chain or ropes 8a connected with said shackbs 8.
2. A load lifting attachment according to Claim 1, characterised in that tie members
(11) are provided that facilitate fixing of the attachment to the forks (2) of a fork-lift
truck to prevent unintended movement of the attachment relatively to said forks, and
also to facilitate use of the attachment with varying sizes of forks of different
fork-lift trucks.
3. A load lifting attachment according to Claim 1 or 2, further characterised in that
said main member (1) comprises two laterally spaced apart parallel beams bridged between
their ends by a pivot pin (4) on which is mounted a swivel hook (5) that when positioned
to depend from said main member can be engaged with a suspended load and when raised
to extend above said member can be engaged and suspended from a hoist or crane.
4. A load lifting attachment according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that the
main member (1) is formed with sleeves (9) that can be slid on to and engaged with
the forks (2) of a fork lift truck.
5. A load lifting attachment according to Claim 3 and 4, characterised in that said
beams constituting the main member (1) are connected together at each end by a plate,
(6) said plate (6) and the adjacent sleeve (9) each being formed with a hole (6a and
9a respectively) for reception of bolts for tightening the attachment to said forks
(2) where the latter pass through said sleeves (9).