Apparatus for transport and delivery of articles

1. A vehicle for transport and delivery of an article comprising:

a vehicle body having a front, rear, first and second lateral sides, and a vehicle axis generally defining a direction of vehicle movement;

a transfer device having a transfer device axis approximately perpendicular to said vehicle axis, said transfer device having at least one substantially open end extending in a plane and a fixed longitudinal opening having a longitudinal axis intersecting the plane of the substantially open end, said fixed longitudinal opening being substantially arranged along said transfer device axis and having a width less than at least one dimension of the article;

a lift mast assembly coupled to the vehicle body and cooperatively associated with the transfer device to move the transfer device substantially vertically; and

a side translating assembly coupled to the vehicle body and cooperatively associated with the transfer device to move the transfer device substantially horizontally between at least one of the first and second lateral sides of the vehicle and a center of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the transfer device is adapted to slide around the article so that at least a portion of the article enters the transfer device from the open end of the transfer device.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the transfer device has two open ends, said transfer device axis intersecting both open ends, and wherein the fixed longitudinal opening intersects both open ends.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , further including a vertical carriage having a horizontal support frame and wherein said side translating assembly is positioned vertically between the support frame and transfer device.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein said transfer device is positioned below said side translating assembly and said side translating assembly is positioned below said horizontal support frame.

6. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein said transfer device includes a substantially horizontal mounting plate and first and second tongs spaced from one another and depending vertically downward from the mounting plate, wherein each of said first and second tongs include a pair of opposed ribs, said ribs being spaced from one another to define an article cavity therebetween, wherein each of said ribs include an inward projection terminating in spaced relation to one another to define a gap therebetween, wherein said gap of said first tong and said gap of said second tong are aligned to define said longitudinal opening, and wherein the article cavity of one of the first and second tongs defines the at least one substantially open end of the transfer device.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said vehicle body includes a wheeled truck riding on a support surface, said wheeled truck including an upper surface, and wherein said transfer device is vertically movable relative to said wheeled truck to a fully lowered position where the transfer device extends below the elevation of an upper surface of the wheeled truck to permit the vehicle to pick up and deliver articles from and to the support surface.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein said wheeled truck includes a wheel adapted to engage a lower guide rail and an upper guide frame adapted to engage an upper guide rail, said upper guide frame being coupled to said mast and vertically spaced from said wheeled truck.

9. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein said fixed longitudinal opening faces said support surface.

10. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the side translating assembly is attached to the lift mast assembly and wherein the side translating assembly includes an outer section having rails, an intermediate section having rails, and an inner section having rails, the transfer device being supported and guided by the rails of the inner section to travel horizontally between at least one side of the vehicle and the center of the vehicle, the inner section being supported and guided by the rails of the intermediate section to travel horizontally between at least one side of the vehicle and the center of the vehicle, the intermediate section being supported and guided by the rails of the outer section to travel horizontally between at least one side of the vehicle and the center of the vehicle.

11. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said lift mast assembly, side translating assembly, and transfer device are positioned at the front or rear of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said transfer device includes a top and spaced side walls, said fixed longitudinal opening being located between said side walls, wherein one of said top and side walls of said transfer device is connected to said side translating assembly, wherein said side translating assembly is connected to said lift mast assembly, and said lift mast assembly is positioned at the front or rear of said vehicle.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein one of said side walls of said transfer device is connected to said side translating assembly and wherein said side translating assembly does not extend above said top of said transfer device.