Lift truck for tires with mechanical means of gripping and transporting a vertically divided load for better visibility
A “forward facing” lift truck ( 1 ) for transporting a vertical stack ( 2 ) of tires ( 3 ) located in front of the lift truck. The lift truck includes grasping means ( 4 ) mounted on the frame or “mast” ( 11 ) of the lift truck and adapted for picking up and dividing the stack vertically into two vertical, so-called “upper” ( 2 H) and “lower” ( 2 B) sections, so as to open up a space (E) between the two “upper” and “lower” sections of the stack. This space is created at a height above the floor such that the field of vision (CV) of the lift truck driver (or operator) passes through this space at an angle such that the operator can see the floor in front of the lift truck, at a predetermined “safe” distance (D) and beyond, and also has a distant view.
1. A forward facing lift truck for transporting a vertical stack of tires located in front of the lift truck, the lift truck comprising:
grasping means mounted on a frame of the lift truck and comprising a pair of upper vertical clamps and a pair of lower vertical clamps, said grasping means being adapted for grasping all of the tires of the stack only by pressing horizontally said vertical clamps against circumferences of treads of all of the tires of the stack, picking up and dividing the stack vertically into a vertical upper section and a vertical lower section, so as to open up a space between the vertical upper section and the vertical lower section, each of the vertical upper section and the vertical lower section comprising a plurality of the tires,
wherein this space is created at a height above the floor such that a field of vision of an operator of the lift truck passes through this space at an angle such that the operator can see the floor in front of the lift truck, at a predetermined safe distance and beyond, and also has a distant view.
2. The lift truck according to claim 1 , wherein the upper or lower vertical clamps are movable horizontally so as to be able to produce a tightening or loosening movement therebetween, the upper or lower vertical clamps having an internal geometry which is adapted so as to roughly fit the circumference of the tread of a tire placed horizontally therebetween, the upper and lower vertical clamps being attached by respective upper and lower arms to said frame via respective upper and lower guide carriages which are mounted so as to slide vertically on said frame and capable of sliding up and down on said frame, and
wherein said grasping means further comprises independent means for command and control of said sliding of said respective upper and lower guide carriages, and of the horizontal separation between the upper vertical clamps or the lower vertical clamps.
3. The lift truck according to claim 2 , wherein the upper or lower vertical clamps comprise two parts articulated to one another so as to fit even more tightly against the circumference of the tread of the tire.
4. The lift truck according to claim 2 , wherein said upper or lower vertical clamps are articulated in rotation around a vertical axis integral with the respective arms, for a better adaptation to the circumference of the tread of the tire.
5. The lift truck according to claim 2 , wherein internal faces of at least ones of the upper and lower vertical clamps and the arms are made of, or covered with, a flexible rubber-like material or another material capable of protecting a tire placed horizontally between the upper or lower vertical clamps while tightly fitting the circumference of the tread of the tire.
6. The lift truck according to claim 2 , wherein said tightening or loosening movement is obtained by elements of said arms rotating horizontally around a vertical axis integral with the guide carriages.
7. The lift truck according to claim 1 , further comprising means for synchronizing movements of the pairs of upper and lower vertical clamps, possibly controlled by a pre-programmable on-board electronic device.
8. The lift truck according to claim 7 , further comprising a vertical pin which is used as a means for mechanically synchronizing the upper and lower vertical clamps and is housed in a space provided between the upper and lower guide carriages.
9. The lift truck according to claim 1 , wherein the grasping means is adapted for transporting heavy-duty tires.
10. A method for transporting a vertical stack of tires on a lift truck, in front of this lift truck or behind this lift truck, with an operator of the lift truck in a straight forward facing position, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
grasping all of the tires of the stack only by pressing horizontally clamps of a pair of upper vertical clamps and a pair of lower vertical clamps against circumferences of treads of all of the tires of the stack;
dividing the stack of tires on this lift truck into an upper section and a lower section so as to open up a space between the upper section and the lower section, each of the upper section and the lower section comprising a plurality of the tires, and
creating this space at a height above the floor such that a field of vision of the operator passes through this space at an angle such that the operator can see the floor in front of the lift truck, at a predetermined safe distance and beyond, and also has a distant view.
11. A forward facing lift truck for transporting a vertical stack of tires located in front of the lift truck, the lift truck comprising:
grasping means mounted on a frame of the lift truck and comprising a pair of upper vertical clamps and a pair of lower vertical clamps, said grasping means being adapted for grasping all of the tires of the stack by pressing horizontally said vertical clamps against circumferences of treads of all of the tires of the stack, picking up and dividing the stack vertically into a vertical upper section and a vertical lower section, so as to open up a space between the vertical upper section and the vertical lower section, each of the vertical upper section and the vertical lower section comprising a plurality of the tires,
wherein this space is created at a height above the floor such that a field of vision of an operator of the lift truck passes through this space at an angle such that the operator can see the floor in front of the lift truck, at a predetermined safe distance and beyond, and also has a distant view.