Weight-sensing fork blade assembly for engaging pallets in different alternative directions of approach
An exceptionally thin load-weighing fork assembly, having its weight sensors mounted on a fork base, overcomes fork-insertion limitations with respect to commonly used standard pallets without sacrificing load-handling capacity.
1. A load-weighing fork assembly including:
(a) a blade member having an elongate load-supporting surface;
(b) a fork base, having an elongate bottom surface, operably connected to said blade member with said bottom surface spaced from, and facing generally opposite to, said load-supporting surface;
(c) multiple load-weighing sensors, operably mounted between said elongate load-supporting surface and said elongate bottom surface, adapted to measure a weight of a load supported by said load-supporting surface; and
(d) said elongate load-supporting surface and said elongate bottom surface being separated by a distance extending perpendicular to said elongate bottom surface substantially no greater than about 1.8 inches.
2. The load-weighing fork assembly of claim 1 wherein said elongate load-supporting surface has a load-contacting tip at one end thereof, said tip and said elongate bottom surface being separated by a distance extending perpendicular to said elongate bottom surface substantially no greater than about 1.5 inches.
3. The load-weighing fork assembly of claim 1 wherein said load-weighing fork assembly is operable to support a load on said load-supporting surface of at least about 2500 pounds.
4. The load-weighing fork assembly of claim 1 wherein said fork base is supported by said load-weighing fork assembly at only one end of said load-supporting surface, said load-weighing assembly being operable to support a load on said load-supporting surface of at least about 2500 pounds having a center of gravity located 24 inches from said one end of said load-supporting surface.
5. The load-weighing fork assembly of claim 1 wherein said elongate load-supporting surface has a width greater than 5.2 inches.
6. The load-weighing fork assembly of claim 1 wherein said elongate load-supporting surface has a width of at least about 6.4 inches.
7. The load-weighing fork assembly of claim 1 wherein said load-supporting surface has an opposing underside surface with at least one elongate passageway formed therein capable of containing electrical conduits attached to said multiple load-weighing sensors.
8. The load-weighing fork assembly of claim 1 wherein said elongate load-supporting surface has a tip end having a load-contacting tip, and an opposite end, further including a fastener more closely adjacent to said opposite end than to said tip end which interconnects said blade member with said fork base through one of said load-weighing sensors.
9. The load-weighing fork assembly of claim 1 where said elongate load-supporting surface is principally composed of a material having a higher tensile strength than that of the material of which said fork base is principally composed.