WO1995001932A1 - Forklift machine - Google Patents
Forklift machine Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO1995001932A1 WO1995001932A1 PCT/AU1994/000378 AU9400378W WO9501932A1 WO 1995001932 A1 WO1995001932 A1 WO 1995001932A1 AU 9400378 W AU9400378 W AU 9400378W WO 9501932 A1 WO9501932 A1 WO 9501932A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- forklift
- wheels
- ground wheels
- engine
- unit
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- B60K17/00—Arrangement or mounting of transmissions in vehicles
- B60K17/34—Arrangement or mounting of transmissions in vehicles for driving both front and rear wheels, e.g. four wheel drive vehicles
- B60K17/344—Arrangement or mounting of transmissions in vehicles for driving both front and rear wheels, e.g. four wheel drive vehicles having a transfer gear
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- B60K17/00—Arrangement or mounting of transmissions in vehicles
- B60K17/34—Arrangement or mounting of transmissions in vehicles for driving both front and rear wheels, e.g. four wheel drive vehicles
- B60K17/342—Arrangement or mounting of transmissions in vehicles for driving both front and rear wheels, e.g. four wheel drive vehicles having a longitudinal, endless element, e.g. belt or chain, for transmitting drive to wheels
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- B60K17/00—Arrangement or mounting of transmissions in vehicles
- B60K17/34—Arrangement or mounting of transmissions in vehicles for driving both front and rear wheels, e.g. four wheel drive vehicles
- B60K17/358—Arrangement or mounting of transmissions in vehicles for driving both front and rear wheels, e.g. four wheel drive vehicles all driven wheels being steerable
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B66—HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
- B66F—HOISTING, LIFTING, HAULING OR PUSHING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. DEVICES WHICH APPLY A LIFTING OR PUSHING FORCE DIRECTLY TO THE SURFACE OF A LOAD
- B66F9/00—Devices for lifting or lowering bulky or heavy goods for loading or unloading purposes
- B66F9/06—Devices for lifting or lowering bulky or heavy goods for loading or unloading purposes movable, with their loads, on wheels or the like, e.g. fork-lift trucks
- B66F9/075—Constructional features or details
- B66F9/07568—Steering arrangements
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B66—HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
- B66F—HOISTING, LIFTING, HAULING OR PUSHING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. DEVICES WHICH APPLY A LIFTING OR PUSHING FORCE DIRECTLY TO THE SURFACE OF A LOAD
- B66F9/00—Devices for lifting or lowering bulky or heavy goods for loading or unloading purposes
- B66F9/06—Devices for lifting or lowering bulky or heavy goods for loading or unloading purposes movable, with their loads, on wheels or the like, e.g. fork-lift trucks
- B66F9/075—Constructional features or details
- B66F9/07572—Propulsion arrangements
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B66—HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
- B66F—HOISTING, LIFTING, HAULING OR PUSHING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. DEVICES WHICH APPLY A LIFTING OR PUSHING FORCE DIRECTLY TO THE SURFACE OF A LOAD
- B66F9/00—Devices for lifting or lowering bulky or heavy goods for loading or unloading purposes
- B66F9/06—Devices for lifting or lowering bulky or heavy goods for loading or unloading purposes movable, with their loads, on wheels or the like, e.g. fork-lift trucks
- B66F9/075—Constructional features or details
- B66F9/08—Masts; Guides; Chains
- B66F9/10—Masts; Guides; Chains movable in a horizontal direction relative to truck
Definitions
- This invention relates in general to forklift machines and in particular to forklift machines of the kind in which the fork unit is retractable from an outboard working position to an inboard transport position.
- Small forklift machines of the above kind have come into use for transporting bricks from trucks onto delivery sites. These trucks typically carry the traditional small swing crane for lifting the pallet loads of bricks onto the adjacent ground, and the forklift machines are now often carried on the truck as well to facilitate delivery to difficult sites or in difficult conditions.
- One forklift machine of this kind has two front ground wheels separately driven by hydraulic motors and a single centrally disposed swivelable rear wheel. In a variation of this machine, the rear wheel is also driven by a hydraulic motor and is positively steerable.
- US patent 3861535 discloses a four-wheel straddle fork vehicle in which the fork unit is fully retractable, the rear wheels are steerable, and all four wheels are driven by individual hydraulic motors controlled by a hydraulic pump powered in turn by a single IC engine. This machine is adapted for harvesting operations.
- the present applicant has considered the provision of a forklift machine for brick cartage in which there are four wheels rather than three but this does not entirely resolve the problems with existing machines. Moreover, the adaptation is not as simple as it seems, since it is desirable that the fork unit remain fully retractable and it is necessary that the structure of the machine be arranged so that a correct weight distribution can be achieved when it is carrying the very substantial weight of a pallet load of bricks.
- the invention accordingly provides a forklift machine comprising: a body; a forklift unit mounted to the body so as to be movable between an outboard working position and an inboard transport position; four ground wheels rotatably mounted to the body, including two front wheels to either side of the fork unit when in its transport position; an internal combustion engine mounted in east-west configuration generally between the rear ground wheels; and drive transmission means including a right-angle drive unit for direcdy driving all four ground wheels from the internal combustion engine.
- the drive transmission preferably includes a gear box between the engine and the right-angle drive unit, and a four-wheel drive transfer case intermediate the front and the rear of the machine, connected to be driven from the right-angle drive unit and to drive respective output shafts drivingly connected to the front and rear ground wheels by respective differential gear units.
- the engine is preferably mounted off-centre, eg on a side chassis member, nearer one rear ground wheel than the other.
- the illustrated forklift machine comprises a vehicle 10 having a chassis 12 to which are mounted a fork unit 14, front ground wheels 16a, 16b and rear ground wheels 18a, 18b.
- Rear wheels 18a, 18b are mounted for steering, by mechanism not shown, from a steering wheel associated with an operator seat on the chassis above its rear (also not shown).
- Chassis 12 has front and rear cross members 23a, 23b, and side members 20a, 20b with intermediate angled segments 22 so that side members 20a, 20b are further apart at the front than at the rear.
- Fork unit 14 is disposed within the larger front space and includes a mast 24 and forks 26. The unit is fully retractable, ie it is movable between an outboard working position forwardly of chassis 12 and an inboard transport position, by means of a wheeled trolley 60. Mast 24 is fixed atop trolley 60, which carries pairs of side wheels 62, 63. Wheels 62,63 run along recessed tracks 64 on the opposed inside faces of chassis side members 20a, 20b. The retracted inboard latter position is depicted in the diagram.
- Chassis side members 20a, 20b may of course be straight, without angled segments 22, where appropriate or more suitable.
- the four ground wheels 16, 18 are directiy and mechanically driven from an internal combustion, eg petrol or diesel, engine 28 mounted in east-west configuration between rear wheels 18a, 18b, and indeed much closer to one rear wheel than the other atop a rear segment 21a of one of the chassis side members 20a.
- the transversely directed output shaft of this engine is coupled to all four wheels via a gear box 30, a right-angle drive unit 32 mounted to the rear segment 21b of the other chassis side member 20b, a 4WD transfer case 34 and a pair of differential gear units 36a, 36b respectively forming part of the front and rear axles 45a, 45b.
- Transfer case 34 is fixed to an intermediate chassis crosspiece 23c, intermediate the differential gear units and intermediate the front and rear of the vehicle.
- the diagram depicts the respective shafts 38, 39, 40a and 40b successively drivingly coupling gear box 30 to right-angle drive unit 32, right-angle drive unit 32 to transfer case 34, and the transfer case 34 to the respective differential gear units.
- gear box 30, transfer case 34 and differential gear units 36 are standard proprietary items.
- a compact forklift vehicle suitable for brick cartage to and from delivery trucks.
- the vehicle is capable of being sized for transport on the trucks and preserves the desired feature of a fully retractable fork unit.
- the vehicle is more stable and more flexible in control than known three-wheel units.
- the direct mechanical drive has been incorporated such that the fork unit is still retractable.
- the engine is right at the rear and arranged so that there is no interference with the fork unit travel, and so that the engine assists in preserving the desired weight balance when the vehicle is loaded.
- the configuration has allowed the incorporation of a gear box which permits speedier return of the empty vehicle and thereby an improvement in efficiency.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Transportation (AREA)
- Structural Engineering (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Civil Engineering (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Geology (AREA)
- Forklifts And Lifting Vehicles (AREA)
Abstract
A forklift machine sized for transport on a truck and suitable for cartage of bricks to and from the truck to building sites. The forklift unit (14) of the machine is movable between an outboard working position forward of the chassis and an inboard transport position (shown in the drawing). All four ground wheels (16, 18) (the rear wheels (18) also being steerable) are mechanically driven from an east-west mounted internal combustion engine (28). The drive to the wheels is via gearbox (30), right angle drive unit (32), 4WD transfer case (34) and front and rear differentials (36a, b). As the engine and gearbox are above the chassis whereas the differentials are below it, a chain and sprocket drive is needed in the transmission to transfer drive between these two levels.
Description
FORKLIFT MACHINE
Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to forklift machines and in particular to forklift machines of the kind in which the fork unit is retractable from an outboard working position to an inboard transport position.
Background Art
Small forklift machines of the above kind have come into use for transporting bricks from trucks onto delivery sites. These trucks typically carry the traditional small swing crane for lifting the pallet loads of bricks onto the adjacent ground, and the forklift machines are now often carried on the truck as well to facilitate delivery to difficult sites or in difficult conditions. One forklift machine of this kind has two front ground wheels separately driven by hydraulic motors and a single centrally disposed swivelable rear wheel. In a variation of this machine, the rear wheel is also driven by a hydraulic motor and is positively steerable.
It has been found in practice that these three-wheel machines are difficult to adequately control in some conditions and in particular the rear third wheel can become bogged. Moreover, the use of hydraulic motors, which are generally ungeared, means that the machine must be adapted to loaded operation and its return unloaded is thereby slow and inefficient.
US patent 3861535 discloses a four-wheel straddle fork vehicle in which the fork unit is fully retractable, the rear wheels are steerable, and all four wheels are driven by individual hydraulic motors controlled by a hydraulic pump powered in turn by a single IC engine. This machine is adapted for harvesting operations.
The present applicant has considered the provision of a forklift machine for brick cartage in which there are four wheels rather than three but this does not
entirely resolve the problems with existing machines. Moreover, the adaptation is not as simple as it seems, since it is desirable that the fork unit remain fully retractable and it is necessary that the structure of the machine be arranged so that a correct weight distribution can be achieved when it is carrying the very substantial weight of a pallet load of bricks.
Disclosure of the Invention
It is an object of the present invention to provide a forklift machine adaptable for the cartage of bricks, which is an improvement in one or more respects over known machines.
The invention accordingly provides a forklift machine comprising: a body; a forklift unit mounted to the body so as to be movable between an outboard working position and an inboard transport position; four ground wheels rotatably mounted to the body, including two front wheels to either side of the fork unit when in its transport position; an internal combustion engine mounted in east-west configuration generally between the rear ground wheels; and drive transmission means including a right-angle drive unit for direcdy driving all four ground wheels from the internal combustion engine.
The drive transmission preferably includes a gear box between the engine and the right-angle drive unit, and a four-wheel drive transfer case intermediate the front and the rear of the machine, connected to be driven from the right-angle drive unit and to drive respective output shafts drivingly connected to the front and rear ground wheels by respective differential gear units.
At least the rear ground wheels, and perhaps all four wheels, are steerable.
The engine is preferably mounted off-centre, eg on a side chassis member, nearer one rear ground wheel than the other.
Description of Preferred Embodiment
An embodiment of the invention is depicted diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing in the form of a simple plan view. For clarity, not all components are included in this drawing.
The illustrated forklift machine comprises a vehicle 10 having a chassis 12 to which are mounted a fork unit 14, front ground wheels 16a, 16b and rear ground wheels 18a, 18b. Rear wheels 18a, 18b are mounted for steering, by mechanism not shown, from a steering wheel associated with an operator seat on the chassis above its rear (also not shown).
Chassis 12 has front and rear cross members 23a, 23b, and side members 20a, 20b with intermediate angled segments 22 so that side members 20a, 20b are further apart at the front than at the rear. Fork unit 14 is disposed within the larger front space and includes a mast 24 and forks 26. The unit is fully retractable, ie it is movable between an outboard working position forwardly of chassis 12 and an inboard transport position, by means of a wheeled trolley 60. Mast 24 is fixed atop trolley 60, which carries pairs of side wheels 62, 63. Wheels 62,63 run along recessed tracks 64 on the opposed inside faces of chassis side members 20a, 20b. The retracted inboard latter position is depicted in the diagram.
Chassis side members 20a, 20b may of course be straight, without angled segments 22, where appropriate or more suitable.
The four ground wheels 16, 18 are directiy and mechanically driven from an internal combustion, eg petrol or diesel, engine 28 mounted in east-west configuration between rear wheels 18a, 18b, and indeed much closer to one rear wheel than the other atop a rear segment 21a of one of the chassis side members 20a. The transversely directed output shaft of this engine is coupled to all four wheels via a gear box 30, a right-angle drive unit 32 mounted to the rear segment 21b of the other chassis side member 20b, a 4WD transfer case 34 and a pair of
differential gear units 36a, 36b respectively forming part of the front and rear axles 45a, 45b. Transfer case 34 is fixed to an intermediate chassis crosspiece 23c, intermediate the differential gear units and intermediate the front and rear of the vehicle. The diagram depicts the respective shafts 38, 39, 40a and 40b successively drivingly coupling gear box 30 to right-angle drive unit 32, right-angle drive unit 32 to transfer case 34, and the transfer case 34 to the respective differential gear units.
It is preferable that the gear box 30, transfer case 34 and differential gear units 36 are standard proprietary items.
Since engine 28 and gear box 30 are positioned atop the chassis, and differential gear units 36a, 36b below, there will typically be a need somewhere in the transmission for a sprocket and chain drive between the two levels. In the diagram, this is shown at 50, adjacent the transfer case 34, but it may be more convenient to have right-angle drive unit 32 below the chassis and a sprocket and chain coupling to this unit from gearbox 30.
By virtue of the illustrated configuration, there is provided a compact forklift vehicle suitable for brick cartage to and from delivery trucks. The vehicle is capable of being sized for transport on the trucks and preserves the desired feature of a fully retractable fork unit. On the other hand, the vehicle is more stable and more flexible in control than known three-wheel units. The direct mechanical drive has been incorporated such that the fork unit is still retractable. The engine is right at the rear and arranged so that there is no interference with the fork unit travel, and so that the engine assists in preserving the desired weight balance when the vehicle is loaded. The configuration has allowed the incorporation of a gear box which permits speedier return of the empty vehicle and thereby an improvement in efficiency.
Claims
1. A forklift machine comprising: a body; a forklift unit mounted to the body so as to be movable between an outboard working position and an inboard transport position; four ground wheels rotatably mounted to the body, including two front wheels to either side of the fork unit when in its transport position; an internal combustion engine mounted in east-west configuration generally between the rear ground wheels; and drive transmission means including a right-angle drive unit for directly driving all four ground wheels from the internal combustion engine.
2. A forklift machine according to claim 1 wherein said drive transmission means includes a gear box drivingly connected between the engine and the right-angle drive unit, and a four-wheel drive transfer case intermediate the front and the rear of the machine, connected to be driven from the right-angle drive unit and to drive respective output shafts drivingly connected to the front and rear ground wheels by respective differential gear units.
3. A forklift machine according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said rear ground wheels are steerable.
4. A forklift machine according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein all four ground wheels are steerable.
5. A forklift machine wherein said engine is mounted off-centre, nearer one rear ground wheel than the other.
6. A forklift machine according to claim 5 wherein said body includes a chassis and said engine is mounted above a side member of said chassis.
7. A forklift machine according to any preceding claim wherein the forklift unit includes an upstanding mast atop trolley means which is movable in track means formed in or on said body.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU71172/94A AU7117294A (en) | 1993-07-08 | 1994-07-07 | Forklift machine |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUPL9833 | 1993-07-08 | ||
| AUPL983393 | 1993-07-08 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| WO1995001932A1 true WO1995001932A1 (en) | 1995-01-19 |
Family
ID=3777042
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/AU1994/000378 WO1995001932A1 (en) | 1993-07-08 | 1994-07-07 | Forklift machine |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| WO (1) | WO1995001932A1 (en) |
Citations (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US2320601A (en) * | 1943-01-20 | 1943-06-01 | Roy C Howell | Industrial truck |
| US3366260A (en) * | 1965-03-11 | 1968-01-30 | Int Harvester Co | Fork lift vehicle |
| US3861535A (en) * | 1973-06-29 | 1975-01-21 | Automation Ag | Straddle fork vehicle |
| GB2074516A (en) * | 1980-04-25 | 1981-11-04 | Nissan Motor | Four-wheel-drive system for vehicle |
| AU4894790A (en) * | 1989-01-31 | 1990-08-09 | Phillip Jules Arnold | Fork lift truck |
| JPH03231031A (en) * | 1990-02-06 | 1991-10-15 | Mazda Motor Corp | Transverse engine type four-wheel drive car |
| JPH0558178A (en) * | 1991-09-02 | 1993-03-09 | Jatco Corp | Horizontal transmission for midship four-wheel drive |
-
1994
- 1994-07-07 WO PCT/AU1994/000378 patent/WO1995001932A1/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US2320601A (en) * | 1943-01-20 | 1943-06-01 | Roy C Howell | Industrial truck |
| US3366260A (en) * | 1965-03-11 | 1968-01-30 | Int Harvester Co | Fork lift vehicle |
| US3861535A (en) * | 1973-06-29 | 1975-01-21 | Automation Ag | Straddle fork vehicle |
| GB2074516A (en) * | 1980-04-25 | 1981-11-04 | Nissan Motor | Four-wheel-drive system for vehicle |
| AU4894790A (en) * | 1989-01-31 | 1990-08-09 | Phillip Jules Arnold | Fork lift truck |
| JPH03231031A (en) * | 1990-02-06 | 1991-10-15 | Mazda Motor Corp | Transverse engine type four-wheel drive car |
| JPH0558178A (en) * | 1991-09-02 | 1993-03-09 | Jatco Corp | Horizontal transmission for midship four-wheel drive |
Non-Patent Citations (2)
| Title |
|---|
| PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN, M-1198, page 160; & JP,A,03 231 031 (MAZDA MOTOR CORP) 15 October 1991. * |
| PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN, M-1443, page 134; & JP,A,05 058 178 (JATCO CORP) 9 March 1993. * |
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