Lift Truck Safety System With Pivoting Fork

Abstract

A lift truck that includes a motorized mover and a front end assembly movably coupled to the motorized mover. The front end assembly is positionable in a safety configuration and a working configuration. The front end assembly includes at least one vertical member having a bottom end and a top end and at least one horizontal member having a first end and a second end. The first end is pivotally coupled to the bottom end and is moveable between a safety configuration and a working configuration. When the front end assembly is positioned in the working configuration, the horizontal member is oriented substantially perpendicularly with respect to the vertical member and extends in a direction away from the motorized mover.

1 . A lift truck safety system, comprising:
 a motorized mover; and   a front end assembly movably attached to the motorized mover, wherein the front end assembly comprises:
 at least one vertical member having a top end and a bottom end, the top end positioned elevationally higher than the bottom end; and 
 at least one horizontal member having a first end and a second end, the first end being pivotally coupled to the bottom end at a pivot point, the horizontal member being pivotally movable to position the front end assembly between a safety configuration and a working configuration, 
   wherein the horizontal member is oriented substantially perpendicularly with respect to the vertical member and extending in a direction away from the motorized mover when in the working configuration.   
     
     
         2 . The lift truck safety system of  claim 1 , further comprising a load sensor coupled to the front end assembly, wherein the load sensor detects the presence of a load on the front end assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The lift truck safety system of  claim 2 , wherein the front end assembly automatically moves to the safety configuration when the presence of the load on the front end assembly is not detected by the load sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The lift truck safety system of  claim 3 , further comprising an override device in operative communication with the front end assembly, wherein activation of the override device allows the front end assembly to move from the safety configuration to the working configuration when the presence of the load on the front end assembly is not detected by the load sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The lift truck safety system of  claim 2 , wherein the load sensor determines that there is a presence of the load on the front end assembly when the weight of the load exceeds a predetermined threshold value. 
     
     
         6 . The lift truck safety system of  claim 2 , wherein the load sensor is coupled to the horizontal member. 
     
     
         7 . The lift truck safety system of  claim 1 , wherein the horizontal member pivots about the pivot point when the front end assembly moves into the safety configuration. 
     
     
         8 . The lift truck safety system of  claim 7 , wherein the horizontal member pivots upwardly about the pivot point, wherein the second end of the horizontal member moves towards the top end of the vertical member when the front end assembly moves into the safety configuration. 
     
     
         9 . The lift truck safety system of  claim 8 , wherein the horizontal member is positioned adjacent and substantially parallel to the vertical member when the front end assembly is positioned in the safety configuration. 
     
     
         10 . The lift truck safety system of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the at least one vertical member comprises a first vertical member and a second vertical member, the second vertical member being substantially parallel with respect to the first vertical member; and   wherein the at least one horizontal member comprises a first horizontal member and a second horizontal member, the first horizontal member being pivotally coupled to the first vertical member at a first pivot point, the second horizontal member being pivotally coupled to the second vertical member at a second pivot point.   
     
     
         11 . The lift truck safety system of  claim 10 , wherein the first horizontal member and the second horizontal member pivot sideways away from one another about the first pivot point and the second pivot point respectively when the front end assembly moves into the safety configuration. 
     
     
         12 . The lift truck safety system of  claim 11 , wherein each of the first horizontal member and the second horizontal member is positioned near opposing sides of the motorized mover when the front end assembly is positioned in the safety configuration. 
     
     
         13 . The lift truck safety system of  claim 2 , further comprising an interlock that maintains the front end assembly in the working configuration until the presence of the load on the front end assembly is no longer detected by the load sensor. 
     
     
         14 . The lift truck safety system of  claim 13 , wherein the interlock is configured to prevent the motorized mover from moving out of a first gear position. 
     
     
         15 . The lift truck safety system of  claim 13 , wherein the interlock is configured to prevent the motorized mover from starting. 
     
     
         16 . A front end assembly for a motorized mover, the front end assembly, comprising:
 at least one support member movably coupled to the motorized mover, each support member having a top end and a bottom end, the top end positioned elevationally higher than the bottom end; and   at least one lifter element having a first end and a second end, the first end being pivotally coupled to the bottom end of the support member at a pivot point, the lifter element being pivotally movable to position the lifter element between a safety configuration and a working configuration,   wherein once the front end assembly is coupled to the motorized mover, the lifter element is oriented substantially perpendicularly with respect to the support member and extending in a direction away from the motorized mover when in the working configuration.   
     
     
         17 . The front end assembly of  claim 16 , further comprising at least one load sensor coupled to the at least one lifter element, the load sensor capable of detecting the presence of a load on the lifter element. 
     
     
         18 . The front end assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the front end assembly is configured to move between the safety configuration and the working configuration in response to a signal detected by the at least one load sensor, wherein the signal pertains to the presence of the load on the at least one lifter element. 
     
     
         19 . The front end assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the front end assembly automatically moves to the safety configuration when the load is not detected by the load sensor. 
     
     
         20 . The front end assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the lifter element pivots upwardly about the pivot point, wherein the second end of the lifter element moves towards the top end of the support member when the lifter element moves into the safety configuration. 
     
     
         21 . The front end assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the lifter element is positioned adjacent and substantially parallel to the support member when the lifter element is positioned in the safety configuration. 
     
     
         22 . A method of operating a lift truck, the method comprising:
 providing a lift truck, comprising,
 a motorized mover; and 
 a front end assembly movably attached to the motorized mover, wherein the front end assembly comprises at least one vertical member and at least one horizontal member pivotally coupled to the vertical member at a pivot point, the horizontal member capable of carrying a load; 
   pivoting the horizontal member about the pivot point to position the front end assembly in a safety configuration, and   pivoting the horizontal member about the pivot point to position the front end assembly in a working configuration,   wherein the horizontal member is oriented substantially perpendicularly with respect to the vertical member and extending in a direction away from the motorized mover when in the working configuration.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the safety configuration comprises the horizontal member being oriented substantially parallel and adjacent to the vertical member. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the front end assembly further comprises at least one load sensor, the load sensor detecting when the load is on the front end assembly. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein pivoting the horizontal member into the safety configuration occurs automatically when the load sensor does not detect the load on the front end assembly. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein pivoting the horizontal member about the pivot point to position the front end assembly in a safety configuration comprises pivoting the horizontal member upwardly about the pivot point, wherein a distal end of the horizontal member moves towards a top end of the vertical member when the front end assembly moves into the safety configuration.