CONTAINER HANDLING VEHICLE

Abstract

The present invention provides a container handling vehicle (10) for lifting a storage container (106) from an underlying framework structure (100), the vehicle comprises a container lifting assembly (3, 5, 7a, 7b) for lifting the storage container and a vehicle body (8); the container lifting assembly comprises a lifting frame (3) for releasable connection to a storage container (106), a lifting shaft assembly (7a, 7b) and a plurality of lifting bands (5), the lifting bands (5) are connected to the lifting frame (3) and the lifting shaft assembly (7a, 7b) such that the lifting frame (3) may be raised or lowered by operating the lifting shaft assembly; and the vehicle body (8) comprises a sidewall (9) and a cantilevered section (6) from which the lifting frame (3) depends, the cantilevered section (6) extends laterally from an upper end (11) of the sidewall (9); wherein the container lifting assembly features a lifting frame guide assembly comprising a first guide device (12) and a cooperating second guide device (13); the first guide device (12) is provided on the lifting frame (3); and the second guide device (13) is slidably connected to the sidewall (9) via at least one vertically extending rail (19), such that the second guide device can move in a vertical direction relative to the sidewall (9); the first guide device (12) and the second guide device (13) are arranged to interact with each other when the lifting frame is adjacent the sidewall (9), such that horizontal movement of the lifting frame relative to the vehicle body is restricted.