Attachment for forklift

Abstract

To provide an attachment for a forklift which occupies less space, is hard to break and safe, and easy to put on and take off.SOLUTION: An attachment for a forklift comprises: a lock member 2 going up / down behind a blade X inserted into a holder part H; a lever rod 3 pushing up the lock member 2 with its tip; a lifting / lowering guide 4 of the lock member 2; a bearing 5 to support vertically, swingably the lever rod 3; a frame 1 to support them; and an outer frame 6 pushing down an end part of the lever rod 3 by lifting / lowering along a side face of the frame 1 by its own weight. The lock member 2 is that the tip of the lock member 2 invades behind the blade X inserted into the holder part H when the outer frame 6 gets off the ground, and that the tip of the lock member 2 is evacuated from behind the blade X inserted into the holder part H when the outer frame 6 lands and the blade X reaches the lower limit of the lifting / lowering.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an attachment for a forklift, and more particularly to the convenience of using and attaching / detaching the attachment, and safety measures for workers involved in the attachment. [Background technology]

[0002] A forklift generally loads and transports cargo by raising and lowering two blades on the left and right along a mast. On the other hand, attachments with various functions may be attached to the blade, and the tilting movement of the mast and the raising and lowering movement of the blade may be used to perform desired functions according to the capabilities of the forklift.

[0003] When attaching an attachment to a blade, it is common to insert a pin into the back of each blade to prevent it from coming loose, in order to improve workability by increasing the unity between the blade and the attachment and to prevent accidents that may occur if the attachment comes loose unintentionally (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 or 2 below).

[0004] Some of the methods introduced include a structure to prevent the attachment from tilting forward in order to stabilize the attachment's position relative to the blade (see, for example, Patent Document 3 below), but with this method, attaching or detaching the attachment requires work such as inserting or removing a pin to prevent it from coming loose, and the more powerful the forklift, the more demanding this work becomes in terms of effort and time, and it is also dangerous. In addition, in such a situation, it is not easy to attach, detach, or replace the attachment, which is inconvenient for work.

[0005] Therefore, using the technology described in Patent Document 4, a forklift attachment has been provided that allows attachments to be attached to and detached from the blade without the need to dismount the forklift, and in which the weight is located sufficiently lower than the frame so that a locking pin protrudes to securely maintain the attachment, making it easy to visually confirm that the attachment is locked. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-301989 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-193445 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-5978 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-177383 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in the technology described in Patent Document 4, a lever bar body is swingably fixed to the front surface of a frame while being exposed to the outside of the frame, and further, a weight is fixed to the end of the lever bar body, and the lower end of the lock pin is supported by the tip of the lever bar body inserted into the inside of the frame. This technology is configured so that when the weight leaves the ground, the tip of the lock pin protrudes behind each blade inserted into the holder portion, and when the weight lands and the blade reaches its lower limit of lift, the tip of the lock pin retracts from behind each blade inserted into the holder portion.

[0008] In such a configuration where the device has an indeterminate shape and occupies a relatively large space, when the blade with the attachment attached is operated, it may collide with the edge of the pallet carrying the load or the side wall of the blast furnace, resulting in damage to the lever bar body and frame supporting the weight and their internal structure. If the lever bar body breaks, the weight will fall and the lock pin will retract, causing the attachment to become insufficiently locked, which can compromise work safety. On the other hand, if the frame or the like is damaged, the swinging of the lever bar body is impaired, making it difficult to attach and detach the attachment and perform other work smoothly. In this way, a structure in which the lever bar body and a relatively large weight protrude outside the frame takes up a lot of space, including the range of movement of the lever bar body, and is inconvenient in terms of convenience when working with attachments attached.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has as its object to provide a forklift attachment that occupies a small space, is less likely to be damaged, is safe, and is easy to attach and detach. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The forklift attachment of the present invention, which has been made to solve the above problems, comprises a holder portion into which blades equipped on the forklift are inserted, a tool portion with a predetermined function fixed to the holder portion, and a lock portion that prevents the blades from detaching from the holder, the lock portion comprising locking members that rise and fall behind each blade inserted in the holder portion, a lever bar that pushes up the locking members with its tip, an elevation guide that determines the elevation trajectory and elevation posture of the locking members, and a bearing that supports the middle portion of the lever bar so that it can swing vertically. The device comprises a frame that supports the locking member, lever rod, lifting guide, and bearing, and an outer frame that moves up and down along the side of the frame and pushes down the end of the lever rod with its own weight, and the locking member is loaded onto the lifting guide so that it can be raised and lowered freely, and when the outer frame leaves the ground, the tip of the locking member enters behind the blade inserted in the holder part, and when the outer frame lands and the blade reaches the lower limit of its lift, the tip of the locking member retracts from behind the blade inserted in the holder part.

[0011] The forklift attachment according to the present invention may be configured to include a plurality of the lever bars, each with its tip positioned below a locking member, and a bearing supporting the middle portion of each lever bar so that it can swing vertically, or the locking member may be removably mounted on the lift guide through an upper opening, or may be configured so that the lower limit of the blade lift is determined when the frame touches down, and the tip of the locking member projects to a position corresponding to the back surface of the blade inserted in the holder when the outer frame leaves the ground, and the tip of the locking member descends below the underside of the blade inserted in the holder when the outer frame touches down and the blade reaches its lower limit of lift. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The forklift attachment of the present invention allows the attachment to be attached to and detached from the blade without dismounting the forklift. Moreover, the protruding locking member that securely maintains the attachment in place makes it easy to visually confirm that the attachment is locked, thereby enhancing work safety. In particular, the strong outer frame, which also serves as a weight, is arranged to surround the frame, preventing the lever bar and other components that make up the locking section from protruding out to the side of the outer frame, reducing the space it occupies, and also functions as a reinforcing plate that covers and protects the frame, contributing to preventing damage and improving operability.

[0013] When using an attachment, the blade can hold the attachment stably as long as it is pulled up into the air, and the attachment can be unlocked and removed from the blade simply by lowering the blade to the lowest position where the outer frame and the underside of the frame are aligned. This not only allows for safe work by avoiding harsh work and time-consuming handling and replacement of attachments, but also improves the quality of work by allowing attachments to be attached, detached, and replaced frequently.

[0014] Furthermore, if the locking member is a simple rod-shaped member, it can be easily removed from the inner space of the lifting guide for cleaning or replacement, and because the bottom of the lifting guide into which the locking member is loaded is hollow, foreign matter such as dirt and debris that has entered the inner space falls naturally as the attachment is used, allowing the user to enjoy a natural cleaning action. In addition, by covering the entire side of the frame that supports the locking member, lever bar, lifting guide, and bearing with an outer frame, it is possible to prevent foreign objects from entering the inside of the frame even in bad weather or when working on unpaved areas.

[0015] Furthermore, if the locking member is configured to be detachably loaded from the lifting guide through the upper opening, it is possible to prepare multiple locking members of different lengths and, if necessary, prepare multiple base plates of different thicknesses to place between the blade and the bottom plate of the pocket (see Figure 6), making it relatively easy to adjust the protruding length suitable for attaching and detaching the attachment depending on the size and shape of the blade. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing an example of a locking portion (when attached or detached) of a forklift attachment according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a front view showing an example of a locking portion (when the locking member is protruding) of a forklift attachment according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view seen from the side showing an example of a locking portion (when attached or detached) of a forklift attachment according to the present invention. [Figure 4] 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view seen from the side showing an example of a locking portion (when the locking member is protruded) of a forklift attachment according to the present invention. [Figure 5] 10 is a perspective view showing an example of movement of a locking portion of the forklift attachment according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a side view showing an example of the function of the locking portion of the forklift attachment according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a side view showing an example of the arrangement and configuration of the lever rod of the locking portion of the forklift attachment according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a forklift attachment (hereinafter referred to as "attachment") according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The example shown in FIG. 6 includes a holder portion H into which blades X, X equipped on a forklift are inserted, a tool portion (not shown) with a predetermined function fixed to the holder portion H, and a lock portion L that prevents the blades X, X from detaching from the holder portion H.

[0018] The holder portion H in this example is formed by arranging a pair of sheaths h1, h1 in parallel on the left and right to match the arrangement of a pair of blades X, X equipped on the forklift, and by welding each of them to a steel material h2 or the like to connect and integrate them. Each sheath h1, h1 has a pocket h3 (hollow) that has the length, width, and thickness to fit each blade X, X all the way to its base, and is strong enough to withstand the load when lifting the load allowed for the forklift or the load associated with the work assigned to the forklift. The bottom plate h4 or side plate of each sheath h1, h1 is appropriately extended rearward from its opening, and functions as an insertion guide with a length that sufficiently exceeds the thickness of the backrest Y. The insertion guide of the bottom plate h4 (or the bottom plate h4 and the bottom plate h6 when the bottom plate h6 is placed on the bottom plate h4) has a through hole h5 that penetrates from the front to the back.

[0019] The tool part is a part configured to perform the functions of a blade, bucket, rake, pallet, or container, and is integrated with the holder part H by welding or the like, and performs the specified function given to each tool part.

[0020] The locking portion L in this example is fixed by welding or the like to the underside of the rear end portion of the bottom plate h4 of the holder portion H. As a result, the lifting and lowering of the blades X, X reaches its lower limit when the frame 1 lands. The locking section L includes a locking member 2 that rises and falls behind each blade X, X inserted into the holder section H, a lever rod 3 that pushes up the locking member 2 with its tip, a lifting guide 4 that maintains the lifting trajectory and lifting posture of the locking member 2 at a fixed trajectory and fixed posture, a bearing 5 that supports the middle section of the lever rod 3 so that it can swing vertically, a frame 1 that supports the locking member 2, lever rod 3, lifting guide 4, and bearing 5, and an outer frame 6 that rises and falls along the side of the frame 1 and presses down the end section of the lever rod 3 that protrudes to the side of the frame 1 by its own weight.

[0021] The frame 1 in this example has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with openings at the front and rear end faces (or left and right end faces), and includes a top plate 1a, left and right side plates 1b, 1b (or front and rear side plates), and a bottom plate 1c. A horizontally disposed reinforcing plate 1d is welded to the frame 1 in the middle, and opposing holes 1e, 1f through which the locking member 2 appears and disappears are drilled in the central portions of the reinforcing plate 1d and the top plate 1a. The frame 1 is provided with bearings 5 ​​at the front and rear ends of a bottom plate 1c facing the openings on the front and rear end faces of the frame 1 for horizontally supporting the swing shaft 3b of the lever rod 3, and is also provided with an elevation guide 4 at the midpoint between the front and rear (or left and right) bearings 5,5, the length of which extends from the reinforcing plate 1d to the top plate 1a.

[0022] In this example, the lift guide 4 is a metal (iron or the like) cylinder. The lift guide 4 is welded perpendicularly to the top plate 1a and the reinforcing plate 1d of the frame 1, with its openings aligned with the through hole h5 of the bottom plate h4 of the holder part H and the recessed holes 1f, 1e of the top plate 1a and the reinforcing plate 1d of the frame 1. With this configuration, the through hole h5 of the holder portion H, the inlet and outlet holes 1f, 1e of the top plate 1a and the reinforcing plate 1d, and the inner hollow portion of the lift guide 4 are connected to form a cylindrical linear guide.

[0023] In this example, the locking member 2 is made of a sturdy metal such as iron and formed into a cylindrical shape. It is a rod of a size that allows it to move smoothly into and out of the lifting guide 4 and leaves a gap large enough that even if some debris gets in, it will not hinder its movement. With such a configuration, the locking member 2 is loaded into the lifting guide 4 through the through hole h5 and the inlet / outlet hole 1f, and is placed in an environment where it can be freely taken in and out and will not come off the lifting guide 4 unless the forklift truck tips over.

[0024] The lever bar 3 in this example is a metallic (iron, etc.) member, and is composed of a lever bar main body 3a made of a cylindrical rod material, and a swing shaft 3b that supports the lever bar main body 3a so that it can swing freely. The bearing 5 in this example is composed of a pair of left and right cylinders (hereinafter referred to as "bearing tubes 5") that have the same cross-sectional shape along their entire length, and is configured so that the oscillating shaft 3b can rotate freely in the inner hollow portion of each. The bearing tube 5 is fixed (welded in this example) to the bottom plate 1c of the frame 1 with the left and right oscillating axes 3b of the lever rod 3 attached to the left and right bearing tubes 5, 5, respectively, and the end of the lever rod 3 supported by the bearing tubes 5, 5 protrudes into the lifting area of ​​the outer frame 6 on the side of the frame 1 through openings in the front and rear end faces of the frame 1.

[0025] In this example, a pair of lever rods 3 of the same shape are fixed to the front and rear ends (or both the left and right ends) of the bottom plate 1c by bearing tubes 5, 5 of the same cross-sectional shape, but the pair of lever rods 3 can also be arranged with the positions of the front and rear lever rod bodies 3a shifted left and right, so that the pair of lever rod bodies 3a, 3a are positioned in the left-right center of the frame 1 to reliably cover the left and right width of the underside of the locking member 2. In the example of Figure 7, a cylindrical rod material is used, so about half to two-thirds of the tip of the front and rear lever bar bodies 3a, 3a are notched on both sides, and the notches are arranged alternately, so that the tip of the pair of lever bars 3, 3 has the same width as the tip of a single lever bar 3. With the above-described configuration, the highest portions of the pair of lever rods 3, 3 act simultaneously and to the same extent on the lower end surfaces of the lever rod bodies 3a, 3a.

[0026] The outer frame 6 in this example is a sturdy, thick (about 10 mm to 20 mm thick) metal block molded into a rectangular tube with openings at the top and bottom. The hollow interior of the outer frame 6 has a rectangular parallelepiped cross section that allows it to slide smoothly up and down against the side of the frame 1 without rattle. The outer frame 6 is located above the end portions of the lever rod bodies 3a, 3a and moves up and down along the side surface of the frame 1 while contacting or facing the end portions of the lever rod bodies 3a, 3a. The outer frame 6 has a recess 6a at the lower end thereof when attached to the frame 1, at a portion that intersects with the trajectory of the vertical swing of the lever bar 3, for supporting the side surface (curved surface) of the lever bar main body 3a.

[0027] In this example, the height of the outer frame 6 is set lower than the height of the frame 1, and the depth of the recess 6a is set approximately equal to the amount of vertical swing of the tip of the lever bar main body 3a. The lever rod 3 supported by the bearing pipes 5, 5 applies upward pressure to the lower end surface of the locking member 2, causing the upper end of the locking member 2 to protrude behind each of the blades X, X inserted in the holder portion H, when the blades X, X are pulled up and the underside of the outer frame 6 descends from the underside of the frame 1 and the load of the outer frame 6 is applied to the end of the lever rod main body 3a in the recessed portion 6a. When the outer frame 6 stops in the air due to interference with the end of the lever rod main body 3a which has reached the lower limit of its vertical swing, the lever rod 3 protrudes to a position corresponding to the back of the blades X, X. At the same time, when the blades X, X are pulled down to their lower limit and the lower end of the outer frame 6 coincides with the underside of the frame 1, the end of the lever rod main body 3a rises a predetermined amount in the recessed portion 6a, or the load of the outer frame 6 on the lever rod main body 3a is released, the tip of the locking member 2 descends from the underside of each of the blades X, X inserted in the holder portion H.

[0028] The descent of the locking member 2 is stopped when the locking member 2 abuts against the tip of the lever bar main body 3a that has reached the lower limit of its vertical swing, or when the ends of the lever bar main bodies 3a, 3a that operate the locking member 2 abut against the deepest part of a recess 6a provided on the lower edge of the outer frame 6. At this time, the lower end of the locking member 2 loaded in the lifting guide 4 is supported by the tip of the lever bar main body 3a that is positioned below the lower opening of the lifting guide 4, and the locking member 2 is prevented from falling from the interior of the lifting guide 4. On the other hand, the ascent of the locking member 2 (the descent of the outer frame 6) is fixed by the tip ends of the lever rod bodies 3a, 3a being secured to the underside of the reinforcing plate 1d, or by the end ends of the lever rod bodies 3a, 3a being secured to the bottom plate 1c of the frame 1.

[0029] As a result of the attachment being configured as described above, the tip of the locking member 2 reliably engages with the back of the blades X, X inserted in the holder portion H when the outer frame 6 is separated from the ground by a predetermined amount, and when the outer frame 6 lands and the blades X, X reach their lower limit of lift, the tip of the locking member 2 is retracted from the back of the blades X, X inserted in the holder portion H, thereby achieving the effect of the attachment being configured as described above. In this way, by adopting a configuration comprising a pair of lever rods 3, 3 with their tips facing each other and a pair of bearing tubes 5, 5 that support the middle parts of each of the lever rods 3, 3 so that they can swing vertically, combined with the configuration of the outer frame 6 that allows for easy weight adjustment (adjustment of the thickness of the outer frame 6), it is possible to reduce the stroke (from about 10 mm to 30 mm) for raising and lowering the locking member 2 by the required amount. In this case, it is desirable that the end portions of the lever rod bodies 3a, 3a that protrude into the lifting area of ​​the outer frame 6 on the side of the frame 1 be long enough to fit inside the outer surface of the outer frame 6 that covers the side of the frame 1.

[0030] Furthermore, since the locking member 2 is configured to be freely detachable from the upper opening through the inlet / outlet hole 1f as described above, it is possible to relatively easily adjust the length of the locking member 2 to match the thickness of the bottom plate h4 of the holder part H simply by preparing multiple locking members 2 of different lengths. When the blades X, X are removed from the holder portion H, the locking member 2 can be easily removed from the inner space of the lift-up guide 4 through the through hole h5 and the outlet hole 1f, and the surface of the locking member 2 and the inner surface of the lift-up guide 4 can be easily wiped off. In addition, foreign matter such as dirt and debris that has entered the inner space of the lift-up guide 4 can relatively easily fall from the lower opening of the lift-up guide 4 through the outlet hole 1e, allowing the user to enjoy a natural cleaning action that accompanies use of the attachment.

[0031] Furthermore, although the locking portion L is placed in an extremely harsh environment due to the raising and lowering of the blades X, X, the structure is simple, and therefore sufficient strength against impact can be ensured without incurring large costs by changing the thickness of the outer frame 6, and by selecting a highly corrosion-resistant material, an attachment that can withstand a variety of environments can be provided.

[0032] In the above example, a pair of lever bars 3 is provided in the hollow space inside the rectangular parallelepiped frame 1, but depending on the planar shape of the frame 1, it is also possible to provide three or more lever bars with their tips positioned below the locking member 2, with a corresponding number of bearings 5. In this case, it is desirable to arrange the lever bars 3 at equal angular intervals so that a uniform load is applied around the entire circumference. Furthermore, although the outer frame 6 in the above example is set to a cylindrical shape that covers almost the entire side of the frame 1, it can also be formed into a net-like or comb-like shape as long as it is configured so that the side of the frame 1 can be smoothly raised and lowered on a fixed track by its own weight, causing the lever bar 3 to swing. It is desirable that the shape of the frame 1 or the outer frame 6 has a uniform cross section over almost the entire top and bottom, but this does not necessarily have to be the case over almost the entire top and bottom, and it is desirable to adopt a shape that allows a uniform load to be applied around the entire circumference. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] X blade, Y backrest, H holder part, h1 sheath, h2 steel material, h3 pocket, h4 bottom plate, h5 through hole, L lock part, 1 frame, 1a top plate, 1b side plate, 1c bottom plate, 1d reinforcing plate, 1e exit hole, 1f exit hole, 2 locking members, 3 Lever bar, 3a Lever bar body, 3b Swing axis, 4 lift guide, 5 bearing, 6 outer frame, 6a recess,

Claims

1. The forklift includes a holder portion into which a blade provided on a forklift is inserted, a tool portion having a predetermined function fixed to the holder portion, and a lock portion that prevents the blade from being detached from the holder, The locking portion is a locking member that moves up and down behind each blade inserted in the holder portion; a lever rod that pushes up the locking member with its tip; a lifting guide that determines the lifting trajectory and lifting posture of the locking member; a bearing that supports the intermediate portion of the lever bar so that the lever bar can swing vertically; a frame supporting the locking member, the lever bar, the lift guide, and the bearing; an outer frame that moves up and down along the side of the frame and pushes down the end of the lever rod by its own weight; The locking member is loaded onto the lifting guide so as to be able to move up and down, a locking member that inserts a tip end of the locking member behind the blade inserted in the holder portion when the outer frame leaves the ground, and that retracts a tip end of the locking member from behind the blade inserted in the holder portion when the outer frame lands and the blade reaches a lower limit of its lift.

2. a plurality of the lever rods are provided, each with a tip end thereof disposed below the locking member; 2. The forklift attachment according to claim 1, further comprising bearings for supporting the intermediate portions of the lever bars so that they can swing vertically.

3. 2. The forklift attachment according to claim 1, wherein the locking member is removably mounted on the lift guide through an upper opening.

4. The landing of the frame is the lower limit of the blade's elevation, 2. The forklift attachment according to claim 1, wherein when the outer frame leaves the ground, the tip of the locking member protrudes to a position corresponding to the back surface of the blade inserted in the holder portion, and when the outer frame lands and the blade reaches its lower limit of lift, the tip of the locking member descends below the underside of the blade inserted in the holder portion.

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