Forklift Scale Attachment Nesting Between Masts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lift truck attachments that include scales often extend the profile of the lift truck, reducing its lifting capacity and making installation and removal difficult.
Innovation Solution
A lift truck attachment system with a carriage that fits partially between the masts, featuring support brackets, upper and lower carriage supports, and a weighing device with a base portion and carriage scale, secured via attachments that extend into the space between the masts, allowing for easy installation and minimal profile extension.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If additional attachments are added to extend the profile of the lift truck, then the scale measurement function is improved, but the lifting capacity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The weighing device is nested within the carriage structure, with the base portion integrated into the carriage support. The carriage itself is designed to fit between the masts, creating a nested configuration where the scale attachment does not extend the overall profile beyond the mast spacing, thereby maintaining lifting capacity while providing measurement functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of extending the profile horizontally beyond the masts, the attachment utilizes the vertical dimension by positioning the weighing device between the upper and lower carriage supports. The attachments extend vertically into the space between masts rather than horizontally, changing the dimensional approach to avoid reducing lifting capacity.
2Measurement precision
If additional attachments are added to include a scale, then the measurement function is improved, but the profile extension is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The weighing device is nested within the carriage structure, with the base portion integrated into the carriage support. The carriage itself is designed to fit between the masts, creating a nested configuration where the scale attachment does not extend the overall profile beyond the mast spacing, thereby maintaining lifting capacity while providing measurement functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment system is designed to be removable and reconfigurable. The weighing device can be installed or removed from the carriage support, and the attachments can be repositioned, providing dynamic adaptability that allows the profile to remain compact when the scale is not needed while still enabling measurement functionality when required.
3Measurement precision
If additional attachments are added to extend the profile, then the scale measurement function is improved, but the ease of installation and removal is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is divided into separate modular components: the base portion, the weighing device, and the attachments. The base portion is secured to the carriage support, while the weighing device can be independently installed or removed from the base portion. This segmentation allows for easy maintenance and installation without requiring complete disassembly of the entire attachment system.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment system is designed to be removable and reconfigurable. The weighing device can be installed or removed from the carriage support, and the attachments can be repositioned, providing dynamic adaptability that allows for easy installation and removal while maintaining secure operation during use.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure describes a lift truck attachment system that includes a lift truck carriage with an upper carriage support and a lower carriage support secured between two support brackets. The lift truck carriage is dimensioned to fit at least partially between opposing masts of a lift truck, such that the upper and lower carriage supports do not extend substantially beyond a forward surface of the mast. A device assembly, is mounted to the lift truck carriage, the device assembly including a base portion removably secured to the upper and/or lower carriage supports via one or more attachments. The device assembly can include a carriage scale removably secured to the base portion, the carriage scale configured to support load handling fixtures, such as a lift fork. In some examples, a single carriage support is used.