Lift truck parallel arm clamp for compatibly maximizing operator visibility and load-carrying capacity.

摘要

A load-handling parallel arm clamp structure (10) for a lift truck comprises a slide guide frame (14) having respective upper and lower pairs of elongate, parallel, vertically-spaced transverse slide guides (20, 22) with load-arm supporting slide members (26, 28) longitudinally movable thereon alternatively toward or away from one another in a mutually overlapping longitudinal relationship. Each slide member (26, 28) at least partially surrounds the respective slide guide (20, 22) upon which it is mounted, and each slide guide in turn at least partially surrounds a respective piston and cylinder assembly (44, 46) for moving the slides relative to the guides. The upper and lower pairs of guides (20, 22) are separated by a wide, unobstructed central vertical space through which the operator can view in a forward direction, such space being unoccupied by any view-impeding piston and cylinder assemblies due to their placement inside the guides. A compact fluid manifold (54) and valve arrangement (56) for controlling the piston and cylinder assemblies, together with the space-saving cylinder-enclosing slide guides (20, 22), minimize the thickness of the entire assembly in the forward direction to maximize load-carrying capacity compatibly with the high degree of operator visibility provided.