Lift truck mast hose reeving system with chain guideway
First Claim
1. A mast assembly for a materials handling vehicle, the mast assembly including an inner rail, the inner rail having a pair of parallel columns, an outer rail, the outer rail having a pair of parallel columns, the inner rail being engaged in the outer rail for movement relative thereto, a hydraulic line extending to the inner rail, the line having a pair of ends, one end of the line being fixed relative to the vehicle and the other end of the line being fixed relative to the inner rail, at least a portion of the line comprising a flexible hose, the flexible hose extending to the inner rail and means for reeving the flexible hose between the inner rail and the outer rail, the means for reeving comprising a hollow chain, the hollow chain including a plurality of links, means for pivoting the links relative to one another, the hollow chain defining a guideway, the flexible hose being positioned within the guideway, the hollow chain having a pair of ends, means fixing one end of the chain to the outer rail and means fixing the other end of the chain to the inner rail.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Hydraulic hose lines between an inner rail and an adjacent outer rail of a lift truck mast are reeved within a hollow chain guideway. Opposite ends of the chain are fixed to vertical channels; one channel is mounted to the outer rail and the other, to a center support of the inner rail, with the lowermost portion of the chain looped between the channels. The distance between the chain portions seated in each channel provides an unobstructed operator viewing window. Elevating the inner rail causes the chain to progressively separate from the outer rail channel and engage the inner rail channel while lowering of the inner rail causes the chain to separate from the inner rail channel and engage the outer rail channel.
30 Citations
20 Claims
- 1. A mast assembly for a materials handling vehicle, the mast assembly including an inner rail, the inner rail having a pair of parallel columns, an outer rail, the outer rail having a pair of parallel columns, the inner rail being engaged in the outer rail for movement relative thereto, a hydraulic line extending to the inner rail, the line having a pair of ends, one end of the line being fixed relative to the vehicle and the other end of the line being fixed relative to the inner rail, at least a portion of the line comprising a flexible hose, the flexible hose extending to the inner rail and means for reeving the flexible hose between the inner rail and the outer rail, the means for reeving comprising a hollow chain, the hollow chain including a plurality of links, means for pivoting the links relative to one another, the hollow chain defining a guideway, the flexible hose being positioned within the guideway, the hollow chain having a pair of ends, means fixing one end of the chain to the outer rail and means fixing the other end of the chain to the inner rail.
- 16. A hose reeving system for hydraulic hose extending between a pair of interengaged rails of materials handling equipment, the hose reeving system comprising a chain, the chain including a plurality of interengaged links, each link having a pair of spaced parallel end panels joined by a pair of spaced parallel face panels, the end panels and the face panels defining a hollow guideway, means pivotally interconnecting successive links of the chain, a hydraulic hose, the hose being carried in the guideway, means for aligning the links of a portion of the chain adjacent one end in substantially a first plane, means for aligning links of a portion of the chain adjacent the other end in substantially a second plane, the first plane and the second plane being spaced from one another to provide unobstructed operator view, a lateral portion of the chain extending between the planes, means for configuring the lateral portion of the chain in a curve, successive links of the chain separating from the first plane and forming the lateral portion and successive links of the lateral portion separating from the lateral portion and lying in the second plane when the rails are moved relative to one another in one direction, successive links of the second plane separating from the second plane and forming the lateral portion, successive links of the lateral portion separating from the lateral portion and lying within the first plane when the rails are moved relative to one another in the opposite direction.
Specification