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DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a combined lifting and tilting device for cases.

Forklift trucks or trolleys are known to load and unload goods, for example, loaded on pallets (manual and electric trans-pallets).

A very simple lift truck type is considered herein, consisting of a couple of parallel forks liftable by means of motorized means controlled by the operator by means of a control grip.

The movement of said forks is vertical.

The operator uses this type of traditional device to vertically lift cases, caissons and plastic bins for fruits or vegetables, for example.

However, the problem often occurs to transfer said heavy cases onto exposition means inclined such as to promote viewing the goods by the public interested in the purchase.

The final displacement of the case from the lift truck vertical to the inclined display counter is done by hand by the operator with great fatigue and risk. The above problem especially occurs in the wholesale markets, e.g. in fruit and vegetable market, in hypermarkets, supermarkets and also in shops where the cases from storage or collection sites are directly displayed.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a device adapted to progressively tilting the case during its lifting for the support to the inclined exposition means without the aforesaid problems.

In accordance with the invention, such an object is achieved by a combined progressive lifting and tilting device for cases, characterized in that it comprises a horizontal support plate, a couple of parallel vertical plates soldered to said support plate, a first hinge orthogonal and rotatably coupled to the two vertical plates and to first rotatable superficial support means of the case, a second hinge orthogonal and rotatably coupled to the two vertical plates and to second rotatable superficial support means of the case, a couple of vertical lifting section bars for the case held parallel to each other by means of at least a stiff rod, rotatably connected to said first support means by a further hinge and having guides along which roll bearings slide rotatably supported by the second support means, said section bars being liftable by means of lifting means, thus causing the reciprocal rotation in opposite direction of said support means and therefore the progressive tilting of the case loaded thereon.

These and other features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a practical embodiment thereof, disclosed by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which: figure 1 shows a top plan view of the device; figure 2 shows a side view of the device in low position; figure 3 shows a side view of the device in raised position.

A combined progressive lifting and tilting device 1 for cases 50 containing goods may be appreciated from the figures.

Points A, B, C and D of case 50 have been identified in figures 2 and 3 to facilitate the understanding of the rotation experienced by the case 50.

In the present non-limiting embodiment, reference will be made to cases of fruit and vegetable products, but the invention may be used for cases or support pallets for any type of goods such as metal carpentry, taps and fitting products, etc.

Device 1 comprises a horizontal ground support plate 2, a couple of parallel vertical plates 7 soldered to said support plate 2, which support a leverage 3 adapted to allow to vertically lift a couple of section bars 4 held parallel to each other by means of an upper stiff rod 5 and a lower stiff rod 6, parallel to each other and orthogonal to the section bars 4.

The section bars 4 are shaped so as to allow to support the case to be lifted above, and the coupling with lifting forks 30 of a traditional lift truck below. Said leverage 3 comprises a first hinge 10 orthogonal and rotatably coupled to the two vertical plates 7 and to the support arms 15 of an "L" shaped, rotating plate 11 for the forward support (point A) of case 50, and a second hinge 12 orthogonal and rotatably coupled to the two vertical plates 7 and to a parallelepiped rod 13 for the back support (section AD) of case 50. The section bars 4 are rotatably connected to the arms 15 by means of a further hinge 16.

The lifting and tilting mechanism is completed by roll bearings 17 rotatably integral with the rod 13 and sliding on guides 18 of the section bars 4, and further case sliding bearings 19 rotatably integral with the section bars 4.

Device 1 according to the present invention is functionally movable between a low case loading position and a raised case tilting and later unloading position (figures 2 and 3, respectively, figure 3 also showing for convenience device 1 in a low position to better understand the kinematic system thereof).

When device 1 is in a low resting position, the case 50 is loaded on the section bars 4 and the lift truck is positioned so as the lifting forks 30 abut below the section bars 4; positioning the trolley is facilitated by windows 20 in which the wheels below the forks 30 are firmly engaged. The operator activates the command for lifting the forks 30 and the section bars 4 are then vertically lifted. At the same time, the arms 15 begin progressively tilting in light of the two hinges 10 and 16 by means of which they are connected to the vertical fixed plates 7 and to the raising section bars 4, respectively. The rod 13 is also progressively inclined but in the opposite direction because the roll bearings 17 roll along the guides 18 thus supporting the raising of the section bars 4, and the end of rod 13 remains hinged to the fixed vertical plates 7.

Raising the section bars 4 by means of the lift truck substantially cause the rotation (tilting) of the arms 15 and of the rod 13 in the opposite directions, and hence of the forward support plate 11 and of the back support roller 25, respectively.

Plate 1 1 in turn rotates with respect to the arms 15.

This results in the case 50 raising and progressively tilting (rotating) while taking a position matching with that of a display trolley (not shown).

Plate 11 supports the head (point A) of case 50, rod 13 and roller 25 support the base (section AD) of the case.

Device 1 permits to bring the tilted case 50 to such a height as to allow a movable exposition means to be inserted from below, consisting of two inclined parallel bars 40 held together by stiff transversal rods 41. A further removable bar 42 acts as a support for the case head once the device 1 has been lowered by operating the lift truck.

The case is then gently supported by the movable exposition means from the loading zone to the case exposition zone with high ease due to the support wheels.

The above-described device 1 may be made even more flexible by making the arms 15 and the rod 13 telescopically extendable, for example, and/or rotatable about an axis which is coplanar to the surface of the case supported by the respective superficial support means 13, 15 and orthogonal to said hinges 10, 12, 16.