US-20260125256-A1 - LOAD RETAINING APPARATUS FOR A FORKLIFT

US20260125256A1US 20260125256 A1US20260125256 A1US 20260125256A1US-20260125256-A1

Abstract

A load retaining apparatus for retaining a load on forklift prongs a body with an upper surface for supporting the load and which defines a stop-receiving opening in the upper surface of the body. A stop is mounted to the body and is movable between a stored position and a deployed position. When in the stored position, the stop is positioned below the upper surface of the body, and in the deployed position the stop extends upwardly through the stop-receiving opening of the body. An actuator is operatively coupled to the stop and is configured to move the stop from the stored position to the deployed position when the load is positioned on the upper surface of the body.

Inventors

Ziad Adam

Assignees

Ziad Adam

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20241107

Claims (19)

1 . A load retaining apparatus comprising: a body having an upper surface for supporting a load, the body defining a stop-receiving opening in the upper surface of the body; a stop being movably mounted to the body, the stop being movable between a stored position and a deployed position, the stop being positioned below the upper surface of the body when the stop is in the stored position, the stop extending upwardly through the stop-receiving opening of the body when the stop is in the deployed position; and an actuator operatively coupled to the stop, the actuator being configured to move the stop from the stored position to the deployed position when the load is positioned on the upper surface of the body.
2 . The load retaining apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body defines an interior space therein, the body defining an opening to the interior space at the back end of the body, the interior space being sized and configured to receive a prong of a forklift therein through the opening.
3 . The load retaining apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a mounting assembly coupled to the body at the back end, the mounting assembly being configured to attach the body to the prong of the forklift.
4 . The load retaining apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the mounting assembly comprises a pair of plates spaced laterally from each other with respect to the body, each plate of the pair of plates defining hole, the holes of the pair of plates being aligned with each other, the hole of each plate of the pair of plates being configured to receive a fastener therethrough.
5 . The load retaining apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body has a front portion with a top surface which is angled downwardly from the upper surface of the body to a front end of the body.
6 . The load retaining apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the stop is biased toward the stored position.
7 . The load retaining apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a stop opening door coupled to the body, the stop opening door being movable to alternately open and close the stop-receiving opening.
8 . The load retaining apparatus of claim 1 , wherein: the body defines an actuator-receiving opening in the upper surface of the body, the actuator-receiving opening being positioned closer to a back end of the body than the stop-receiving opening; and the actuator comprises a protrusion mechanically coupled to the stop, the protrusion being movable with respect to the body through the actuator-receiving opening, the protrusion extending through the actuator-receiving opening when the stop is positioned in the stored position, the protrusion being depressible through the actuator-receiving opening to urge the stop to the deployed position.
9 . The load retaining apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the actuator further comprises a lever coupling the protrusion to the stop, the lever being pivotably mounted to the body.
10 . The load retaining apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising an actuator opening door coupled to the body, the actuator opening door being movable to alternately open and close the actuator-receiving opening.
11 . The load retaining apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a drive mechanism operatively coupled to the stop, further comprising a user interface operatively coupled to the drive mechanism, the user interface being positioned remotely from the body.
12 . The load retaining apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the actuator further comprises a lever pivotably mounted to the body, the lever coupling the drive mechanism to the stop, the drive mechanism comprising a motor.
13 . The load retaining apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a drive mechanism operatively coupled to the stop, further comprising a sensor operatively coupled to the drive mechanism, the sensor being configured to detect when the load is positioned on the upper surface of the body, the drive mechanism being configured to urge the stop toward the deployed position in response to the sensor detecting the load being positioned on the upper surface of the body.
14 . The load retaining apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the actuator further comprises a lever pivotably mounted to the body, the lever coupling the drive mechanism to the stop, the drive mechanism comprising a motor.
15 . A load retaining apparatus comprising: a body having an upper surface for supporting a load, the body defining a stop-receiving opening in the upper surface of the body, the body defining an interior space therein, the body defining an opening to the interior space at the back end of the body, the interior space being sized and configured to receive a prong of a forklift therein through the opening, the body having a front portion with a top surface which is angled downwardly from the upper surface of the body to a front end of the body; a stop being movably mounted to the body, the stop being movable between a stored position and a deployed position, the stop being positioned below the upper surface of the body when the stop is in the stored position, the stop extending upwardly through the stop-receiving opening of the body when the stop is in the deployed position, the stop being biased toward the stored position; an actuator operatively coupled to the stop, the actuator being configured to move the stop between the stored position and the deployed position when the load is positioned on the upper surface of the body; a stop opening door coupled to the body, the stop opening door being movable to alternately open and close the stop-receiving opening; a mounting assembly coupled to the body at the back end, the mounting assembly being configured to attach the body to the prong of the forklift, the mounting assembly comprising a pair of plates spaced laterally from each other with respect to the body, each plate of the pair of plates defining a pair of holes, each hole of the pair of holes of each plate aligning with an associated hole of the pair of holes of another plate of the pair of plates, each hole being configured to receive a fastener therethrough.
16 . The load retaining apparatus of claim 15 : wherein the body defines an actuator-receiving opening in the upper surface of the body, the actuator-receiving opening being positioned closer to a back end of the body than the stop-receiving opening; wherein the actuator comprises a lever and a protrusion, the lever coupling the protrusion to the stop, the lever being pivotably mounted to the body, the protrusion being movable with respect to the body through the actuator-receiving opening, the protrusion extending through the actuator-receiving opening when the stop is positioned in the stored position, the protrusion being depressible through the actuator-receiving opening to urge the stop to the deployed position; and further comprising an actuator opening door coupled to the body, the actuator opening door being movable to alternately open and close the actuator-receiving opening.
17 . The load retaining apparatus of claim 15 wherein the actuator comprises: a lever pivotably mounted to the body and coupled to the stop; and a motor coupled to the lever, the motor being operable to move the stop via the lever.
18 . The load retaining apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising a user interface operatively coupled to the drive mechanism, the user interface being positioned remotely from the body.
19 . The load retaining apparatus of claim 17 , a sensor operatively coupled to the motor, the sensor being configured to detect when the load is positioned on the upper surface of the body, the motor being configured to urge the stop toward the deployed position in response to the sensor detecting the load being positioned on the upper surface of the body.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS Not Applicable STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT Not Applicable THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT Not Applicable INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM Not Applicable STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR Not Applicable BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention The disclosure relates to load retaining apparatuses and more particularly pertains to a new load retaining apparatus for retaining a load on forklift prongs or other material handling devices. (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 The prior art relates to material handling apparatuses including various forms of forklift tines or prongs. U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,286 discloses pallet stops which mount to forklift tines to align a pallet on the forklift tines and to prevent the front ends of the tines from protruding out of the pallet. However, the prior art fails to describe a load retainer mechanism mounted in a forklift tine which actuates a stop in front of a load to prevent the load from sliding forward off of the forklift tine. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a body with an upper surface for supporting a load and which defines a stop-receiving opening in the upper surface of the body. A stop is mounted to the body and is movable between a stored position and a deployed position. When in the stored position, the stop is positioned below the upper surface of the body, and in the deployed position the stop extends upwardly through the stop-receiving opening of the body. An actuator is operatively coupled to the stop and is configured to move the stop from the stored position to the deployed position when the load is positioned on the upper surface of the body. There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a load retaining apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 2 is a top view of a pair of embodiments of the disclosure in-use on a pair of forklift prongs. FIG. 3 is a cross section view of an embodiment of the disclosure taken from Line 3-3 in FIG. 2 in which a stop is in a deployed position. FIG. 4 is a cross section view of an embodiment of the disclosure taken from Line 3-3 in FIG. 2 in which a stop is in a stored position. FIG. 5 is a rear view of an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 6 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 7 is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure in-use on a forklift prong and supporting a load thereon. FIG. 8 is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure in-use on a forklift prong and supporting a load thereon. FIG. 9 is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure in-use on a forklift prong and supporting a load thereon. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 9 thereof, a new load retaining apparatus embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described. As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 9, the load retaining apparatus 10 generally comprises a body 12 with an upper surface 14 for supporting a load 72. The body 12 defines a stop-receiving opening 18 in the upper surface 14 of the body 12 and an interior space 16 within the body 12. The body 12 also defines an opening 22 to the interior space 16 at the back end 24 of the body 12. The interior space 16 is sized and configured to receive a prong 64 of a forklift 62 therein through the opening 22. The body 12 may also be shaped and sized to fit over a pallet jack or other material handling device. The body 12 also has a front portion 28 with a top surface 30 which is angled downwardly from the upper surface 14 of the body 12 to a front end 26 of the body 12. A stop 32 is mounted to the body 12 and is movable between a