Proposed Idea for better clamp on forks.

[GeneV]

Gonna toss this out into the meat grinder to get shredded. If anybody likes it and decides to produce it, remember, I get the first million bucks. Maybe @kennyd ???

If you have ideas, let'em sail.

If you hate it, that's OK too.

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Typical Clamp On Forks as shown in left sketch clamp on to the lip of the bucket with a screw clamp that prevents the load from passing that point. The entire load is forward of the bucket edge which can lead to bending and greatly reduced capacity.


Proposed version on the right would allow much of the load to sit back of the lip and against the top edge of the bucket, bringing part of the weight further back towards the pins. This would reduce or eliminate the risk of bending the bucket lip and reduce the loss of capacity.

Back end of forks would be perforated every two inches or so to allow placement of the uprights for different depths of buckets --- square holes for carriage bolts maybe. Uprights would have female threads and screw down tight on the top of the forks. There would still be a small lip over the edge of the bucket lip to help with position retention, but would bear little if any force. This could be a spring clamp/force fit of some kind. A cross brace could still be used also.

Most all buckets have some kind of top edge for strength, angle, channel, square tube, etc. Top of uprights would seat behind this edge to keep them from moving forward. Clamping force would be provided by a turnbuckle type of assembly similar to a top link that should provide sufficient force for locking into position without putting stress on the bucket.

Quick sketch that doesn't show a lot of detail. There would have to be some sort of gap between the bucket and the bottom of the forks to allow for a pallet to slide back over the bucket edge.



View attachment 761206


Too stupid for TBN????

That's definitely an improvement on the standard bolt on forks, but my only question is why this as opposed to getting a set of ssqi forks (besides price)?

 

[Vigo327]

Use both ssqa forks and clamp on forks at different times and find them very useful. Sometimes being able to have clamp on forks wider than 4’ on a bucket helpful.

That’s why i dont understand the hate towards clamp on forks.. It’s not as if they preclude you from getting ssqa forks, more like ‘some forks for now, maybe some more/better ones later’. If anything i think someone who doesnt want to spend for ssqa forks right now SHOULD buy clamp on forks immediately because they’re much better than nothing and can be lent out, repurposed, or just used differently than ‘conventional’ forks if and when you end up with them. They can be modded onto a 3pt trailer mover/drawbar, etc etc.

I really hope noone ever finally bought their ‘real’ forks and said “im still mad about the $100-odd bucks i spent on clamp on forks, and i still want it back!”. Even if i never used them again they’d just be in my ‘ingredients pile’ and end up part of something else just like every other longish cut of channel, square tube, rectangular tube, etc.