초록 ▼

A method of removing at least one fork from a forklift carriage includes placing a guard on the forklift carriage to interpose the at least one fork between the forklift carriage and the guard, uncoupling the at least one fork from the forklift carriage at a first coupling location, positioning the

A method of removing at least one fork from a forklift carriage includes placing a guard on the forklift carriage to interpose the at least one fork between the forklift carriage and the guard, uncoupling the at least one fork from the forklift carriage at a first coupling location, positioning the at least one fork uncoupled from the forklift carriage at the first coupling location in a fork rack, removing the guard from the forklift carriage, and removing the at least one fork from the forklift carriage. Fork racks, methods, and systems for removing, replacing, and/or storing forks provide additional advantages.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method of removing at least one fork from a forklift carriage, the method comprising: placing a guard on the forklift carriage to interpose the at least one fork between the forklift carriage and the guard, wherein the guard comprises: a first member configured to be couple

What is claimed is: 1. A method of removing at least one fork from a forklift carriage, the method comprising: placing a guard on the forklift carriage to interpose the at least one fork between the forklift carriage and the guard, wherein the guard comprises: a first member configured to be coupled to the forklift carriage, a second member configured to be coupled to the forklift carriage opposite the first member, and a fork interface member extending between the first member and the second member, wherein placing the guard on the forklift carriage to interpose the at least one fork between the forklift carriage and the guard includes interposing the at least one fork between the forklift carriage and the fork interface member; uncoupling the at least one fork from the forklift carriage at a first coupling location; positioning the at least one fork uncoupled from the forklift carriage at the first coupling location in a fork rack; removing the guard from the forklift carriage; and removing the at least one fork from the forklift carriage. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the guard on the forklift carriage includes placing the fork interface member of the guard adjacent to the at least one fork opposite the forklift carriage. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein during positioning of the at least one fork in the fork rack, the guard at least partially maintains the at least one fork coupled to the forklift carriage. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein removing the at least one fork from the forklift carriage includes uncoupling the at least one fork from the forklift carriage at a second coupling location. 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising: recoupling the at least one fork to the forklift carriage at the second coupling location; replacing the guard on the forklift carriage to interpose the at least one fork between the forklift carriage and the guard; removing the at least one fork from the fork rack; and recoupling the at least one fork to the forklift carriage at the first coupling location. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein removing the at least one fork from the fork rack includes applying a sufficient removal force to the at least one fork to overcome a resistive force holding the at least one fork in the fork rack. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the at least one fork includes driving the forklift carriage to align the at least one fork in the fork rack, and further wherein following removing the at least one fork, the forklift carriage is driven away from the fork rack to leave the at least one fork independently maintained by the fork rack. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the guard on the forklift carriage to interpose the at least one fork between the forklift carriage and the guard includes positioning the fork interface member to adjustably secure the at least one fork relative to the forklift carriage during uncoupling of the at least one fork from the forklift carriage and positioning the at least one fork uncoupled from the forklift carriage at the first coupling location in the fork rack. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first member and the second member includes a stop configured to interact with the forklift carriage to facilitate proper positioning of the guard with respect to the forklift carriage and the at least one fork, wherein placing the guard on the forklift carriage to interpose the at least one fork between the forklift carriage and the guard includes sliding the guard onto the forklift carriage until the forklift carriage contacts the stops of the first member and the second member. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein interposing the at least one fork between the forklift carriage and the fork interface member includes securing the at least one fork between the forklift carriage and the fork interface member in a manner decreasing rotation of the at least one fork about a single coupling point between the at least one fork and the forklift carriage. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the fork rack defines a back and a front opposite the back and includes a supporting member extending between the back and the front of the fork rack and a wedge member extending between the back and the front of the fork rack such that the wedge member is positioned substantially nearer the supporting member near the back of the rack than near the front of the rack, wherein the supporting member and the wedge member collectively define a storage space for receiving the at least one fork at the first coupling location. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the forklift carriage includes a first substantially vertical member and a second substantially vertical member opposite the first substantially vertical member, and wherein placing the guard on the forklift carriage to interpose the at least one fork between the forklift carriage and the guard includes sliding the first member of the guard to receive the first substantially vertical member, and sliding the second member of the guard to receive the second substantially vertical member. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first member defines a channel open toward the second member, and the second member defines a channel open toward the first member, wherein placing the guard on the forklift carriage to interpose the at least one fork between the forklift carriage and the guard includes positioning each of the first member and the second member to receive a different portion of the forklift carriage. 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the fork interface member includes two elongated members vertically spaced from one another and each extending between the first member and the second member, wherein placing the guard on the forklift carriage to interpose the at least one fork between the forklift carriage and the guard includes positioning each of the two elongated members to interface with a front face of the at least one fork. 15. A method of removing at least one fork from a forklift carriage, the method comprising: placing a guard on the forklift carriage to interpose the at least one fork between the forklift carriage and the guard; uncoupling the at least one fork from the forklift carriage at a first coupling location; positioning the at least one fork uncoupled from the forklift carriage at the first coupling location in a fork rack, wherein the fork rack defines a back and a front opposite the back and includes a supporting member extending between the back and the front of the fork rack and a wedge member extending between the back and the front of the fork rack such that the wedge member is positioned substantially nearer the supporting member near the back of the rack than near the front of the rack, wherein the supporting member and the wedge member collectively define a storage space for receiving the at least one fork at the first coupling location; removing the guard from the forklift carriage; and removing the at least one fork from the forklift carriage. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the supporting member and the wedge member are adapted to collectively provide a resistive force to the at least one fork upon positioning the at least one fork uncoupled from the forklift carriage at the first coupling location in the fork rack, wherein the resistive force impedes removing the guard from the forklift carriage. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the resistive force compresses the at least one fork between the supporting member and the wedge member. 18. The method of claim 15, wherein the storage space is configured to receive a plurality of forks. 19. The method of claim 15, wherein the fork rack includes at least one support frame configured to be coupled to a supporting surface to decrease inadvertent movement of the fork rack relative to the supporting surface.