Pallet clamping device

A pallet clamping device (100) is mounted between forks (202) of a material handling vehicle (200). The device clamps to a stringer of a pallet using a pair of horizontally moveable jaws (102, 108). The jaws are resiliently forced toward one another for clamping a stringer so that a clamped pallet will not move off the forks. The jaws are mounted for pivoting and sliding motion relative to mounting pins (106, 112) which, together with links (143) coupling the jaws to a base (142) of the device, tighten jaw closure if a pallet moves away from the forks. The pivoting and sliding motion of the jaws helps align the jaws with pallets not perfectly aligned with the vehicle. Depression of a foot pedal (120) moves the jaws from a closed position to a latched open position for receiving a pallet stringer. The jaws can also be moved to an unlatched open position for receiving a greater width center stringer. Upon release of the operating device from the unlatched open position, the jaws move toward their closed position.