Forklift Components in More Detail
A lift truck is made of numerous parts. The major parts which make up a forklift truck are the frame of the truck, the engine parts, the overhead guard, the tilt cylinders and the wheels. Also, a lift truck consists of a variety of attachments. All the components which make up a lift truck are all important as they work together to make the functions of the equipment possible. The following paragraphs describe several of the forklift components in detail.
The Overhead Guard - The overhead guard is actually the lift truck's metal roof, that sits atop the operator cab. It's job is to protect the operator whilst they are utilizing the machine. The overhead guard makes sure that nothing falling from above onto the truck would damage the controls in the cab or harm the operator. The overhead guard is vital to the frame assembly on several models.
The Mast - Mounted either to the forklift frame or the front axle, the mast is the vertical forklift part made of interlocking rails. The mast allows the forks to move upwards and down while providing lateral stability. The interlocking rails could either have rollers or bushings as guides. There are a couple of ways the mast could be operated: hydraulically by one or more hydraulic cylinders or chain operated with motive power provided by a hydraulic motor.
Lift Truck Carriage - The carriage is the component which the forks and various other types of attachments are mounted to. The carriage is in fact directly connected to the hydraulic cylinder and is connected by chains. To enable the forks to be raised and lowered, the carriage may have either rollers or bushings to guide it in the interlocking mast rails.
Load Back Rest - When the carriage is lifted to full height, there is a back rest made of metal which prevents a load from falling backwards. The back rest is either bolted or welded on to the carriage.
Lift Truck Attachments - There are numerous kinds of attachments which could be fixed directly to the forklifts carriage. Forks are the most common type of attachment. Additionally, there are rollers, rotators, L-shaped members, pole handlers, roll clamps and so on. These various attachments are useful for moving various types of loads.