Various
components of forklift are briefly described below:-
Truck Frame - is the base of
the
machine to which the mast, axles, wheels, counterweight, overhead guard
and
power source are attached. The frame may have fuel and hydraulic fluid
tanks
constructed as part of the frame assembly.
Counterweight - is a mass
attached to
the rear of the forklift truck frame. The purpose of the counterweight
is to
counterbalance the load being lifted. In an electric forklift the large
lead-acid battery itself may serve as part of the counterweight.
Cab - is the area that contains
a seat
for the operator along with the control pedals, steering
wheel, levers, switches and a dashboard containing
operator
readouts. The cab area may be open air or enclosed, but it is covered
by the
cage-like overhead guard assembly. The 'Cab' can also be equipped with
a Cab
Heater for cold climate countries.
Overhead Guard - is a
metal roof supported by posts at each corner of the cab that
helps
protect the operator from any falling objects. On some forklifts, the
overhead
guard is an integrated part of the frame assembly.
Power Source - may consist of
an internal combustion engine that can be powered by LP
gas, CNG gas, gasoline or diesel fuel. Electric
forklifts
are powered by either a battery or fuel cells that
provides
power to the electric motors. The electric motors used on a forklift
may be
either DC or AC types.
Tilt Cylinders - are hydraulic
cylinders that are mounted to the truck frame and the mast. The tilt
cylinders
pivot the mast to assist in engaging a load.
Mast - is the vertical assembly
that
does the work of raising and lowering the load. It is made up of
interlocking
rails that also provide lateral stability. The interlocking rails may
either
have rollers or bushings as guides. The mast is
driven hydraulically, and
operated by one or more hydraulic cylinders directly or using chains
from the
cylinder/s. It may be mounted to the front axle or the frame of the
forklift.
Carriage - is the component to
which
the forks or other attachments mount. It is mounted into and moves up
and down
the mast rails by means of chains or by being directly attached to the
hydraulic cylinder. Like the mast, the carriage may have either rollers
or
bushings to guide it in the interlocking mast rails.
Load Back Rest - is a rack-like
extension that is either bolted or welded to the carriage in order to
prevent
the load from shifting backward when the carriage is lifted to full
height.
Attachments - may consist of
forks or
tines that are the L-shaped members that engage the load. A variety of
other
types of material handling attachments are available. Some attachments
include
sideshifters, slipsheet attachments, carton clamps, multipurpose
clamps,
rotators, fork positioners, carpet poles, pole handlers, container
handlers and
roll clamps.
