Lift Truck Components in More Detail
There are numerous components which make up a lift truck. The forklifts major parts include the truck frame, the engine parts, the overhead guard, the tilt cylinders and the wheels. What's more, a lift truck has different types of attachments. All the components that make up a lift truck are of equal importance as they work together to make the operation of the equipment possible. The following paragraphs describe in detail a few of the forklift parts.
The Overhead Guard - The overhead guard is actually the forklifts metal roof, that sits atop the operator cab. It's job is to protect the operator whilst they are using the equipment. The overhead guard makes sure that nothing falling from above onto the truck would hurt the driver or damage the controls in the cab. The overhead guard is essential to the frame assembly on various models.
The Mast - Mounted either to the front axle or the forklift frame, the mast is the vertical lift truck component made of interlocking rails. The mast allows the forks to move up and downwards while providing lateral stability. The interlocking rails can either have rollers or bushings as guides. There are a couple of ways the mast may be operated: hydraulically by one or more hydraulic cylinders or chain operated with motive power provided by a hydraulic motor.
Forklift Carriage - the forks and different other attachments are mounted to the carriage. The carriage is connected to the mast directly to the hydraulic cylinder or it is connected by chains. To allow 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 - a back rest is a metal rack which prevents a load from falling backwards while the carriage is lifted to its full height. The back rest is either bolted or welded on to the carriage.
Forklift Attachments - There are various kinds of attachments that can be fixed directly to the lift truck's carriage. Forks are the most common type of attachment. What's more, there are L-shaped members, rollers, rotators, roll clamps, pole handlers and and all that. These different attachments are helpful for transporting different types of loads.