Fork Trucks

Modern fork trucks as we know them were invented in the 1920s by companies such as Yale and Towne Manufacturing. World War II sped up the development of the fork truck, because they were used in the war effort. Also called forklifts or reach trucks, they are designed to lift and move heavy loads over short distances, such as within the confines of a warehouse or on a production site.

Fork trucks can lift loads up to six metres into the air and can manoeuvre in tight spaces due to their compact size and tight turning circle. They employ rear-wheel steering for greater manoeuvrability.

Many attachments are available for fork trucks, depending on the type of loads that are lifted. A fork positioner moves the forks closer together or further apart to allow adjustability for different sized loads. Telescopic forks are useful when double rows of goods are stored tightly against each other, with little or no space in between. Consideration should be given to the varying centre of gravity when lifting and telescoping loads further away from the fork truck body, to avoid tipping over.

The sideshift attachment is used for moving the backrest and forks laterally to better position loads. This obviates the need to move the entire fork truck when it is not precisely lined up with the aperture into which the load should be deposited.

Poles can be fitted instead of the normal forks for lifting special items such as rolled-up fabrics, carpets or rolls of paper. Clamping attachments are used when a load should be clamped or squeezed from either side in order to lift it, like bales or cardboard boxes.

In fact, fork trucks are very configurable and can be modified and accessorised to lift and move almost any kind of load.

 

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