Forklift Components in More Detail
There are many parts which make up a lift truck. The forklifts main parts comprise the frame of the truck, the engine components, the overhead guard, the tilt cylinders and the wheels. Furthermore, a forklift consists of various kinds of attachments. All the components making up a forklift are all important since they work together to make the functions of the equipment possible. The next paragraphs describe in detail some of the forklift components.
The Overhead Guard - The overhead guard is really the lift truck's metal roof, that sits atop the operator cab. It's job is to protect the operator while they are utilizing the machine. The overhead guard ensures that nothing falling from above onto the truck would injure the operator or damage the controls inside the cab. The overhead guard is essential to the frame assembly on several units.
The Mast - Mounted either to the forklift frame or the front axle, the mast is the vertical forklift component made of interlocking rails. The mast allows the forks to move upwards and down whilst providing lateral stability. The interlocking rails could either have rollers or bushings as guides. There are two ways the mast could be operated: chain operated with motive power provided by a hydraulic motor or hydraulically by one or more hydraulic cylinders.
Forklift Carriage - The carriage is the component that the forks and other kinds of attachments are mounted to. The carriage is in fact directly connected to the hydraulic cylinder and is attached by chains. To be able to allow the forks to be raised and lowered, the carriage can have either bushings or rollers to guide it in the interlocking mast rails.
Load Back Rest - a back rest is a metal rack that keeps a load from falling backwards when the carriage is lifted to its full height. The back rest is either welded or bolted on to the carriage.
Lift Truck Attachments - a range of attachments may be fixed to the front of the lift truck. The most common attachment is forks. Furthermore, there are L-shaped members, rotators, rollers, roll clamps, pole handlers and and all that. These different kinds of attachments are handy for transporting different types of loads.