Forklift Components in More Detail
There are hundreds of components which make up a forklift. The forklifts main components consist of the truck frame, the engine parts, the tilt cylinders, the overhead guard and the wheels. Moreover, a lift truck has different kinds of attachments. All the components making up a forklift are all essential as they work together to make the operation of the machinery possible. The subsequent paragraphs describe in detail several of the lift truck 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 whilst they are utilizing the equipment. The overhead guard makes sure that nothing falling from above onto the truck would damage the controls inside the cab or injure the driver. The overhead guard is essential to the frame assembly on some models.
The Mast - the mast is a vertical assembly made of interlocking rails and mounted either to the forklift frame or the front axle. The mast provides lateral stability and enables the forks to move upwards and down. The interlocking rails can either have bushings or bushings as guides. There are a couple of ways the mast can be operated: chain operated with motive power provided by a hydraulic motor or hydraulically by one or more hydraulic cylinders.
Forklift Carriage - the forks and different other kinds of 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 bushings or rollers to guide it in the interlocking mast rails.
Load Back Rest - a back rest is a metal rack which keeps a load from falling backwards when the carriage is lifted to its full height. The back rest is either bolted or welded on to the carriage.
Lift Truck Attachments - There are various attachments that can be fixed directly to the forklifts carriage. Forks are the most common attachment. Furthermore, there are rollers, rotators, L-shaped members, roll clamps, pole handlers and so forth. These various types of attachments are very useful for transporting different types of loads.