Forklift Components in More Detail
There are numerous components which make up a forklift. The lift truck's major components consist of the truck frame, the engine components, the overhead guard, the tilt cylinders and the wheels. Moreover, a forklift consists of different kinds of attachments. All the parts making up a forklift are of equal importance because they work together to make the operation of the equipment possible. The next paragraphs describe in detail some of the lift truck components.
The Overhead Guard - this guard forms the lift truck's metal roof. It sits above the cab area and protects the equipment operator whilst she or he is sitting and driving. The overhead guard makes sure that nothing falling from above onto the truck would hurt the operator or damage the controls in the cab. The overhead guard is vital to the frame assembly on some units.
The Mast - Mounted either to the front axle or the forklift frame, the mast is the vertical lift truck part made of interlocking rails. The mast allows the forks to move up and downwards whilst providing lateral stability. The interlocking rails can either have rollers or bushings as guides. There are two 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 other types of attachments are mounted to the carriage. The carriage is connected to the mast directly to the hydraulic cylinder or it is attached by chains. To enable the forks to be lowered and raised, 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 that keeps a load from falling backwards when the carriage is raised to its full height. The back rest is either welded or bolted on to the carriage.
Lift Truck Attachments - a variety of attachments may be fixed to the front of the lift truck. The most common type of attachment is forks. What's more, there are L-shaped members, rotators, rollers, roll clamps, pole handlers and so forth. These different attachments are useful for transporting various types of loads.