Forklift Components in More Detail
A lift truck is constructed from numerous components. The main parts which make up a lift truck are the frame of the truck, the engine components, the overhead guard, the wheels and the tilt cylinders. In addition, a lift truck consists of a variety of attachments. All the parts that make up a forklift are all important because they work together to make the machine's functions possible. The following paragraphs describe some of the lift truck components in detail.
The Overhead Guard - The overhead guard is really the lift truck's metal roof, which sits atop the operator cab. It's job is to protect the operator while they are utilizing the machine. The overhead guard makes sure that nothing falling from above onto the truck will damage the controls inside the cab or injure the driver. The overhead guard is vital to the frame assembly on various 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 up and down. The interlocking rails could 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.
Lift Truck Carriage - The carriage is the part 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 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 which prevents a load from falling backwards when the carriage is raised to its full height. The back rest is either bolted or welded on to the carriage.
Forklift Attachments - a variety of attachments may be fixed to the front of the forklift truck. The most common kind of attachment is forks. What's more, there are L-shaped members, rotators, rollers, pole handlers, roll clamps and so on. These various attachments are helpful for transporting different kinds of loads.