Forklift Components in More Detail
There are many parts that make up a forklift. The lift truck's major components include the frame of the truck, the engine components, the tilt cylinders, the overhead guard and the wheels. Furthermore, a forklift consists of a range of attachments. All the parts that make up a forklift are of equal importance because they work together to make the machine's operation possible. The next paragraphs describe in detail several of the forklift components.
The Overhead Guard - this guard forms the forklift truck's metal roof. It sits on top of the cab area and protects the equipment operator while he or she is sitting and driving. The overhead guard ensures that nothing falling from above onto the truck would injure the driver or damage the controls in the cab. The overhead guard is vital to the frame assembly on some models.
The Mast - the mast is a vertical assembly made of interlocking rails and mounted either to the front axle or the forklift frame. The mast provides lateral stability and enables the forks to move up and downwards. The interlocking rails may either have bushings or bushings as guides. There are a couple of ways the mast could be operated: hydraulically by one or more hydraulic cylinders or chain operated with motive power provided by a hydraulic motor.
Forklift Carriage - the forks and various other kinds 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. In order to allow the forks to be lowered and raised, the carriage can have either rollers or bushings to guide it in the interlocking mast rails.
Load Back Rest - While the carriage is lifted to full height, there is a back rest made of metal which keeps a load from falling backwards. The back rest is either welded or bolted on to the carriage.
Forklift Attachments - There are numerous attachments that can be fixed directly to the forklifts carriage. Forks are the most common type of attachment. Moreover, there are L-shaped members, rollers, rotators, roll clamps, pole handlers and so forth. These different kinds of attachments are handy for moving different kinds of loads.