Forklift Components in More Detail
A lift truck is constructed from numerous parts. The major parts that make up a lift truck are the frame of the truck, the engine components, the overhead guard, the wheels and the tilt cylinders. Additionally, a forklift has a variety of attachments. All the parts that make up a forklift are of equal importance as they work together to make the machine's operation possible. The subsequent paragraphs describe in detail some of the lift truck parts.
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 equipment. The overhead guard makes sure that nothing falling from above onto the truck will damage the controls in the cab or hurt the driver. The overhead guard is vital to the frame assembly on some models.
The Mast - Mounted either to the front axle or the forklift frame, the mast is the vertical forklift component made of interlocking rails. The mast allows the forks to move up and down whilst providing lateral stability. The interlocking rails could either have bushings or bushings as guides. There are two ways the mast may 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 types of attachments are mounted to the carriage. The carriage is attached 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 rollers or bushings to guide it in the interlocking mast rails.
Load Back Rest - While the carriage is raised to full height, there is a back rest made of metal which keeps a load from falling backwards. The back rest is either bolted or welded on to the carriage.
Lift Truck Attachments - a range of attachments could be fixed to the front of the lift truck. The most common type of attachment is forks. In addition, there are L-shaped members, rotators, rollers, roll clamps, pole handlers and so forth. These different attachments are very handy for moving various kinds of loads.