Lift Truck Parts in More Detail
There are hundreds of components which make up a forklift. The lift truck's main parts comprise the frame of the truck, the engine parts, the overhead guard, the tilt cylinders and the wheels. In addition, a forklift has various kinds of attachments. All the parts that make up a lift truck are of equal importance as they work together to make the functions of the equipment possible. The subsequent paragraphs describe in detail a few of the forklift parts.
The Overhead Guard - The overhead guard is actually 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 machinery. 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 essential to the frame assembly on various 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 enables the forks to move upwards and downwards whilst providing lateral stability. The interlocking rails can either have rollers 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.
Lift Truck 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 be able to enable 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 - 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 - a range of attachments can be fixed to the front of the lift truck. The most common attachment is forks. Additionally, there are L-shaped members, rollers, rotators, pole handlers, roll clamps and and all that. These various attachments are handy for transporting different kinds of loads.