Lift Truck Components in More Detail
A lift truck is made of many parts. The major parts that make up a forklift truck are the frame of the truck, the engine components, the overhead guard, the tilt cylinders and the wheels. In addition, a lift truck has a variety of attachments. All the components which make up a lift truck are of equal importance since they work together to make the functions of the machine possible. The next paragraphs describe in detail several of the forklift 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 would damage the controls in the cab or harm the driver. The overhead guard is vital to the frame assembly on some models.
The Mast - Mounted either to the forklift frame or the front axle, the mast is the vertical lift truck part made of interlocking rails. The mast enables the forks to move up and down whilst providing lateral stability. The interlocking rails could either have rollers or bushings as guides. There are two ways the mast may 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 kinds of attachments are mounted to the carriage. The carriage is connected to the mast directly to the hydraulic cylinder or it is connected by chains. In order to allow the forks to be raised and lowered, the carriage can have either bushings or rollers 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 while the carriage is raised to its full height. The back rest is either bolted or welded on to the carriage.
Lift Truck Attachments - There are various attachments which can be fixed directly to the lift truck's carriage. Forks are the most common attachment. Also, there are L-shaped members, rotators, rollers, pole handlers, roll clamps and and all that. These different kinds of attachments are helpful for moving different types of loads.