Forklift Parts in More Detail
There are numerous components which make up a forklift. The lift truck's major components include the frame of the truck, the engine components, the overhead guard, the tilt cylinders and the wheels. In addition, a lift truck has various kinds of attachments. All the components which make up a lift truck are all essential because they work together to make the functions of the machine possible. The next paragraphs describe in detail some of the lift truck components.
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 using the machine. The overhead guard makes sure that nothing falling from above onto the truck would damage the controls inside the cab or injure the operator. The overhead guard is vital to the frame assembly on some 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 allows the forks to move up and down while providing lateral stability. The interlocking rails could either have rollers or bushings as guides. There are a couple of ways the mast can 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 different 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 enable the forks to be raised and lowered, the carriage can 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 that prevents a load from falling backwards. The back rest is either bolted or welded on to the carriage.
Lift Truck Attachments - a variety of attachments could be fixed to the front of the forklift truck. The most common attachment is forks. Furthermore, there are rotators, rollers, L-shaped members, roll clamps, pole handlers and so on. These different attachments are helpful for moving various types of loads.