A forklift, also called an industrial truck, lift truck or fork truck, is a powered industrial truck used to lift and move materials over short distances, built around a rear counterweight, a vertical mast for raising and lowering loads, hydraulic lifting systems and a pair of forks, or tines, that slide beneath a load to carry it. The Pennsylvania Railroad introduced early battery-powered platform trucks in 1906, and between 1917 and 1920 the companies Clark, Towmotor and Yale and Towne Manufacturing each developed powered lift tractors that led toward the modern forklift; the late 1930s brought hydraulic power, electric forklifts and standardized pallets that greatly increased adoption, and Lansing Bagnall developed the first narrow aisle electric reach truck in 1954. Forklifts became indispensable to manufacturing and warehousing after World War II, with global sales reaching over thirty billion dollars by 2013.
Facts
SignificanceForklifts are considered an indispensable piece of equipment in manufacturing and warehousing, with use expanding worldwide since World War II. 1 FAQs
Were there powered load-moving trucks before the forklift?
Yes: battery-powered platform trucks appeared in 1906 and powered lift tractors in 1917.
Yes. In 1906 the Pennsylvania Railroad introduced battery-powered platform trucks for moving luggage at its station in Altoona, Pennsylvania. In 1917 Clark in the United States began developing and using powered lift tractors in its factories. These earlier machines moved or raised loads under power, and they led toward the forklift truck as it is known today.
Connections
In Field
Source Forklift (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Sources
1. Forklift (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationHistory section, Clark 1917 sentence
In 1917, Clark in the United States began developing and using powered and lift tractors in its factories.
Uses section, indispensable equipment sentence
Forklifts have become an indispensable piece of equipment in manufacturing and warehousing.
In Field: Mechanical Engineering, Introduction
A forklift (also called industrial truck, lift truck, jitney, hi-lo, fork truck, fork hoist, and forklift truck) is a powered industrial truck used to lift and move materials over short distances.
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