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The Invaluable Role Of The Industrial Forklift
The forklift, first available in the United States in the early 1920s, has become an invaluable piece of machinery utilized in many industrial and warehousing operations. Clark, a leader in the materials handling field and one of the pioneers of the first forklift, is still a leading supplier. Other well-known names in the manufacture of these machines include Nissan, Toyota, Cat, Yale, Mitsubishi and Hyster.
Hyster has become such a popular model fork lift that in some areas the word Hyster is synonymous with fork lift. Other common names for this industrial lift machine include jitney, lift truck, fork truck, high/low and stacker truck.
The precursor for today's machines were first developed in the early years of the nineteenth century when small, battery-powered versions were developed for the purpose of moving travelers' luggage at the Altoona train station in Pennsylvania. During WWI, some slightly different versions were designed in England for use in materials handling, primarily as a solution to the manpower shortage at the time.
Modern day equivalents come in many sizes and configurations, from the smallest hand pallet truck to the largest truck mounted forklift, also called sod loaders. There are also several specialty trucks available, such as explosion proof units and counter-balanced models. There is also a line of automated versions called forked automated guided vehicles, which are essentially robotic. They were developed as a means of lowering operational expenses and improving productivity.
A common forklift is capable of receiving a wide array of attachments that can be added for specific functions. The motors can be battery operated, requiring regular recharging, or may incorporate internal combustion engines fueled by gasoline, diesel or propane. There are many versions available and a wide range of load capacities. A typical warehouse model will normally be rated to lift somewhere between one and five tons.