The History of The Fork Lift Truck

Episode 24: 1956 - Clark introduces 'I' beam section mast

As work began in the New Year of 1956, Hyster launched an innovative feature for use on their UC-30 and YC-40 forklift trucks. It was known as the 'Monomast' and constructed from two telescopic units of box-shaped construction. The unusual design was intended to give greater visibility when travelling forwards with a load. Additional benefits from this type of construction were that the hydraulic lift cylinder was protected from physical damage and dirt and dust were eliminated from the unit by self-adjusting packing glands. The company's sales information stated that this mast could also be retrofitted to trucks already in the field, and would accept the fitting of all existing Hyster attachments to the carriage.

The Clark Company also launched a new style mast at this time that would affect the whole forklift industry. The new 'I' beam section mast was one of the features of their new range of trucks that launched the `Clarklift` trademark. Produced to improve mast strength, this design is still used by the majority of manufacturers today to ensure load stability at height.

News was also released this year of The Crown Company producing their first forklift trucks, models LT 500, LT 1000 and FL 1000. The company was originally founded in 1945 as a manufacturer of temperature control equipment for coal burning furnaces. Responding to the growth of television in 1949, the founding directors Carl H and Allen A. Dicke diversified into the production of antenna rotators that were used to enhance signal reception. In 1951 the production of electronic components were added to the business so principal mainframe repairs could be carried out on government and civilian contracts.

An Anglo/American agreement between Coventry Climax and Lewis Shepard was announced in June 1956. This gave Coventry Climax the authorisation to build two of the American manufacturer's machines and market the same under its own name. The counterbalance model, known as the 'J' type, was sold in three lift versions, JFTT 1, JFTT 1.5 and JFTT 2, giving capacities that spanned 1,000 to 2,000lbs respectively. An innovative feature on this truck used foot controls for lift and lower and forward and backward tilt operation. The other Climax product produced under the agreement was a 'Walkie' electric pallet truck in two versions, giving lift capacities of 4,000lb and 6,000lb. Both counterbalance and pedestrian operated pallet trucks were the company's first battery controlled equipment and the first in their 'Spacemaster' range.

'Leverstart Ltd', a much smaller company in comparison, chose this time to launch their new counterbalance electric truck. Looking quite streamlined, this machine, called the 'Electromatic,' was the first of their products to use a multiple link chain for its lift mechanism instead of a cable. The machine was sold in two versions, models 10T and 20T, and had lift capacities of 1,200lb and 2,000lb respectively.

Continued expansion of the Jungheinrich Company in Germany brought the "Retrak" reach truck onto the market. Having a lift capacity of 1000kg, this stand-on machine was the company's first reach truck and one that was to lay the foundations for its later high lift models.

By James Brindley, Director, National Fork Truck Heritage Centre.

To be continued...