The History of The Fork Lift Truck
Episode 19: 1953 - The first catalytic converters
 The fifth materials handling exposition held in the USA during May 1953 brought to public notice two new manufacturers of forklift trucks. The 'Gas-o-Matic' and 'Dynamotive' companies each launched trucks aimed at competing with manufacturers who used the torque converter type of drive.
Both new trucks used petrol engines that powered on board generators, which in turn drove electric motors. The outcome, as explained by a spokesman for the 'Dynamotive' company, gave "all the drive and control benefits of a battery controlled truck without the costs of a battery, clutch or gearbox."
A significant development at this time is the introduction of the catalyst exhaust silencer, designed to eliminate the fume problem from petrol engines. The main part of the assembly contained a bundle of equally spaced porcelain rods, coated in a catalytic agent. Gases leaving the exhaust pipe were claimed to be mostly carbon dioxide and water vapour, with only a small percentage remaining of the original contaminants.
Also in the USA, Baker Raulang purchased the Lull Manufacturing Company. One result of this takeover was the commercial introduction of the first sideloader truck. It was invented and designed by Henry le Grande Lull, after receiving a contract from the US Air Force to produce a truck for a particular task. He subsequently patented it for commercial use, but it was not developed until after the takeover, when it was renamed the Baker 'Traveloader.'
Some time later Otis Elevators purchased the Baker Company, and the 'Traveloader' was eventually dropped from the range due to its small sales volume.
Around this time Elwell Parker, an American materials handling stalwart, released details of its new die pulling truck. Although it was said to contain the very latest in technical design, today the overall looks are most certainly dated, without any hint of the modern 50s chassis streamlining of other manufacturers' machines.
Following the successful introduction of diesel and LP gas counterbalance trucks to its range, the Yale Company started to produce trucks in Velbert Germany for the German market. However all was not easy for Yale, as competition for this market now came from the domestic Steinbock Company, which added IC engine trucks to its range through collaboration with Irion of Stuttgart. Also in Germany, beginning its next stage of development as a home producer of forklift trucks was H. Jungheinrich & Co Maschinenfabrik, which announced on 7th August that it was now legally established as a manufacturing company. Later in the year Jungheinrich would release news of the launch of its first electric powered four-wheeled forklift truck, the model Ameise 55.
In Britain the Conveyancer Company launched the first clutch-less drive flameproof forklift truck. Based on the model D6-20P and called the FTC 4, it had a torque converter drive and new induction and exhaust systems which fully met Buxton standards. The truck pictured shows the rear access door to the exhaust conditioner, with its removable sludge traps, and the position of the air start reservoir on the left-hand side of the chassis.
To be continued
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If you would like to support the National Fork Truck Heritage Centre please contact:
James Brindley
07801 954 167
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