|
The History of The Fork Lift Truck
|
|
 Episode 4
Warehouse & Logistics News is proud to bring you the fourth instalment in an exclusive series on the history of the forklift truck, which has transformed the face of materials handling around the world.
The writer is James Brindley, an acknowledged authority on forklift trucks. In James's distinguished career he has worked in engineering and management roles with BT Rolatruc and served as a Director of the Fork Lift Truck Association, before setting up the National Fork Truck Heritage Centre in 2004.
You will be hearing a lot more from James and the Heritage Centre in these pages, as we will be telling you just why the Heritage Centre needs your support. Now sit back and enjoy the latest part of this facinating series.
The History of The Fork Lift Truck
By James Brindley, Director, National Fork Truck Heritage Centre
Sometime during 1926, one year after Yale produced their first forklift truck, Ransomes, Sims and Jefferies produced an innovative battery powered truck for a company in Wales. This machine not only had a lifting function but was also fitted with a reach carriage and forks. Made for Baldwins, of Swansea, it was a one off production, but used an important principle that was forgotten until later years, when Lansing Bagnall took up the idea and developed it with their first reach trucks.
 Two years later, in 1928, the Clark Company in America unveiled their first production forklift truck. Known as the "Tructier," it had front wheel drive and was the first forklift truck on record to use oil hydraulics to lift a load. However the introduction of hydraulics was nothing new to this company, as they had employed this type of lifting system on their original "Truclift" platform truck of 1920.
Hydraulic engineering was originally a water-based technology and until this time, due to its nature, was restricted to applications where huge supplies of water were available. Its main use therefore was in heavy engineering and dockside work, operating such machines as pumps, presses and cranes. The innovation of the oil-fed system meant that higher operating pressures could be reached and maintained in much smaller self-contained units. These units were also self-lubricating and gave major advantages to industry in general including forklift truck designers, who were now able to use the technology of hydraulic rams for moving and lifting loads, in preference to cable and drum.
Early in 1928 the Ransomes Company launched their new 'Universal' electric platform trucks for work on docks and quaysides, to cope with the large growth in Britain's maritime trade. A special attachment, known as the `Howesi` gear, could be fitted to the front end of this truck, which effectively converted it into a low level lifting device for horizontal movement.
The box or container was loaded in a similar way to that of a wheelbarrow, and tilted back by the loadsman until a holding catch on the "Howesi" mechanism was engaged. On reaching his destination the catch was released by the driver, who operated a cable connection from the driving position. Having deposited the load, the truck was reversed away and the catch reset.
 This company's platform trucks were so stable that they made an ideal chassis for the mounting of a variety of devices, including a crane attachment One major company that used the original and the crane version of this truck in quantity was the Swansea Dock Board.
At the beginning of 1929 Yale purchased the business of H.T Vaughan; a lock and hardware manufacturer in the West Midlands. The factory was expanded to produce locks, hoists and platform trucks and enabled a production base to be established in the U.K. The action was similar to that of 1927, when they purchased the company of Boge and Kasten, Solingen und Weiturfuhrung. This manufacturer produced the B.K.S. brand of lift trucks in Germany, and Yale continued production under this name until 1977.
To be continued
If you would like to support the National Fork Truck Heritage Centre,
call James Brindley on 0780 195 4167
|
|
|
|
 Contact us - Click for contact information. We are waiting to here from you.
Features List - Click here to find out about the Warehouse & Logistics News features list.
Free Issue - We are pleased to be giving away free voucher copies of the magazine to anybody who wants one. Please click the link above to recieve your FREE copy.
Advertising Information - Find out about how to advertise on our website or magazine. |
|
|
|
|
