Forklift Trucks

A forklift truck is a vehicle designed to pick up, carry, and stack unit loads of supplies and equipment. Standard forklift trucks are available with lifting capacities of 2,000 to 20,000 pounds and lifting heights of 100 to 210 inches. They may be powered by gasoline or diesel engine or batteryelectric motor. The battery-electric type is normally used only for inside operation where carbon monoxide from internal combustion engines would be a safety hazard. Forklifts are equipped with a telescopic mast that permits loads to be lifted beyond the height of the mast itself. These loads are counterbalanced by the weight of the truck with the front wheels acting as the center of balance.

Forklifts are excellent for handling palletized unit loads, and they can be used for loads assembled on skids or in boxes. The forks can be replaced with special attachments to adapt the forklift to handle special material such as drums, reels, and so forth, but the forklift is normally used for loading and unloading palletized loads on trailers, trucks, railroad cars, and warehouse platforms. The forklift illustrated in figure 4-5 is a solid rubber tire warehouse type powered by a gasoline engine.

There are so many different makes and models of forklift trucks that it is difficult to generalize on their controls. Forklifts have controls for reverse and forward, are front wheel drive, and steering is performed through the rear wheels. There is also another set of controls for the fork. These controls usually consist of two levers; one to raise and lower the fork and one to tilt the mast (supporting frame). The mast is tilted forward to

Figure 4-5.-Forklift truck. 4-8

a vertical position when picking up or lowering a load. It is tilted back toward the operator when transporting a load to give it greater stability.

When using the forklift truck there are some safety precautions listed below that you must follow:

l Prominently stencil the load capacity on the forklift to remind operators not to overload.

l Do not bump or push stacks to straighten them.

l Do not load while the forklift is moving.

l Tilt mast back when transporting a load.

l Drive forward when transporting a load up a ramp and in reverse when going down.

l When parking and leaving a truck, be sure the motor is turned off and the parking brake is set.

Pallet ^Trucks

Pallet trucks serve a useful purpose in picking up and transporting palletized loads. They are especially good where space is limited and where handling operations are too small for forklift trucks.

The pallet truck frame consists of a fork that fits between the top and the bottom decks of a

Figure 4-6.-Battery-power pallet truck.

pallet and supports the load on the entire wheelbase. Pallet trucks may be self-propelled using a battery-electric motor or may be manually propelled. The lift mechanism is hydraulic and may be either electric powered or manual. The use of the pallet truck is limited since it requires a smooth deck because of the small wheels and it does not have the lift capability of the forklift for stacking operations. A battery-electric powered pallet truck is shown in figure 4-6.

Hand Trucks

Hand trucks are perhaps the most versatile of all materials-handling equipment. They may have either two or four wheels. The two-wheel type is shown in figure 4-7. They range in size and weight from 45 to 155 pounds with carrying capacities up to 2,000 pounds.

To operate a hand truck after it is loaded, you place a foot on the axle and pull down on the handles. Most of the weight is then balanced on the wheels and axle and you can push the load easily. The hand truck may also be used as a pry or lever. By pushing the lip under a heavy object, it is possible to raise it several inches off the deck.

Conveyors

Conveyors are used for moving supplies in a fixed line of travel. Two basic types of conveyors have been adopted as standard for the military department. The first is the gravity-type roller or

Figure 4-7.-Two-wheeled warehouse hand truck.

wheel conveyor. The second is the portable power-driven belt conveyor.

The gravity-type roller or wheel conveyor can be installed with one end lower than the other to take advantage of gravity or it can be installed level and the load pushed along manually. Several sections can be put together and developed into a continuous system for movement of material on the ship during underway replenishment or vertical replenishment. The conveyor can also be used on piers, in storerooms, or wherever a steady flow of supplies is desired.

The power-driven belt conveyor consists of an endless belt mounted on a frame and driven by a pulley connected to a drive motor. The belt travels over a series of rollers or a sliding bed. The belt conveyor can be used to transport materials over a fixed path of travel up inclines of as much as 25 degrees.

Ladder Chute

The ladder chute shown in figure 4-8 provides a rapid means of conveying packages downward.

The principal application is aboard ship where a need exists to strike down stores.

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