Forklift

**History:**
– Development of forklifts from manually-powered hoists
– Introduction of battery-powered platform trucks by Pennsylvania Railroad in 1906
– World War I impact on material-handling equipment development by Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies
– Clark’s use of powered tractors in factories in 1917
– Establishment of Towmotor Company and Yale & Towne Manufacturing in 1919

**Key Features:**
– Counterweight for balance
– Cab for operator
– Axles for support and steering
– Wheels for movement
– Overhead guard for operator safety

**Components:**
– Load backrest for securing materials
– Hydraulic pump for lifting mechanism
– Hydraulic lines for fluid transfer
– Hydraulic controls for operator use
– Hydraulic cylinders and attachments for lifting and tilting

**Usage:**
– Forklifts used for lifting and moving materials
– Essential equipment in manufacturing and warehousing
– Development and use expanded globally post-World War II
– Top 20 manufacturers had $30.4 billion sales in 2013
– 944,405 forklift machines sold in 2013

**Variants:**
– Also known as industrial truck, lift truck, jitney, hi-lo, fork truck, fork hoist
– Various companies involved in forklift development
– Clark and Yale & Towne Manufacturing key players in early 20th-century development
– Different types of forklifts for specific tasks
– Continuous innovation in forklift design and technology