LOAD HANDLING

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

A. STABILITY - LIFT TRUCKS

D. STOPPING

The rated capacity of a lift truck applies to a condition

Lift trucks should be brought to a halt gradually. Wheel

where the truck is on level ground with the upright

sliding and hard braking is dangerous as well as

vertical. When the upright is tilted forward or back, or

unnecessary and harmful to the truck. After the truck is

the truck is on an incline, stability of the truck is

stopped, lower the forks flush with the ground, put the

affected.

truck in neutral, set the parking brake and shut off the

engine.

It should be remembered that any lift truck can be tipped

over if one is careless when raising a load.

If the truck has been working hard, allow the engine to

idle a few minutes before shutting it off.

While a lift truck is mounted on four wheels, it is actually

supported at three points. This is because the steering

LOAD HANDLING

axle is free to pivot at the center. The three points of

suspension, then, are the two drive wheels and the

The capacity of a lift truck is given by weight and

center of the steering axle. These are labeled A, B and

distance to the load center. For example, a capacity of

C in the following figure. (Fig. 4)

4000 pounds at 24 inches means that the truck can lift

4000 pounds, if the center of the load is 24 inches

forward from the face of the load carriage.

Before attempting to lift a load make sure its weight is

within the capacity of the truck at the load center

involved. To do this, measure from the side of the load

which will be against the carriage to the center of the

load. This is the load center. Now refer to the rated

capacity chart on the truck name plate to determine if

the truck will safely lift the load at the load center found

above.

Keep in mind too, that, unless the name plate indicates

otherwise, the rated capacity shown is for a standard

truck equipped with standard load carriage, forks, and

upright and having no special load handling equipment.

Also the rated capacity presumes that the center of the

load is no further from the top of the forks than it is from

the face of the carriage. If these conditions do not exist

then the operator may have to reduce his safe operating

load because the truck's resistance to tipping may be

reduced,

Figure 4.

Point D is the center of gravity of the empty truck. The

load has its center of gravity in its own center, marked F

in the illustration. When the load is on the truck, the

truck and load become one mass weight and have a

combined center of gravity shown at point E.

If the truck is to tip over forward, it will do so

A-8