Lift trucks may likely be the most overlooked industrial innovations in modern times. Their evolution stems from hoists, which were the primary means of lifting and moving heavy items in the late 1800's. Hoists gave way to chains and winches, which gave way to wooden platform trucks around the turn of the 20th century. These wooden trucks and trailers incorporated electric motors and heavy traction batteries.
Around the time of World War I, machines were designed with an electrical platform that could be raised or lowered. These gave way to simplistic machines that had no hydraulics or even forks. They were designed primarily to lift certain loads only inches off the ground for basic moving.
In the early 1920's, the first electric industrial truck was introduced with raising forks and an elevated mast. Lift operation was obtained through ratchet and pinion. It wasn't until the development of the standardized pallet in the 1930's that US industry began developing ways to stack product uniformly and the need for mass produced forklifts was realized. The second World War was another major milestone in the development of the forklift truck. The continual movement of goods throughout this period also made it necessary for electric trucks to last longer, and models were developed that could work a full 8-hour shift without needing to be recharged.
By the 1950's, it became clear that more efficient storage methods were required. Warehouses began to expand upward rather than outward. Thus, more powerful and more maneuverable forklifts were required. Newer models could fit into narrower aisles and lift materials up to 50 feet above ground. These narrow aisle forklifts helped revolutionalize the warehousing industry, as more product could be placed in the same floor footprint with the development of higher industrial pallet racking.
The increased lift heights gave way to legitimate safety concerns. Objects that fell from those height could quickly kill lift truck operators. By the early 1960's, forklift manufacturers began to offer options for load backrests and operator cages. These items eventually became standard, although issues of forklift safety had not gone away. Operator restraint systems were made standard in the early 1980's, and forklift safety remains one of the most important factors in the design engineering today.
In addition to safety innovations, lift trucks are rapidly changing in other ways. Environmental and emissions concerns have led to the development of different types of engines. Power sources for trucks continue to evolve from battery power to electricity to propane to compressed natural gas. Hydrogen fuel cells are under current development as a clean source for forklift power.
The forklift has come a long way since those early chains and wiches, with technology being a driving force behind continued innovation. Operator comfort and ergonomics play as big a role as safety design in today's forklift engineering, especially for Crown Equipment Corporation. Forklifts, like the vehicles on the road, now include computer technology that interpret the operation of the lift functions as well as the operating mannerisms of the operator in control.
Aiding source: MHEDA Journal Online: Summer 2004: Industrial History.