Fork Lift Attachments: Barrel Carriers, Booms And Jibs

Barrel Carriers

Barrel carriers come in many forms and are basically used to load and hold huge cylindrical objects. The most common one may be a safety heavy duty steel chain which is attached to the forklift then bound around a barrel or drum. There should be fork pockets where the chain can be securely attached. The chain can measure anywhere from 10 to 30 feet and can rotate manually as well through a gear mechanism. 30 to 55-gallon steel drums and barrels are usually placed and fastened in the vertical position with a locking handle. Other forms are T handles and huge movable tongs capable of handling up to 650 pounds of weight.

Access Platforms

Access platforms are working decks that can be attached to forklifts wherein personnel can do their work like inspecting, making inventories and routine maintenance checks safely. These are a great alternative to ladders and scaffolds since they are more secure with the fitted harness rails, fork locks and automatic lifting mechanism. The platform can be raised and lowered for inspectors to have a full view of all stocks and pallets. There may be additional features like tool trays, clip board, castors and a bulb holder. The truck stabilizers pass through the pockets of the forklift attachment for stabilization.

Booms

Booms are specifically useful for rolled, coiled or cylindrical loads as well as reels like pipes and wires. These carpet poles are usually made of heavy duty steel with fully threaded pole engineering that can handle almost all kinds of rolled materials. The forklift attachment easily mounts onto the carriage of the truck. There are various types of booms depending on the kind of material they can handle. The load capacity may also depend on the length of the material. Some booms are capable of handling materials up to 2000 to 3000 mm long. Time is an advantage when using booms since changeover from pallet to roll handling is instant.

Jibs

Jibs are common in the workplace and function to help palletizing operations. There are different types of jibs that work to improve reach capabilities, lifting position and load stabilization. Low liner jibs provide a longer reach when products or pallets are difficult to pick up due to remote and hard-to-access locations. It may also have a shackle and hook to help secure any load to be picked up. Fork mounted jibs have a fixed length and easily mounts on any type of truck fork. These are very ideal for lifting loads without pallets. A shackle and hook is also present in most models. Cross beam jibs can support loads along the truck length as well as at right angles. Extra wide and extra long loads are then lifted safely with chains, hooks and shackles.

More Jibs

Other jib types include the tele-liner jib which has an inner section that extends mechanically for extra reach advantages. The variable distance between closed and extended length may be around 1000 mm. Telescopic jibs may extended manually or hydraulically. Hooks may also be supplied for very heavy loads. An extender jib is a useful fork lift attachment, an ideal alternative to cranes since it is good for long loads with hooks and longer total length to access hard-to-access stack locations.