Hand pallet trucks are small devices used to transport pallets without the need for heavy equipment. They use blades to lift pallets and have a control panel to adjust blade width. They were invented in the early 20th century and are useful in tight spaces.
Hand pallet trucks are simple devices that allow one or more pallets to be transported without the use of forklifts or other heavy equipment. Sometimes known as a pallet truck or pallet lifter, the hand pallet truck has a relatively small design and allows you to slide a series of blades into the open area of a pallet, gently lift it, and transport the pallet to a different location. While a traditional pallet truck uses cranks and levers to lift the pallet into place, modern versions use hydraulics powered by a small battery built into the design.
A basic hand pallet truck consists of a set of blades that can be aligned to slide under a pallet, lifting the pallet off the ground several inches. A control panel at the opposite end of the device allows you to adjust the width between the two blades, accommodating pallets of different sizes. A base supports both the controls and the blades, and is mounted on a series of small wheels that make it easier to maneuver the cart. In most models, the rear wheelset will spin, making it easy to get around corners. There are also models where both the front and rear wheel sets are capable of turning.
The history of the hand pallet truck is usually traced back to the first decades of the 20th century. In many factories the need to move raw materials and finished products more efficiently was becoming increasingly important to meet higher production levels. This early version of the pallet truck was useful for transporting a small amount of goods from the warehouse to the production floor, but it still didn’t offer the necessary efficiency. With the invention of the hand pallet truck, a single employee could lift and move an entire pallet loaded with goods. The loaded pallet could be transported with ease, requiring less time or resources to move than hauling the materials by hand or even with the use of a hand truck.
One of the advantages of a hand pallet truck is that the device is relatively small. This makes it easier to use the truck in tight spaces that a forklift would never enter. The smaller size also makes it easier to navigate through winding spaces that a forklift may or may not be able to negotiate. For this reason, it is not unusual for manufacturers to own at least a few of these trucks and have them available for use in various departments such as factories, shipping areas and warehouses where finished products are stored.
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