FEL Clamp-on Forks

[MadReferee]

A lot will depend on the thickness of the metal being used. Bar channel is specified in lbs per foot. I spec 3" x 4.10 bar channel which is 4.10 lbs per foot. I see no reason why using this as the top plate won't work, especially for the light loads that are normally used on CUTs.

I can't seem to find my reference book right now that gives bending specs for various steels. As I recall the 3" x 3/8" flat bar gave better characteristics than the 3" x 4.10 bar channel.

I choose what I did for materials because they were readily available almost everywhere, I had it on hand when I built the first prototype, and I knew that it would exceeded the capacity of most CUT loaders. I am sure there are other combinations of materials that will work just as well.

 

[LBrown59]

<font color="blue"> 1*If your forks are twisting side to side then you have other issues.

Based on what my customers have told me, there is no need to torque those clamp screws down to the point of bending the 3/8" steel top plate. The feet plus the fact that the front bottom pad edge should be as close as possible to the cutting edge lip should be enough to eliminate almost all twisting.

2*If your application is causing the forks to twist while clamped then I suggest you take a hard look at what you are doing with the forks and re-evaluate if you really need forks and not something else.
3*My design is not intended to be a digger/mover, only a lifter/holder of items.

4*Like someone once said, "get the right tool for the job". </font>
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1*And what might those issues be?
I'd like to know what they might be so as to take corrective measures.

2*I'm just using them to lift / move pallets with maybe 100 to 300 pounds on them. I thought that is what forks were for. If not then what else should I be using?
3*Wasn't using them for a digger / mover.

4* I thought pallet forks were for pallets !!!

 

[cmhyland]

Pallet forks work great for moving logs and brush piles to!

There is no end to what I've used them for....

I love mine...

Regards,
Chris