#1967: Equalifter

I watched a forklift truck this morning, as it moved long timber spars about in a car park.

The driver had to take great care to ensure that these loads were balanced (ie so that the length sticking out to the right was the same as that to the left).

Even doing this visually with a geometrically simple load was clearly a challenge.

Today’s invention is therefore a pair of strain gauges fitted to the arms of a forklift truck.

These would be intrerfaced to a processor so that if one prong were strained significantly more than another, the driver would have to reposition his vehicle or perhaps lift using straps instead.

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