Son of fork-lift truck
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A NEW mechanical handling device called the Satellite, now being used by Gillette Industries Ltd at its Reading factory, promises a giant step forward in the mechanical handling of goods.
An attachment for a fork-lift truck, it enables goods to be moved independently of the truck over a distance of up to 40ft and with 'lateral movement within an angle of 15 degrees.
Its primary use is in the loading of containers on lorries. At present the conventional forklift truck can move a loaded pallet to the back of a lorry and place its load on the lorry floor, thence to be hand-packed within the lorry.
The Satellite, however, arrives at the back of the lorry with its load, detaches itself from the fork-lift truck and trundles off with its pallet to the front of the lorry, stacks the goods and returns to the fork-lift truck for its next assignment.
It is manipulated by two hydraulically operated cables mounted on the fork-lift truck and guided by the driver from his seat with the aid of specially adapted controls. Considerable labour savings are possible with this novel machine.
The Machine was invented by Mr Dennis Miller, and is being manufactured by Stanm ill Ltd, Whitchurch, Hants.
Automated Container Loading Ltd, Environment House, Farraday Way, Orpington, Kent, has been set up to manage the marketing and distribution of the Satellite.