Lift Gate Truck

Lift Gate Trucks, a real back saver!

 

The lift gate option for a truck was an innovation that was developed in the 1950's.  Today there are several prominent manufacturers of liftgates for trucks, some of which include the Tommy Gate Company, Anthony Liftgates, Maxon, Walco, and Leyman Manufacturing.  

The lift gate has been designed for many different applications, and truck types.  You can find everything from a pickup truck with a lift gate installed, to a large box truck.  The lift gates enable heavy items to be lifted from the ground level up to the bed of the truck almost effortlessly. The lift gate enables the easy loading of heavy items, such as wheel chairs, gas bottles, furniture, and freight.

Different companies offer the lift gates in an assortment of designs and have developed many innovative features of this back saving device.  There are the traditional lift gates located on the back of a truck, liftgates that are side mounted, lift gates that fold up, fold under, and literally disappear from sight.

Although the details differ from manufacturer to manufacturer, the basic design and workings of the lift gate are the same.   An electronic switch is activated, which enacts a solenoid which supplies power to a motor, which in turn powers a pump which forces hydraulic fluid through a high pressure hose to a cylinder.  The pressure inside the cylinder forces a piston to move outwards and “lifts” the lift gate deck upwards.  In reverse, when the lift gate is ready to come down, the switch is put in the down position, a lowering valve is activated, which allows the hydraulic fluid to drain back into a holding reservoir.  This release the pressure on the cylinder piston, and the lift gate then lowers by “gravity”.