Masonry Magazine June 1997 Page. 30
In that it carried its load between its front wheels rather than in front of the machine, a feature that appealed to a great many mason contractors and made the benefits of forklifts even more attractive. The same year, West also introduced the first rough terrain arc or loader type forklift.
In 1955 and 1956, major tractor manufacturers, such as Case, Deere, International Harvester and Allis-Chalmers entered the market with turn-around farm and industrial tractors. These units featured drive wheels in front of the machine and a vertical lift mast mounted at the rear.
Around the same time, Lull Engineering Company entered the forklift market. The Lull forklifts added a different twist to the arc type loader bottom, a feature called "transverse movement"; this permitted the load to be advanced about 3 1/2 feet without having to move the entire machine.
Just as in the case of the small power buggy forklifts, lift heights of the arc type loader units, such as the West, Lull and Econmobile were increased from 21 to 24 to 30 feet. Load carrying capacities also increased and by 1961 the 4,000-pound load became fairly standard.
The late 50s and early 60s were characterized by a number of significant advances in machinery design. One of the leaders was Koehring, which in 1958 introduced a four-wheel-drive, torque converter forklift with a variable capacity of 6,000 pounds at a lifting height to 22 1/2 feet or 3,000 pounds at 35 feet.
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Lull arc loader easily maneuvers packaged block into place. Subsequently Lull Engineering also made its mark when, in 1962, it broke the 30 to 35-foot lift height barrier with a 40-foot machine. (Even today maximum lift heights are still in the 40 to 45-foot range.) The next year, West Brick Buggy Corporation appeared on the scene once again, introducing the first telescoping "shooting boom" which could place loads below grade as well as above.
Total sales of the rough terrain arc/loader forklift in the late 50s and up to the mid-60s were as low as 125 units per year for the five manufacturers (West, Lull, Econmobile, Pettibone and Koehring). As mentioned, buyer resistance
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