First forklifts
Page 36
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The Irish Exporters Association seems to have come up with a new definition of "invention".
Despite their claim reported by the Hawk (CM 30 March-5 April), truckmounted forklifts were first reported in Commercial Motor in use in Britain in 1975.
By the time the Irish "inventors" got to work the Kooi-aap, the Princeton, the Spider, and the Bunton truckmounted forklifts had all gone into production.
Certainly in Britain by 1986 there were Kooi-aaps that had put in over eight years' work. Some of these are still in use today with their original owners.
Only a few weeks ago we sold a 1974-built Kooi.aap to an existing Kooi-aap user as second machine for further service.
Both Bill Bennett and
myself were present at the 1975 demonstration reported by Commercial Motor perhaps this was not surprising as it was staged by the Kooi brothers here at Horton.
Jim Wilkie, Technical consultant, Bill Bennett Engineering, Horton, Bristol