An accessory known as a Fork Level from Inventor Labs LLC of Redwood City provides a forklift operator with a visual indicator of whether the tines are level.

Glenn Reid, founder of the business, says the Fork Level can indicate the deviation of blade tilt within 0.1 degree and is adaptable to all types of forklifts with tilting vertical masts.

"The idea came from using our Clark forklift in our own shop facility and noting that it's actually fairly tricky to get the forks level, even with a lot of experience," Reid says. "We came up with the idea and refined it through several prototypes. It works very well, and everybody who has used it remarks on how simple and effective it is. You can get the forks level instantly with just a glance, even if you're doing something fairly intricate. We have heard from customers that it is a good safety product and increases productivity while reducing damage to inventory." The suggested pricing is USD34.99.

Safety is the principal concern, Reid says in a message to industry players. "As a plant manager, you are responsible for the safety of the employees and the inventory and equipment. This simple device can save you thousands of dollars by helping prevent forklift errors that damage costly inventory and shelving and weaken pallets."

Reid developed the solution, which can be installed quickly, after experiencing challenges with the forklift in the shop at Inventor Labs.

For installation, the mast should be fully tilted back toward the operator. The Fork Level is positioned on top of the truck cage with a colored rod at the front and a clear tube toward the rear. After adjusting for operator visibility, backing tape is used to attach the Fork Level. Setting the level point is the final step.

"As the mast tilts back and forth, watch the end of the colored rod," Reid says. "When it is in the center of the Level Zone, your fork is parallel to the floor. Even if the floor is not level, the fork will be parallel to the floor, which is more important than actually being level."

Reid incorporated extensive experience in mechanical and industry engineering in establishing Inventor Labs in April 2007 as a location for people's ideas to blossom. "Inventor Labs is a place for prototyping, patenting and bringing to market ingenious inventions in many different areas including green power generation and storage, child safety, construction, transportation, and automation," he says. Reid aims to help individuals "with all the things you have no idea how to do" while respecting their intellectual property.

Reid received a bachelor of science degree in computer science from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin in 1984.

On 23 August, the inventor received feature editorial coverage in The Daily Journal newspaper of San Mateo, California.