Why Are Access Platforms Often Called Cherry Pickers?



Do you know why access platforms are often referred to as cherry pickers? 

Well, it just so happens that the access platform was invented to make it easier to pick cherries. It was a cumbersome and inefficient task because it involved a lot of ladder-climbing. 

In this article, we will give you a brief run-through of the creation of the initial concept behind the product we are proud to produce!

 

You can take a look at our cherry pickers right here: 

View Danilift's cherry pickers

Cherry-Picking Lead to the Creation of the Cherry Picker


In the summer of 1944, 28-year-old Jay Eitel was picking cherries in a cherry orchard in California, and out of sheer frustration from having to continuously climb up and down a ladder to reposition it, he invented the cherry picker: a construction with a man-carrying basket at the end of a telescopic steel arm that would be mounted 

on a truck. That way, he could easily reach the ripe cherries at the tops of the trees, and with the use of a single lever, the basket could be moved around between several trees without ever having to leave the basket. This was one of the first versions of the construction that we know today as an aerial lift or access platform. Eitel’s invention laid the foundation for this powerful machine that has revolutionised the way several industries work, including construction, utility, cleaning, and even the film industry, as platforms can be used to hold a camera to shoot from high angles.

Telsta Corporation


The access platform industry has come a long way since 1944. In 1953, Eitel founded the company Telsta Corporation, which would go on to invent several access platform machines used by phone line companies and utility companies among others, and in 1965, Eitel sold the company. Telsta-branded products are still being produced, though, and Eitel remained active in the industry and kept tinkering with different kinds of automotive projects until his passing in 2012.

Telsta Corporation

From Problem to Solution


Jay Eitel needed an easier way to pick cherries, so he invented the cherry picker; he had a problem, so he came up with a solution. Danilift access platforms—or cherry pickers—are built from this exact same process, and we continuously develop new solutions. Our customer has a need, and we come up with a product that meets those needs. Custom solutions are our specialty, so let Danilift help you cherry-pick the perfect cherry picker for you!

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Sources

The images in the article are kindly borrowed from Wikipedia and Lift and Access

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