WCO Explanatory Notes reproduced for reference. © World Customs Organization. Verify against official WCO publication.
84.27 - Fork-lift trucks; other works trucks fitted with Lifting or handling equipment. 8427.10 8427.20 8427.90 - Self-propelled trucks powered by an electric motor - Other self-propelled trucks - Other trucks With the exception of straddle carriers and works trucks fitted with a crane of heading 84.26, this heading covers works trucks fitted with lifting or handling equipment. Works trucks of this description include, for example : (A) FORK-LIFT AND OTHER ELEVATING OR STACKING TRUCKS (I) Mechanically propelled fork-lift trucks, which are sometimes of large size, carry the load on an elevating carriage sliding on a vertical mast. This lifting mechanism is normally situated in fkont of the driver's seat; it is designed to support the load during movement and to lift it for stacking or to place it on a vehicle. !in This grou also includes side-loading stacking trucks, which are desi ed to handle long loads (gir!?ers, lanks, pipes, containers, etc.) and are usually equippe with a platform to support the loa ! c during transport over short distances. The lifting device of the above trucks is normally powered by the motive power unit of the vehicle, and is usually designed to be fitted with various s ecial attachments (forks, jibs, buckets, grabs, etc.) according to the type of load to be han ed. dP (2) Other stacking machines, usually mounted on a truck, are equi ped with a platform or fork which can be raised and lowered in a vertical support, by and or power-operated winch or rack systems. They are used for stacking sacks, crates, casks, etc. f~ Some stacking machines which work on the same principle as elevators are classified in heading 84.28. (B) OTHER WORKS TRUCKS FITTED WITH LIFTING OR HANDLING EQUIPMENT This group includes : (I) Trucks with mechanically elevating platforms for the maintenance of electric cables, public lighting systems, etc. (See the introduction to Explanatory Note to heading 84.26 regarding elevating platforms of this type mounted on lorries.) (2) Other trucks fitted with lifting or handling equipment including those specialised for use in particular industries (e.g., in the textile or ceramic industries, in dairies, etc.). PARTS Sub'ect to the general provisions regardin the classification of parts (see the General Exp anatory Note to Section XVI), parts o the trucks of this heading are classified in heading 84.31. 84.28- Other lifting, handlin loading or unloading machinery (for example, lifts, escalators, conveyors, te eferics). 8428.10 - Lifts and skip hoists 8428.20 - Pneumatic elevators and conveyors - Other continuous-action elevators and conveyors, for goods or materials : 8428.31 -- Specially designed for underground use 8428.32 -- Other, bucket type 8428.33 - - Other, belt type 8428.39 - - Other 8428.40 - Escalators and moving walkways 8428.60 - Teleferics, chair-lifts, ski-draglines; traction mechanisms for funiculars 8428.90 - Other machinery With the exception of the lifting aqd handlin machinery of headings 84.25 to 84.27, this heading covers a wide range of rnachrnery for tfe mechanical handling of materials, goods, etc. (lifting, conveying, loading, unloading, etc.). They remain here even if specialised for a articular industry, for agriculture, metallur , etc. This heading is not lirmted to lifting or &andlingequipment for solid materials but a so includes such machinery for li uids or gases But the heading excludes li uid elevators of the type falling in heading 84.1 , and floating docks, coffer-dams and srmlar marine liftin and re-floating appliances operating solely by hydrostatic buoyancy (heading 89.05 or 89.077. Q The provisions of Ex lanato Note to headin 84.26 apply, mutatis mutandis, to the equipment of this heading inso ar as t ey concern sel -propelled and other " mobile " machines, multifunction machines and lifting, loading, handling, etc., machines intended for incorporation in other machines or for mounting on transport veh~clesor vessels of Section XVII. F X B The headin covers lifting or handling machines usually based on pulley, winch or jacking systems, an often including large proportions of static structural steelwork, etc. These static structural elements (e.g., pylons specialised for teleferics, etc.) are classified in this heading when they are presented as parts of a more or less complete handling machine. When presented s arately, they are classified in headin 84.31 provided they are fitted or designed to be fitte"gwith the mechanical features essential or the operation of the moving parts of the complete installation wheels, rollers, pulleys, running or guide rails, etc.). Otherwise these structural elements are c assified in headlng 73.08. \ F These more complex machines include : (I) INTERMITTENT ACTION MACHINES (A) L i are usually operated by winch and cable, or by rams worked by water, air or oil. They are used for raising or lowering a passenger cage or goods platform between vertical guide bars, and are general1 fitted with counter-balance wei@ts. The control, stoppb, safeq, etc., equi ment, whe er or not electrical, is also classified in this heading provlded it is presente!d with the lift itself, The heading also includes manually operated hfis. X Rack and pinion driven lifts or hoists also belong to this catego consist of a lift cage, fitted with a motor that drives a pinion, toothed rack. When the pinion is engaged with the toothed move along the mast, up or down, at a controlled speed. These lifts and hoists The group also includes so-called " ship-lifts ", i.e., very powefil hydraulic or jack operated mstallations for lifting a vessel and lock basin complete fiom one canal level to another, and thus replacing normal locks. (B) Skiq hoists are a type of lift in which bulk material containers are hoisted up a ram or vertical shaft. They are used for raising coal from mines, for hoisting ores, limestone, Rel, etc., into blast furnaces, lime kilns, etc. The heading also includes skips for such skip hoists, i-e., large ca acity metallic containers or bins often fitted with automatically openin bottoms. Milung &ips usually incorporate a cabin for the miners mounted above the load /?in. (C) Certain lifting machines : (I) Lifting gins consist of a winch mounted on a two-legged or tripod support. (2) Well drillin derricks for hoisting the drillin tubes, etc., in petroleum wells, etc. (other than ose mounted on lorries, etc. - see t7ie introduction to Explanatory Note to heading 84.26). L (3) Telphers are similar in operation to overhead travelling or transporter cranes. The hoisting trolleys run (sometimes for considerable distances) on overhead rails supported on pylons. (D) Teleferics are large winch-operated installations generally for lifting passengers or goods in the mountains. They consist of the bearer and traction cables sup orted on p lons, and two cabins (or grabs, containers, etc.) which ascend and descend on t e bearer ca le. g g (E) Funiculars operate on the same principle as teleferics but the coaches run on rails. The heading in this case covers only the traction mechanism and winch; it excludes the coaches (heading 86.05) and the track (heading 73.02 or 86.08 according to type). r (F) Wagon tippers are platforms with de rails or grooves, so that the wa on can be run into position, clamped and then emptie by tilting, tippin or rotating the w ole machine by a jackin or other liffing system. The heading also mc udes wagon shaking machines used to faciyitate the discharge of hopper type wagons. % f (11) CONTINUOUS ACTION MACHINES vertically or obliquely. (A) Elevators used for raising a constant stream of at intervals to a They consist essentially of a series of carriers o bucket lifts for jointed mechanism which turns as a pulverised or granular materials, latform elevators for crates, parcels, etc., finger-tray elevators for sacks, barrels, bales o straw, sheaves, etc., and continuous mulhple-cage lifts for passengers, etc. F (B) Escalators and moving walkways. (C) Conveyors are used for moving goods, usual1 in a horizontal direction, sometimes over very long distances (in mines, quarries, etc.). T ey include : E (1) Conveyors operated by continuously-moving carrying or pushing elements, e.g., bucket, tray or pan type conveyors; scraper or screw conveyors (in whch the materials are forced along a trough by a push plate or worm respectively); band, belt, apron, slat, chain, etc., conveyors. (2) Conveyors consistin of a train of motor-driven rollers (e.g., as used for feeding steel into cogging mil s). The heading also covers roller conve ors, not power-driven, usually mounted on bearings (e.g., horizontal roller runways or manoeuvring crates, etc., and gravity roller conveyors), but it excludes similar equipment without rollers, e.g., straight, curved or spiral sliding chutes (heading 73.08, 73.25 or 73.26 according to type). (3) Vibrator or shaker conveyors operated by vibratory or reciprocating movements of the trough supporting the goods. (D) Pneumatic elevators and conveyors (e. ., pneumatic tube conveyors), in which small containers (for documents, small machine parts, etc.) or bulk matenals ( ain, straw, hay, sawdust, pulverised coal, etc.) are forced along a tube by an air current &cluding similar machines for transporting and cleaning grain). f (E) Roller sup orts (" castors "), similar to roller conveyors, consist of a number of tubular osts fixe in the factory floor. The top of each post consists of a roller running on gearings and ivoting fieel in all directions, so that the set of" castors " provides a roller table system &.g., for han mg sheet metal in rolling mills). di! (F) Cable-operated hauling or towin machines consist essentially of an endless cable or chain in continuous motlon for ha ng wagons (e.g., for colliery tubs and tip wagons), for towing barges, sledges, etc., for carrying passengers (ski-lifts), etc. (111) OTHER SPECIAL LIFTING OR HANDLING MACHINER (A) Locomotive or wagon traversers for transferring locomotives, trucks, etc., from one track to another. (B) Wagon pushers of various kinds, e.g. : (I) Appliances fixed between the rails, consisting essentially of two reciprocating power-driven pistons which engage on the axles and thus push the trucks forward. (2) Hydraulic ram or piston type machines for pushing mining trucks into the pithead cages, etc. (3) Self-pro elled one-wheel machines running on one rail of the permanent way. They have to e supported by a walkin operator in the same way as wheelbarrows, and are powered by small petrol engines. t should, however, be noted that small tractors, also sometimes known as "wagon pushers " and used for that purpose, are excluded (heading 87.01). g (C) Mechanical loaders for picking up coal, ores, excavated earth, pebbles, sand or other bulk materials. These machines are usually combined with a conveyor or an elevator (shaker type conveyor-loader, pick-up conveyor-loader, etc.). @) Auxiliary mechanical ap liances for manipulating pneumatically, hydraulically or d electrically operated han tools (drills, hammers, etc.). These appliances help to support the tool or ush it forward into the work, e.g., pneumatically operated tool supports and pushers; dri ling rigs and carriages (" Jumbos "); mechanical " balancers " for suspending tools during working. But the heading excludes simple static supports, etc. (E) Industrial robots specifically designed for lifting, handling, loading or unloading. (F) Mechanical ladders consisting of sliding sections operated by a mechanism (e.g., pulley tackle or winch). (G) Mechanically adjustable wheeled platforms (' dollies ") for mounting and manipulating cinematographic cameras. (H) Mechanical remote control mani ulators, for radioactive products, fmed or mobile, consisting of an arm outside the shie ded cell, which is ided manually, and an arm inside the cell, which reproduces the operator's movements. ransmission of the movements is by means of mechanical, hydraulic or pneumatic appliances or by electric pulses. f' f Manipulators used independently in the hand (like a hand tool) fall in heading 82.03, 82.04 or 82.05. (IJ) Platforms, whether or not self-propelled, for the handling of containers or palettes used in airports for loading or unloadmg of aircraft. This equipment consists princi ally of an elevated platform supported by two diagonal cross-members. It is provided wit a moving belt to transport the car o. This equipment is not intended to transport containers or palettes, even over short istances, but rs positioned empty beside the aircrafl and operates only from that position. % (K) Palletisers, electrically driven machines designed to ali empty bottles automatically in regular rows (using powered or roller conve ors) ancf%en to transfer them perfect1 ahgned onto a allet for stacking layer upon ayer. These pslletisers, which do not file close, seal, labe or band bottles, can stand alone or be inco orated in a processing line containing other machines which carry out such functions as fi?;ing or shrink-wrapping. P f (L) Patient lifts. These are devices with a supporting structure and a seat for the raising and lowering of seated persons, e.g., in a bathroom or onto a bed. The mobile seat is fixed to the supporting structure by means of ropes or chains. (M) Stair lifts. These are lifting devices, fitted with a load platform, which are fixed to banisters, stairway walls or the stairs and are used to move illsabled persons or wheelchairs with their occupant up or down stairs. Lifting or handling devices are often used with furnaces, converters, rolling mills, etc., e.g., machines for inserting, handling or withdrawin the ieces being worked; for manipulating doors, covers, hearths, etc.; tip ing or tilting mac ines en these machines form independent units clearly distinct h m the &aces, etc., they are classified in this heading even if presented with the furnaces, etc. Examples include : Em .PNh (1) Coke oven discharging machines running to and fio behind the row of ovens, and equipped with a mechamcal piston which opens the doors and empties the retorts. (2) Ram or piston operated charging machines for Siemens Martin converters, etc. (3) Sp~cial lifting machines for raising the covers of metallurgical annealing or soaking " ptts, or for lifting out the ingots. (4) Ingot, forging, etc., manipulators, tilters, etc. (5) Machines used in certain types of furnaces for inserting or removing, by the action of cylinders fitted with rams or pistons, the objects being treated in the furnace. It should, however, be noted that the heading excludes lifting or handling machines designed to be incorporated in furnaces, converters, etc., or to form a complete unit therewith, provided they are presented with the furnaces, etc. (see headings 84.17, 84.54, 84.55, etc.). When presented separately they remain in this heading. It should be noted that mechanical stokers, mechanical grates and similar appliances are also excluded (heading 84.16). PARTS Subject to the general provisions regarding the classification of parts (see the General Explanatory Note to Section XVI), parts of the machines of this heading are classified in heading 8431. The heading also excludes : (a) Liquid elevators of bucket, chain, screw, band or similar kinds (heading 84.13). (b) Machinery for sorting, screening, separating or washing earth, stone, ores or other mineral substances in solid form (heading 84.74). (c) Passenger boarding bridges (heading 84.79). (d) Machines and ap aratus solely or principally of a kind used for lifting, handling, loading or unloadin of bou es, wafers, semiconductor devices, electronic integrated circuits or flat pane1 displays beading 84.86). P (e) Turntables of heading 86.08. (f) Dumpers (heading 87.04).
1.- This Chapter does not cover : (a) Millstones, grindstones or other articles of Chapter 68; (b) Machinery or appliances (for example, pumps) of ceramic material and ceramic parts of machinery or appliances of any material (Chapter 69); (c) Laboratory glassware (heading 70.17); machinery, appliances or other articles for technical uses or parts thereof, of glass (heading 70.19 or 70.20); (d) Articles of heading 73.21 or 73.22 or similar articles of other base metals (Chapters 74 to 76 or 78 to 81); (e) Vacuum cleaners of heading 85.08; (f) Electro-mechanical domestic appliances of heading 85.09; digital cameras of heading 85.25; (g) Radiators for the articles of Section XVII; or (h) Hand-operated mechanical floor sweepers, not motorised (heading 96.03). 2.- Subject to the operation of Note 3 to Section XVI and subject to Note 11 to this Chapter, a machine or appliance which answers to a description in one or more of the headings 84.01 to 84.24, or heading 84.86 and at the same time to a description in one or more of the headings 84.25 to 84.80 is to be classified under the appropriate heading of the former group or under heading 84.86, as the case may be, and not the latter group. (A) Heading 84.19 does not, however, cover : (i) Germination plant, incubators or brooders (heading 84.36); (ii) Grain dampening machines (heading 84.37); (iii) Diffusing apparatus for sugar juice extraction (heading 84.38);