The two dual developements of the wiper blades and the automobile go hand in hand as they are both so irreducibly combined in terms of their history and amplification over the ages. The automobile was often credited to a man named Robert Ford and today’s modern form reflects a manifold of evolutionary steps from those initial days. Some people place the number of separate inventions and therefore patents in regard to the engineering of the automobile at about one hundred thousand. This translates to a monumentally mind boggling number of parts encompassing the wiper blades which together make up the modern day automobile. The earliest form of car could be described as steam powered automobiles and was named a military tractor by its French inventor Mr Cugnot when it was engineered in 1769. Although this type did not have any wiper blades it was the ancestor of all those that would and is therefore very significant in the annals of both the car and the wiper blade. It was advanced by the French army to haul artillery pieces to and from the battlefield, unluckily in order to build up the requied amount of steam it was required to stop and refresh every couple of minutes.

Still no wipers but at the date this was a massive leap forward in steam engine technology these devices burned fossil fuels such as coal in order to heat up water in a tank making steam which could then be used to push pistons to turn a crankshaft and hence the wheels. The wipers was not to emerge until much later when Robert Ford beget turning out the model-t Ford in massive numbers at the turn of the twentieth century. Looking back now its unbelievable that as anciently as 1831 a scot named Robert Anderson was making electric powered cars using a tiny battery and electric motors. Unfortunately for Mr Anderson the car was sluggisg expensive and claimed frequent recharging which is not all that aberrant from the obstacles encountered by today’s electric car makers. The wipers would not come until a alternative form of the internal combustion engine was discovered and put in a cheap ass chassis which could run of petrol. Electricity was applied very successful in trams and trains which in some ways are directly responsible for the creation of the very first windscreen wipers model.

The replacement wiper blades was designed by a person who on taking a trip to New York declared how the tram drivers would reach their hands out of the window in order to wipe the wind screen, this observation would form the impetus to design and make the very initial replacement wiper blades prototype. The first petrol generated engine was attributed to a gent named Nicolas Otto who engineered and built the first four stroke internal combustion engine which was fitted into a motor cycle and so didn’t need any replacement wiper blades. The first gas powered car was later designed by a man named Karl Benz in 1886 and was a three wheel design and the company beget by Mr Benz became the planets largest up to around 1900.

Cherry pickers can be invaluable. They give you straightforward powered access to places where you might not otherwise be able to with a standard ladder or scaffolding. So when is the right to go out and find a cherry picker hire company? The cherry picker is essentially a raised platform that can be extended to reach otherwise inaccessible areas. The actual reach of any boom can vary from model to model, so you have to be sure exactly where you need to access and how far that is before doing anything else.

Some cherry pickers feature an onboard motor which allows them to be transported easily, albeit over reasonably short distances. Others come attached with trucks or vans, these are particularly seen on telecoms and grid maintenance vehicles. Whilst you can also have a cherry picker set up on a trailer and you can simply two it into position. So when might you want one of these machines? Well, how about if you are doing some extensive gardening work that takes in tall trees and hedgerows. Unfortunately we can’t always use standard ladders or ropes, particularly when working a fair distance off the ground. So rather than using the tree or other foliage as a way of gaining access, why not get a cherry picker? You can adjust it vertically and horizontally as the work progresses, so you won’t need to keep ferrying up and down a ladder.

Sometimes you need a platform that offers extra stability and somewhere to store your tools and other equipment. Taking an earlier example, many telecoms companies use cherry pickers to gain access to repair lines and do general maintenance checks. Again, a ladder just isn’t up to the job in this instance and work at height is made hugely safer by the support of a sturdy platform and having two hands free. You can also use a cherry picker to access difficult to reach areas on the outside of building when performing maintenance. So whether you need to wash some windows, repair the guttering or apply a fresh coat of paint to the walls, a cherry picker can help hugely.

As we’ve established here, a cherry picker isn’t just about access it is also about convenience and safety. If you operate on a ladder you have a very limited area that you can work on. If you have to move to attend to other work you have to get down, reset the ladder, secure it and climb again. This can be time consuming and arduous, even for the fittest work.

You can also find variations of the typical cherry picker for hire for even more specialist jobs. For example if you are working at great height you might also consider telescopic boom hire. This machine gives you a self propelled base and the ability to get great access to places that are really difficult to access. The one noticeable difference though is that the telescopic boom is straight, rather than the pivoted system used on a cherry picker. This might limit manoeuvrability a little, but shouldn’t affect access.

How about considering scissor lift hire? A scissor lift is basically a large platform that can be raised to a required height. It can’t move horizontally without physically moving the whole thing. This provides a seriously sturdy area though in which to work at height. You will often see these at airports working on aeroplanes whilst they are grounded, carrying vital checks, maintenance and repairs. They are also often found in warehouses to move stock and again fix any issues that may arise.

Basically, wherever you need access to something that can’t be reached through conventional methods or done safely on a ladder, a cherry picker ought to be your preferred option.

Here are a few more suggested uses:

• External building maintenance
• Extensive gardening work
• Fixing overhead cables
• Working on large vehicles and aeroplanes