Hoisting Machinery

• Hoisting devices for unit materials are an important group of materials handling equipment.
• The hoisting movement is more often required to facilitate other operations, transport, and assembly.
• Jacks, pulleys, hoists, special purpose monorail telphers, winches, crane trolleys, etc.

1. JACKS

Jacks are simple lifting devices which are directly applied to the load to be lifted.
The industrial jacks may be classified as:

– Rack and lever jack

– Rack and pinion jack
– Screw jacks-hand
– Electric
– Hydraulic jack.

2. PULLEYS

 A pulley is a small sheave or wheel with a grooved rim usually mounted on a pin, which it turns, a frame or
block in which it runs and with a flexible rope, cord or chain passing through the groove.
 Pulleys are two types:
– Fixed Pulleys
– Movable Pulleys
 Hoists are machines which are capable of elevating and lowering loads.
 They employ some type of gear arrangement to multiply the effect of the applied effort.
 As a rule the working movement in hoisting machines is intended either for raising or lowering the load.

3. HOISTS

• Some hoisting machines can also travel horizontally, turn around, move radially, etc.
They are divided into:
• chain hand hoists and
• powered hoists

• Because of the different mechanisms utilized in chain hand hoists, it has four types:
• Lever operated (ratchet)
• Differential
• Screw or worm geared, and
• Spur geared chain hoists.

I. Lever operated (ratchet)

• This type is actuated by moving a lever.

• As the lifting capacity increases, the effort required also increases and the speed of lifting decreases.
Applications:
Used frequently in production operations:
 where the amount of work is not sufficient to warrant larger investment as represented by powered hoists or
 For assembly work where slow lifting and lowering of pieces of material is preferred.
Advantages:
The outstanding features of these hoists are:
• low initial investment
• portability and
• Their usefulness when air, steam or electric power is not available.

II. Differential Hoists

 It consists of a single endless chain operating over a double or differential sheave and through a lower sheave.
 The difference or the differential, in the diameters of the double sheave is so small that friction of the several
engaging parts serves to keep the load suspended at any point when pull on the hand chain ceases.
 The hoist hook is suspended from a yoke which is suspended from an axle supported by the lower sheave.
 It is raised or lowered by pulling downward on either side of the pendant loop of the endless chain.
 The differential hoist may be suspended from a stationary hook, eye-bolt or chain secured to some part of the
building or to a separate structure.
 It is sometimes used with a trolley when movement of the load to a remote point is necessary.

Disadvantages:
• It is the least efficient (average efficiency approximately 30%) of all types of hoists.
• It is generally considered impractical for handling loads over 1 ton.
Applications:
• Primarily this hoist is suited for intermittent service where occasional light lifting is required i.e., where time
and effort are not factors.
Advantages:
• It is the simplest form of mechanical lifting.
• It is the least expensive.
 III. Screw or Worm Geared Hoists

 Each rotation of the worm causes the wheel (gear) to advance a distance equal to the lead of the worm.
 A downward pull on either side of the hand chain rotates the power sheaves and the worm and transmits the
power through the worm gear to the load sheaves, thus raising or lowering the load.
 No load brake is required, as inherent friction holds the load suspended at any point of its travel.

Specifications:
• Supplied for lifting loads of up to 3 ton capacities,
• the screw geared hoists are generally designed to operate at any angle and
• May be used successfully in a horizontal position for hauling, as well as in a vertical position for hoisting.
Applications:
• It is especially suited for handling medium loads where speed in lifting is not essential.
• It should be used in all cases where smoothness of operation is essential.
Advantages:
• It is more efficient than the differential hoist (average efficiency of approximately 40 %).
• It is smoother in action, affording extremely accurate positioning of the load.
• It is portable.
• It is moderate in initial cost.
Disadvantages:
• Because of the worm gearing provides great hoisting power, but at a slow speed, this hoist is much slower in
lifting than the spur geared type.
• These hoists are more expensive than the differential variety.

IV. Spur-Geared Hoist

 This consists of a load chain, a hand chain and a train of planetary gears secured in a gear case or block.
 The endless, pendant hand chain operates a hand chain wheel or sheave which turns on the screw hub of a
ratchet, friction-brake assembly secured to the shaft of the driving pinion that actuates the planetary gears.
 • The driving pinion meshes with two intermediate gears and pinions, which, in turn, mesh with an internal
gear secured to the gear case, serving as a fulcrum to rotate the planetary gear.
• Thus, when power is applied to either side of the hand chain loop, it is transmitted to the load sheave, causing
it to raise or lower the hoisting hook.
• A pawl that engages the ratchet disk holds the load when the pull on the hand chain loop is discontinued.
• Hoists of this type are made with a single gear train or working head for capacities up to 10 ton.
• The spur-geared type hoist is frequently used with a trolley on cranes or monorails for production service.
• And it uses plain trolleys (for less than 3 ton) or geared trolleys

 Two separate gear trains or working heads connected by a yoke and operated by separate hand chains but
having a single hoisting hook are used for capacities beyond 10 ton.

Specifications:
• It is furnished in capacities from 1/4 to 50 ton.
Advantages:
• The most efficient of the several types (average efficiency of approximately 85 %) of hand chain hoists.
• It is especially designed for production service where both speed and ease of operation are essential.
• It demands the least maintenance under the most severe use.
Powered Hoists

1. Electric Hoists
There are several different classifications of electric hoists.
The first breakdown
• lift their loads by chains (Electric chain hoist)
• those that employ by cables (Electric cable hoist)
Both types are built for:
• Lug depending upon the hoisting and.
• Hook or transporting functions to be fulfilled
• Trolley
 In addition to being suspended from plain trolleys, electric
hoists are attached to geared and motor trolleys
The operator can control the starting and the stopping of the
machine by Pendant control, it is secured either by a grip
handle or by a push button.
Specifications:
• Electric chain hoists are utilized for relatively lighter duty
than are the cable verities.
• Chain hoists are available in capacities ranging from 250 lb to 4 ton.
• Cable hoists are available with capacities up to 10 ton.
• Hoisting speeds vary between 15 and 75 ft/min.
• The speed of their travel over a single-rail track varies depending on the distance to be covered and the
purpose the hoist serves.
Applications:
There are three basic applications of any electric hoist:
• Vertical elevating and lowering from a fixed location
• Vertical elevating and lowering plus horizontal motion along a fixed path as with monorails and jib cranes
• Vertical elevating and lowering plus horizontal motion over a fixed area - as with overhead travelling cranes.
Electric hoists are especially adaptable for heavy production service where maximum speed with minimum
power is a vital factor.
Advantages:
• It offer fast, broad coverage of large floor areas and they require minimum training of personnel for operation.
• It is flexible
– it can be used either as seperate hoisting units for frequent lifting of heavy loads or
– with trolleys (on monorails or travelling cranes) for speedy lifting and overhead transportation of
goods in every phase of materials handling.
Limitations:
• These hoists should not be used in conditions for which they are not especially designed, as where there is
steam or an explosive atmosphere.
• It should not be left with their loads suspended for any appreciable length of time.
2. Pneumatic Hoists
• It is operated by air,
– It has two categories
• air-cylinder
• air-motor types.
• The action of an air cylinder utilizes the energy of compressed air, there are:
– Single acting air cylinders
– Double acting air cylinders
– Air balanced cylinder.
Single-Acting Cylinders:
• In this type, the compressed air is admitted and exhausted on the stuffing box side of the piston.
• When the air is admitted, the piston rises and forces out the atmospheric air in the upper portion of the
cylinder.
• When the compressed air pressure is released, the piston falls under gravity and atmospheric air is drawn into
the upper chamber.
• The single-acting cylinder is intended for the long run of hoisting services such as loading trucks, handling
empty flasks in foundries and structural steel shapes where delicate control is not necessary.

Double-Acting Cylinders:
• The air is admitted alternately on the two sides of the piston so that, there is positive action during both up
and down strokes.
• It is applied where both pushing and pulling action is required but seldom is utilized in hoisting operations.

Air-Balanced Cylinders:
• Full pressure is maintained on the stuffing box side of the piston, variable pressure on the other side.
The load is hoisted by exhausting air and lowered by admitting air above the piston
• The unbalanced area of the piston rod returns the piston to the stuffing-box end.
• Because of its superior speed control, this type is used for the most delicate hoisting operations such as:
– setting cores
– closing moulds
– drawing patterns and
– pouring hot metal.
It is used for pulling only.

Air-Motor Hoists:
• In air cylinder hoists, the lifting and lowering mechanism moves with straight-line reciprocating motion.
• In air-motors, the lifting and lowering element rotates.
• Naturally, the pistons that actuate the lifting mechanism move to and fro, but their reciprocating motion is
changed to rotating motion.
• The figure shown the inner working parts of a so-called axial air-piston hoist.
• Machines of this make are available in capacities ranging from 300 lb to 1 ton.
• They are very light- one of 1000 lb capacity weighs only 28 lb and has a hook-to-hook dimensions of 19 in and
a speed of 38 fpm loaded.
 • A small portable air hoist is available for handling loads up to 150 lb.
• This is so constructed that it always hangs suspended in balance.
• The gearing mechanism is disengaged when no load is on the hook so that an operator easily can move the
hoist to the load.
• Up and down buttons in the handle give simultaneous one-hand control of vertical speed and positioning. This
hoist weighs only 14 lb.

Advantages:
• The purchase and installation costs of an air cylinder hoist are less than other types of power hoists.
• The most important operating features of air hoists are accuracy with which loads can be spotted, smoothness
and speed of performance.
• Because of they are non-sparking, these hoists are able to operate in locations barred to other equipment i.e.,
in explosive surroundings.
• They are not harmed to any appreciable extent, by exposure to weather, dampness, dust, heat or acid fumes.
• An air hoist cannot be overloaded.
• If it is called up on to lift more weight than its capacity, it simply refuses to move.
• Air cylinders can be converted very easily to hydraulic oil service.
• Pneumatic hoists are characterized by a step less control over a wide range in both hoisting and lowering the
load.
Specifications:
• The capacity is between 25 lb and 5 ton, the cylinder bore is 1 to 10 in and the lift varies between 2 and 100 in.
• Speed of operation is between 4 and 12 in/s depending on the capacity.
• Efficiency of pneumatic hoists is as high as 0.9 to 0.93, provided the cylinder bore and piston are finished to a
high-degree of accuracy and effective seals are used.
• Such hoists with a built-in-lifting tackle can give 30 ft lifts.
Applications:
• They have earned an invariable position in the foundry field, for such operations as:
– Handling moulds
– Drawing patterns and pouring hot metal.
– They have also found wide acceptance in chemical plants, power plants and similar activities where
their peculiar characteristics fit.
Assignment-I
1. What are the procedures to be follow for hoist safety?
2. What are the inspection procedures for hoists and what we have to inspect for each parts of hoist?
Material Handling system, page -107
 2.2 cranes
• Cranes are a combination of separate hoisting mechanisms with a frame for lifting or a combination of lifting
and moving loads which can be truly suspended on or secured to them.
• They are very much useful to pick up a load at one point and be able to deposit it at another point within a
restricted area.
• They are used for loads that are heavy for other types of equipment.
Applications:
• A crane may pick up material within a ship, swing around and drop it in a railroad wagon 40 or 50 ft away
from it.
• When unusual conditions of service require a specially long reach, booms up to 195 ft long have been used.
• In construction work, cranes pick up material and hoist it to the top of a building under construction and
perform other work which can be done only by cranes.
The cranes may be classified as:
• Revolving or rotary cranes
• Mobile cranes
• Bridge cranes
• Cable cranes
• Floating cranes
• Helicopter cranes
REVOLVING OR ROTARY CRANES
• As the name suggests a revolving crane swings the load through 360°.
 They can have basically 3 or 4 degrees of freedom:
– vertical hoisting and lowering of load
– radial movement of load (optional)
– revolving the load about a vertical axis
– travelling the crane with load (optional)
 A Jib or Boom Crane is a typical revolving (rotary) crane.
– It has a horizontal boom or jib.
– It has the appearance of an arm that extends over a work area.
– A hoist is attached to the arm to provide lifting capability.
– The arm can rotate and the hoist can move along the arm to achieve a wide range of coverage.
 Jib cranes have three degrees of freedom:
– vertical,
– radial and
– rotary.
The following are basic configurations:
• Bracket crane: It may be projected from a wall.
• Pillar crane: It may be attached to a self-supporting mast.
• Mast crane: It may be mounted on a column which is unguided but which is pivoted at the top and bottom.
• Floor crane: Another possibility is to have the frame self-supporting but portable.
Wall-mounted jib crane Stationary crane with a turntable

Stationary jib crane with rotary pillar

MOBILE CRANE
• Mobile cranes are hoisting devices mounted on rubber- tired trucks, rollers or railroad wheels.
• Most of these cranes are full-rotating.
• Their mountings make them a distinctive group. They are classified as:
– Truck cranes
– Crawler mounted cranes
– Locomotive cranes.
• Mechanical or hydraulic types
• Mechanical also referred to as “conventional” crane
• Mechanical cranes have greater capacity
• Hydraulic cranes have greater mobility and require less setup time
• Crane capacity is controlled by its operating radius
 • Operating radius is:
• horizontal distance from center of rotation to the hook
• a function of boom length and boom angle with the
horizontal
• Other factors that influence capacity:
• position of boom with respect to the carrier i.e.: over
the front vs. over the rear or sides
• amount and configuration of the counterweight
• condition of the supporting surface
• tire capacity
Bridge Cranes
• As the name implies a bridge crane resembles a bridge that spans the work area.
• A bridge crane is a powered crane comprised of one or more bridge beams mounted at each end to a carriage
and is capable of travelling along overhead rails
Overhead (Bridge) Crane

• Bridge cranes can be classified according to the

work they have to perform for example:
 Light duty hand - propelled and very light weight, up to 5 ton capacity
 Medium duty- for general use in factories and warehouses from 5 to 20 ton capacity
 Heavy duty- for foundry work and large magnet work, 20 to 50 ton capacity
 Extra heavy duty- dock side and steel mill use for loads over 50 ton capacity
• For larger, heavy duty hoists has to move up to one of the two major types of overhead travelling cranes
 Top running
 Bottom running

Bottom running Top running

Specifications:
• General purpose overhead bridge cranes have a capacity ranging from 5 to 300 ton and special purpose 600
ton cranes have been developed to handle erection work at sites of big nuclear and hydro-power projects.
Gantry Cranes
• The gantry crane spans a work area in a manner similar to the bridge crane, however, it is generally floor
supported rather than overhead supported on one or both ends of the spanning section.
• The support can either be fixed in position or travel on runways.
• Gantry cranes fall into three categories:
• Standard double leg
• Cantilever
• Single leg (semi Gantry)
Specifications:
• Gantry cranes commonly feature a capacity in excess of 200ton, a span of 150 ft and a hoisting height of 60 ft.
Applications:
• Gantries serve their most useful purpose in industry for shipping and receiving.
• Gantry cranes are employed to handle unit loads at storehouses, transportation field, heavy industries,
unloading towers, powerhouses, marine terminals, steel mills, fabrication plants, railroad yards and cargo
terminals.
• The heavy capacity gantries are usually required on hydroelectric installations.
• They are used primarily for installation of heavy equipment and subsequent intermittent maintenance.
Advantages:
• The advantage of the legged structure is that it is travelling on the floor and does not require specially made
over head tracks like the over-head travelling crane.
• The gantry crane offers advantages for many difficult applications.
 For instance when a crane must be installed in an existing building with neither footings nor structure
adoptable for cranes or rails to carry a gantry, a gantry can be laid on the floor.
Limitations:
• Due to the center of gravity of the crane being at a higher level than the track level, these cranes can not travel
fast.
• Rail tracks on the workshop floor must not project above the floor level so that other vehicles can travel
unhindered.
Cable Cranes
Working Principle
• The taut line cable way crane consists of two towers suspended between which is a track cable of the locked-
coil construction serving as a bridge structure.
• A carriage with a handling attachment travels on the track cable with the aid of a haul rope and a winch.
• The haul rope is reeved through sheaves provided at both towers and passes over a drum of the winch,
forming a closed loop attached to which is the carriage.
• For hoisting and lowering the load at any point along the span, use is made of a hoisting rope attached to the
drum of a hoisting winch with one end.
• The other end of the rope is fastened to the carriage or the tower free of the winch.
• To minimize the slack in the haul and hoisting ropes, use is made of rope hangers.
Specifications:
• Spans range between 3,000 and 12,000 ft. But 30,000 ft spans are also met with. Standard capacity is 1 to 25
ton while cableways rated at 150 ton capacity are also in use.
• The load hoisting speed is 5 to 3 ft per sec depending on the height and the conveying speed varies between
25 and 35 ft/sec.
• Towers are spotted into the working position at a rate of 20 to 75 ft/min.
Applications:
• Storage and production areas of considerable extent are served by taut line cableways.
• They also find application at building sites
Floating Cranes
• A floating crane is one mounted on
barge, lighter or self-propelled or
towed pontoons.
• They are used for salvage, along shore
and off shore duties.
• The crane motions are accomplished
with the aid of electric drives,
commonly of the DC type employing
the ward-leonard control.
• The goose-neck crane and derrick
crane are found frequently in floating
equipment.

Applications:
• They are used for handling cargo, but more especially for dredging operations, in which case they are
equipped with buckets.
Advantages:
• As compared with heavy duty cranes on shore, floating cranes have the advantage of flexibility, for they can be
towed to ships or terminals anywhere about the port.
• An important advantage, while the heavy lifts are being loaded or unloaded, other cargo can be loaded or
unloaded through other hatch.
• Heavy lifts are handled into and out of vessels more economically and rapidly by heavy-duty floating cranes
than by any other means.
Crane helicopters
• Crane helicopters are employed on an
ever-increasing scale as a means of moving
loads and doing a variety of other jobs in
regions which are difficult of access.
• The use of helicopters has proved to be
economically attractive providing for a 35
percent saving as compared with the other
hoisting and haulage equipment.