Portable hoists are mobile machines used to lift and suspend loads, with various styles and designs. They can be manually or hydraulically operated, and include gantry cranes, small cranes for construction sites, and lightweight ratchet devices for lifting.
A portable hoist is a type of mobile apparatus used to lift objects. Portable hoists are a very diverse group of machines with many different styles and designs. Portable hoists can be manually operated or operated by hydraulics or other mechanisms for lifting and suspending loads.
A common type of portable hoist, often used to lift or suspend automobile engines during repair or installation, consists of a wheeled base of two long beams joined together in a V shape. At the point of the V, a arm rises upward and then extends outward above the opening of the V. A large hook of some sort on a chain or cable is usually suspended from this arm and is used as an attachment point for the load to lift. Many hoists of this type are equipped with hydraulic mechanisms for lifting and lowering loads that are operated by manual pumping. The load, once positioned at will, can be held in that position indefinitely.
Almost any mobile object lifting device can be described as a portable hoist. Portable gantry cranes are constructed of two wheeled vertical A-frames with an overhead beam connecting them. The lifting mechanism is designed to slide along this overhead beam and can consist of a simple ratchet pulley or a powerful electric motor for lifting. Once the load is lifted and the hoist is locked in place, the entire hoist can be moved anywhere desired.
Construction sites and movers sometimes employ another type of portable lift to lift heavy materials or objects that won’t fit on stairs or elevators. This type of portable lift is essentially a small crane with a base mounted on the roof or upper story of a construction project. A stable base supports the crane arm with a hook or other mechanism for securing loads. Most portable hoists of this type are powered by electric motors or other means and in some cases are capable of lifting several tons.
A lightweight type of portable lift may consist of nothing more than the lifting mechanism itself which may be a manually operated ratchet device that slowly lifts a load a little at a time. The ratchet mechanism consists of a cylinder wrapped with cable or chain and having deep teeth cut into it. A lever with matching teeth is used to pull the wheel which lifts the load and the wheel’s teeth lock onto another set of gripping teeth which prevents the wheel from unwinding the cable or chain. The lever is then reset and used to turn the wheel a little more, gradually lifting the load. This type of hoist can be attached by a chain to an overhead beam, a sturdy tree branch or trunk, or any anchor capable of holding the load securely.
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