Materials Handling Equipments

Meng 4131

2. Hoisting Equipments
-I-
By yonas h.
School of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
EiT-Mekelle
Mekelle University
2024
 2. Hoisting Equipment
Introduction:
• Definition: a mechanical device or apparatus designed for lifting
heavy objects or people.
• Structurally it is of diverse nature and may be classified based on
the construction and application.
• Three groups of hoisting equipments are mainly known.
– Hoisting Machines: a group of periodic action devices designed as
self-lifting gear for hoisting and moving loads.
– Cranes: a combination of separate hoisting mechanism with a frame
structure for lifting and/or moving loads.
– Elevating Equipment: a group of periodic action machine intended
for raising loads with guide-ways
February 7, 2025 2
• Generally, hoisting equipment serve the purpose of
moving loads vertically as well as transferring them
from a definite point of area covered by the
equipment into another desired area.
• They operate intermittently alike conveyors, which do
operate continuously.
• Note: The breakdown of the hoisting equipment
might mean the dropping of the lifted load which
could endanger life and products, thus quality
materials shall be used that strictly conform to
manufacturing specifications and are selected on the
basis of certificates provided by metal suppliers.
February 7, 2025 3
• Hoisting equipment can be of a stationary, portable or
traveling type; most cranes and elevators are either
stationary or traveling.
• The main technical parameters of hoisting equipments are:
– Lifting Capacity: the max safe load the machine is designed to handle
– Dead Weight of the machine: the total weight of the machine without
the load
– Speed of various movements: this may be of the hoisting speed, the
bridge travel speed and the trolley travel speed
– Lifting Height: the height to which the load is intended to be raised
– Geometrical dimension of the machine.
• Hoisting machines are periodic-action machines and their
hourly capacity in [tons/hr] can be determined by:
Qhr=n . Q
where n = number of machine cycles per hour
Q = weight of live load in [tons/cycle]
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• When handling unit loads, Q is understood to be the weight
of one piece load in tons.
• Whereas, when handling bulk materials:

Q V
• where:
– V is capacity of the bucket, grab, etc., in m3
– Ψ is filling factor
– γ is volume weight, in ton / m3
• The total load-lifting capacity of the machine will be:

Q (Q  G ) tons
• where:
– Q is weight of live load, in tons
– G is weight of bucket or grab, in tons
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• The number of cycles per hour is:
3600
n
 t1
• where:
–  t1 is the total time in seconds expended on
individual operations of one cycle which depends
on the speed of motion during the various
operations, travel and lifting height, the time lost in
acceleration and retardation, the degree to which
the operations have been combined and the time
lost in grabbing and discharging the load.

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Duty characteristics of the handling mechanisms:
• Mechanisms are rated for a duty depending on their
utilization.
• The factors acting on the operating conditions or duty of
hoisting equipment are:
– Load on the machine (the full load lift demand factor)
– Its annual and daily utilization
– Relative duty factor (DF): the period during which the machine
is switched on
– Ambient temperature
• Depending on the duty (operating conditions) handling
mechanisms are classified in to four groups:
– Light duty =L
– Medium duty =M
– Heavy duty =H
– Very heavy duty =VH
February 7, 2025 7
 Mean Utilization of Mechanisms
Duty By Load By Time Duty Temp.
Kload Factor
Kyear Kday o
C
(%)

Light L 0.5 0.25 0.33 15 25

Medium M 0.5 0.5 0.67 25 25
Heavy H 0.75 0.75 0.67 40 25
Very Heavy VH 1.0 1.0 1.0 40 45
Table: Duties of Hoisting Machinery

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• Notations:
Qm,load
1. Kload  is the mean lifting capacity utilization
Qn,load
• where:
– Qm,load is the mean value of load and
– Qn,load is the nominal (rated) load
hd days
2. K year  is the mean annual utilization of the machine
365 days
h hours
3. K day  is the mean daily utilization of the machine
24 hours
top
4. DF  100% is the relative duty factor,i.e., mean utilization
top  tidle
of the mechanism during one working cycle
Where top : Operation time and tidle : idle time
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2.1. Hoisting Machinery
• Jacks, pulleys, hoists, special purpose monorail telephers
(cable cars), winches, crane trolleys, etc are placed under this
category.
2.1.1. Jacks
• They are simple lifting devices which are directly applied to the
load to be lifted.
• Commonly employed in repair and erection jobs to lift loads
through a short distance, 1 to 3.5 ft (approx. 0.3 to 1 m).
• Industrial jacks may be classified as:
– Rack and lever jack
– Rack and pinion jack
– Screw jacks: hand and electric driven
– Hydraulic jack
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 a. Rack and Lever Jack
• The reversing lever (1) is located
below the lifting mechanism cover
(2) on the left side of the jack when
viewed from the lifting lever. When
preparing to lift a load, the head (3)
can be pulled up by hand to meet
the load level.
• To lower a load, push reversing
lever to straight-down position and
operate the lever. The jack will
lower the load one notch for each
upstroke of the lever.

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 b. Rack & Pinion Jack

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c. Screw Jack
– It is an application of the screw and offers the greatest
mechanical advantage of all the simple machines.
– It employs screw spindle and nut, driven by either manual
or electric.

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 – Considering the pitch, P, the lifted weight, W, the arm
length, LE and the applied effort, E, the mechanical
advantage of a screw jack is given by:

W 2 LE

E P
– The picture presented in the next slide shows a hand
operated traveling screw jack, a most important feature of
which is accurate positioning under load.
– The jack body rests on a nut base which traverses along
guides when the screw is rotated with the aid of a lever and
pawl.

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 A

Traveling Screw Jack

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d. Hydraulic Jack
– It utilizes hydraulic pressure
– Manually operated hydraulic jack consists of:
• A plunger: it is provided with a bearing plate at the top and fits at the
bottom into the bore of jack body filled with fluid.
• A Ram pump: feeds the fluid into the lower part of the jack body
through a system of ports and valves.
– Rate of lifting load depends on the amount of fluid admitted into
the space below the plunger per unit time.
– To raise this rate and lift heavy-loads, hydraulic jacks shall be
equipped with mechanical drives.
– Rate of lowering load is controlled by regulating the opening of the
check valve using lever deflection.
– The 2D representation of a hydraulic jack is given in the next slide.

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 Hydraulic Jack

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 • Hydraulic Jack Characteristics
– Specification:
• Capacity: as high as 200 ton
• Lifting Height: Very limited, up to 15 in (about 0.4 m)
• Efficiency: high efficiency about 75 to 80 percent
– Application:
• Hydraulic system of stackers
• Low and high lift trucks
• Hydraulic lifts
– Advantage:
• Smaller in size and weight
• Capable of precise lifting and lowering loads
– Drawback:
• Limited lift height and
• Low lifting speed

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2.1.2. Pulleys
• It is a small sheave or wheel:
– with a grooved rim
– usually mounted on a pin on which it turns
– Has a frame or block (unit consisting one or more
sheaves mounted in a frame) in which it runs
– with a flexible rope, cord or chain passing through the
groove.
• It is equipped with an eye, a hook or similar device at one or
both ends of the frame, by which it may be attached to
objects.
• They are of two types:
– Fixed
– Movable
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February 7, 2025 20
Pulley System:
– It is a combination of several movable and fixed pulleys or
sheaves.
– It is a system made for gain in force or gain in speed.
– The theoretical mechanical advantage of any pair of pulleys
is found by counting the number of strands which support
the load.
– Application:
• When single, it is used to change direction and point of
application of the pulling force applied.
• When multiple (combination of fixed and movable pulleys), it is to
achieve mechanical advantage (gain in force/speed)
• Used for power transmission in winches and cranes
– Lifting tackle: a system of stationary and movable sheaves
interlinked by a flexible member to obtain a gain in either:
• force (Power Lifting Tackle) or
• speed (Speed or Velocity Lifting Tackle)
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 Lifting Tackle (Single- Reeving Setup)

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 Lifting Tackle Setups

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 – In the single lifting tackle, Fig (a) above, one rope end is
attached to the drum and the other is held to either to
an immovable structural part or to the hook block.
– Lifting tackles of the double-reeving setup consisting of
two or more single tackles, Figs (b), (c) & (d), provide
for a strictly vertical lifting and a uniform loading of the
bearings.
– The double lifting tackle is characterized by two ropes
coming from the drum and to provide for normal
attitude of the hook block.
– A desirable feature of a compensating sheave is that the
rope remains intact, for it need not be attached as in
the case of equalizer, Fig (d).

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• On the other hand, heavy rope wear occurs at the points of
contact with the sheave groove and regular inspection of the
rope is a difficult job owing to the small angle through which
the compensating sheave turns in service.
• This is why equalizers, Fig (d), are given preference in
continuous and severe duty applications.

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 Velocity Lifting Tackle

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 Force Lifting Tackle
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Materials Handling Equipments
MEng 4131

2. Hoisting Equipments
-II-
By yonas H.
School of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
EiT-Mekelle
Mekelle University
2024
2.1.3. Hoists
– Machines capable of elevating and lowering loads.
– Employ some type of gear arrangement to multiply the effect of
the applied effort.
– Generally, loads are moved in batches.
– Types:
• Chain hand hoists
• Powered hoists
– As a rule, the working movement in hoisting machines is intended
either for raising or lowering the load.
– Some hoisting machines can also travel horizontally, turn around,
move radially, etc
– Hoists used for short distance horizontal hauls are suspended from
trolleys or carriers traveling over an overhead single rail track-
commonly a rolled I-beam.

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2.1.3.1. Chain hand hoists
– Based on the mechanisms utilized in chain hand hoists, five types
are available:
• Lever-Operated (Ratchet)
• Portable Chain Hand Hoist
• Differential
• Screw- or worm-geared and
• Spur geared
a. Lever-operated Hoists:
– Actuated by moving a lever
– Usually referred as one man tool
– Wheel and axle are employed.
– The axle in the mechanism is frequently a gear which, in turn,
actuates other gears to further increase the mechanical advantage
of the hoists.
– As lifting capacity increases, the effort required also increases and
the speed of lifting decreases.

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 Lever-operated hoist
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b. Portable Chain Hand Hoist
– It is operated with the aid of an endless welded chain
engaging a drive chain sheave and the hook is suspended
from a roller chain or a welded tested chain.
– The load can be sustained in a lifted position with the aid of
disc brake activated under the weight of the load.
– A ratchet and brake pawl are attached to hoist housing.
– Specification:
• Capacity: ¼ ton up to 50 ton. Speed and efficiency vary according to
the type.
– Application:
• Frequently used in production operations where slow lifting and
lowering of pieces of material is preferred.
– Advantages:
• Low initial investment
• Portability and
• Usefulness when air, steam or electric power is not available
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 Portable Hand Chain Hoists
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c. Differential Hoists
– Consists of a single endless chain operating over a double
or differential sheave and through a lower sheave.
– The difference 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 suspended loop of the endless chain.
– The differential hoist may be suspended from a stationary
hook, eye-bolt or chain secured to some part of a building
structure. It is sometimes used with a trolley when
movement of the load to a remote point is necessary.

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 Differential Chain Hoist
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 – Application:
• 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.
– Disadvantages:
• Least efficient (on average about 30%)
• Impractical for heavier loads over 1 ton.

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d. Screw or Worm Geared Hoists
– It has a worm and gear mechanism
– Each rotation of worm causes wheel to advance by the
lead

Components of a Screw Gear Hoist

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 – The hoisting hook is secured to both ends of the load
chain, which passes over two load sheaves secured to
the extended hubs of a single worm gear.
– Separate hand chain operates the wheel on the shaft
of which is a worm meshing with the worm gear.
– 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.

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 – Specification:
• Capacity: 1 to 3 ton
• 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.
– Application:
• Suited for handling medium loads where speed in lifting is not
essential.
– Advantages:
• More efficient than the differential hoist
• Smoother in action, extremely accurate positioning of the load
• Moderate initial costs
– Disadvantage
• Slower in lifting than the spur geared type
• More expensive than the differential variety

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e. Spur-Geared Hoist
Consists of:
• a load chain,
• a hand chain and
• planetary gear train secured in a
gear case or block
- Specification:
• Capacity from ¼ to 50 ton.
- Advantage:
• The most efficient (on average
about 85%)
• Specially designed for production
service where both speed and
ease of operation are essential.
• Needs the least maintenance
under the most severe use.

Portable Spur Geared Hand Hoist

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 – The endless hand chain operates a 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.

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• Hand Hoist Lateral Movements
– If hoist is to be moved laterally along a jib crane or overhead rail system,
we can use:
• Plain trolley or
• Geared trolley
– For loads less than 3 ton  plain type is recommended.
– For heavier loads  geared trolley is recommended.

Plain and Geared Hoist Trolleys

– Plain Trolley is moved by pushing the load.
– Geared Trolley is equipped with wheels driven by gears which are
actuated by a hand chain and a chain wheel.

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2.1.3.2. Powered Hoists
• Group of hoists operated by electric motors or air
actuated.
1. Electric Hoist:
– Could be divided as hoists that lift their loads by:
• Chains and
• Cables
– The light duty chain hoists employ roller or welded link
chain whereas the heavy duty electric cable hoists use
steel cable as the lifting medium.

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 Electric Chain Hoist
February 7, 2025 44
 Electric Cable Hoist

February 7, 2025 45
 – Both the above types are built for hook or trolley
suspension, depending upon the hoisting and
transporting functions to be fulfilled.
– The chain is actuated by a sprocket or a wheel while the
cable is wound around a drum.
– Electric hoists could be either permanently mounted or
could be suspension mounted from trolleys.
– The hook mounting permits easy removal where it is
desired to be able to use the hoist in more than one
location.
– They can be suspended from plain trolleys or attached to
geared and motor trolleys.
– Mechanical and electronic methods are available for
determining the weight of the load on a hook.

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 – They are floor controlled when the traveling speed is up to
30m/min and overhead cab for higher speeds.
– The handling attachment used is a hook, lifting magnet or
grip adapted to handle unit load or bulk materials.

February 7, 2025 47
 – Specification:
• Capacity: Electric chain hoists are utilized for relatively lighter duty
than the cable varieties.
– Chain hoists are available in capacities ranging from 100 kg to 4 ton.
– Cable hoists are available with capacities up to 10 ton.
• Speed: vary between 15 and 75 ft/min (4.6 and 23 m/min).
– Application:
• Three basic applications
– 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 traveling cranes
• Electric hoists are especially adaptable for heavy production
service where maximum speed with minimum power is a vital
factor.

February 7, 2025 48
 – Advantage:
• They offer fast, broad coverage of large floor areas and they
require minimum training of personnel for operation.
• Motor-driven, they are operated by push-button or pendant-rope
controls, requiring only the flick of a finger to lift or lower loads.
• They are flexible i.e., they can be used either as separate hoisting
units for frequent lifting of heavy loads or with trolleys (on
monorails or traveling cranes) for speedy lifting and overhead
transportation of goods in every phase of materials handling.
– Disadvantages:
• Not applicable in steam or an explosive atmosphere.
• Shouldn’t be left with loads suspended for long time.

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2. Pneumatic Hoist
– They operate by air and exist in two types
• Air-cylinder type
• Air-motor type
– The action of an air cylinder utilizes the energy of compressed air and
exists in three types.
• Single Acting Cylinder:
– Here, the compressed air is admitted and exhausted on the
stuffing-box side of the piston.
– It is intended for the long run of hoisting services such as
loading trucks, handling flasks in foundries where delicate
control is not necessary.
• Double Acting Cylinder:
– 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.
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 • 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.
– Air hoists can be hung vertically from either fixed position
or from trolleys on jib cranes. Such types are called
pendant air hoists.
– In pendant type, the hoist itself is longer than the lift it
provides.
– This limits these machines to situations where the
available headroom is sufficient to accommodate the hoist
and to provide the amount of lifting distance required.

February 7, 2025 51
 Air-cylinder type Pneumatic Hoists
February 7, 2025 52
Materials Handling Equipments
MEng 4131

2. Hoisting Equipments
-III-
By Yonas H.
School of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
EiT-Mekelle
Mekelle University
2024
2.2. Cranes
• A crane is a mechanical lifting device equipped with a winder,
wire ropes and sheaves that can be used both to lift and lower
materials and to move them horizontally.
• It uses one or more simple machines to create mechanical
advantage and thus move loads beyond the normal capability
of humans.
• Cranes are commonly employed in:
– the transport industry for the loading and unloading of freight;
– in the construction industry for the movement of materials; and
– in the manufacturing industry for the assembling of heavy
equipment.

February 7, 2025 54
• General characteristics of cranes:
– Used to move loads over variable (horizontal and vertical)
paths within a restricted area
– Used when there is intermittent flow volume such that the
use of a conveyor cannot be justified
– Provide more flexibility in movement than conveyors
– Provide less flexibility in movement than industrial trucks
– Loads handled are more varied with respect to their shape
and weight than those handled by a conveyor
– Most cranes utilize hoists for vertical movement, although
manipulators can be used if precise positioning of the load is
required

February 7, 2025 55
• Mechanical principles
• There are two major considerations that are taken into account in
the design of cranes.
– the crane must be able to lift a load of a specified weight and
– the crane must remain stable and not topple over when the load
is lifted and moved to another location.
• Lifting capacity
• Cranes illustrate the use of one or more simple machines to create
mechanical advantage.
– The lever: A balance crane contains a horizontal beam (the
lever) pivoted about a point called the fulcrum. The principle of
the lever allows a heavy load attached to the shorter end of the
beam to be lifted by a smaller force applied in the opposite
direction to the longer end of the beam. The ratio of the load's
weight to the applied force is equal to the ratio of the lengths of
the longer arm and the shorter arm, and is called the
mechanical advantage.

February 7, 2025 56
 – The pulley: A jib crane contains a tilted strut (the jib) that
supports a fixed pulley block. Cables are wrapped multiple times
round the fixed block and round another block attached to the
load. When the free end of the cable is pulled by hand or by a
winding machine, the pulley system delivers a force to the load
that is equal to the applied force multiplied by the number of
lengths of cable passing between the two blocks. This number is
the mechanical advantage.
– The hydraulic cylinder: This can be used directly to lift the load,
or indirectly to move the jib or beam that carries another lifting
device.
• Cranes, like all machines, obey the principle of conservation of
energy.
• This means that the energy delivered to the load cannot exceed
the energy put into the machine. For example, if a pulley system
multiplies the applied force by ten, then the load moves only
one tenth as far as the applied force. Since energy is
proportional to force multiplied by distance, the output energy is
kept roughly equal to the input energy (in practice slightly less,
because some energy is lost to friction and other inefficiencies).
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• Stability of crane
• In order for a crane to be stable, the sum of all moments
about any point such as the base of the crane must equate to
zero.
• In practice, the magnitude of load that is permitted to be
lifted (called the "rated load") is some value less than the
load that will cause the crane to tip.

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• Special design requirements:
– Bearings
– Lubrication
– Gears
– Motors
– Brakes
– Limit Switches, etc.
– Standard codes for design
• Application:
– It may pickup material within a ship, swing around and drop it in a
railroad wagon
– When unusual condition of service require a special long reach, booms
up to 60m long can be used
– In construction work, cranes pick up material and hoist it to the top of
a building under construction

February 7, 2025 59
• Advantage:
– Ability to reach out considerable distance from its base (for long
boomed cranes)
– It can also reach up to considerable height
– High degree of flexibility provided in picking up and placing loads
(example: for cranes with a rotating boom)
• Limitations:
– Do not operate continuously
– Load swings and does not follow smooth vertical path
– Range of activity is quite limited both as to area covered and height of
elevating
– Big cranes are very much like powered conveyors, in that once
installed they are somewhat inflexible and can not be inexpensively
moved or relocated

February 7, 2025 60
• Classification:
– Revolving or rotary cranes
– Cranes Traveling on Guide Rails
– Trackless cranes
– Mobile cranes
– Bridge (Overhead) cranes
– Cable cranes
– Floating cranes
– Helicopter cranes
• 2.2.1 Revolving or Rotary Crane
– It is able to swing the load through 360o
– The different varieties could have 3 or 4 degrees of freedom
• Vertical hoisting and lowering of load
• Radial movement of load (Optional)
• Revolving the load about a vertical axis
• Traveling the crane with the load (Optional)

February 7, 2025 61
 – Jib or boom crane is a typical revolving crane and it has a horizontal
boom or jib.
– Jib cranes have three DoF:
• Vertical
• Radial and
• Rotary
– Basic Configurations:
• Projected from a wall: Bracket crane
• Attached to a self-supporting mast: Pillar crane
• Mounted on a column which is unguyed but is pivoted at the top and
bottom: Mast crane
• Guyed : Guyed boom crane
• Self supporting but portable: Floor crane
– In all types of jib cranes, the load may be supported in two ways
• Hoisting tackle fixed at the end of the jib arm.
• Hoisting tackle suspended from a trolley which rides back & forth

February 7, 2025 62
 – Lifting is done by a hoist which acts both as the elevating
element and as the support for the load.
– Wall-mounted jib cranes usually are supported from the existing
structure of the building
– The wall mounted revolving jib crane is mounted on 2 bearings,
one above the other at the wall, one of them for radial load only
and the other for both radial and axial loads and the structure is
essentially triangular with a hoist unit mounted on the
horizontal member
– Capacity:
• Reaches up to 5 ton and height of 10 m
– Application:
• Widely used in machine tool shops and repair shops to hold work
or to move it within a production unit or for construction at site.

February 7, 2025 63
 Varieties of Rotary Crane

Rotating Column Jib Crane (Mast Crane)

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 Floor mounted Jib Cranes (Pillar Crane)

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 Wall-mounted Jib crane (Bracket Crane)
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 Stationary Crane with a Turntable

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 Stationary Jib Crane with a Rotary Pillar
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 Stationary Rotary Crane with a Fixed Pillar
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2.2.2. Cranes Traveling on Guide Rails
– Comprises primarily cantilever and monorail cranes (both rotary
and non-rotary) which move rectilinearly along special tracks.
– The cranes under this category include:
• Cantilever jib crane
• Cantilever crane with an upper or lower rotary boom
• Ceiling-mounted crane
• Monorail crane
2.2.3. Trackless Cranes
– Made up mainly of pillar cranes mounted on trucks,
automobiles or tractors
– They are intended for traveling on dirt, gravel and asphalt roads.

February 7, 2025 70
 – Under this category, we have:
• Goose neck crane on a hand driven truck
• Crane on a power driven truck
• Crane on a universal power driven truck
• Truck mounted crane
2.2.4. Mobile Cranes
– They are hoisting devices mounted on rubber-tired trucks,
rollers or railroad wheels.
– Most of them are full-rotating
– Based on their mounting, they are classified as:
a. Truck Cranes
b. Crawler mounted Cranes
c. Locomotive Cranes
– Choice out of the above is a matter of determining the
equipment which will perform most economically.

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 – Crawler or truck crane is considered where:
• Greater flexibility of movement is needed
• Clearance between buildings is slight
• It is necessary to “walk up close to the job”
– A valuable characteristics of all is the different ways in which a
standard model can be put to different use by changing
attachments, such as electromagnets or buckets for handling of
bulk materials.
– Performance factors of the various cranes depends upon:
• lifting capacity,
• radius of operation,
• hoisting speed,
• speed of travel and
• speed of rotation of the boom

February 7, 2025 72
 – The load, a mobile crane can handle, varies with the reach,
which is the distance of the load from the axis of the rotary part
of the crane.
– This load decreases with an increase in the reach.
– The relevant relationship can be represented in the form of a
chart, given in the next slide, by means of which one can assess
the safe load and lift depending on the reach.

February 7, 2025 73
 Relation between Load and Reach of a Grab-Bucket Crawler Crane

February 7, 2025 74
a. Truck Cranes
– Frequently referred as yard or shop cranes because of
their most general application
– It is a crane mounted on a motorized vehicle (fitted with
large pneumatic tires) for movement over streets, field,
etc.
– Truck cranes are classified in to:
• General purpose cranes adopted to operate with the
hook only
• Dual purpose cranes using both the hook and grab
bucket &
• Multi purpose cranes which can operate with any load
handling or earth moving attachment.

February 7, 2025 75
• Two types of cranes are mounted on trucks:
• Cranes that have no traverse movement, they can lift
and handle their loads in one plane only
• Cranes that revolve about a vertical axis
– In case of the crane with no lateral lifting ability, the
load is always inline with the central axis of the
machine.
– When the crane itself is made revolving, the lifting
situation becomes involved. The load is not always
inline with the axis of the vehicle.
– As the boom of the crane swings around, the load
capacity is decreased because the weight of the
vehicle is not so placed that it can counterbalance as
much weight as when truck and crane are in the same
vertical plane.
February 7, 2025 76
 – A hydraulically operated truck crane mounted on a standard
chassis truck and fitted with a standard jib or one of the
lengthened type is illustrated below.
- Capacity:
• 6.3 ton at 10ft(3 m) and 0.615 ton at 35ft(10.7 m) of reach
- Speed of lifting and lowering:
• 0.09 in/sec(2.4 mm/sec) to 0.5 in/sec(12 mm/sec)

February 7, 2025 77
Advantage:
– Truck mounted crane can maneuver in any direction desired, hence
increased efficiency.
– Various crane attachments (like Grabs, slings, specialized carriers and
magnets) add to their ability to handle a wide range of articles
effectively.
Specification:
– Speed of travel is dependant largely on conditions where the truck is to
operate.
• Speed: around 20 mph (≈32.2 km/hr) forward or backward
• Capacity: up to 20 tons
• Can climb grades of up to 30 %
Applications:
– For handling large and heavy pieces
• out door yard activities as in handling pipe, lumber, car wheels…
• in and out of gondolas and other types of freight cars and flatbed
trucks
• into and out of storage (marine warehouses, large assembly plants)
• utility and oil companies employ it for laying pipe and conduits

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b. Crawler Cranes
– Special type of truck crane
– It is mounted on caterpillar treads of the same basic type as
used on tanks and half track military vehicles
– The mounting consists of:
• two parallel crawler belts with a series of tread shoes or links,
encompassing rollers and drive tumbles supported by axles and a
base frame houses the propelling mechanism.
– The weight of the crane is spread over a large surface by the
caterpillar treads, so that the pressure on the ground per square
foot is comparatively low and traction is obtained when the
ground is soft.
– Since the traveling speed of the crawler crane is never exceeding
7mph (≈11.3 km/hr), special tractor drawn trailers are used, to
deliver them over long distance.

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Specification:
– They can be obtained in.
• Capacity: 7 to 50 tons
• Boom rotates through a full circle
• Travelling speed: 7 mph (≈11.3 km/hr)
Applications:
– In yards, fields, forests or other places where movement must be made
over soft or rough surfaces.
– On sugar plantations, special grabs are used on caterpillar for harvesting
the standing cane stalks after the leaves have been burned away
• Crane swings to break the stalk from its roots above the ground
Advantage:
– Can maneuver in any direction desired and hence increased
efficiency
• Can be shipped on a lighter or special type truck trailer without being
dismantled and
• It can load and unload itself
• Permits operation on grounds of various hardness and density

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c. Locomotive mounted crane or railroad crane
– Carries a power unit which is a combination of a diesel
generator and a number of electric motors
– They are mounted on trucks meeting railroad requirements and
supported by axles of varying number.
– They have an extra winch and a gooseneck type of jib enabling
the handling of bulky metal structure
Specification:
• Capacities of 75 ton and less for general load handling duties
• For special application (wreckage clearing), available in capacities
up to 250 ton
• Speed between 5 and 14.6 km/hr
• When coupled to a train, the speed can be higher
• It is powered by a steam, gas, diesel engine or electricity from a
third rail or overhead trolley

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 Rail Road Crane with replaceable handling attachments
February 7, 2025 82
Advantage:
– Used on marine terminals for loading and unloading ships and
barges
– The long reach of the crane makes it possible to operate
effectively regardless of the level of the water in the river
– It is the best choice where free ground space is limited
Limitation:
– Confined movement in the direction of the track on which it
operates

February 7, 2025 83
2.2.5. Bridge Crane
– They have overhead hoisting mechanisms supported by shear or
legs which may be fixed or mounted on tracks for horizontal
travel
– Bridge cranes are classified as:
• 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
– They may consist of single or double girders from which
the electric hoist is suspended

February 7, 2025 84
 Single Girder Bridge Crane

February 7, 2025 85
 Double Girder Bridge Crane
February 7, 2025 86
 – Main purpose is to serve a work station or other small area of
the plant
– For large, heavy duty hoists, there are two types:
a. Top running
b. Bottom running
– It travels overhead, thereby leaving the floor space free for
production operations
– It consists of:
• a bridge structure spanning the workshop hall and
• traveling on overhead rail tracks (single and double girder cranes)
• a trolley mounted on the bridge and traveling along it and
• a load hoist mechanism to lift and lower the load
– It is capable of moving load practically all over the workshop
space.

February 7, 2025 87
February 7, 2025 88
Application:
– Used in light industries, warehouses and open storage areas,
maintenance workshops for heavy equipment, steel engineering
industry, metal-working plants, railroad repair shops, automotive and
aircraft factories, food processing, chemical, ceramics, textile, printing,
wood working, electrical equipment plants
– Cranes that have box or lattice-type girder are capable of raising 300
to 400 ton or more at a time.
– The top-running crane offers cubic operation, with rectangular
orientation and lifting range that meets the requirements of a wide
range of crane users at a reasonable initial cost.
Limitation:
– Usually limited to 60 ft (≈18.3m) height
– Unable to cover inaccessible space adjacent to the shop walls
– Unable to access adjacent bays of two bridge cranes

February 7, 2025 89
2.2.6. Gantry (Goliath) Cranes
– Span a working area in a manner similar to bridge cranes
– However, it is generally floor supported rather than overhead
supported on one or both end of the spanning section.
– The support can either be fixed in position or travel on runways.
– The principal feature which distinguishes it from other bridge
types is that it incorporates its own vertical supports.
– The structure can also have cantilever extensions on one or both
ends.
– Usually, it is rail mounted, but sometimes for smaller capacities
and for special purposes road wheels can be provided.

February 7, 2025 90
 – They are subdivided in to three types:
• Standard double leg,
• Cantilever and
• Single leg
– A full gantry (standard) crane is one with equal length legs. The
bridge traversed by the hoist trolley is rigidly fixed at each end to
supporting columns or legs. Wheel mounted on these legs allow
the crane to travel along a track of any reasonable length.
– Cantilever gantry is similar to the standard type, except that part of
the bridge is cantilevered beyond the uprights at either or both
ends. In this case load must be able to pass through the legs- hence
the designation -through leg gantry cranes can be used.
– The single-leg gantry is a special type of half-gantry. The runway for
one end of the bridge is mounted on the wall of the building or
columns supporting some existing structure.

February 7, 2025 91
• Single leg, double leg, and mobile types of gantry cranes
– Similar to a bridge crane except that it is floor supported at one or
both ends instead of overhead (wall) supported
– Used to span a smaller portion of the work area as compared to a
bridge crane
– Can be used outdoors when "floor" supported at both ends

February 7, 2025 92
Application:
– Employed to handle unit loads at: store houses, transportation
field, heavy industries, unloading towers, docksides,
powerhouses, marine terminals, steel mills, fabrication plants,
railroad yards and cargo terminals.
– Also used in building and erection work. A typical application is
handling of prefabricated reinforced concrete units of
considerable bulk at sites of big thermal and nuclear power
stations.
– Used in building ships from pre-assembled sections (capacity:
800 ton)
– Could be used both indoor and outdoor
Specification:
– Commonly capacity in excess of 200 ton, a span of 150 ft (≈46
m) and hoisting height of 60 ft (≈18.3 m)

February 7, 2025 93
Advantages:
– It is traveling on the floor and doesn’t require specially made
over head tracks
– Track-mounted gantry cranes are installed to advantage in
locations where overhead runways would be very long and
costly to install and maintain or where runways would integral
with other handling operations or with storage space.
Limitations:
– Due to the centre of gravity of the crane being at a higher level
than the track level, they can not travel fast.

February 7, 2025 94
2.2.7. Stacker Crane
– Similar to a bridge crane except that, instead of a hoist, it uses a mast
with forks or a platform to handle unit loads
– Considered "fork trucks on a rail"
– Used for storing and retrieving unit loads in storage racks, especially in
high-rise applications in which the racks are more than 50 ft (15m)
high
– Can be controlled remotely or by an operator in a cab on the mast
– Can be rack supported

February 7, 2025 95
 2.2.8. Cableway Crane

February 7, 2025
Cableway Crane 96
• End of Chapter Two

February 7, 2025 97
 Pillar Crane

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 Goose Neck Crane

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Bridge Crane
February 7, 2025 100
Bridge Crane
(double girder)

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 Gantry Crane-1

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 Gantry Crane-2

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 Gantry Crane-3

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 Single Leg Gantry
Crane

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 Single Leg Gantry Crane

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 Crawler Mounted Crane

February 7, 2025 107

 Truck Mounted Crane-1

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 Truck Mounted Crane-2

February 7, 2025 109

 Railroad Crane-1

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 Railroad Crane-2

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 Tower Crane-1

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 Tower Crane-2

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February 7, 2025
Floating Crane-1 114
February 7, 2025
Floating Crane-1 115
 Helicopter Crane-1
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Helicopter Crane-2

February 7, 2025 117

Various Types of Hoists

February 7, 2025 118

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February 7, 2025 120