MANUAL CHAIN HOIST
to install them. For heavy loads also, one cannot expect an operator to lift by hand (although, on occasion, manual hoist with capacities of even 50t can be useful and are indeed used).
For an illustration of related applications,
where manual and an electric hoist each have an advantage, see the box opposite. The same supplier, Red Rooster Lifting, of Oldmeldrum, Scotland, supplied Kito manual hoists to a boatyard and Kito electric chain hoists to a hydro station – each of them were obviously the optimal solution.
Lifting on land Manual hoists come in two basic designs – the chain-pull (also known as the chain block) and the rachet-lever pull, and each have their own advantages. The lever- rachets tend to have smaller capacities. Konecranes, for example, make chain block hoists with a load range of a quarter-tonne to 20t. Their KL manual lever puller goes up to a maximum of 3t.
But it has its advantages. It’s lightweight and compact, and, therefore, easily
Yale’s BatteryStar offers the advantages of manual and electric chain hoist.
portable. Konecranes suggest applications for construction, maintenance and service work. Their KM2 hand chain block and manual trolley, on the other hand, which manages up to 20,000kg, is not intended to be portable. It comes hook-suspended or together with an I-beam trolley. When suspended from an I-beam it can be manually pushed along the beam if it is carrying up to 10t, or moved by a hand-geared chain for loads up to 20t. Both versions allow for low-headroom situations. Coming from the same stable there are of course design similarities. Both types have dual pawl Weston-style brakes with two friction discs for four braking surfaces, and both are enclosed for protection against dirt. The KL lever rachet handle has a rubber grip and can be rotated 360° for use where space is restricted, and both have an open chain path for simple inspection and cleaning. The KM2 hand chain block, unusually for any manual hoist of either design, includes an overload limiter. Konecranes also make electric chain hoists.
Their new D-series comes in versions with safe working loads from 80kg to 5,000kg. Their SLX hoist with stepless hoisting speeds to give smooth vertical movement can lift up to 2,500kg. They can be fitted to an overhead track or beam, to a workstation or to a jib. French manufacturer Verlinde make both manual and electric chain hoists. The manual hoists come in sizes and lifting capacities from 0.5 to 20t, and electric hoists range from 0.125t to over 50t. Their Eurochain VR electric range comes in capacities from 800kg to 10t. The VXS single-speed electric chain hoist is for loads from 125 to 2,000kg, and the VX Vario version has stepless variable lifting speeds from 125 to 2,500kg.
Not everything fits neatly
into a category. Columbus McKinnon have an offering from their Yale brand that is electric powered, so it is by definition an electric chain hoist but it is not powered from the mains. The Yale BatteryStar runs off an M18 Red Lithium Battery from Milwaukee Tool, of the type that is also widely used for domestic power tools (we mentioned DIY tools at the start). The battery is rechargeable and can be inserted or removed from the hoist for recharging as required. The BatteryStar would seem to offer many of the advantages of both a manual and an electric chain hoist. The intention, as with a manual
22 | June 2025 |
www.hoistmagazine.com
The Verlinde Eurochain VX Vario electric chain hoist.
hoist, is for portability and ease of installation. Once you have attached it to an anchor point, you slide in the battery and switch on. It has a capacity of 1t, a lift height of 6m and a lift speed of 2.4m/min. It can also be run inverted – that is, with the hook attached to the support and the load attached to the body of the winch. One reason for doing so would be to give easier access to the control switch, which would be within reach rather that up at height.
Lifting at sea Another scenario where manual hoists have an advantage is in maritime and offshore applications. Secure power supplies may be lacking, and transferring parts or equipment for repairs and maintenance from ships to rigs – and nowadays to windfarms – may well call for medium or even large-capacity hoists, temporarily attached to beams or other lifting points but distant from any easily attached power supply. William Hackett of Alnwick in Northumberland are specialists in manual hoists, both chain-block and lever, and are specialists also in maritime applications. Capacities range from 500kg to a massive
50t. Their William Hackett C4 manual Chain Hoist is designed, manufactured and proof load tested in the UK. It is a heavy duty hoist and is, therefore, strongly constructed. It comes in capacities from 500kg to 5t, and has created the foundations for other developed models such as the C4 QP and SS C4 QP. The ‘SS’ series refers to subsea applications – these hoists are capable of withstanding multiple immersions in seawater and are DNV- certified for this. The ‘QP’ suffix stands for ‘Quad pawl’ and refers to William Hackett’s patented system for safely holding loads. It was originally devised for rachet lever hoists, but is now
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79
