Thread: Converting a push girder trolley to geared

Wondering if anyone has converted a push girder trolley to a geared one. I've got a few push style ones, the largest being the 2T one on my gantry and would like to convert it to geared with a chain drive to make it easier to move along the beam while loaded.
Looking at photos of geared models, it seems they're essentially the same as the push models but have a very basic spur gear tooth cut into the wheel flanges, and a suitable size pinion mounted between them to drive both wheels at once (as well as obviously a shaft and chainwheel etc...).

Here's an example: https://www.beaver.com.au/materials-handling/materials-handling/push-and-geared-girder-trolleys/beaver-geared-girder-trolley

Anything I'm missing?

Steve

Steve, on the hidden side you'll probably find some extra reduction gearing. A set up as you've shown, will probably be OK for 500kg. Anything heavier would need extra gearing as in a chainblock.
Kryn

Not helping with your question, but interesting to note that the first benefit Beaver claim in their list is that their units are colour coded for easy identification of capacity. Then they have a spec charge below that indicates both the 10t and 20t units are coloured orange. Maybe colour coding is not what it used to be?

Originally Posted by KBs PensNmore

Steve, on the hidden side you'll probably find some extra reduction gearing. A set up as you've shown, will probably be OK for 500kg. Anything heavier would need extra gearing as in a chainblock.
Kryn

Good thought, but I've yet to find a photo online of one that looks like it could have extra gearing. Even these photos of the 20T Beaver one don't look like it has any - http://www.graysonline.com/lot/0007-...mm-to-305mm-16
Appears there's enough reduction across the handwheel/pinion/wheel diameter changes anyway.
I must have a look at the shop crane in the maintenance shop at work to see if its got any reduction. Its a 5T dual beam with full carriage rather than a trolley on a single beam, but pretty sure the manual traverse is just a large ~300mm chainwheel.

Malb - I hear what you're saying about the accuracy of the Beaver colour coding statement, but I'm guessing their logic is once you get above 5T its no longer a case of sending the apprentice down to the tool store for a couple of purple chainblocks and some slings to match so they may as well all be the same colour...

Steve

If you have a small chain block, take off the cover and have a look in there, maybe some useful info there.
Quite possibly it could be direct drive onto the small gear, which then goes onto the main wheel, giving the reduction required. Using a large chain wheel, driving a small gear, onto the main wheel, will reduce the effort required?
When it gets upto the larger units, it would/should be geared down more?
To make one would be a bit hard, as you'd need to make a pulley that will accept the chain, unless you have/obtain one thats stuffed, to use that gear.
Kryn

A used commercial roller door chain pulley wheel would be cheap, a roller door place would have them laying around going to scrap, or a scrap yard.

As for the reduction I have looked into modifying one as well, and the 1 to 2 ton all appear to be a gear on each wheel and one in the center attached to a small gear running to the larger chain wheel.

My thoughts where to pick up some used gears and shrink fit then to the wheels, and pin them.

I checked out the gantry at work today and for reference its ~300mm chainwheel, and a 2:1 reduction driving ~200mm wheels on the carriage. The carriage and wire rope hoist would be close to a tonne on their own I'm guessing.

I've already got feelers out for a used chain pulley at work as I know I've seen them lying around when they've replaced roller door drives. Typically now I'm looking for one there's none about!
Shrinking on some used gears is a good idea, but shouldn't be hard to cut teeth in the flanges.

Steve

Originally Posted by OxxAndBert

I checked out the gantry at work today and for reference its ~300mm chainwheel, and a 2:1 reduction driving ~200mm wheels on the carriage. The carriage and wire rope hoist would be close to a tonne on their own I'm guessing.

I've already got feelers out for a used chain pulley at work as I know I've seen them lying around when they've replaced roller door drives. Typically now I'm looking for one there's none about!
Shrinking on some used gears is a good idea, but shouldn't be hard to cut teeth in the flanges.

Steve

As long as you have the diameter of wheels to cut teeth and run on the beam as well.
All the geared one's I've seen have larger diameter wheels and then the gears cut into them, which is why I thought the shrink fit option.

I have 2 new 2 ton machinery house ones that I bought for the wheels for a overhead bridge crane, the wheels are not large enough to cut gears.

I have one older one which does have large wheels, but from memory the flanges are not big enough to do both jobs as the actual running surface is larger.

Originally Posted by malb

Not helping with your question, but interesting to note that the first benefit Beaver claim in their list is that their units are colour coded for easy identification of capacity. Then they have a spec charge below that indicates both the 10t and 20t units are coloured orange. Maybe colour coding is not what it used to be?

They are color coded the same a soft slings. 10T and over are all orange.

Originally Posted by Dave J

As long as you have the diameter of wheels to cut teeth and run on the beam as well.
All the geared one's I've seen have larger diameter wheels and then the gears cut into them, which is why I thought the shrink fit option.

I have 2 new 2 ton machinery house ones that I bought for the wheels for a overhead bridge crane, the wheels are not large enough to cut gears.

I have one older one which does have large wheels, but from memory the flanges are not big enough to do both jobs as the actual running surface is larger.

Gotcha. I'll have to have a closer look at mine.

Steve

I would have thought you needed a rack on the beam also for the gears to move along?

No - the gears just turn the trolley wheels.

Steve

Originally Posted by DSEL74

I would have thought you needed a rack on the beam also for the gears to move along?

The weight on the wheels provide enough traction to move it along, and it's running on a level surface.
Also the contact patch is so small on the beam because the wheels are tapered so very little friction.

With 500kg on mine I was still able to move it manually easy.