Rigging: Work equipment (I)

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12

May

2017

We are back with more information about Rigging, this time we are going to talk about work equipment and more precisely, about hoists, which are mechanisms to lift or move a load with a great mechanical advantage, because it requires less strength for moving a heavy weight.

 

We may be able to distinguish between manual and electrical hoists:

First, we want to explain the manual chain hoists mechanism, which are a lift equipment to work on human strength.

It have a system of gears that multiply the force we applied on it, through the chain allowing the user to lift big loads.  That hoist mainly comprises a slab with gears and hook, a chain with a hook in one edge and a top limit in the other, to avoid an accidentally slipping out; a bag, for the transport and reefing the chain and an endless chain where we can apply the strength for raising and lowering the load.

We can also find the electrical chain hoists, called usually as motors, but the motor is only a part of the hoist.

The rotor and the stator or coil works with electromotive force, it comprises a slab, where are located the motor, gears, clutch, breaks and slab hook. The slab middle place is the load support and locate the part witch transmit the chain movement, this chain have, at the end, a top limit to avoid an accidentally slipping out for the slab chain and the other edge have a hook to connect the load motor. 

 

For the hoist pre-checking, we need to focus several things like:

 

  • The body: Deformation and wear.

 

  • The chain: Nibbles marks or wear in the links.

 

  • Hooks: Body deformations, wear, nicks, cracks, fissures, corrosion and discoloration caused by the heat.

 

  • Operation: Check if the chain go up and down properly in the stated way, you should not use controllers and hoists that are not working in its right way, and never use hoists or controllers with motors that are changed, further, not all of them, but some yes and some others not, that’s so dangerous. 

 

 

Wait for next posts to get more information about work equipment like lifting towers, trusses and also accessories like safety cables or clamps, the latter are essential elements for a good knowledge for rigging world. Keep on reading our blog!

 

Bibliography: AFIAL. Beginner’s Guide to Rigging in the entertainment industry. Pablo Moreno.