I have a chain host on rails, mounted to the ceiling in my garage. I covers a 8' x 15' area. BUT, the unusual part is the gent that built the garage put floor trusses in the middle of the garage where I ended up mounting the hoist. Each rail is bolted up through two adjacent trusses, to the top run, where the load belongs. I have lifted over 2000 lbs. with this set up! Would I recommend it for someone else? No way! Would I do it again? Yes sir!
A little common sense goes along way. The trouble with the internet, and newsgroups, is you have no clue if the fellow asking the question has any common sense! Greg
Don't forget that with 8 foot ramps rising 3 feet to the bed, the pull to roll a weight up the ramp is only about 3/8 of the weight -- so a 500# load would only need 187 lb of pull (plus rolling friction). The ramps can't move toward the front because they butt up against the bed, with the bent steel flaps resting on the bed. They won't skid back because there is a component of the force vector on the ramps that is horizontal toward the truck. Think about it: if the ramps were on wheels and the load (also on wheels) is restrained by the winch, the ramp, now a cart with a slanted top, would want to toward the truck.
A very nice setup. Not a bad philosophy either. If you're not sure you definitly should not recommend.
You're so right Greg.
That's also part of the reason I watch this type of topic. During my years as a rigger in Local 136 in Chicago I had the privilege of working with and learning from other journeyman riggers whose families went back for generations in the trade. I had years of experience before I could finally call myself a journeyman rigger. To me, someone with light experience, trying to pass themselves off as a true rigger, is a dishonorable joke.
When I read posts by people who try to pass themselves off as knowing something about rigging this really makes my antenna go up. If it's only a matter of overkill I chuckle to myself and generally let it pass, sometimes throwing in my ideas but never denigrating others.
The problem arises when someone knowing less than the "pseudo rigger poster" accepts what they say lending validity to the idea of their claimed experience. Then what will happen when a really BAD idea comes from them?
The other reason I post to this type of thing is that I've yet to see a post by another, trained, rigger. It makes me feel I have an obligation to all the people who freely supply the metalworking knowledge I so enjoy. I think that's only fair.
I'm humble in acknowledging there are better riggers out there than myself and I'm not afraid to admit it, or admit when I might be wrong. Unlike some others.
But being humble won't help others in this group who may have need of the knowledge I possess, or who may wonder about my qualifications to provide this information to others.
I'm vaguely reminded of the scene in "Crocodile Dundee" in which the function of a psychiatrist is explained to him. His reaction was "Don't you people have _mates_?"
If I were handling your 150 lb objects, I would put a rope hoist on your trolley and lower the chargers onto something like a movers dolley with fours casters. If you use a four to one hoist, it would take 38 lbs pull to lift a charger, roll down the rail, lower onto a dolly and unhook. Repeat for the rest.
The reason you don't want to use the chain hoist is that it is so slow, but can lift a lot. A rope hoist is limited in what it will lift, but is quick. With all the surplus stuff you buy, having six movers type dollys will pay off in the future. With a rope hoist you can load them back on a truck quickly too.
I do have a rope hoist actually, 4:1 force/speed ratio, IIRC, and a dolly. Not this time, but I think that I will try hanging the rope hoist also, for stuff up to 200 lbs.
Actually, that's not true, and I have a structural certificate from a practising engineer to show for my asking. Told him I wanted to lift a max of 500kg from the centre point of a 7.2m span truss and he told me what size truss I needed to order from the manufacturer.
He also said that up to 200kg, don't worry about it. That's the SWL anyway. NB, I said SWL, not max load before failure.
YMMV if you have poor engineering standards where you live.
In your case, was it small residential class framing, or heavier stuff? I have seen some old barns and garages that had beams in their truss structure that you probably could have lifted a car with, and surely pull an engine.
If your neighborhood is like mine is getting, I wouldn't trust the wood, the construction, or the framers. That is, if I spoke the same language as the framers and understood what they were talking about.
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