By a lifting system, I mean one in which an arm is mounted upon a stand and counterweights allow the simple movement to make it rise in a circular motion.
What I'm looking to do is lift up to perhaps a thousand pounds of wood up to 40 feet high. I just want to know if there are any web sites which discuss the math behind this.
Somebody once said, "Give me the proper fulcrum and I'll move a mountain!" Or something to that effect.
Hello Richard, I looked online and came up with real quick answers to your problems. You know a lever would have to be awful long to be able to lift that height.
On the first web page is a Rigging supply. You could use a chain hoist like the ones they sell. You could rent that equipment or fabricate it yourself with pulleys and chain hoists.
The 2nd web page is the actual "fulcrum formula" I just looked up fulcrums and lifts...... Material lifting (building construction) Forklifts....... Cranes....... I have used cranes and if a person is set up, many loads can be lifted at a decent price. john
F x L = W x X
or
F = (W x X)/L
lever1.gif (1928 bytes)
Inputs:
(W) Total Load (lbs/kg)
=(L) Length from Fulcrum (in/mm)
=(X) Length to Fulcrum (in/mm)
=How Much Force is Required?:
By a lifting system, I mean one in which an arm is mounted upon a stand and counterweights allow the simple movement to make it rise in a circular motion.
What I'm looking to do is lift up to perhaps a thousand pounds of wood up to 40 feet high. I just want to know if there are any web sites which discuss the math behind this.
Somebody once said, "Give me the proper fulcrum and I'll move a mountain!" Or something to that effect.
No matter what method you use, you will end up expending the same amount of energy to lift that load. The counter weight may eliminate the lifting mechanism's weights, but won't help with the load (just remember the old Laurel and Hardy buck of bricks skit...)
IOW, TANSTAAFL!
So a question: can it be moved part at a time? Or is the whole half ton going to have to go up in one load? If only some at a time, staging may be doable, using a winch. However, 40 ft (four stories) is a high lift, so can it be done half way then the other half?
Now simple math: say your device raises the load 40 ft. It would have to have a working arm long enough to reach that 40 ft (so the working or load arm would be about 40 ft long.) To reduce the effort (trade effort for distance) the other end of the lever might be twice that length (say
80 ft) and that would reduce your effort by 50%. But wait, it gets hard! Any 40ft long arm that must hold 1000 lb at the end is going to be one really strong and big thing!Personally I don't see a lever as the answer. I think a more traditional block and tackle, a winch, or the like is the way assuming you can't bring in a boom truck or crane to lift the load.
So, what are you trying to lift, and where?
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