Types of grippers for barrels and the secrets of their choice

Drum grippers are essential devices for holding, lifting and moving loads. They have many modifications and are used for loading and unloading operations in various fields of activity. Plastic and metal barrels with open or closed top can serve as cargo.

Drum grapples are specialized attachments designed for vertical lifting and horizontal transport of barrels made of wood, plastic and metal. They function in a complex with the main lifting equipment. In most cases, they are operated at facilities with confined spaces, where it is problematic or impossible to use large-sized lifting special equipment.

They are widely used in industry and manufacturing, they are used in warehouses and in organizations providing services related to the management of freight flows (logistics centers). The use of barrel grippers accelerates loading / unloading operations or the production process.

Barrel grippers as such are extremely trivial in structure and mechanism of work, which makes them an integral part of completely different construction work, where in general there are barrel-shaped containers. Lifting devices are divided into several groups based on:

• method of fixing on the main container;
• the position of the barrel directly during transportation and any other actions.

There are several modifications of the grippers for transporting drums. They have different designs, differ in functional and technical parameters:

• single-position;
• chain;
• lever;
• grippers-tilters.

Each type of barrel gripper has unique features and advantages that can play a major role in choosing the right solution for the implementation of specific tasks. Let's talk about them in more detail.

Load grippers for 100 and 200 l drums are the most common type with a simple structure, consisting of one or two grippers, which function on the principle of mechanical fixation of the load. The device is equipped with a manual locking mechanism that uses the muscle strength of the slinger. Most often it is practiced in not very large warehouses and other facilities with a small daily volume of transported barrels.

More powerful load handling devices can be hydraulically driven from the main loader attachment.

These units are constructed with 2 steel link chains and linkage. The chain drum lifting device is attached to the loader by means of a lug. Such grippers are more overall, but they guarantee the most reliable retention of the load, because friction forces are not used for this.

The chains are consistently one size, proportionally distributing the load to the lifting ring. The use of a pair of slings makes it possible to fix one barrel in a horizontal or vertical position, and the operation of 2 pairs of chains allows you to grab 2 barrels at a time.Keeping the barrel is provided by specialized lever systems with connecting pins. The standard lifting capacity of the chain attachments is from 300 kilograms to 1 ton.

The structure of the chain gripper includes the following elements:

• lifting ring;
• 2 chains;
• lever system;
• connecting fingers;
• transportation locks.

The chain type barrel gripper functions in this way. The lower lever is installed under the rim of the barrel, and the upper one is arranged along its end plane. The sling is slowly lifted up with a pitchfork, meanwhile the lower lever bumps into the rim stop and creates a force directed to the upper lever, realizing their force closing. The levers on the other side of the gripper work in the same way. The vertical and horizontal load is proportional, which prevents the barrel from skewing during its movement.

The disadvantage of such grips is the impracticability of safe operation on the street, because in a powerful wind, slings with a load can swing.

When working with a chain loading device for barrels, it is necessary to systematically inspect the condition of the chain links, as well as the level of wear of the surfaces of the lever system. Products should be made from tool steels of the "steel 20" type and be case hardened.

These lifting devices have a universal mechanical design with upper hook stops. Due to the specific external appearance, the seizure is called "boomerang" or "parrot's beak". They are used as stationary equipment on forklift trucks in warehouses of medium or large capacity.

They have a lifting capacity from 200 to 800 kg and can be mounted vertically or horizontally. The structure of the linkage assumes the presence of:

• power frame;
• 2 eccentric clamping levers;
• axles;
• an additional stopper for the movement of the levers.

Designed for transportation of metal 200-liter barrels of 230-350 kg (including the European standard) in accordance with GOST 13950-91.

As mentioned above, the appearance of the load-gripping device for barrels resembles a parrot's beak. It functions according to the same method - fixing the edge of the load and holding it firmly until the required time. The low weight of the equipment contributes to the comfort of working with it, and the characteristics of the device make it possible to carefully handle the load. The device is fixed directly to the lifting component of the equipment or sling with the cables of the crane. Several barrels are lifted at a time by means of a traverse equipped with grippers of this type.

A multifunctional version that has the function of gripping the barrel with its subsequent turning. It has the most complex structure with a hydroelectric complex. It makes it possible to turn one or several barrels at a time at a certain angle, in particular 180.

It is recommended to select a suitable modification of the drum loading device based on the following characteristics:

• type of design (tilters, lever, chain, single-position);
• the degree of carrying capacity (from 200 to 800 kilograms);
• present and future tasks at a specific facility.