Moving steeldeck brakes

[craigwest84]

Hi there,

 

don't know if this exists or is possible, but I'm looking for a braking system for a wheeled steeldeck system that doesn't involve a foot brake on a caster to stop the steel deck moving.

 

Basically 2 x wheeled 8 by 4 steeldecks needs to be pushed down a ramp, and I want to be able to control its speed by people pushing it. I.E a similar way in which a luggage trolley works at an airport, you release the handle and the trolley brakes.

 

Understand it is a weird request, but does anyone know of anything that would do this,

 

 

Cheers,

 

Craig

[kerry davies]

Since there is no prorietary means of doing this I think it would be best to ask you for more information. Go back a few stages in design and explain what it is you want to achieve, what sort of platforms and weights are involved, what sort of angles of ramp are you thinking about etc.

 

Once you have explained exactly what is involved then I have no doubt our resident former Steeldeck designer could be persuaded to have an opinion. Otherwise he, like me, would probably say that Steeldeck wheels are for low-level risers used on flat and level surfaces. Too risky otherwise.

 

I've seen all sorts of chaos caused by a lot lighter things than Steeldeck, ramps, wheels and actors in conjunction.

[Andrew Edwards]

Apologies for the slight pedantry but you don't really push anything down a slope. It kind of wants to go on its own...hence your problem.

 

I doubt you will find any off the shelf casters for this, or even anything self contained such as the luggage trolley you mention. I can't see how this would be a commercially viable product as logically, businesses would find other more elegant and frankly safer methods of moving something this big between different floors levels.

 

I have worked in places with slopes between areas (I never understood why) and we had power assisted pallet trucks. Even then they had limits relative to load and incline.

 

Is this a one off or something you are going to be repeating regularly?

 

I'd go back and have a rethink personally.

 

Edit: Beaten. Note to self, refresh browser before replying to a post that you came back to later.

[craigwest84]

Hiya there,

 

I completely understand what you mean about safety and pushing large items down ramps, which is why I am trying to look for a means of controlling the descent.

 

I understand as well that you don't need to push items down ramps, but what I meant was you would need to move the item there originally to get it down the ramp.

 

Basically what it is is a performance in a car park, which involves a platform, made to emulate a car, but obviously not accurately, weighing approximately 400kg, plus the weight of the Steeldeck being taken from one level of a car park to another, via ramp.

 

The gradient of the ramp 6:1.

 

Obviously there are major health and safety risks of an item this big going between levels of a car park, which is not in use. I am just looking at what the possibilities may be. To ensure I have looked at the project fully before saying indeed it is not possible safely,

 

Thanks for your help guys,

 

Craig

[cameroncoats]

If you're looking for something that looks like a car and can go down a ramp in a controlled manner, how about a car?

[J Pearce]

Or a trailer.

The issue with castors might be that the small wheel diameter could cause the wheels to stick in the dip at the base of the slope, especially if the castors are at either end of an 8x4 deck. It would be like running the castor into a wall.