Harrington hoist - friction plates

[imc188222]

I picked this little 1/4 ton Harrington hoist up on Craigslist the other day. I've never seen one exactly like it. It's basically the same as a lever hoist but instead of a built in lever, it is 3/8" square drive.

It wasn't working right so I tore it down and discovered that one of the friction plates was half gone. They were not like any that I'm familiar with, one is felt and I think the other one is made out of conveyor belting.

My question is what material do I use to make new ones from? The friction plates that were in other hoists I've had apart were made out of material that resembled brake or clutch lining. I found rolls of brake lining material on eBay for about $30/ft but I'm hoping to spend significantly less than that. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
-Isaac

 

[Rileysan]

I picked this little Harrington hoist up on Craigslist the other day. I've never seen one exactly like it. It's basically the same as a lever hoist but instead of a built in lever, it is 3/8" square drive.

It wasn't working right so I tore it down and discovered that one of the friction plates was half gone. They were not like any that I'm familiar with, one is felt and I think the other one is made out of conveyor belt in.

My question is what material do I use to make new ones from? The friction plates that were in other hoists I've had apart were made out of material that resembled brake or clutch lining. I found rolls of brake lining material on eBay for about $30/ft but I'm hoping to spend significantly less than that. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
-Isaac

Please post a picture of it and include the model number. We have dozens of Harrington hoists (among others) at work and I should have access to the correct service manual.

As for your description, I'd really like to see a photo of the material in question. I wouldn't put it past someone to have made something out of old conveyor belt material. We use it for all sorts of things but that's a new one, lol!

Edit: thanks for posting the pix of the discs. How about that model number?

Brian

 

[imc188222]

The body casting has the number P177F stamped into it. Sorry about the sideways pictures, I don't know how to turn them on my phone.
Thanks for the help Brian.
-Isaac

 

[imc188222]

The chain after an overnight soak in vinegar.
-Isaac

 

[Rileysan]

Our smallest hoists are 1/2 ton so I'm not sure if I'll be able to find anything on that model. Is there a tag with a serial number on it?
Brian

 

[imc188222]

No tag, the pictures above show the only markings on it. Today I cut some discs out of a piece of 3/16" plywood that i had. The hoist functioned normally with the 100lb or so of weight that I had handy to test it on. I'm not going to leave those discs in it or trust it, I don't want the safety police jumping all over me.

Anyone have any suggestions of a more suitable material to make them out of?
Thanks
-Isaac

 

[Rileysan]

Are you aware of any companies near you that re-line brake shoes and clutches for heavy equipment? They can likely make replacement discs for you.

Brian

 

[Carla]

Hello, Isaac,

I have never worked on a chain fall of the Harrington make, but I have restored a few 1920's to '40's vintage spur gear chain falls of the Wright and Yale makes.

On those, the friction ring was a thick, dense leather.

I did not have to replace any of the existing leather rings in any of the chain falls I worked on, as they required nothing more than a gentle scraping to remove the congealed dirt on the surface of the leather.

Obviously, I don't know whether the Harrington works would have used the same material, but I'd think it possible. With an internet search, you should be able to find a leather-workers' site, where you could ask about obtaining a piece of that thick, strong leather, cut out the 'ring', and give it a try, on test.

cheers

Carla

 

[gungatim]

rolled cork or flat sheets of cork gasket material may work, that's what we used in some old packaging machines for the clutch material. otherwise, maybe drill the rivets from a car clutch or something similar?

 

[imc188222]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll update this with my permanent fix.
-Isaac