Need lift attached to 7' span

[BobH_SLO]

Not exactly a garage project but related to you Uni Sturt / Superstrut/ etc. Material projects thread.

I use a powerchair and need an attendant with a lift to move between surfaces. I'm trying to regain some independence with using a lift in the bathroom (garage that I can operate myself. I live in a rented space and I can't drill into the ceiling - I can attach to the walls. The span over the spot I want to place the lift is 7'. I don't need a track system - just a single point.

I was thinking that the commonly available (Home Depot) 12ga SuperStrut may work. Looking at some of the manufacture catalogs simple beam data it looks like my ~250lbs load would be OK with the standard 1-5/8" 12ga strut. My guess is the 3" x 1-5/8" would be better - not sure where I would find it.

Any comments on using SuperStrut for this project?

Suggestions for other similar material/cost options?

Suggestions for supporting the ends of the strut? I guess I would need at a minimum something to span two wall joists for supports for the end points.

Any suggestions/alternatives welcome!

FYI here is the patient lift I'm using.

I need to mount it sideways and run the strap through a pulley so I can gain more headroom. Anyone know of a suitable pulley/roller for the nylon strap?

Here is the self operated "sling."

Sorry if this post is to far off topic - if so could you refer me to another active forum that might be able to help?

 

[scull20]

Just so I make sure I have the gist of what you are trying to accomplish please see below:

You wish to install a medical hoist with sling in your garage bathroom to assist in helping you get out of your power chair to use the bathroom in your garage.

The plan is to mount a pulley up high with the hoist down lower and run the line through the pulley down to the sling.

So you need a secure method for mounting the hoist, as well as secure method for mounting the pulley above. Because mounting into the ceiling is out of the question, you would like to mount unistrut spanning 7'-0" from wall to wall to attach the pulley to.

That all being said, I will say this, there is certainly a great deal of liability involved with mounting all of this equipment. God forbid you should fall because something is not assembled or designed correctly. Do the manufacturers or the equipment you are getting offer referrals for companies familiar with the installation of this equipment?

There's certainly ways to mount all of this with parts and materials available at home depot, just want to make sure all other options are exhausted first.

 

[Macrosloth]

yada yada lawyers lawsuits.. putting flame suit on now..

My thoughts - Heres a guy trying to be more independent. Lets help him out not put up obstacles.

If your set on unistrut.

Maybe put a 2x6 or two on edge, bolt the unistrut evenly along the bottom side . Tie into the walls as required, or build two A frame supports on either side and triangulate as required.


Disclaimer - I am not an engineer.

 

[rsanter]

I think you need to look at the gantry cranes. Use that for ideas and scale it down.
If you cannot attach to the ceiling, then you can stand three or four posts and an overhead track using the unistrut.
Done right you don't even need to attach to the walls, they can just be up against the walls

If one unistrut section of track is not enough to hold you safely, you can put two next to each other each having a track roller. A bracket between them and then you hang the hoist from the bracket

If you were local to me I would help you put it together....perhaps a couple GJ people,local,to you would be willing to help???

Liability...bulshit. This is not something made for a customer it is being made for personal use

Bob

 

[Stuart in MN]

Before the bickering about liability and engineering and all that starts, let's figure out the details of what the original poster is trying to do.

 

[pmiranda]

The simple answer might be to pony up the $1295 that web site wants for a two-post track system that is designed to do exactly what you want. It's also portable so you could take it with you when you move or even just for travel.

 

[BobH_SLO]

Yeah - My first thought too.

Problems:

0 not enough head room for my project - the hook for the lift motor is a good 12"+ below the ceiling

0 the minimum span on the portable system is 7' + the posts and the ceiling plate

Coming up with my own "sky hook" looks easier at this point.

 

[ovilla]

First of all, kudos to you for seeking to be more independent. Don't let anyone stop you from whatever you are envisioning. If it wasn't for folks like you, I'm sure none of the accessibility products out there would have ever been invented. Now on to your topic.

Definitely make a squared cage slightly smaller than the entire room and just an inch or so below the rooms ceiling height. I don't even think that you'll need to anchor it to the floor since it will be pretty heavy on its own. I'd mount that hoist along the floor (on one of the cage's "walls" and just reinforce it with more unistrut behind it) and then put a ****** block directly above wherever you need to be lifted from. I'd also double up on the unistrut right at your lifting point. If you are only needing this for assistance in/out of the toilet itself, go on Craigslist and look up "weight lifting cage" or "pallet rack". This should give you a cage that you can build within the room. You might just have to cut it to size before installing it in the room.

I do like the hoist you pointed out, but I'd also recommend the HF hoist. I've been using my 440lb HF hoist for years now to move a ton of heavy stuff up 16' into my garage attic and it's yet to fail me. With a 20% off coupon these can be had for under $100, so you could even pick up another in case you need to rig up two lifting points - maybe one to lift and pull you at an angle towards the back of the toilet and one to pull you forward back onto your chair.

You could also go to a tractor supply store and pick up a "sliding barn door trolley kit", which you could mount above your cage. You would then be able to mount your hoist directly under the barn door strut support and lift yourself up, and then pull yourself horizontally across the room to wherever you need to be, before lowering/lifting yourself with the hoist controls. That's what I set up in my garage attic so I could lift things into the attic and then across the storage room itself.

I don't know where I saw it, but I do recall seeing a free-standing kit that allows hunters to use an electric hoist to lift and skin their game. It was kind of like a big engine hoist (another option) but it was much taller.

Finally, I know you're thinking unistrut but this could easily be built out of nothing but thick black gas piping (think monkey bars). I'd use four pipe flanges for the feet and then use T's and elbows as needed for the rest. This would allow you to take it with you if/when you move again. At Home Depot they will even cut and thread the pipe for free as long as you buy your piping there. The HF hoist actually comes with an attachment so it can be easily mounted to a round pipe too.

Anyway, don't give up. You should definitely be able to build something to suit your needs, To get even more ideas, I'd Google this topic a bit more to see what rehabilitation centers use in their facilities.

Best of luck to you!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[BobH_SLO]

Thanks for the support! I look at dealing with my mobility issues as my hobby. Some good ideas to mull over.

For the bathroom I don't really need to move horizontally very much or at all. I just need the lifting point to be in the correct spot.

 

[LXCam]

I'd use the extra deep strut. Yes the 1-5/8 will support that, but will flex at that span and pull on you wall brackets. You can get a length of the 3-1/4 from McMaster or graingers. Then use the 90 degree double hole brackets. That way you can lag into a stud twice at both sides. Proble might be is the framing in line with each other. If not you would need to run either some angle between two studs to carry the span, which by that way would probably be you best bet anyway so you can align your pulley point directly over where you want it. As for the pulley, heck even a 1-1/2" wide x say 3" diameter wheel could be attached using a couple pieces of flat bar vertically then through bolt it to the strut using a spacer so the strut doesn't collapse on you. Other then the strut which will run you about $50+ the whole thing could be put together for under a Hundy. Too bad I'm not closer, I'd give you a hand without hesitation.

 

[LXCam]

Holy **** have I got something that may really help you out. A good buddy of mine is the electrical contractor in your town building that new women's detention facility. Pm me your contact info and I'll give him a call. Maybe we can get you hooked up without you having to go through a bunch of hassle.

Cam

 

[BobH_SLO]

LXCam has a good handle on the project - I sent contact info via private message on this board.

Here are some notes I wrote up on the project using the Thomas and Betts Super Strut catalog reference data:
http://www.evernote.com/l/AOGrqFxQuwdNnZsOit9TZKfGRBp34s9OzvE/

 

[OccupantRJ]

Sliding barn door track and trolleys if travel down the rail is required. This track is much stronger and larger than unistrut.

 

[akdiesel]

BobH_SLO

I have done some Unistrut projects through out my shop that include a trolley system and two Unistrut Jib Cranes.
I kept my trolley system limit down to 250# due to the span I have. The Jib cranes are set to 500# and span just over 7'. I could go more but due to the electric hoist jerking and shock load I keep the limit modest.
I have used the Super Strut dual trolley wheel (TR294) before. They work but are not as smooth as the Unistut trolleys.
I feel you could still get by with the 1 5/8 12 gauge strut for both your horizontal and vertical loads. a 7' beam span gives a 480# rating with a .68 inch deflection and over 1500# column load limit.
So mounting the columns to the wall via #14 screws and placing the beam on top with l brackets. Then securing the beam to the joist /rafters with the same screws. The beam secured to the ceiling is mainly for aid in minimizing racking / side laod movement and to also help in the deflection.
I would feel safe in saying over half of the total load will be supported by the columns. when installed in this fashion.
As for movement on the beam. I think it would be better to double up on the trolleys with approx 12" span between the two and then connect them together to make one. This will help spread the load better and make a smoother movement of the trolley.
The Super Strut trolleys will work better for this type of application since you will not be using the designed trolley brackets that stop the spread of the strut. The wheels on those trolleys have an edge that grabs the inside edge of the strut to simply do the same thing but they are not that deep.
Sounds like a great project. Good luck.

 

[matt_i]

There is "back to back" unistrut which is stronger.

However. The wheel diameter on a strut trolley is really small, the "bearing" is something like a roller on a split roll pin, and its tough to move under that load.

Despite the problem in sourcing material, I would look for a "tool rail" which is extruded aluminum rail system designed to work in factories. Sold by Knight, Zimmerman, Unified Industries. It will have trolleys that roll effortlessly because they have standard 6xxx ball bearings and the wheel diameter is larger. There is typically 4" tall and 8" tall rail systems. The smaller is good for 500# working load.

Barring that I would actually look at 3" or 4" I-beam. Jervis Webb makes some manual push trolleys that are again intended for industrial use. But they will roll smoothly under load, which is how this thing is going to be used....not just to stay under the "max capacity".

Hopefully someone can assist with the design and construction. You will need a way to precisely "tweak" the level of the rail as you use it, and it cannot sag in the center of the span because your weight will be stuck there and a difficult climb the curve to either end.