Using A Winch For Tub Hauling.
- Thread starter The Old Ruminator
- Start date
We have been using a block & tackle with a hand-jammer/foot loop to essentially prussik the kibbles up the shaft in one dig, which works extremely well even with very muddy rope.
The top gin wheel is clipped to a Y-hang bolted into the wall above the shaft.
If you were concerned about dropping the load, or reducing fatigue, you could incorporate a locking/progress capture pulley into the system, but we haven't found this necessary.
The top gin wheel is clipped to a Y-hang bolted into the wall above the shaft.
If you were concerned about dropping the load, or reducing fatigue, you could incorporate a locking/progress capture pulley into the system, but we haven't found this necessary.
The Old Ruminator
Well-known member
Hooray it worked perfectly hauling heavy loads. The upright pole and base jack needed a bracing pole . We could not dissemble the pulley to get the hook through so ran it over the supporting pole. The winch cable was rewound on the drum to change the winding direction All go for next week.
Mike Wise fitting the pole and winch.
Nigel Cox coming up out of the shaft.
Mike Wise fitting the pole and winch.
Nigel Cox coming up out of the shaft.
The Old Ruminator
Well-known member
Templeton South Pot Team have an electric winch powered by a surface generator. The tub has wheels running along scaffold pole rails fixed to a ladder. There is a manual deviation as the track goes around a bend. But then Templeton is one of the most engineered digs in the UK.
Jester
Member
Minor correction - not one, but three electric winches.
Our associates in the North side of the cave also haul using electrical power.
You'd be welcome to come take a look on a digging night!
Jester
Member
There's a poor video of the newest section of the South Pot hauling system in operation at the bottom of our recent blog update
templetwats.blogspot.com
For most of the video the skip is out of sight, so fast forward to the end to see that.
2025 Round Up - Templeton South Pot - Railway Video!
Although there has been no blog post since 18/11, work in the South Pot has not stopped, with the work to mechanise the lowest haul contin...
templetwats.blogspot.com
For most of the video the skip is out of sight, so fast forward to the end to see that.
Is that an open invitation @Jester ? I'd be happy to do some grunt work in return for a look around.
The Old Ruminator
Well-known member
Found this in a field today. Mounted on a box frame with a drum added maybe ?
Maj
Well-known member
speleokitty3
Member
If you take an aluminium swivel scaffolding connector then it is relatively easy to remove the pin and this can then be bolted to the winch to provide an elegant solution for mounting to a scaffolding pole.
For surface digs I find that the best way was to bolt this to one of the legs of the bipod and feed the cable through a small pully suspended from the top of the bipod. If you support the bipod with a back rope and also have a slack rope in the opposite direction, then you can easily swing the load away from the hole and into a safe location by pressing down on the back rope.
This is so simple to use that I was easily able to operate it with one arm and wrist immobilised in a cast.
For surface digs I find that the best way was to bolt this to one of the legs of the bipod and feed the cable through a small pully suspended from the top of the bipod. If you support the bipod with a back rope and also have a slack rope in the opposite direction, then you can easily swing the load away from the hole and into a safe location by pressing down on the back rope.
This is so simple to use that I was easily able to operate it with one arm and wrist immobilised in a cast.
The Old Ruminator
Well-known member
The real issue is where its used . Surface or underground. Space at QWUH is very limited so its just the small winch in use. How long it will last I dont know. Will hitch it up to the pulley on Tuesday. Do folks remember the big quadpod we won in a competition on here ? We still have it.
TheBitterEnd
Well-known member
Some real world feedback on this. I've been using a winch a bit like the one in the OP (mine is single speed) on a dig for about 7 or 8 months and a few days ago it wasn't working very well. I took it apart today and found the issue.
The hand crank is connected to an axle which runs through the winch body. At either side there is what seems to be a plastic bush acting as a bearing between the axle and the body, on the crank side this bush had broken up. This axle has a small gear welded to it which engages a large gear connected to the winch drum, because the bush had broken there was a lot of movement/slop in the axle and the small gear wasn't engaging the large gear very well making the winch difficult to wind.
So for the want of a plastic bush a winch was lost
Its probably worth adding that I bought this winch new many years ago (it was a bargain) and it has sat in the garage unused until last year, so the break down of the bush could be due to age. In use the winch was on the surface, in the weather.
I might make up a brass bush to get it working again when I get chance but for now it'll be back to hand hauling.
One thing I did notice is that the locking ratchet mechanism which stops the winch unwinding engages the small gear and not the main drum gear. In my case there wasn't enough slop in the axle bearing to allow the small gear to disengage there by allowing uncontrolled unwinding of the main drum but if the gears were more worn and/or both bushes failed I think this could happen.
The hand crank is connected to an axle which runs through the winch body. At either side there is what seems to be a plastic bush acting as a bearing between the axle and the body, on the crank side this bush had broken up. This axle has a small gear welded to it which engages a large gear connected to the winch drum, because the bush had broken there was a lot of movement/slop in the axle and the small gear wasn't engaging the large gear very well making the winch difficult to wind.
So for the want of a plastic bush a winch was lost
Its probably worth adding that I bought this winch new many years ago (it was a bargain) and it has sat in the garage unused until last year, so the break down of the bush could be due to age. In use the winch was on the surface, in the weather.
I might make up a brass bush to get it working again when I get chance but for now it'll be back to hand hauling.
One thing I did notice is that the locking ratchet mechanism which stops the winch unwinding engages the small gear and not the main drum gear. In my case there wasn't enough slop in the axle bearing to allow the small gear to disengage there by allowing uncontrolled unwinding of the main drum but if the gears were more worn and/or both bushes failed I think this could happen.
Relict
Member
Hello all, we (Angels of the North Cave Diggers) use a Warrior 110 volt winch. It's been in service now 12 months and is reliable if you follow some basic rules. Yes, it is slow at 8m per minute but using a mid size blue drum as a hopper means it keeps up with the diggers as it can lift a huge load.
You are correct to ensure the Dispacher is clear of the hopper. It is also important to inspect the hopper prior to each session as the plastic can start to tear. The belay points can be repurposed at 90 Deg once. Always use a rope loop to belay as one belay failure may then not result in catastrophic fail.
Your hopper must have a rope belay at base as well as the rim. We use a scaffolding cat-flap to land it. You can then push it over and connect the base rope to the winch. Then connect a deviation cord to the base rope, designed to be short enough to prevent the hopper emptying back down your shaft. Now raising the winch again should hold the hopper upside down to empty into a barrow or whatever. Yes it needs a generator but hey, if you are old gits like us, petrol is cheaper than shoulder replacement operations.
Important : you must NEVER raise the winch unloaded. Lowering an empty hopper is acceptable but never the cable alone. They usually come with clumsy little hooks. Add a great big 3 tonne hook for easy handling from Amazon so you can work with freezing cold muddy hands...
Best wishes from the North.
You are correct to ensure the Dispacher is clear of the hopper. It is also important to inspect the hopper prior to each session as the plastic can start to tear. The belay points can be repurposed at 90 Deg once. Always use a rope loop to belay as one belay failure may then not result in catastrophic fail.
Your hopper must have a rope belay at base as well as the rim. We use a scaffolding cat-flap to land it. You can then push it over and connect the base rope to the winch. Then connect a deviation cord to the base rope, designed to be short enough to prevent the hopper emptying back down your shaft. Now raising the winch again should hold the hopper upside down to empty into a barrow or whatever. Yes it needs a generator but hey, if you are old gits like us, petrol is cheaper than shoulder replacement operations.
Important : you must NEVER raise the winch unloaded. Lowering an empty hopper is acceptable but never the cable alone. They usually come with clumsy little hooks. Add a great big 3 tonne hook for easy handling from Amazon so you can work with freezing cold muddy hands...
Best wishes from the North.
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