Jeremy Rowland wrote:FOWLER MAN wrote:Hi Bills,
Thanks for posting. It would be a shame to see that cut up.
The Cardiff Plant Group ran a couple of these when I worked for them. They would have been new circa 1968/9. A brilliant bit of kit in their day.
I have no room for the crane.
Though I have found space, (for all these years), to keep a 1 inch drive ratchet out of an the original Leibherr tower crane tool kit which I still have today.
The ratchet was designed to have no teeth so that it couldn't jump or slip for safety if working above ground.
If anyone is curious how a ratchet works without teeth
I will take a pic. and post it for you to see.
Fred
Fred that sounds an interesting ratchet to me did it work on a cam?
Jeremy
Hi Jeremy,
I did some research on my ratchet. It was made by a German company called "Walter" and though it is 50 years old they are still made today.
The makers refer to it as a "Free Wheel Ratchet" and it works from friction, the one I have is 1 inch drive but they are available with all the usual drive sizes.
The advantages claimed are:-
*stands extremely high loads, much higher than a normal ratchet with toothing;
*practicaly no wear and tear;
*use in narrow spaces (no lost motion).
I have found these claims to be true as my ratchet has been well used and abused.
You can see from the pics. that the outer band contracts when tightening and grips the centre, ( no teeth), friction does the job and the square pushes through to reverse it.
Fred