Mass Crane & Hoist, Inc.

Mass Crane is a distributor for many manufacturers of a wide variety of specialized below the hook lifting devices, like the plate clamps pictured above.

Gantry cranes are very similar to traditional overhead bridge cranes except that the bridge beams are elevated on legs above the end trucks. In many applications, the end trucks run on rails at ground level, this is a traditional gantry crane. If one rail is on the ground and the other is elevated on runway beams, this is known as a semi-gantry crane.

Jib cranes typically have smaller capacities, shorter spans, and are often manually operated. The design is based on a fixed rotating mast and boom with a hoist travelling in and out along the length of the boom. As a result the hook coverages are circular in shape. Jib cranes offer a lot of versatility. They can be freestanding, column mounted, ceiling mounted, or any combination of the three.

Similar to a single girder crane, but as the name would indicate, is comprised of two parallel girders connecting the end trucks. Like single girder cranes, these can be top or under-running, though a large majority are of the top running variety. The major difference between single and double girder cranes is that the double girder allows the hoist to ride on top, in between, or below the actual girders. In tight headroom applications, this can create better hook height than the single girder alternative.

Single girder cranes can be under running (end trucks ride on the lower flange of the runway beam, bridge beam is connected below the end truck) or top running (end trucks typically ride on rail fastened to the top of the runway beam, bridge beam is connected above or to the side of the end truck.) Single girder cranes can be designed and manufactured in a wide variety of capacities, sizes, and spans. The girder on a single girder crane is typically a wide flange beam, although it can be a patented track beam, a truss beam, or a welded box girder for spans over 70 feet. The hoist traditionally rides on the lower flange of a single girder beam.

The hoisting motion can be powered several ways. A Manual Hand Chain Hoist has a loop of hand chain that extends down to the operating floor elevation. The hook is raised by pulling the chain in one direction and lowered by pulling the chain in the other direction. An Air Hoist is pneumatically powered. An Electric Hoist is electrically powered.