Bridge Cranes

TM 38-400/NAVSUP PUB 572/AFMAN 23-210 MCO 4450.14/DLAM 4145.12

Figure 4-25. Gantry crane.

movement provided by the hoist. Movement of the

(3) Bridge Cranes. Bridge cranes are lifting

long bridge girders or runways can be either manual or

devices mounted on a bridge consisting of one or two

powered. Powered models can be pendant or radio

horizontal girders supported at each end by trucks riding

controlled from the floor, or, in larger models, operator

on runways and installed at right angles on the bridge.

ridden (fig 4-26). Bridge cranes are available with

The runways can be installed on building columns,

transfers to permit lifting devices to move into adjacent

overhead trusses, frames, or free standing columns.

bays. The advantages of bridge cranes include no

They provide three dimensional travel covering any spot

interference with the work on the floor, reduced aisle

within the rectangular area over which the bridge

space requirements, easy access to most areas within

moves. The end riding trucks can be either top running,

the lifting bay, and extension to areas outside the

in which the trucks run on top of runway tracks, or

building. Bridge cranes are best used in low to medium

bottom running, in which the trucks are suspended in a

volume activities for lifting large, heavy, or awkward

lower flange of the runway tracks.

The three

items.

dimensional travel consists of horizontal movement

along the length of the runway, horizontal movement

across the width of the bridge, and vertical

4-16