| IN THE QUARRY |
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| A
gantry Crane is usually the choice type of crane for block yards.
Gantry cranes have a hoist that is fixed to a trolley that moves
horizontally on a track side to side. Depending on the size of the crane
the track can be mounted to either one or two beams high above the
ground. Those beams are supported on both ends, and run on a track
perpendicular to the hoist. |
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| Block
Handlers are large tractors or wheel loaders that are modified with
options that are made specifically for lifting and moving large blocks
of stone. Some of these modifications include larger tilt and lift
cylinders, additional counterweight, modified third valve hydraulics for
quick coupler operation, and other various modifications to help with
the demands of the stone quarry. |
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| IN THE FACTORY |
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| This
is an Overhead crane that runs on tracks though out a warehouse, making
it easy to lift and move slabs. The slab crane is fitted with either
straps that go around the slab or with slab lifters that clamp onto the
slab edge. |
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| This
dolly is made to hold and move several slabs at once. It is a cart in
which poles are connected at the bottom of the cart in rows and stand
vertical. The slabs can be put on the cart and be leaned against the
poles. |
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| These
tools use suction to grab and hold on to the stone. They are used to
hold the stone in place while the stone is being cut, and some can be
used to lift the stone and move it. |
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| CONTAINER SHIPPING |
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| Tiles
are packed in Styrofoam Boxes and are further packed into Wooden
Crates. The wooden crates are fixed and tightened by Iron Strips. The
amount of tile per crate depends on the size of the tile. |
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| When
the slabs are ready to be shipped to a distributer they are packed in
to bundles. Bundles are made by constructing a temporary pole rack out
of wood. Then depending on the thickness of the slabs, the wooden racks
are loaded with slabs. For 3 cm slabs there are 5-6 slabs per bundle.
For 2 cm slabs there are 8-9 slabs per bundle. The slabs are packed
tight to minimize movement. |
| For
shipping purposes slabs grouped together into bundles. Wooden bundles
are made of wood and they consist of two wooden bases with uprights
attached at both ends. The slabs are placed on the bases in between the
uprights then the bundle is wrapped tight. |
| These bundles are very much like the wooden bundles but they are made of steel. |
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| To
ship monuments and statues a crate must be med to fit the piece. First
it is placed and attached on to a pallet that extends beyond the
sculpture on all sides. Then, with wooden planks a crate is built up and
around the sculpture or monument adding supports when needed for areas
of the monument. |
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| This
type of container has a removable top so to ease the process of packing
and unpacking the container. With the top removed it makes it easy to
load with cranes. The average open top containers can be 20' or 40'
long, 8.6' high. |
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| When
the bundles are ready they are loaded into a container. Most containers
will take 8-9 bundles per load. If the slabs where all 3 cm, one
container could contain 40 to 54 slabs. If the slabs are 2 cm, one
container can hold 64 to 89 slabs. |
| AT THE DISTRIBUTOR |
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| This is lift system with a long steel boom that extends the lifting capabilities horizontally as well as vertically. |
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| Forklifts
are small trucks made to drive through tight areas of a warehouse. They
have a large amount of weight on one end and a pair of forks at the
other. The weight on the one end is used to counter the weight of the
load that is picked up by the forks. They are used for lifting, moving,
loading, and unloading of heavy materials. For slab handling forklifts
are usually equipped with boom with a lifter clamp at the end to grab
the slab. Tile crates are made with the forklifts in mind. The two
spaces at the bottom of the crate are there to serve as a place for the
forks of the forklift to go in to, allowing the forklift to lift it
steadily. |
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| This
is a hydraulic lift that is fitted to the back of a large truck. The
booms are attached directly behind the cab of the truck or at the rear
of the truck's bed, and are used to load and unload the trucks on site. |
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| AT THE FABRICATOR |
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| This
devises hangs from small crane lifts on tracks. The device fits over
the edge of the slab and is clamped down. As the slab is lifted the
lifter adjust the grip according to the weight of the slab. |
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| A
slab dolly has a small track with two to four wheels on it. A stone
slab would set on the track allowing a man to move the slab on the
dolly. |
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| A-frames
get their name because they are shaped like A's at the two ends. A
Frames are used as racks to hold several slabs of stone. The A Frame
allows the slab to set on its edge and lean up against the "A" of the
rack. |
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| This tool is simply an A frame equipped with wheels allowing users to move it. |
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| Pole
racks are used to store slabs of stone. They consist of two steel frame
pieces with holes along the length of them. They are placed parallel to
each other and poles are slid into the holes. The stone slabs are
inserted in between the polls allowing the slab to set on its edge and
lean up against the poles. |
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| These
tools use suction to grab and hold on to the stone. They are used to
hold the stone in place while the stone is being cut, and some can be
used to lift the stone and move it. |
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| The
delivery trucks in this industry can usually carry loads from 10 to 20
tons plus. They have a flat bed and are equipped with a boom lift crane
that can place the cargo up to 20 feet away from the truck, or a
forklift for job site placement. |
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