Jib Crane | Jib Crane Tutorial | Jib Crane Overview | Jib Crane Applications | Jib Crane Types

Jib crane consists of an inclined member supported by a rope or any other type of structural member attached to a vertical mast or frame. Load is usually suspended from the outer end of this inclined mast. The outreach of the jib may be fixed or variable. The cranes as a whole may be either fixed or moveable. Various sub-classification of these cranes are possible.

Lifting capacity of such cranes may vary from 1/2 ton to 200 ton and outreach from a few meter to 50 meter. Such cranes find various applications in port area, construction site, and other outdoor works.

For handling general cargo, lifting capacities are usually 1  1/2 ton to  5 ton with maximum outreach of 30 meter. Jib Cranes provided with grabbing facilities have usually a capacity ranging from 3 to 20 tons operating 50 to 100 cycles per hour. Lifting heights may be 30 meters or more.

Jib crane used in ship yards for lifting heavy machinery and equipment, weighing 100 to 300 tons, are usually mounted on pontoons. Frequently these cranes are provided with two main hoisting winches which can be employed singly or together to lift a load. For handling light loads these cranes may have auxiliary arrangement.

Types Of Jib Crane:

Depending on the use, jib cranes are classified into a number of varieties, primarily on the basis of their mountings.

These are:

1. Hand Operated Scotch Derrick Type
2. Wall Mounted Jib crane
3. Portal / Semi-portal cranes of different varieties-Wharf cranes
4. Mobile jib cranes consisting of truck mounted and crawler mounted cranes

Scotch Derrick Type / Wall Cranes:

Wall cranes are used in ware houses for handling light weight and when there is little or no wharf between them and the water front. Slewing or rotational motion of the crane is possible within restricted angle and the motion is slow. Hoisting and lifting speeds are comparable to those of wharf cranes. In some modified version these cranes can have travelling speed along the wall.

Wharf Cranes:

These are used in shipyard and port for handling unit and bulk load. These are usually self propelled balanced level luffing type with full circle slewing motion facility. Wharf cranes may be of different types, depending on the type of structure on which it is mounted.  The choice of structure for mounting depends on site condition.

The principal types of wharf cranes are:

• High pedestal
• Full Portal
• Semi-portal

Portal Cranes:

Portal crane is a fixed or revolving type jib crane mounted on a portal frame fixed in location or arranged to travel along a fixed track of rails at the same level. The portal frame consists essentially of horizontal girders connected at both ends to vertical or inclined member’s having equal lengths.

Semi portal Crane:

Semi portal crane is a fixed or revolving type jib crane mounted on a semi portal frame fixed in location or arranged to travel along a fixed track or rails at different levels. The semi portal frame essentially consists of horizontal girders connected at both ends to vertical or inclined members which constitute a shorter side and a longer side. The shorter members may consist only of the trolley running along the elevated rail.

Mobile crane:

Mobile Crane ( Power Driven ) includes all type of travelling jib cranes, such as truck mounted, crawler mounted, locomotive crane on rails.