Most Common Crane Accessories

09 June 2017

A mobile crane is an invaluable resource, a piece of equipment that many contractors can’t live without. Crane accessories extend and augment that usability factor by adding invaluable features. Stored on the crane or carried in an accompanying work truck, the purpose of some of this travelling mechanical paraphernalia isn’t always obvious at first sight. Puzzled looks fade away, though, when we explain the functions behind the most common crane accessories.

Fitting a Cage Attachment

We’ve all leant against these square cages when they’re lined up outside the workshop. But metal frames aren’t designed to provide back support. No, these are brick cages, a type of crane attachment that expedites the conveyance of loose products. Organised carefully on a pallet, then placed inside the robust wireframe carrier, bricks and other loose building materials move safely around the work area when they’re contained in a brick cage.

Rubbish Carrying Accessories

This next entry follows directly behind the cage because it functions in a similar manner. The obvious difference, of course, is found in the transported materials. Unlike the above example, no tidy organisation is required. In place of that cage and pallet arrangement, a steel-reinforced skip is hooked to the crane rigging. It has been stationed onsite for a week, so the workers have filled it with rubbish. Take it away, empty it, and start all over again.

Fitting a Spreader Bar

When the load is long and slender, a spreader and cradle attachment come to the rescue. Among all crane accessories, this piece of equipment is perhaps the easiest to recognise. It lifts tree trunks and lumber, lamppost bases and fabricated beams, all while maintaining an even keel. Importantly, the twin hoisting assemblies must keep their loads evenly slung.

Other Worthy Mentions

If the vast variety of differently shaped materials manipulated by a mobile crane are to be properly accommodated, then the vehicles need a Swiss Knife-like adaptability feature. For every brick cage, there’ll be a forklift pallet attachment. A mountable rubbish skip attachment could sit next to a personnel carrier, an accessory that carries in a medical team and a stretcher. Like that Swiss Knife, practically any imaginable accessory is possible.

There are common crane accessories that attend to the rigging. Equalising sheaves maintain cable tension while keeping the rigging in place. Next on the crane-supplementing agenda, there are loading bays that come onsite via the crane. These storage units contain tools and site materials. Frankly, the list goes on and on, so there’s an accessory for every occasion and every application.