SECTION 11
Skip Hoists
11.1 GENERAL
The skip hoist consists of a bucket mounted on four roll-
ers traveling on a tee rail or angle track structural run-
way, with or without counterweights or two buckets bal-
ancing each other, a winding machine, wire rope,
equipment for loading and unloading the buckets, anita
system of electrical apparatus and wire-rope sheaves.
This is an effective method of unloading bulk mate-
rials, and is especially applicable to high lifts. It is suit-
able for various combinations of vertical and inclined
paths of travel. It has a few moving parts. A skip hoist
can handle abrasive or corrosive material and large
lumps as well as fine material; but very fine, light, fluffy,
and contaminable materials should be handled by other
means.
11.2 TYPES
Skip hoist buckets are made as standard units in capac-
ities of 20 through 200 ft3 and operate at speeds from
40 to 450 fpm.
Slow speed is considered to be 40-100 fpm.
Medium speed is considered to be 100-150 fpm.
High speed is considered to be 150-450 fpm.
The single-bucket, uncounterweighted type is com-
monly used for small capacities, especially when inter-
mittent peak loads are not detrimental to the maximum
demand on the power system. It travels at about 100
fpm. The single-bucket, counterweighted type is well
suited for medium capacities and lifts where a small-size
motor and a smooth electric load curve are desirable.
279
J. Fruchtbaum, Bulk Materials Handling Handbook
© Springer Science+Business Media New York 1988
The two-bucket, balanced type is preferable for large
capacities and high lifts. It travels up to 150 fpm. It is
the most economical. The capacity with a given size
bucket can be increased by decreasing the length of time
required for the bucket to travel between the loading and
emptying zones, or by decreasing the loading and
dumping time. Single-speed bucket travel is preferable
for low lifts, up to about 75 ft.
Two- or three-speed travel are used for high lifts and
large capacities, to allow proper slow speed of bucket
for operating the loader and for emptying the bucket at
the discharge point. The slower the speed, the lighter
the stress on the loader and the motor.
Automatic loading should be used for fully automatic
operation, and for maximum capacity with minimum la-
bor and attention. The balanced skip travels 150-250
fpm. It has anti friction rollers.
11.3 LOADING METHODS
Skip buckets usually receive the material at their lowest
point of travel. The method of loading the bucket de-
pends mainly upon the rate at which the material is to
be handled, as well as on local conditions. Where a small
quantity of material is to be handled, and when it is
brought to the loading point in small push cars, the con-
tents are usually dumped or shoveled direct into the
bucket. This loading method is designated as manual
loading and requires an attendant to place the material
in the bucket. When any material is received in large
quantities, as by truck or railroad car, a receiving hop-
per is ordinarily provided to serve as a reservoir from
280 S/\IP HOISTS
which the material is withdrawn a skipful at a time to
be hoisted to the emptying point. The receiving hopper
can be provided with a mechanical loader for manual or
automatic delivery, loading, and cutting off of the flow
of material to the bucket, thereby eliminating the ser-
vices of an attendant and, at the same time, ensuring
continuous loading as long as there is material in the
receiving hopper. Modem practice favors automatic
loading wherever possible, but there are often local con-
ditions or special requirements which necessitate man-
ualloading of either the direct or indirect type.
11.4 MANUAL LOADING-
DIRECT TYPE
The direct method of manual loading is used where ma-
terial is dumped or shoveled direct into the bucket. A
l'
'.... .'-.".,..,......,----"~.,
"; ~~
a ~ dtr~' 'Y~
b: jndlr~' type
Figure 11.1 Manual loading.
common method of loading by the use of a small car is
shown on figure 11.la. One man can easily push and
dump a car of 18 ff capacity of this type. Larger cars
may be used, but they require more effort in handling.
The skip bucket should have a capacity slightly greater
than that of the push car from which the material is
dumped. This will avoid spillage. Buckets of 20 ft3 and
30 ft3 capacity are commonly used for cars of 18 ft3 and
27 ft3 capacity.
11.5 MANUAL LOADING-
INDIRECT TYPE
The indirect method of manual loading consists of a
hand-operated, undercut gate and chute, attached to a
dump hopper. This hopper permits storage of material
ready to be discharged to the bucket as soon as it reaches
the loading position, as shown on figure ll.lb.
The damming type of loading serves the purpose of
automatically controlling the delivery of material into
the bucket. With this type of loader, the bucket contin-
ues to be hoisted and lowered whether or not there is
material in the hopper.
11.6 FULL BUCKET CONTROL
SYSTEM
When the bucket reaches the loading position , the full-
bucket-control-type loader permits the material to flow
from the hopper until the bucket is full , at which time
the mechanism instantly causes the bucket to be hoisted,
thereby moving the loader into its closed position. It
remains there as the bucket continues to travel to the
emptying point, and until bucket returns to the loading
position, where it is again loaded automatically . The
bucket continues to load and empty automatically as long
as there is sufficient material to fill it. The full-bucket-
control-type accomplishes the additional important
functions of causing the bucket and its associated mov-
ing elements to remain idle in the loading position ready
for loading when there is insufficient material to fill the
bucket, thereby eliminating lost motion . Instead of per-
mitting the empty bucket to be hoisted and lowered,
which is the condition existing with all automatic load-
ers , except the more complicated and expensive weigh-
ing type, which is not used very often. Also, this type
eliminates the need for an attendant to close and open
the electric circuit that causes the bucket to be hoisted
when there is material in the hopper, and causes it to
stop when the hopper is empty, except to open the main
switch as a safety precaution when the equipment is not
in use.