"Kristian Ukkonen" wrote in message
...
On 10/9/2012 21:42, Ignoramus22161 wrote:
I am thinking of making a set up to drop a heavy weight (old forklift
counterweight) onto objects, such as truck cabs and file cabinets, to
flatten them in preparation for scrapping. That way they will take
less room in the scrap gondola.

To drop that counterweight, it would need to be lifted with a
forklift, and then some sort of a release-under-tension would release
the object and it would fall.

I have compressed air nearby if I wanted to make that mechanism
pneumatic.

Any suggestion for something that could release an appx. 2-3 ton
weight?

There was such a device in Mythbusters episode, where they
dropped a lift (elevator) in a similar setup.. Some ready-made
device that drops a heavy load.. Elevator of death was the name
of episode, I think..


Maybe this is where Mythbusters got them:
http://www.sweeney-special-effects.c...catalog.php?QR
or here
http://www.seacatch.com/products.htm