On 2013-04-10, Ignoramus26995 wrote:
I spent some more time on it today. I consider it to be finished.

1. The pressure gauge is now mounted nicely and firmly in a place that
is unlikely to be affected by load, chains and other forklift use.

2. I figured out how to deal with errors caused by friction. It is
very simple. I just need to take two readings, one after creeping the
load up, and the other after creeping the load down. The average
cancels friction out. Problem solved.

4. I lifted another forklift on the forks of this forklift, took down
pressures, and I now have a nice and easy conversion table, PSI to lbs.

5. I realized that maximum pressure in the system is always well under
2,000 PSI (20,000 PSI would occur only if this 15k forklift tried to
^^^^^^ 2,000

lift a 20k load). So, my oil filled 5,000 PSI gauge would have a great
cushion against pressure spikes.

6. Everything is neat and tidy, the pressure lines do not rub against
anything, the gauge is easily visible, yet protected, etc.

I will probably put similar gauges on all my forklifts.

i

On Tue, 09 Apr 2013 21:58:03 -0500, Ignoramus26995
wrote:

I spent some more time on it today. I consider it to be finished.

1. The pressure gauge is now mounted nicely and firmly in a place that
is unlikely to be affected by load, chains and other forklift use.

2. I figured out how to deal with errors caused by friction. It is
very simple. I just need to take two readings, one after creeping the
load up, and the other after creeping the load down. The average
cancels friction out. Problem solved.

4. I lifted another forklift on the forks of this forklift, took down
pressures, and I now have a nice and easy conversion table, PSI to lbs.

5. I realized that maximum pressure in the system is always well under
2,000 PSI (20,000 PSI would occur only if this 15k forklift tried to
lift a 20k load). So, my oil filled 5,000 PSI gauge would have a great
cushion against pressure spikes.

6. Everything is neat and tidy, the pressure lines do not rub against
anything, the gauge is easily visible, yet protected, etc.

I will probably put similar gauges on all my forklifts.

i

Most of the "Travel Lifts" that lift boats out of the water and move
them around on shore use exactly the same device - a pressure gauge
connected to the lift cylinders and calibrated in pounds or tons of
weight.
--
Cheers,

John B.

On Apr 9, 10:58*pm, Ignoramus26995 ignoramus26...@NOSPAM.
26995.invalid wrote:

2. I figured out how to deal with errors caused by friction. It is
very simple. I just need to take two readings, one after creeping the
load up, and the other after creeping the load down. The average
cancels friction out. Problem solved.


i

So how much difference is there between creeping up and down?
Inquiring minds want to know.

Dan

On 2013-04-10, J.B.Slocomb wrote:
On Tue, 09 Apr 2013 21:58:03 -0500, Ignoramus26995
wrote:

I spent some more time on it today. I consider it to be finished.

1. The pressure gauge is now mounted nicely and firmly in a place that
is unlikely to be affected by load, chains and other forklift use.

2. I figured out how to deal with errors caused by friction. It is
very simple. I just need to take two readings, one after creeping the
load up, and the other after creeping the load down. The average
cancels friction out. Problem solved.

4. I lifted another forklift on the forks of this forklift, took down
pressures, and I now have a nice and easy conversion table, PSI to lbs.

5. I realized that maximum pressure in the system is always well under
2,000 PSI (20,000 PSI would occur only if this 15k forklift tried to
lift a 20k load). So, my oil filled 5,000 PSI gauge would have a great
cushion against pressure spikes.

6. Everything is neat and tidy, the pressure lines do not rub against
anything, the gauge is easily visible, yet protected, etc.

I will probably put similar gauges on all my forklifts.

i

Most of the "Travel Lifts" that lift boats out of the water and move
them around on shore use exactly the same device - a pressure gauge
connected to the lift cylinders and calibrated in pounds or tons of
weight.

Yep. With the averaging of "up" and "down" readings it should be
highly accurate.

i

On Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:26:15 -0500, Ignoramus3221
wrote:

On 2013-04-10, J.B.Slocomb wrote:
On Tue, 09 Apr 2013 21:58:03 -0500, Ignoramus26995
wrote:

I spent some more time on it today. I consider it to be finished.

1. The pressure gauge is now mounted nicely and firmly in a place that
is unlikely to be affected by load, chains and other forklift use.

2. I figured out how to deal with errors caused by friction. It is
very simple. I just need to take two readings, one after creeping the
load up, and the other after creeping the load down. The average
cancels friction out. Problem solved.

4. I lifted another forklift on the forks of this forklift, took down
pressures, and I now have a nice and easy conversion table, PSI to lbs.

5. I realized that maximum pressure in the system is always well under
2,000 PSI (20,000 PSI would occur only if this 15k forklift tried to
lift a 20k load). So, my oil filled 5,000 PSI gauge would have a great
cushion against pressure spikes.

6. Everything is neat and tidy, the pressure lines do not rub against
anything, the gauge is easily visible, yet protected, etc.

I will probably put similar gauges on all my forklifts.

i

Most of the "Travel Lifts" that lift boats out of the water and move
them around on shore use exactly the same device - a pressure gauge
connected to the lift cylinders and calibrated in pounds or tons of
weight.

Yep. With the averaging of "up" and "down" readings it should be
highly accurate.

i

Have you considered marketing this as a product?

I've worked on a digital unit for a local manufacturer of this kind of
system, but a strictly mechanical product could be good too (but it's
not going to be tying into IT stuff).

On 2013-04-10, wrote:
On Apr 9, 10:58?pm, Ignoramus26995 ignoramus26...@NOSPAM.
26995.invalid wrote:

2. I figured out how to deal with errors caused by friction. It is
very simple. I just need to take two readings, one after creeping the
load up, and the other after creeping the load down. The average
cancels friction out. Problem solved.


i

So how much difference is there between creeping up and down?
Inquiring minds want to know.

Friction depends on a lot of factors, such as load, how far the load
is on the forks, weather (hot or cold) etc.

With a small weight of 2800 lbs, it was about 200 PSI difference.

When I lifted a forklift that weighed 12,000 lbs, it was more like 400
PSI.

i

On 2013-04-10, Spehro Pefhany wrote:
On Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:26:15 -0500, Ignoramus3221
wrote:

On 2013-04-10, J.B.Slocomb wrote:
On Tue, 09 Apr 2013 21:58:03 -0500, Ignoramus26995
wrote:

I spent some more time on it today. I consider it to be finished.

1. The pressure gauge is now mounted nicely and firmly in a place that
is unlikely to be affected by load, chains and other forklift use.

2. I figured out how to deal with errors caused by friction. It is
very simple. I just need to take two readings, one after creeping the
load up, and the other after creeping the load down. The average
cancels friction out. Problem solved.

4. I lifted another forklift on the forks of this forklift, took down
pressures, and I now have a nice and easy conversion table, PSI to lbs.

5. I realized that maximum pressure in the system is always well under
2,000 PSI (20,000 PSI would occur only if this 15k forklift tried to
lift a 20k load). So, my oil filled 5,000 PSI gauge would have a great
cushion against pressure spikes.

6. Everything is neat and tidy, the pressure lines do not rub against
anything, the gauge is easily visible, yet protected, etc.

I will probably put similar gauges on all my forklifts.

i

Most of the "Travel Lifts" that lift boats out of the water and move
them around on shore use exactly the same device - a pressure gauge
connected to the lift cylinders and calibrated in pounds or tons of
weight.

Yep. With the averaging of "up" and "down" readings it should be
highly accurate.

i

Have you considered marketing this as a product?

They sell digital forklift scales, that are essentially a display and
a microprocessor. I do not see how I can bring something new to this
market. My scale cost me very little, but it is not a product that I
could market.

I've worked on a digital unit for a local manufacturer of this kind of
system, but a strictly mechanical product could be good too (but it's
not going to be tying into IT stuff).

"Ignoramus3221" wrote in message
...

On 2013-04-10, wrote:
On Apr 9, 10:58?pm, Ignoramus26995 ignoramus26...@NOSPAM.
26995.invalid wrote:

2. I figured out how to deal with errors caused by friction. It is
very simple. I just need to take two readings, one after creeping the
load up, and the other after creeping the load down. The average
cancels friction out. Problem solved.


i

So how much difference is there between creeping up and down?
Inquiring minds want to know.

Friction depends on a lot of factors, such as load, how far the load
is on the forks, weather (hot or cold) etc.

With a small weight of 2800 lbs, it was about 200 PSI difference.

When I lifted a forklift that weighed 12,000 lbs, it was more like 400
PSI.

i

You probably already thought of this but you will need to subtract out for
the pressure to lift the forks empty, maybe paint a weight on containers you
might re-use for a scrap bin.

RogerN

On Mon, 08 Apr 2013 07:45:27 -0500, Ignoramus24728
wrote:
SNIP

Hey Paul,

Yeah, but for "weighing" purposes, it will only be when "picking" the
load and not when the mast is reaching extension..

Brian Lawson

Brian, it is actually both, as sometimes we need to lift something
from the top with a chain, it happens often. I will just have two
tables (or one table in two columns).

i
Hey Iggy,

That makes sense. I hadn't thought about that, even though I've done
it !!

Brian.