On large apiaries, a special lift is needed for transporting the bee compartments - apilift. It is a metal structure with a gripper and wheels for moving. It can be assembled by hand using ready-made drawings and step-by-step instructions.
The device and principle of operation
The main parts of the hive lift are:
- Frames. The first frame is stationary, therefore, it acts as a skeleton of the structure, and the second moves parallel to the first and provides the cargo with reliable support. The frames are made of metal shaped tubes with a square section. The load capacity and durability of the finished trolley depends on their thickness.
- Carriage. It takes on the weight of the hive, so the load on it is enormous. On the last transverse stops of the carriage, side clamps are fixed that hold the hive in one position. The central stop is needed to fix the torso - the winch element that provides lifting and lowering of the load.
- Forks. These are elements in the form of strong angles that are placed in the carriage and perform the function of lifting the hives. The load is placed on them.
- Bearings. There are 6 bearings in the design, 4 of which are on the bracket, and 2 on the wheels. Thanks to them, the trolley is easy to operate and moves smoothly.
- Lever arm. Allows you to raise the hive to a significant height from the ground. The cart needs to be lifted up to the load, adjust the width of the grip using a screw and bracket, and then use a lever to lift the hive off the ground and transport it to the desired location.
- Wheels with bracket. Such a component part of the trolley is single and acts as a welded guide, but can be removed during disassembly and transportation. The bracket is attached to the frame by tightening two through bolts in the lower and upper parts of the structure, and then fixed with a wing and helps to securely fix the hive. Bearing wheels are needed to move the entire apilift. They should be wide, and also have a strong single base, chambers for pumping and a corrugated tire for convenient slipping.
Apilift differs from a simple trolley precisely in the presence of clamps and a system of levers for push-ups.
The principle of operation of such a device is simple:
- Side clamps of the structure securely fix the hive.
- The lever handle raises the load from ground level to a certain height.
- The lift on wheels rolls to the desired location.
- The load is lowered to the ground with the help of a lever handle.
A design with this principle of operation looks like this:
Lift Requirements and Typical Drawings
The mobile unit is used to transport heavy and oversized hives, so it must ensure the safety of the load throughout the entire movement. For this to be possible, a homemade apilift must have the following characteristics:
- Carrying capacity up to 120-130 kg. On average, one compartment weighs 40-42 kg, so the cart can transport either a triple beehive or three separate parts.
- Gripping width approx. 35-55 cm. The dimensions of the hives can be different, so it is worthwhile to provide adjustable lateral latches, with which you can grab and adjust its width depending on the dimensions of the cargo.
The correct separation of the clamps will allow you to fix a heavy load without applying special physical effort.
- Lifting height up to 130 cm. The installation should raise the hive to a height of 130 cm so that it does not drag along the ground during movement.
- 1 cm descent accuracy. With the correct manufacture, the accuracy of the rearrangement of the load will be 1 cm, which will greatly facilitate the work of the beekeeper, who does not have to lift and rearrange the load. At the same time, the apilift itself will not feel the mass of the hive, since the pressure on the handle is only 1 kg.
The mechanism for lifting the apilift can be manual or mechanical, but to facilitate the work, most beekeepers make a cart with their own hands with automatic transmission.
Having decided on the parameters of the future lifting device, it is necessary to prepare its drawing. Here is an example drawing of a standard cart with a carrying capacity of up to 130 kg:
Step-by-step assembly instructions
To assemble the lift, you will need the following materials and tools:
- profile pipes with a square section - 40x20, 30x20, 25x25 mm;
- bolts (M6, M8) and nuts;
- handle with non-slip coating (rubberized or any other);
- strong tension springs;
- steel cable with a diameter of 3-4 mm;
- a coil with the following parameters: height - 34 mm, outer diameter - 50 mm, inner diameter - 30 mm;
- handle to the reel for winding the cable;
- wheels with an external diameter of 380-400 mm– 2 pieces;
- rollers with bearings;
- welding machine;
- Bulgarian;
- yardstick.
Having prepared everything you need, you can start assembling the cart. This process can be divided into three stages, each of which requires a separate consideration.
Stage 1: frame assembly
The basis of the entire structure is the frame, which must be made as follows:
- Weld the frame from the side posts so that in the finished state its length is 1570 mm, and its width is 370 mm.
- 4 pipes are welded perpendicularly to the finished frame. Attach the extreme beam to the sidewalls also flat. The crossbars at the top and bottom should correspond to the dimensions of the frame pipes (40x20 mm). For the middle crossbars, use smaller pipes (30x20 mm). The second beam should be installed at a distance of 500 mm from the upper cross member, and the third - at a distance of 380-400 mm from the lower one.
- Especially for the bearing, along the length of the frame struts from the outside, make a vertical cut of 200 mm. Install M6 bolts around its edges, otherwise the bearing will fly out of the groove during operation of the trolley.
- Drill one hole for the M bolts on both sides of the third beam from above. In the future, wheel brackets will be installed at these places.
- Step back 200-300 mm from the upper beam and weld rubberized handles to the side pipes.
Step 2: Installing the coil, hoist and wheels
At this stage, the assembled frame is filled with all the necessary elements that allow the cargo to be transported in the future. Their installation is carried out in this order:
- Mount a bearing with a diameter of 40 mm on the upper cross member, having stood 130 mm from the right edge of the frame. Fix a retainer (fasteners) on top of the bearing to prevent the cable from falling out of the unit that lifts the load.
- On the left side of the frame, also at a distance of 130 mm from the first crossbar, install a roller groove and insert a steel cable into it, the upper free end of which is bolted onto the left sidewall.
- On the second crossbar from the top, from the front side, install the coil, keeping a distance of 120 mm from the right frame edge. Install an axle in the bearing for the spool, on which the rope will be wound when lifting weight.
- On the opposite side of the coil, also on the second beam, weld a 200 mm lever. It must have a handle that rotates freely around its axis.
- Near the coil and lever, nail a piece of steel rod, which will play the role of metal stoppers.
- Connect the lever handle to the metal tongue and spring using a cable. The tongue will help prevent accidental lowering of a loaded carriage. At rest, it will be pressed against the stopper by a spring. At this step, the lifting mechanism looks like this:
- From a profile pipe measuring 25x25 mm, make brackets on which to install the wheel axles. For external fixation, nail them in with nuts.
- Fix the brackets to the frame using 110x25 mm steel rectangular plates. Visually, the brackets should be two pipes with dimensions of 300 and 230 mm, welded perpendicularly and connected to the frame using through-bolts M
The construction made according to this scheme easily tends to the ground at different angles. This is ensured by the wheels extending from the brackets.
Step 3: install the carriage, fork and clamps
The final, but no less important part in the manufacture of apilift. Assumes the following actions:
- Assemble a carriage - a lifting installation, consisting of numerous parts, including clamps for securing the load. To do this, first make a frame with bearings, the dimensions of which are 720x380 mm. Use a 30x20 mm pipe as a material. In the lower part, make 2 crossbars from a pipe with a diameter of 30x30 mm. They will contain side latches that grip the hive body.
The hinge tilts under the active rod, and the square that pulls the tube from the side clamp is twisted. The angle of inclination of the hinge is adjusted using a bolt with a spring, and the adjustment of the clamps depends on this. The greater the slope, the more intense the compression.
- From the pipes with a diameter of 25x25 mm and a length of 450 mm, make clamps, on the edges of which perpendicularly weld “paws” to hold the load - segments 90 or 130 mm long. To prevent the hive’s body from sliding, it is advisable to make the part of the “paws” turned inward, ribbed. Insert the prepared clamps into the pipes on the carriage, which have a larger diameter.
- Weld the cable block in the center of the bottom crossbar of the carriage. The vertical movement of the structure will be carried out by 4 bearings located on the sides of the axle frame.
- To lift the load from the bottom to the bottom of the carriage, on the sides, attach tubes with a diameter of 25x25 mm and a length of 90 mm. To do this, use bolts M. To obtain the forks, attach 450-500 mm long tubes to the installed sections. The compression mechanism of the carriage will be carried out by a lever with traction.
Useful Tips
When operating a homemade apiary cart, a number of rules should be considered:
- Before starting full-fledged work with the lift, check it for technical serviceability. To do this, initially use it without load, paying particular attention to the following details:
- fixing screws and nuts, especially in those areas where the cable rollers are fixed;
- the tightness of the support frame bolts fixed through the washers;
- the completeness of the fittings in the grooves.
- If hives with heavy honeycombs are transported, check the reliability of their fixation.
- If possible, free the hives from all unnecessary components. In particular, it is worth removing all the moving parts of the box, which can scare the bees.
- Check the strength of the frame mounts inside the box. If the combs break off during transportation, this will cause aggression in insects. In addition, some of them may die.
- When loading the hive, ensure that the handle lock is secure, as it may pop out when the cart is tilted, causing the load to fall.
- When transporting bees, work in protective clothing, as well as carry a spray bottle and a net. All these measures will help protect yourself from insect bites in the event of an accident.
When applying certain efforts, the apilift can be assembled with your own hands, which will significantly save on the purchase of a shopping apiary cart. At the same time, great attention must be paid to the installation of small parts, on which the technical characteristics of the manufactured mobile installation will depend.