Step-by-step diagram of self-production of Apilift hive trolleys
The Apilift hive trolley is an irreplaceable “assistant” of the beekeeper, necessary when transporting hives. Moving bee houses by hand is extremely difficult. They are large and rather fragile, and their transportation should be as careful as possible so as not to disturb insects. Apilift forgives this job by helping to lift and unload beehives of all sizes and weights. Many beekeepers make their own hive lift using simple step-by-step instructions and drawings..
Apilift hive trolley – design features
The Apilift hive trolley has a laconic and uncomplicated metal structure, which implies a movable half, a lifting block and a mechanism for holding the body.
The main elements of the trolley:
- Frame – there are two of them in the design, static and movable. One of them acts as the base of the body, the other is located parallel to the first and serves to reliably support the hive. For the manufacture of the frame, pipes made of steel with a square cross section of various thicknesses are used..
- Carriage – it is this element that accounts for the entire load of the hive weight. A number of side clamps are attached to its corner transverse restraints, which hold the hive in the desired position. The middle stop is used to fix the part of the winch used for lowering and lifting loads.
- Bearings – the structure contains 6 bearings, 2 of which are located on casters and 4 on a bracket. They provide easy movement and control of the Apilift..
- Fork – a part in the form of a solid angle, placed in the carriage and designed to lift a load.
- Lever – provides lifting of the hive to the required height.
- Bracket castors – used as a welded rail and secured to the frame by tightening the through bolts at the top and bottom of the frame.
The Apilift hive cart is extremely simple. The lift must be lifted to the load, adjust the required working width using the bracket and the screw. After that, you need to use a lever to tear the hive off the ground and move it to the required distance.
Required drawings and materials
Shop lifts for beehives are expensive, so many beekeepers are trying to assemble a homemade apilift, having prepared all the required materials:
- several pipes with parameters 25×25, 30×20, 40×20;
- bolts М9 and М6;
- tension springs;
- handle covered with rubberized material;
- steel cable 4 mm thick;
- coil (inside width 30 mm, outside 50 mm, height 40 mm) and a handle to it for winding the cable;
- two wheels 400 mm wide;
- rollers equipped with bearings;
- Bulgarian;
- construction tape.
The beekeeper can download the drawings of the apiary cart with his own hands on the Internet or draw it himself, taking into account the individual subtleties and characteristics of the bee hives. The assembly diagram should include a support frame, a block with wheels and the lifting mechanism itself..
Frame making
The basis for the construction of the lift is the frame. It is with her that it is most convenient to start making an apilift with your own hands according to drawings, since this element is the easiest to manufacture:
- Cut the tubes according to the Apilift parameters – usually 1570 by 370 mm. Connect the elements together so that you get a right angle and weld. Place the upper crossbar transversely and weld vertically, while the lower one is best flat.
- From the outer side of the structure uprights, make a cut with a width of 20 mm.
- Screw the M6 bolts to the upper rack part, they will be used as stops and prevent the carriage from extending beyond the rack and its limits.
- Move 15-18 cm from the top line of the rack and weld the handle for Apilift.
- Reinforce the structure with two galvanized crossbars measuring 30×20 mm. Fix the lower tube at a distance of 500 mm from the bottom of the frame, the upper tube – 400 mm from its top.
- In the lower cross member, drill holes in which the bolts will be located – here the wheel brackets will be installed.
- Attach a roller with bearings from the front side of the frame in the upper half – it will be used as a lifting block. Weld a semicircular bead on the sides of the roller, it will hold the cable. Insert the cable into the roller, and on the other side from the edge of the frame, attach a row of plates with bolts and fasten the remaining end.
On the lowest crossbar of the cart, weld the coil for winding the cable – this must be done with a gap of 120 mm from the sides. Install the spool axle into the bearing, and from the rear side attach a lever with a rubberized handle.
Lifting block manufacturing
In order to make Apilift with your own hands, cut steel pipes with parameters 30×20 to size 380×1720 mm. Weld the coil to the middle of the lower cross member – the same as above the frame.
To accommodate the bearings, make brackets from a 3 mm bar. Make sure that the bearings move easily in the side tubes of the Apilift struts. Weld profile pipes with parameters 25×25 mm to the lower brackets – here the fork elements will be placed.
Next, you need to make the hinges for the side clamps. They should fit easily into the tubes through the hinges.
Moving mechanism
This is the easiest step in assembling Apilift. Insert an axle with a bearing into the wheel and fix it with a nut from the outer side. From the inside, weld a 290 mm pipe to the axle.
For the bracket, weld two 30×30 mm tubes. This must be done at right angles, and plates must be welded at the ends of the pipes to secure them to the frame. The wheels will move relative to the bracket, due to which the beekeeper will be able to adjust the angle of inclination of the cart.
Apilift apiary trolley for hives is an indispensable device for every beekeeper. It helps to lift and move hives and other loads. With its help, the work in the apiary is greatly simplified, and the independent production of Apilift will help to save on the purchase of an expensive apiary cart in the store..
