32 replies to this topic

[Powdr]

I wonder if towers with a spiral weld (like a toilet paper roll) are more or less prone to thermal expansion/contraction. I'm gussing that the welds constrain the tower in a way different than a solid tube. Also, what about square towers?

Powdr

[liftmech]

Spiral welds and square towers, being made out of the same steel as a standard pipe tower with one vertical weld, are subject to the same thermal issues. The weld material is very similar to the pipe base material or parent steel.

[Allan]

haha, that's exactly what I called our YAN towers when we got them... toilet paper rolls :)

[floridaskier]

I called them that too :)
What are the benefits of the toilet paper roll towers? Are they easier to build or last longer or something?

[Powdr]

I heard Yan once say that he could fabricate the towers on the job site, lowering trasnport costs (flat sheets instead of tubes) and therefore make cheaper lifts. I also heard that he got in trouble with local OSHA folks wherever he made them because of the tremendous force required to twist the flat sheets into rolls and the portable equipment he used was not exactly the safest around.

Powdr

[iceberg210]

Well it seems to me that circular towers would be far cheaper to build and not require nearly the mainience (due to all the bolts) of the old erector set towers.

[floridaskier]

Are the toilet paper roll towers on new lifts put together in the parking lot still?

[Powdr]

floridaskier, on Dec 10 2004, 04:18 AM, said:

Are the toilet paper roll towers on new lifts put together in the parking lot still?
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Of the recent lift installations (all of Utah's this year, some in CA, some in CO) I have not seen any with the spiral towers. I guess that is not currently the way they are done. Most come as tubes from the factory on a flat bed truck. Maybe someone else has seen otherwise.

Powdr

[floridaskier]

The only one I can think of is the Empire lift at DV, a 1998 lift with very fat toilet paper towers

[barnstormer]

The Big Bear Express in SoCal had foam pads on the top three towers when I worked there in 1996-98. These were very tall, closely spaced fan towers. They were wickedly loaded but under the right sun conditions, the alignment wandered. I don't know if the pads helped because they were always there. Maybe it was worse before they were put on.

[floridaskier]

Welcome Dan
What do you mean by fan towers? the three breakover towers at the top that are each leaning downhill a little more than the one before, looking a little like a fan from the side?

[barnstormer]

Hi Tyler,
Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. I had hoped to scan a picture of these towers for you but I haven't had a chance. Actually, the towers at the beginning of this topic look a lot like the ones at Bear Mountain, except that there were 3 of them and the cross arms weren't tied together. One of the problems is, if you try to align one for the sun (not a good idea anyway), it messed up the alignment on the other two. Then a little later or the next day, it was a total pain to get everything back where it needed to be. Eventually, we found a happy place..until things wore in a little and then we were back at again.

[Outback]

floridaskier, on Dec 10 2004, 04:18 AM, said:

Are the toilet paper roll towers on new lifts put together in the parking lot still?
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

:blinksmiley:
Sorry guys...the spiral (toilet paper) towers were never an option in parking lot fabrication for any manufacturer. Spiral wrap towers are actually structurally stronger then conventional straight vertical seam pipe and are made in a mill. Thats why toilet paper rolls are made with the spiral!!
(Spiral pipe is almost twice the price also)