Personnel lifting on drilling rigs and platforms has traditionally been done using winches designed for material. These devices, even if modified for personnel, do not carry the extra built in safety features, and operate at extreme speeds leading to accidents and injury. Difficulty in communication between the operator & rider compounds the danger in this type of application. Rigs have been moving to man-rated systems to provide access to the blocks for daily maintenance. Sky Climber has developed the Tower Hoist to address the issues associated with inferior systems and features the most advanced technology available.

With the Sky Climber Tower Hoist, the rider controls his own ascent and descent with a wireless remote control. Hand or radio signals are no longer necessary and productivity is improved without using a second operator. The speed is regulated to 35 fpm. It has a mechanical secondary safety brake should the motor brake fail, a top limit switch to prevent the rider from ascending into an upper obstruction, and mechanical controlled descent capability in case of power loss. Additionally, the machine has a very small footprint allowing it to be used in close quarters in the crown.

The TIRAK® is a motorised hoist with a wire rope which passes completely through the machine.  The TIRAK® has been specially designed for suspended access applications.  The originality and the reliability of its wire rope driving system make it the ideal lightweight, sturdy and safe hoist for suspended scaffolds and working platforms.

Unlimited working height:  the wire rope not being stored in the machine the TIRAK® can operate on practically any height of lift.

Exceptional capacity:  The unique high capacity models, 1t (2,000 lbs) and 2t (4,000 lbs), can be used for heavy working platforms, multitier  suspended scaffolds, etc.

Safety is paramount: The simplicity and the reliability of its design make the TIRAK® an extremely safe machine.  Positive proof:  the TIRAK® has been approved as a scaffolding hoist by safety organisations all over the world.  In North America they are UL classified (see complete marking on product) and CSA approved.

Emergency descent feature: All TIRAK® models are equipped with a centrifugal mechanically controlled descent device to lower the scaffold in case of power failure.

The principle: The TIRAK®  operates on the principle of wire rope travel using traction pulleys.  The originality of the system is in the operation and arrangement of the pulley(s).   The units of the X series have a single drive pulley.  The grip of the wire rope in the pulley is made by set of rollers operated by a pressure spring.  The units of the T series have two pulleys, one positioned above the other.  Each pulley consists of a pressure disc and a drive disc, pressed against each other by preset high duty pressure springs.  The wire rope travels around the two pulleys along an "S" path.

T series                             X series

Secondary overspeed brake: In North America all scaffolding hoists must be equipped with an integrated secondary brake which takes the load in case of emergency.  The secondary brake mounted on TIRAK® hoists as standard equipment is a BLOCSTOP® fall arrest device of the BSO type (BLOCSTOP® overspeed).
It consists essentially of a clamping jaw mechanism of the TIRFOR-type and a centrifugal governor, which permanently checks the speed of the wire rope passing through the BLOCSTOP®.  The jaw mechanism automatically clamps onto the wire rope when there is a sudden increase in speed.  The TIRFOR®-type jaws do not damage the wire rope.
The BLOCSTOP® BSO may also be operated manually at any speed by operating the emergency stop button.

Technical information:
with TIRAK® you have the choice.....

TIRAK® hoists are fitted with electric or air motor.

• The standard TIRAK® is fitted with an electric motor, either single phase 110/220 V or 3-phase 230/460V, 50/60 cycles.  Other voltages as well as two speed motors are available as an option.
• The TIRAK® may be fitted with an air motor, for use mainly in industries with a potentially explosive environment (e.g. oil refineries, chemical plants, etc) or in facilities fitted with large compressed air installations, such as power stations, shipyards, etc.

Use only the TIRAK® wire rope, specially designed for use with the TIRAK® mechanism.  Since it is not stored in the machine, any length of wire rope can be used, supplied separately from the machine, wound on a reel or drum.