Cart Project

[Beaverx37]

Okay I need some ideas. I am building a cart that is going to be winched up a hill. It's not crazy steep, but steep enough that hauling lots of heavy stuff up and down it is serious work. My plan is a wide based cart that will roll down the hill. I already have a winch my grandpa bought years ago for this purpose. The problem is some sort of safety stop. The bottom of the hill is the lake. I've looked into fall restraints but for about 120 ft they are just crazy expensive. Anyone have any ideas on some sort of braking system? Preferably one that would engage by itself if the cart started going too fast?

Thanks!!

 

[bernardgreen]

The choice of braking system depends on why the cart might be going too fast.

If it is going too fast because the hauling cable has snapped then wheel brakes would be needed to be applied when there was no tension in the cable. If cart would still slide / skid down hill even with all wheels locked then a safety cable would be needed or a spike that can be pressed into the ground. A catch fence between end of run and the lake as a last ditch stopper.

If it is going too fast because the winch is turnng too fast then the brakes need to be on the drum of the winch.

Best option is to use a hauling cable that will not break when accelerating at least twice the maximum permitted load and add speed monitoring and speed control to the drum of the winch additional to the winch's own speed control system.

Also remember that when stopping a cart suddenly the momentum of the load has to be restrained by the end wall of the cart otherwise the load will slide off the cart and may tumble down into the lake.