Where a push trolley relies on the operator shoving the load along, a geared trolley drives the wheels through a hand chain. That gives controlled, predictable movement whatever the load weighs and wherever you are standing, and it means the operator does not have to be in reach of the load to move it. For anything above a couple of tonnes, on a long beam, or where positioning needs to be precise, the geared version is worth the difference.
Key Features
- Hand chain drive: Positive, controlled travel independent of load weight. The operator stands clear and pulls a chain rather than pushing a suspended load.
- Precise positioning: Geared drive lets the load be inched into place, which pushing cannot do accurately with a heavy load.
- Sealed ball bearings: Smooth rolling, protected from grit and moisture.
- Drop forged screw adjuster: Quick, positive adjustment to the flange width.
- Wide flange range: 50 mm to 220 mm.
- Wheel guards fitted: Side plates carry guards over the running gear.
- Matched to Viper and GT Heavy Duty hoists: Pair with the same capacity chain block or lever hoist.
Technical Specifications
| Product Code |
W.L.L. (kg) |
Flange Range (mm) |
A (mm) |
B (mm) |
C (mm) |
E (mm) |
| VGT0.5 |
500 |
50 – 220 |
353 |
200 |
175 |
20 |
| VGT1 |
1,000 |
50 – 220 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| VGT2 |
2,000 |
50 – 220 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| VGT3 |
3,000 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| VGT5 |
5,000 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
All dimensions in millimetres. The geared trolley is slightly longer than the equivalent push version, 353 mm against 300 mm on the 500 kg size, to accommodate the drive gear. Full data for each size is in the user instruction manual.
BS EN 13157 | 4:1 Minimum Breaking Load | LOLER Ready
Manufactured and marked in accordance with BS EN 13157. Minimum breaking load is four times the marked Working Load Limit. Designed for use with same-capacity GT Viper and GT Heavy Duty chain blocks and lever hoists, and suitable for hand and electric hoists. Under LOLER 1998, lifting equipment requires thorough examination by a competent person at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
Suitable Applications
Geared trolleys suit installations where load movement needs control rather than effort: heavier loads where pushing is impractical, long beam runs where the operator cannot walk with the load, precise positioning onto foundations or machine beds, and any situation where the operator should stand clear of the load rather than alongside it. They are standard in machine shops, plant rooms, workshops with overhead beam runs and maintenance bays. On a beam with any gradient, geared drive is effectively essential since a push trolley will run away.
More About This Product
Material handling equipment solves the problem that most manual handling injuries come from: moving something heavy a short distance. Cranes handle the long lifts; the damage is done shifting a machine six metres across a workshop because it seemed too short a distance to be worth rigging.
The equipment is straightforward. The considerations that catch people out are the floor, the route and the momentum of something heavy once it is rolling.
The Route Is the Risk
A load on wheels behaves entirely differently from a load being lifted, and the risks move with it.
Point loading comes first. Wheel loads under a laden truck or skate concentrate onto small hard wheels, and the pressure at each contact patch is far higher than the load's own footprint would suggest. Slabs that carry the static load comfortably can crack, and floor coverings can be marked or cut.
Level changes are where control is lost. A multi-tonne load rolling at walking pace and stopping abruptly against a threshold, an expansion joint or a change in floor covering keeps trying to move. Anyone with a hand on it at that moment finds out how much energy is in it. The answer is to slow down before the change, not at it.
Gradients compound the same problem. Even a slight slope in a workshop floor will accelerate a heavy load on good wheels, and a load that gets away has no brakes.
Nobody walks alongside. The instinct is to have people at the sides steadying the load, and that is exactly where they should not be if it shifts or a wheel collapses. Push or pull from a position of control, keep feet clear of the wheels, and treat the route as part of the plan rather than as the bit between the lifting points.
How to Use the Geared Travel Trolley
- Assess the beam: It must take the load, the hoist and the trolley together.
- Fit end stops: Essential on both ends. A geared trolley is slower to run away than a push trolley but will still leave the beam.
- Set the wheel spacing to the flange: Wheels running centrally with no excessive side play.
- Check the drive chain: The hand chain must run freely and be untwisted before use.
- Travel smoothly: Steady pulls on the hand chain. Jerking the chain swings the load.
- Let the load settle before travelling: A swinging load imposes side forces on trolley and beam.
Warning: End stops must be fitted to both ends of the beam. Assess the supporting structure before use. Never exceed the marked Working Load Limit, which must cover the hoist weight as well as the load. Do not travel with a swinging load.
Safety Information
- The supporting structure must be assessed as capable of taking the total load.
- End stops must be fitted to both ends of the beam.
- Never exceed the marked Working Load Limit.
- Set the wheel spacing correctly for the flange width.
- Ensure the hand chain is untwisted and runs freely before use.
- Do not travel with a swinging load.
- Keep clear of the wheels, drive gear and hand chain in operation.
- Thorough examination by a competent person required at intervals not exceeding 12 months under LOLER 1998.
Inspection and Maintenance
The geared trolley has everything a push trolley has plus a drive train, and the drive is what needs the extra attention. Check the hand chain for stretched, twisted or damaged links and confirm it feeds cleanly through the hand wheel. Check the drive gear engages smoothly with no slipping or jumping under load, since a drive that slips leaves a load unable to be moved or stopped where it is. Beyond that, inspect each wheel for free smooth rotation, flat spots and tread wear, check the side plates for distortion and cracking around the suspension point, and confirm the screw adjuster holds its setting.
Downloads
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is geared worth the extra over push?
Above about 2 tonnes, or on a long beam, or where positioning has to be accurate, yes comfortably. Below that on a short level beam with a light load, push travel does the same job for less. The other consideration is where the operator stands: geared drive lets them stand clear of the load rather than pushing it.
Q: How long a hand chain do I need?
It needs to reach comfortably to the operating position, which usually means from the beam down to about waist height. Specify it against your beam height when ordering rather than assuming a standard length will suit.
Q: Can I use it on a sloping beam?
Geared drive gives far better control on a gradient than push travel, which will simply run away. That said, any sloping beam installation needs specific assessment, since the load on the drive and on the beam changes with the angle.
Q: Does the capacity include the hoist?
The rating is the load the trolley may carry in total, which means the hoist weight counts against it. A 1 tonne trolley with a 15 kg chain block can lift 985 kg, not 1,000 kg. On lighter capacities that matters.
