How Does a Jib Crane Work?

Whether wall-mounted or floor-mounted, all jib cranes have two important characteristics. A jib crane will always rotate and a jib crane will always lift or support a load. Most jib cranes will also have a third motion, that of traverse: The load will be able to traverse the beam from the center of the circle to the edge of the circle created by the jib as the jib rotates. Jib cranes typically have a hand-powered rotation and traverse motion, while it is common to see either electric-powered or hand-powered lift motion. The hand-powered rotation and traverse motion are accomplished by push/pull, while the hand-powered lifting is accomplished by a chain similar to a non-powered garage door. Options for electric rotation and traverse are available on almost all jib cranes for those wishing to purchase such a crane.