GAS CYLINDER LIFTS

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

• CAUTION: To prevent damage to the LM Series Gas Cylinder Lift, which could affect or void the Factory warranty, thoroughly study all instructions and illustrations before you begin to install or operate the unit. Pay particular attention to the “Important Precautions” on Page 1.

• If you have any questions about this installation, contact Chief Manufacturing at 1-800-582-6480.

I N S T R U C T I O N M A N U A L

The LM Series gas cylinder lifts are smooth, quiet reliable lift mechanisms for your valuable equipment in a mobile application. The LM Series can be adjusted to accommo-date a total payload ranging from 100 to 352 pounds and, depending on the selected model, provide up to 42 1/4 inches of travel.

The patented lift mechanism of the LM Series gas cylin-der lift allows you to raise your equipment by applying a gentle upward motion. To lower the equipment for stor-age or shipping, simply apply a gentle downward push.

Heavier or lighter payload weight will require proportion-ate manual effort to raise or lower your equipment.

LOGO

CHIEF MANUFACTURING INC.1-800-582-6480 952-894-6280 FAX 952-894-691812800 HIGHWAY 13 SOUTH, SUITE 500SAVAGE, MINNESOTA 55378 USA

PART NO. 8808-000004 (Rev. B)2000 Chief Manufacturing

www.chiefmfg.comPrinted in USA 02-04

Instruction Manual Gas Cylinder Lift

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IMPORTANT WARNINGS AND CAUTIONS!

WARNING: A WARNING alerts you to the possibility of serious injury or death if you do not follow the instructions.

CAUTION: A CAUTION alerts you to the possibility of damage or destruction of equipment if you do not follow the corre-sponding instructions.

• WARNING: Be aware during the installation that this is a pressurized cylinder operated device, and there are pinch points for people and for electrical wiring. Keep hands and electrical wiring away from internal components of the mechanism.

• WARNING: Be aware of the potential for personal injury or damage to the unit if it is not adequately mounted.

• WARNING: Be sure the lift is installed square and parallel in all dimensions to avoid damage to the lift. Avoid stress-ing the unit at any time during installation.

• WARNING: Do not place a combined weight exceeding the maximum support weight on your lift (see Table 1 ). Exceeding the maximum support weight may cause the lift to lower rapidly and could cause serious personal injury or damage to equipment.

• CAUTION: Test the unit for shipping damage.

TOOLS REQUIRED FOR INSTALLATION

• Phillips screwdrivers, No. 1 and No. 2

• Electric drill and bit set

• Socket set with extension

NOTE: Other tools may be required depending on the method of installing the unit in the ceiling.

CONTENTS

WEIGHT AND VERTICAL TRAVEL SPECIFICATIONS ..................................................... 2LIFT CASE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS ................... 3LIFT INSTALLATION PREPARATION ...................... 4LIFT INSTALLATION ................................................. 6

Install the Lift Into the Case ................................. 6Install the Shelf on the Lift Mechanism 7

TROUBLESHOOTING................................................ 8

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Instruction Manual Gas Cylinder Lift

WEIGHT AND VERTICAL TRAVEL SPECIFICATIONS

See Table 1 for weight and vertical travel specifications. Maximum release weight is the weight the lift mechanism will lift unas-sisted, minimum release weight is the weight that must be on the lift mechanism to lift without excessive speed, and maximum sup-port weight is the total weight (equipment, shelf, and all hardware) that the lift mechanism will support.

1. Determine size and weight of equipment to be lifted.

2. Determine the vertical travel height required for presentation viewing.

3. Determine length, depth, and thickness of the shelf to support the weight of your equipment (minimum required shelf size is 24”X33”X5/8” thick plywood).

Table 1: Weight and Vertical Travel

Model LM-21 LM-21/DC LM-42 LM-42/TC

Dimensions(HxWxD)

6 1/2”x33”x15”(165mmx838mmx381mm)

6 1/2”x33”x15”(165mmx838mmx381mm)

10 1/4”x33”x18.5”(260mmx838mmx470mm)

10 1/4”x33”x18.5”(260mmx838mmx470mm)

Overall HeightExtended

28”711mm

28”711mm

52 1/2”1334mm

52 1/2”1334mm

Vertical Travel 21 1/2”546mm

21 1/2”546mm

42 1/4”1073mm

42 1/4”1073mm

Max. ReleaseWeight +\- 5%

170 lbs.77 Kgs.

352 lbs.160 Kgs.

157 lbs.71 Kgs.

256 lbs.116 Kgs.

Min. ReleaseWeight +\- 5%

100 lbs.45 Kgs.

207 lbs.94 Kgs.

90 lbs.41 Kgs.

148 lbs.67 Kgs.

Max. SupportWeight +\- 5%

200 lbs.91 Kgs.

400 lbs.181 Kgs.

183 lbs.83 Kgs.

280 lbs.127 Kgs.

Weight Adjust ability +\- 5%

70 lbs.32 Kgs.

145 lbs.66 Kgs.

67 lbs.30 Kgs.

108 lbs.49 Kgs.

Unit Weight 56 lbs.25 Kgs.

60 lbs.27 Kgs.

84 lbs.38 Kgs.

86 lbs.39 Kgs.

Instruction Manual Gas Cylinder Lift

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LIFT CASE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS

The following case design specifications are the minimum required specifications.

1. Minimum of 3/4” thick caster board completely covering the bottom of the case.

2. Minimum case inside dimensions:LM-21, LM-21/DC - 26” depth x 37’ length (I.D.)LM-42, LM-42/TC - 27” depth x 37’ length (I.D.)

3. The part line of case must be at shelf height when lift mecha-nism is 1” from fully compressed (see Figure 1).

4. The lower portion of case must have foam blocks (see Figure 1 and Figure 6) made from 2.4# dense foam to act as shock absorption for the equipment, shelf, and lift mechanism. A minimum of four corner pieces, supporting the bottom of the shelf, must be:LM-21 - Height 7 1/2”, Length 12”LM-42 - Height 11 1/4”, Length 12

Hold-Down Shaft(LM-21 = HDP-11)(LM-21DC = HDP-11)(LM-42 = HDP-15)(LM-42DC = HDP-15)

1” Distance to crosspinwhen bottom of shelfcontacts foam

Recommended Part Line

Corner Pieces of FoamWhen bottom of shelfcontacts foam, thedistance betweenmechanism shellsequals “X” dimension.

Model “X”LM-21 1”LM-21DC 1”

LM-42DC 4 3/4”LM-42 4 3/4”

Dimension

“X”

Figure 1. Case

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Instruction Manual Gas Cylinder Lift

LIFT INSTALLATION PREPARATION

1. Carefully inspect the lift for shipping damage. If any damage is apparent, call your carrier claims agent and do not continue with the installation until the carrier has reviewed the damage.

NOTE: Read all assembly instructions before starting assem-bly.

2. Place the mechanism on a clean, level floor in its upright (label side up) position.

WARNNG: Be aware during the instal-lation that this is a pressurized cylinder operated device, and there are pinch points for people and for electrical wir-ing. Keep hands and electrical wiring away from internal components of the mechanism.

3. Lifting on the label end, pull the lift mechanism upward to its maximum height.

4. Make sure the gas spring engages, keeping the mechanism in the raised position (see Figure 2).

5. Place adequate amount of weight (see Minimum Release Weight in Table 1) on top of panel of the lift mechanism.

6. Make sure the mechanism is adjusted to its proper weight adjustment. If necessary, use a 1/2” open end wrench to adjust weight setting (see Figure 3).

7. Install stop bumpers as follows:

Perform the following steps if the lift mechanism has the optional height adjuster (HA-21) installed:

WARNNG: Be aware during the instal-lation that this is a pressurized cylinder operated device, and there are pinch points for people and for electrical wir-ing. Keep hands and electrical wiring away from internal components of the mechanism

a. Apply downward pressure on top of panel of the lift mecha-nism to slowly compress unit.

b. Apply sufficient downward pressure to lift mechanism to engage pawl block to height adjuster (see Figure 4).

Pawl Block

Figure 4. Pawl Block and Height Adjuster

HA-21 Height Adjuster

Figure 3. Weight Setting

Gas spring engages,

Figure 2. Gas Spring Engaged

keeping mechanism raised

Instruction Manual Gas Cylinder Lift

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c. Install stop bumpers (see Figure 5) at location described on label on sides of base.

WARNNG: Be aware during the instal-lation that this is a pressurized cylinder operated device, and there are pinch points for people and for electrical wir-ing. Keep hands and electrical wiring away from internal components of the mechanism

d. Apply downward pressure until the unit has reached the bottom of travel. The height adjuster will automatically reset.

Perform the following steps if the lift mechanism does not have the optional height adjuster (HA-21) installed:

a. Make a stop block. The minimum material requirement for a stop block is a 2”x4”x8” piece of wood or preferably a 4”x4”x8” wooden block.

WARNNG: Be aware during the instal-lation that this is a pressurized cylinder operated device, and there are pinch points for people and for electrical wir-ing. Keep hands and electrical wiring away from internal components of the mechanism

b. Apply downward pressure on top of panel of the lift mecha-nism to slowly compress unit until the stop block will fit between the middle brace support and support beam on the outside scissors leg (see Figure 6).

c. Install stop bumpers (see Figure 5) at location described on label on sides of base.

WARNNG: Be aware during the instal-lation that this is a pressurized cylinder operated device, and there are pinch points for people and for electrical wir-ing. Keep hands and electrical wiring away from internal components of the mechanism

d. Apply downward pressure on top of panel the lift mecha-nism and remove the stop block.

WARNNG: Be aware during the installa-tion that this is a pressurized cylinder operated device, and there are pinch points for people and for electrical wiring. Keep hands and electrical wiring away from internal components of the mechanism

7. Using an upward pull, raise the mechanism to its maximum height.

Remove the weight from the mechanism.

Figure 6. Stop Block

Figure 5. Stop Bumper

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Instruction Manual Gas Cylinder Lift

INSTALL THE LIFT

Because of the wide variety of possible mounting situations, Chief Manufacturing can only provide general guidelines for lift installation. Study the following information carefully, and adapt it as necessary to fit your specific installation.

Install the Lift Into the Case1. Place the lift mechanism into the case with the end of the

mechanism with the hold-down shaft clearance hole (opposite from end with label marked “Lift Here to Engage”) *3/4” from inside case wall (see Figure 6).

2. While maintaining the 3/4” dimension in the previous step, center the lift in the depth direction.

3. With the lift centered, use the base of the lift mechanism as a template to transfer 6 holes (17/64” diameter) and 1 hole (3/4” diameter) to the case bottom (see Figure 6).

4. Remove the lift mechanism from the case.

5. Drill through 6 transfer holes (17/64” diameter) and 1 hole (3/4” diameter) through the case bottom and caster-board.

Model “X” Length

LM-21 35”

LM-42 37”Figure 7. Bottom Shell

Instruction Manual Gas Cylinder Lift

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6. Pre-adjust lift mechanism using adjustment shaft (see Figure 2) for total weight of the load that will be supported by the mech-anism. Adjustment can be made in the raised position only.

CAUTION: Foam must contact shelf at least 1” before the lift mechanism is fully compressed. The case bottom is foamed to pro-vide a required shock system for the equipment, lift mechanism, shelf and case bottom.

7 Secure the foam in the lower portion of the case as required (On Model LM-21 only, be sure the foam does not interfere with the access hole for adjustment tool).

8. After adjustment of the lift mechanism, secure mechanism in case using holes drilled and hardware provided

Install the Shelf on the Lift Mechanism1. Make sure the shelf will not collide with the case bottom when

mechanism is collapsed

2. Secure the shelf to top of lift using holes provided, 6 hex bolts, 12 washers, and six hex nuts.

3. Drill a 5/8” diameter hole through the shelf for clearance of the hold-down shaft (see Figure 7).

4. Using two hex nuts and four flat washers, install the hold-down shaft as shown in Figure 7.

CAUTION: On Models LM-42 and LM-42/TC only, lock knobs on stabilizer bars must be loosened to lower mechanism.

5. With the mechanism compressed and the shelf resting on the foam in the bottom of the case, adjust the hold-down shaft so that the crosspin is 1” from the top shelf (see Figure 1).

6. Clean and remove all construction debris from the lift mecha-nism.

Figure 8. Hold-Down Shaft Installation

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Instruction Manual Gas Cylinder Lift

TROUBLESHOOTING

If the Lift is installed according to these instructions, it should operate trouble-free indefinitely. If you do encounter a problem, call the Technical Services Department at Chief Manufacturing:

1-800-582-6480

952-894-6280