Crank handles are available in different styles. While most of them feature a fixed lever, some of them have a collapsable lever. Fold-down crank handles fall under the latter category. They are used to control machinery and equipment just like conventional crank handles. Fold-down crank handles, however, have a collapsable lever.
What Are Fold-Down Crank Handles?
Also known as fold-a-away crank handles, fold-down crank handles are characterized by their ability to collapse. You can collapse or “fold” them. You can see an example of a fold-down crank handle in the photo above. As shown, the lever has a joint in the middle, which allows it to collapse.
All crank handles have a lever. The lever is the arm that you’ll need to grip and turn to engage the machinery or equipment to which a crank handle is connected. Conventional crank handles have a fixed lever. Fold-down crank handles, on the other hand, have a collapsable lever. After turning a fold-down crank handle, you can collapse the lever.
Benefits of Fold-Down Crank Handles
When compared to conventional crank handles, fold-down crank handles offer several benefits. For starters, they conserve space. The lever of any crank handle will consume space. Conventional handles have a fixed lever, though, that will naturally consume more space than the collapsable lever of fold-down crank handles. When you are finished using a fold-down crank handle, you can collapse the lever so that it consumes less space.
Fold-down crank handles also protect against accidental engagement. Crank handles are used to engage machinery and equipment. Upon inserting a crank handle into a piece of machinery or equipment, you can turn it. Turning the crank handle will engage the machinery or equipment. With that said, accidental engagement may occur if the crank handle’s lever is bumped or knocked.
To minimize the risk of accidental engagement, you may want to use a fold-down crank handle. When collapsed, there’s little or no risk of accidental engagement. The lever must be raised so that it can effectively turn and, thus, engage the machinery or equipment. You can raise the lever to use the fold-down crank handle. Alternatively, you can lower the lever to prevent accidental engagement.
In Conclusion
Crank handles are available in different styles, one of which is fold-down. Fold-down crank handles have a collapsable lever. They work like other crank handles by connecting to machinery and equipment. While conventional crank handles have a fixed lever, though, fold-down crank handles have a collapsable lever.