Shaft Rack Saves Backs
by Bruce Odle
When Dennis Kraus, production manager of the Grand Island (Neb.) Independent, wanted to organize his pressroom, one of his priorities was to get the roll shafts off the floor and stored in some organized manner. We responded by implementing a new roll-shaft storage unit that resulted in safer shaft storage, less damage to shafts, and most importantly, reduced back strain when removing newspaper cores from shafts.
The rack is shaped like a pyramid, with space for four shafts on each side. There are two stationary wheels on the front and two movable wheels on the back. It sits by a door, but we can easily grab it and pull it out of the way if necessary.
Made out of angle iron and tubular steel, the unit is 4 feet 8 inches high, and about 3 feet long by 4 feet wide. On top, there's a rack that holds chucks, lockdowns, wrenches, etc.
There are pegs on the sides of the pyramid, pointing up at an angle, so that the shafts roll into the rack. The rack is all one piece, so you can get shafts in, unlock them and get them out really quickly without having to flip a chain across the shaft to keep it from moving. Once on the rack, the roll shafts are counterbalanced on a bracket, making it easy to take the locks off the shaft and clean the rolls.
The new storage system has improved safety. We used to have all of our shafts lying on the floor, so we'd constantly step on them. Paper would get tossed on them, making it easy for people walking by to twist an ankle by stepping on the shafts or chucks hidden underneath.
The most important benefit of the new system is reduced back strain, since we no longer have to bend over to unlock our shafts. It really helps to have it all up in the air, especially because often there's a lot more torque on those bolts than originally anticipated. Before, we'd have to put a foot on the shaft to keep it from rolling, then bend over, hoping everything stayed, and finally jump up and down and turn blue in the face trying to get them unlocked.
There's a lot less shaft damage now that everything is up in the air. We are no longer ruining hubs by dragging them across the concrete. In addition, the shaft racks are preventing damage to the physical plant; before, the hubs were chewing up the concrete floors.
Everyone in the press room really likes the new system. It took people a while to get used to it, because they were so accustomed to using the floor. But once they got the hang of it, they thought it was great. Our foreman is going to have us build one for the other end of the press room.
The roll-shaft racks we designed were pretty simple to build. After I came up with the idea, my father and I worked together to build it with tools in his home shop. With plans in hand, it would probably take one person less than a day of work to build one just like ours. I'd be happy to describe the system in more detail to other pressroom people who are interested.
Bruce Odle is a pressman at the Grand Island Independent in Grand Island, Neb. Phone is (308) 382-1000, ext. 247.