The Schwanenburg, one of the few hilltop castles on the Lower Rhine, towers high above Kleve. With its 54 m high Schwanenturm, it is the landmark of Kleve and can be seen as a striking eye-catcher from every square in the city. Since 2021, the Schwanenturm can no longer be climbed by visitors, as the dominant building of the northern part of the castle is closed for fire protection reasons. As part of the reopening concept, all flammable objects now had to be removed from the tower. No easy undertaking! Among the exhibits of a geological collection were heavy mammoth bones that had to be transported downwards. In April, Emanuel Hufschmidt's removal company ensured the rapid removal of the museum pieces. Despite sometimes challenging conditions on site, three employees removed around 35 cubic meters from the upper floors of the tower in just seven hours. A decisive success factor for the smooth execution of the activities was the use of a Böcker Junior HD 21 furniture lift, which bypassed the halfway through the narrow stair tower. The ascent to the second floor of the tower alone leads over a narrow spiral staircase with almost 90 steps, another 94 steps have to be climbed up to the top floor.
Up to 21 m with minimum space requirement
Thanks to the Junior furniture lift, which reached up to the window of the 5th floor thanks to its maximum extension length of almost 21 m, the load could be brought down the tower from the outside. The team from Umzüge Emanuel Hufschmidt saved themselves the energy-sapping climb and descent of more than half the stairs. Only the distance from the top of the tower downwards to the extension height of the Junior had to be taken using the spiral staircase. The remaining distance to the first floor and the waiting truck was carried out by the lift with a conveying speed of up to 48 m/min. Even heavy exhibits found room on the rotating and extendable furniture platform with foldable side walls. With its narrow track width of just 540 mm and a transport width of only 1,299 mm, the furniture lift could be installed on the narrow access road to the castle. The galvanized outriggers guaranteed the safe standing and simple assembly of the lift.
Powerful up to 250 kg
With its small dimensions, the Junior furniture lift is ideally suited for use at the Schwanenturm. The compact trailer can also reach its installation site via narrow paths and alleys. Due to its low dead weight, it can be towed by common passenger cars. Its axle can be optionally retracted so that the lift, with a manoeuvring width of only 890 mm, even fits through standard doors. The drawbar can also be pushed in additionally. Despite its very space-saving design, the Junior demonstrates its full power during operation. With a payload of 250 kg, removals can be carried out in the shortest possible time and in a particularly energy-saving manner. Transport outside the building protects both the stairwell and the load itself. The robust rail package made of special aluminium, the powerful lifting cylinder and the hydraulic load and telescopic winches ensure fast transport of bulky and heavy objects. The sensitive electrical operation with control button at the headpiece, creep speed and safety stop at the upper and lower rail ends ensures the safe transport of the removal goods and offers a high level of operating comfort. The low loading height due to the extendable lower extension allows ergonomic working.
More information about the Böcker furniture elevators
