Home Forums General Discussion Technical Questions Northern Elevator Machine info

Hey guys, I’m in the process of replacing the ring gear and worm shaft in a big old Northern machine. The Machine type is a 450 geared machine, 12,500lb capacity. I can’t seem to find any useful technical info on how to set up the gear set, backlash etc. Or any tricks or tips to getting the worm shaft out of this ole girl. She’s big and heavy, just wondering if anyone has any experience with one of these machines.

Send email and I’ll send what I have

Contact Titan Machine in New York. They can tell you backlash setting, but my experience is about .006-.008 Larger backlashes in very cold climates. Worn comes out the Thrust bearing end after removiing the brake drum. You might want to install a new sleeve bearing when you have it out.

We also have one of these machines. Has anybody noticed the motor coupling between motor and brake drum move back n forth about 3/8 inch? Is this normal on these? It can be loud depending on load, direction and brake timing.

f the worm is moving 3/8" back and forth, you probably have a thrust problem. You should look soon, could be dangerous. If you are saying that the brake drum turns 3/8" stop to stop (backlash) this would seem a little tight. Westinghouse used to say 3/4" (circular movement of brake drum) for proper backlash, as they did not have an access plate on some models.