Customs House – Smoke Baffles
The Problem
Customs House in Sydney underwent a magnificent refurbishment. Assistance was needed to comply with the Building Code of Australia relating to smoke management. In the event of an internal fire, it was important to ensure that smoke did not accumulate in covered public areas, particularly the atrium.
Our Solution
Cox was approached by consultants to develop a solution that would deflect smoke away from public areas and prevent it from drifting over the parapet. A structure was required to project into the atrium, deflect the smoke towards the centre, and direct it vertically to the horizontal exhaust duct running the full length of the pitched roof.
Several options were investigated, including pneumatic cylinders, pneumatic motors, electrical drums, and electrical clutches. These were rejected on financial grounds. The final solution involved manual boat winches that would automatically lower by gravity when a fire alarm operated. This was achieved using stainless steel wire ropes and free-falling manual winches. The baffles were held vertically using magnetic door catches.
Sydney Hilton – Installation of Scissor Lifts
The Problem
As part of the multi-million dollar refurbishment of Sydney’s Hilton Hotel, Industrial Conveyor Australia, Victoria supplied two Jihab scissor lifts. They required expert installation, custom commissioning, and on-site certification.
Solution – Laundry Scissor Lift
The laundry scissor lift measures 1200 x 1800 x 2000 mm high with a 2000 kg capacity. The deck is covered with aluminium chequer plate and is used to transfer laundry trolleys, stores, and dirty linen trolleys in and out of the new in-house laundry.
Cox completed the installation including a kerb angle, infilling the larger recessed area, bolting the scissor lift to the floor, and designing and building a hinged gate with an electromechanically interlocked door lock. We also installed a protective blind to hide the built-in hydraulic power unit.
Solution – Marble Bar Triple Scissor Lift
The marble bar triple scissor lift measures 1800 x 1800 x 2.8 metres high with a 500 kg capacity. It is used to transfer bottles, cans, soft drinks, spirits, and bar snacks from the storage area in Basement 1 to the bar in Basement 2.
The unit is loaded from Basement 1, where a manual roller shutter is lowered and electromechanically interlocked before the hoist platform is lowered. When reaching Basement 2, a second light illuminates, electronically unlocking the door lock and allowing the roller shutter to be opened. To enable unloading at floor level, the scissor lift was installed into a suitably sized pit. The power unit is remotely located under the stairs behind a hinged door within the shaft. The installation provides a 10–15 mm clearance on all sides to prevent sharp edges from catching the contents of the lift. An aluminium chequer plate deck was added to the hoist platform.
Lowy Institute, Sydney – Projector Lift
The Problem
The Lowy Institute required a mechanical solution to replace the existing fixed mounting of a Mitsubishi projector. It needed an elevating and retracting mechanism so it could be stored within an existing marble-topped credenza. The projector and mounting box together weighed approximately 100 kg and needed to be elevated to a height of 2400 mm.
The Solution
Alignment and stability were critical to achieving the required projector performance. The cables needed to retract from full height without twisting or damaging any strands. The lifting mechanism was designed as a four-stage stable structure with a static factor of safety of four and operated by a 240-volt electric geared motor.
In addition, we cut and hinged the marble top for manual raising and lowering, assisted by air struts. This was electronically interlocked for safety.
Esplanade Hotel, Fremantle – Mini-Bar Carts
The Problem
The landmark Esplanade Hotel in Fremantle is a large, multi-storey property with long carpeted corridors. Pushing fully loaded mini-bar carts had become an occupational health and safety concern, and assistance was needed to make handling more manageable.
The Solution
Our standard powder-coated sheet metal mini-bar carts were considered too heavy for the hotel staff. When fully loaded, they were difficult for one person to push on carpeted surfaces.
We solved the problem by bolting the Electrodrive Transpak to the base of our mini-bar structure, utilising the Gzunda handlebar for control. We also modified our standard design to allow the top two drawers to open outwards along the length of the cart. For safety reasons, only one drawer can open at a time.
Esplanade Hotel was so pleased with this new mini-bar design that they purchased a second unit for use in their hotel extensions.
Goldsborough Mort, Sydney – Entrance Canopy and Courtyard Panels
The Problem
The conversion of the old Goldsborough Mort wool store into apartments was outstanding, but the building lacked a striking entrance and weather protection at the entry. The development also included courtyards, yet tenants were not fully comfortable using them because of the lack of privacy.
The Solution
We addressed the courtyard privacy issue through the manufacture and installation of perforated, powder-coated zinc-alum sheet metal panels to the existing handrails around each walkway and to dividing fences across the 300 residential apartments.
We were also asked to design, manufacture, and install a semi-circular canopy structure over the entrance. The canopy was mounted three metres above the existing roadway and secured by foundation bolts below the paving slabs, as well as anchored to the building structure. It was covered with UV-protected waterproof fabric and designed to withstand strong winds and hailstorms. The structure was powder-coated maroon to blend with the appearance of the building.
National Gallery of Australia – Archival and Transportation for Priceless Artworks
The Problem
Many of the priceless artworks owned by the National Gallery of Australia need to be stored vertically and transported vertically. The Gallery required systems that would allow extra-large artworks to be handled safely and efficiently.
The Solution
We designed, manufactured, and delivered large rectangular steel frames for use in the Gallery archives for extra-large artworks. The frame width can be adjusted horizontally as required. We also supplied manual crate lifters that attach a mechanical set of wheels to each end of large transport boxes and lift them clear of the floor. These allow the boxes to be transferred vertically instead of horizontally and are suitable for transport to Australian and overseas galleries.
Liverpool, Northern Suburbs and Canberra Cemeteries – Mortuary Trolleys
The Problem
The cemeteries required a mechanical method of elevating caskets from a one-metre-high mobile deck trolley with rollers to the second and third levels of a vertical crypt.
The Solution
After considering various options, we selected mobile scissor lifts that could be manually moved into position and stabilised using floor jacks. Each unit was designed with fold-down walkways along each side, allowing attendants to be electronically elevated to the required height to manually push the casket into the appropriate crypt.
The scissor lift also doubles as a hoist access platform, enabling the safe lowering and raising of the marble slabs forming the decorative front cover to the crypt.
