Just about everything about Hamilton is unstoppable: our drive to innovate, our thirst for bigger and better, our addiction to Chili Cheese Fritos. But if there’s one thing that makes us love inertia, it’s designing the right brakes for the right caster. You might think that choosing the right brake type is easy, but that depends on both your caster and application.
On level production floors, brakes aren’t necessarily required because the load weight is usually enough to stop casters cold. But if your application requires extra safety or you’ve got uneven floors to tangle with, it’s time to think about caster brakes. Here’s a quick overview of six of most popular force fighters.
Side Foot Brake
This husky all-steel wheel brake has been redesigned to be even more positive lock-friendly while accommodating more casters in our series. When you step down on either end of the pedal, cam action locks the wheel. But thanks to the brake’s unique design, a full-length spanner bushing gives the caster more rigidity. Note: Not available with wheels having tapered bearings.
Rap-A-Round Side Foot Brake
Our engineers took our standard side foot brake and added a pedal extension for convenient all-around accessibility. Nice.
Heavy Duty Contact Brake
This heavy-duty face contact brake is Hamilton’s most effective friction-based brake. The bracket is made from 3/16” x 2” plate steel with an easy to engage foot pedal, and it features an adjustable thick rubber stop for better "grip" on the wheel surface.
Ergo Brake
Hamilton’s all-new premium Ergo gets its name from its design: step down to engage and step down to disengage, much easier on the body. The brake is also compact in size yet maintains a strong positive lock. Great for tight spaces or a small envelope.
Maxi-Duty Contact Brake
Available on the Maxi-Duty and Dual Wheel Maxi-Duty Casters, this brake is activated by tightening the brake-shoe against the wheel(s). The “Thumbscrew” design provides adjustable brake pressure.
Combination Brake
We’ve got a complete series dedicated to this brake type, featuring a stylish swivel rig in 4”, 5” and 6” sizes. By pressing down on the pedal, both the swivel caster and wheel lock simultaneously.