The Early History of the Pulleys and Crane Systems

Abstract

Pulleys and cranes are used for hoisting loads with or without providing a significant gain in force. Both of these devices have provided convenience to humans since ancient times. Pulleys are considered to be one of the five mechanical powers of the ancient world. Their history is very much linked with the early history of cranes. The cranes originated from the pulley systems. In this paper, the early history of the application of these well-preserved ancient mechanical instruments is examined together. This paper mainly focuses on the various interesting applications of pulleys and cranes in ancient and medieval times. Yet theoretical developments in the timeline mentioned above are also included in this paper.