Drystone lifting devices / load handling

Project: Lifting gear

Lifting and moving stones

Many dry stone wall construction sites are not accessible for cranes or excavators. How can large blocks of stone be moved and relocated in such places? Here I show simple lifting equipment that can be carried by hand into the terrain. With this equipment loads up to one ton can be moved and relocated. Click on the pictures for more information and examples.

See also the information about the modular drystone lifting gear / crane

Tools for pulling and lifting

Lever

Tools / Lever

The most versatile tool to move loads. The principle is used in many other tools here described.

In engineering, levers are described by their three components:

Load arm: Lever arm on the side of the load to be moved.
Force arm: lever arm on the side of the moving force
Pivot point: point around which the lever can rotate.

Using these terms, the law of leverage reads: "force times force arm equals load times load arm".

Tools / Hebelade

Hebelade, Wippkiste / German lever jack / Cric à cheville

Antique tool to lift heavy loads manually with a lever

Link: cric-a-cheville-et-chariot-grumier-de-lest-hebelade-und-leiterwagen

Tools / Waldteufel

Antique tool to pull and tension a chain.

Forged Waldteufel

Examples of how the Waldteufel was used. Note that in one example the tool grips the chain with a hook, whereas in the other example the chain is gripped from the outside.