What is a Block and Tackle?
A block and tackle is a simple but highly effective lifting device, thought to be invented by Archimedes. Block and tackle systems were used extensively for construction in the Ancient world, and continue to be used today for a variety of applications, especially at sea, where non-motorized lifting systems are highly useful. A basic block and tackle includes a single fixed pulley, or block, and at least one additional pulley, linked with rope, to form a complete block and tackle set. Depending on the size of the load being lifted, additional block and tackle sets may be used to further distribute the weight. The engineering of a block and tackle uses pulleys to distribute the weight of a heavy object. By lightening the load, the pulleys make it possible for one person or a small crew to move a potentially very heavy object relatively safely. In a single block and tackle set, a hook from the free swinging pulley is attached to the object being lifted, and the pulleys are threaded with r
