Such a widespread type of lifting equipment as manual winch in general is the simplest version of the converter of physical force into traction. This device differs in relative simplicity of design and low weight, unpretentiousness in use and independence from the power source. This type of winch is used both in industrial conditions and on construction sites, as well as in everyday life. So, for example, motorists respect the mechanism that helps to free the "iron horse" from the strong grip of impassable off-road, blockages of snow and other obstacles that arise in the path of its movement. A simple technical device, not burdened by an electric motor, can be easily transported in the trunk.
When performing erection, construction and loading and unloading operations with the help of winches equipped with a manual drive, workers can move a variety of small loads in the vertical, horizontal and inclined directions. Such mechanisms are not very powerful, therefore they are used mainly in simple areas. They are able to withstand temperatures from -40 to +40 ̊ C without any changes in their operation. Winches are used both in an enclosed space and in the open air, that is, in any place where their capabilities are required and there is a pair of strong hands.
Such lifting devices can be of different designs. There are winches with manual drum, lever and worm drives. Among all these varieties, the most common is the device of the first type. Its functionality is determined by the application of physical force to the handle, during the rotation of which a cable is wound around the drum, fixed at one end to a stationary object or load. Due to the maximum use of the manual drive, the tractive effort increases by no more than 2 times. The unwinding of the drum involved in the process of lifting the load is completely excluded. To prevent a lifted load from spontaneously moving in the opposite direction, devices are usually equipped with a ratchet brake.
