What Leonardo da Vinci invention was a movable crane designed to lift heavy loads?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a revolving crane to lift heavy loads and move them through an arc.

His crane concepts combined a lifting mechanism with a rotating structure, allowing workers to position materials more efficiently than with a fixed hoist. Leonardo studied cranes as part of his broader interest in construction, canals, fortifications, and large-scale mechanical systems.

The drawings show how he analyzed practical problems such as leverage, rope tension, counterweights, and controlled movement. These mechanisms were powered by human or animal effort rather than steam or electric motors. Their value lay in multiplying force and improving control.

Leonardo did not invent the crane itself; lifting machines had existed since antiquity. His contribution was the detailed study and redesign of mechanisms that could make heavy construction work more flexible and efficient.