Leonardo da Vinci designed cranes with rotating drums and ropes for lifting construction materials.
His notebooks contain detailed studies of hoisting machines, including cranes that combined a frame, ropes, pulleys, gears, and a winding drum. Turning the drum shortened the free length of the rope and raised the load. Some designs also allowed the load to move horizontally or the whole machine to rotate.
These concepts addressed a central engineering problem of Renaissance building: moving heavy stones and materials safely and efficiently. Leonardo’s drawings show that he analyzed mechanical advantage, balance, and the movement of loads rather than merely making decorative sketches.
A crane is a complete lifting machine, while a winch is primarily a winding mechanism and a pulley is a wheel that redirects or multiplies force. Leonardo studied all of these related components in combination.