Leonardo da Vinci sketched a crane for lifting heavy materials at construction sites.
His notebooks contain studies of hoists, winches, pulleys, gears, and rotating mechanisms. These parts could be combined into cranes capable of raising stone, timber, and other loads. Leonardo’s drawings often show how a machine might be supported, powered, and adjusted, making them both mechanical studies and practical engineering proposals.
A crane is a complete lifting machine, while a pulley is only one component that can change the direction of a rope or provide mechanical advantage. A winch winds a rope around a drum, and a derrick is a particular type of lifting framework. These related terms are why Leonardo’s lifting sketches can be described differently in simplified summaries.
Leonardo did not invent the crane from nothing; ancient and medieval builders already used lifting devices. His contribution was the detailed analysis and refinement of mechanisms, including compact designs suited to construction and excavation work.