A gin pole is a lifting device consisting of a single pole supported by guy wires and operated via pulleys. It is used to erect structures and lift heavy objects, but its capacity is limited by the pole size and hardware used.
A gin pole is a simple lifting device consisting of a single pole supported by guy wires and operated via pulleys mounted on the top and bottom of the pole. Also known as a powered mast or derrick, the gin pole is commonly used to erect a variety of structures, from radio towers to log cabins. A gin pole can also be used in a variety of applications for lifting machinery, lifting concrete blocks and stones, and can also be used to drag objects horizontally to the base of the pole. The device is of course limited by the location of the post and the desired movement of the object to be dragged.
The parts involved in a basic gin pole are simple: a pole large enough for the task at hand, an amount of rope, and a set of pulleys. The post is placed in a hole and secured with anchor stakes to prevent movement. Guy lines attached to the top of the pole extend and attach to anchor points some distance away; four type lines are generally used to provide adequate support.
A few people can lift the gin pole into place for smaller poles, but poles over 40 feet (about 12 meters) in length may require mechanical assistance via supplemental rigging and electrical equipment. With a spotter monitoring each line, four or more spotters raise the pole until the angle is sufficient for the rear line to take over the lifting duties. At this point, as much pulling force as necessary is applied to the lifting line, while the helpers maintain tension on the supplementary lines to prevent the pole from slipping out of position. Once the pole reaches its final position, typically off vertical to allow clear lifting of loads, the guy lines are tied to their respective anchors.
In the simplest configuration, a single pulley at the top and a single pulley or crank winch at the bottom of the pole will suffice to lift relatively light items. However, the user will be limited to those items that he can lift under his own muscular power; A simple block and hoist or multiple pulley configuration can increase the mechanical advantage, allowing much heavier items to be lifted by the manual power of a single person. For very heavy items, an electric winch along with a multi-pulley arrangement would be in order, but the pole size and hardware used must be scaled up to handle the increased weight; the pole is subjected to tremendous compressive stress during lifting and could bend if its load capacity is exceeded.
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