District PioneeringCourse

tn Conjunctionwiin tne Nat'l PioneeringInstructorCourse

BLOCKAND TACKLESYSTEMS

Blocksare pulleysusedto reducethe forceneededto do work,suchas lifting

a load. This is usuallydone with the mechanismof a blockandtacklesystem.
Blocksare usually made of galvanizediron or laminatedsteel,although
woodenblocksstillexist.

The swivel hooks or'eyes' purposeis to attacha ropeto the block,usuallyto

connectthe block to a horselor anchorageby meansof a rope. Eyesare
closedsingswhileswivelhookshavean openend.

Sheayesare the tumingwheelsand the mainworkingpart of a pulley.The

numberof sheavesin a block decidewhetherit is a single,doubleor triple
block. However,a tripleblockis rarelyusedas a doubleblockis sufficient.

The sizeof the sheaveswill determinethe thicknessof the ropeusedto reeve

throughit. he ropeshouldnot be too smallas it mightslip off the sheaveand
get stuck betweenthe sheave and the shell. Too large a ropewill cause
unnecessary frictionbetweenthe rope and shell. Sheavesshouldbe ableto
tum smoothlywith the rope.

fhe crown and tail are the ends wherethe pulley-isattachedto the hookor
eye and becketrespectively.' ' ..' ,.

The swallow is the holewhere the ropeentersand leavesthe block.

The shell is the protectivecover of the block,preventingdamagedoneto the

sheaves.

The beckel is for attachingropesto the block. Usually,it is the startingpoint

of the ropewhich reevesroughthe blocksin a blockand tacklesystem.

shefl

ecket
oingleblock double bfock

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District PioneeringCourse I
In Conjunctionwith the Nat'l PioneeringInstructorCourse

Types of TackleSystem

When ropesare reevedintoblocksto multiplythe poweroutput,a blockand

systemis formed.The blockand systemis a very usefulmechanical device
as it reducesthe amount of energy needed to overcomea force, at the
expenseof distance.

Usually,blockand tacklesystemsare usedin pioneering to tightenhawsers

or to lift a heavyloadup and down. The 3 commonlyusedonesarethe Gun
tackle,Luff tackleand the Twofold tackle

Block and Tacklesystemsusuallymake use of only 2 blocksat most,as

friction betweenthe ropes and the blocks will become more and more
significant,hence adding unnecessaryresistanceforce which defeatsthe
purposeof the blockand the tacklesystem.

Gun Tackle(or knownas DoubleWhip)

In the Gun tackle,both blocksused are singleblocks,one at a fixed end
whichthe otheris at the movingend.

Forced required [o pull load = ft of weight of the load

Luff Tackle
In the Luff tackle,the single block is at the moving end while the doubleblock
is at the fixed end. The Luff tackle is usuallymore than enough to reducethe
force to'an acceptablemagnitude.

Force required to pull load = 113of weight of the load

frrederd Fxedad

doubh block

singleblock

Grn Tackle Luff Taekfe

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Twofold Tackle
Both blocksused are doubleblocks,one at the fixed end whilethe otheris at
the movingend.

Force required to pull load = 1/,of weight of the foad.

tixedend

dcxrbleHock

dq$le block

TrrdoH Trckle

t3'

frt
'tJ

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