Gin Poles - the original crane

Eddie Bishop has been building traditional timber buildings in the UK for more than 30 years and while he uses cranes and a wide variety of modern access equipment he regularly resorts to more traditional lifting equipment. The following is his take on a form of lifting equipment that is rarely seen these days Gin Poles.

- Eddie Bishop

As the crane and lifting industry constantly develops with more efficient and bespoke designs of equipment to serve our ever-increasing requirement for lifting solutions, it is easy to forget that its origins lie in what was once a ubiquitous and simple design that is rarely used these days but which still has its place in the world of lifting.

The Gin Pole is essentially a single pole which is tethered by two or more guy lines to produce a simple, triangulated lifting arrangement when used in conjunction with a pulley system, chain hoist or winch.

In its simplest configuration the Gin Pole allows for a vertical lift with an additional boom up/boom down facility provided by altering the length of the guy lines and corresponding pole angle. Correctly rigged these adjustments may be undertaken while under load by the simple use of pulleys or hitches in the guy line system.

In the traditional timber framing industry, for instance, heavy timbers or assembled timber frames may be required to be lifted into position in locations which may not have ready access for cranes or where the cost of crane hire is potentially prohibitive. Often the ability to lift on-site may be required over a period of several days, albeit only occasionally. This is where the Gin Pole really comes into its own.