Pulleys

Pulley
Pulleys on a ship. In this context, pulleys are normally known as blocks.
Classification	Simple machine
Industry	Construction, transportation
Wheels	1
Axles	1

A pulley is a wheel on an axle or shaft that is designed to support movement and change of direction of a taut cable, supporting shell is referred to as a "block."

A pulley may also be called a sheave or drum and may have a groove or grooves between two flanges around its circumference. The drive element of a pulley system can be a rope, cable, belt, or chain that runs over the pulley inside the groove or grooves.

Hero of Alexandria identified the pulley as one of six simple machines used to lift weights. Pulleys are assembled to form a block and tackle in order to provide mechanical advantage to apply large forces. Pulleys are also assembled as part of belt and chain drives in order to transmit power from one rotating shaft to another.

A set of pulleys assembled so that they rotate independently on the same axle from a block. Two blocks with a rope attached to one of the blocks and threaded through the two sets of pulleys form a block and tackle.

A block and tackle is assembled so one block is attached to fixed mounting point and the other is attached to the moving load. The ideal mechanical advantage of the block and tackle is equal to the number of parts of the rope that support the moving block.

In the diagram on the right the ideal mechanical advantage of each of the block and tackle assemblies shown is as follows: