At ancient times there were more types of machines. In the Middle Ages there were a lot of imitations. These machines where made in many shapes and with many capabilities that varied from the size of the masses.

The smaller machine has a crank that moves round and two people can lift up to 300 k.

The machine with the drum, that has diameter 3 meters, works when at the inside of the drum walk 2 people that make it twist and that's how they can lift up to 1000 k.

The simple winch can lift up to 2 tons. But, if we add at the machine the drum, it can lift up to 4 tones.

The machine with the drum placed in movement with 2 people in a winch, placed in the machine, can lift up to 10 tones.

The machine with two drums and 4 people in a winch can lift up to 25 tones.

There were machines made for special occasions, like the machine when Parthenon was built. It's with two side winches and a counter-balance from a marble mass at the back.

When they built the port of Amathounta at Cyprus, they built a special machine, which was loaded with masses from her backside and left the masses in front of the sea, until it completes the empty space until her height.

This is how they worked in ribbon of 6 meters and then the machine was carried in front of the already built part.

The formation of a special lifting system can be essential for the transfer of masses inside a deep quarry, where there is no place for one of the machines that were mentioned above. Here they use special hanging machines, like in Chio and in Penteli.

At the passages of the quarry they dig big holes and they leave a ribbon in the middle, in which afterwards they bind strong wires. These wires are crossed in the middle and are completed with a palago.