Help me ID this device from a barn in PA

[MarkBNJ]

I was out exploring west of the Delaware yesterday, and visited an abandoned property up in the hills to take photographs of the barns. Inside one of them I found an interesting sort of hoist mechanism, and although I grew up in Indiana and worked around farms and farmers, I haven't yet figured out what this is for. I'm thinking it has something to do with horses and tack. Anyway, here is the top part...



Note that it is wound such that pulling on one line raises the other. At the working ends of those two lines are crude iron hooks...



The mechanism does not look like it was built to take much weight, which is why I'm thinking it was for lifting saddles off of horses backs. Anyone have an alternative theory or explanation?

As a bonus, thought you guys would enjoy these two detail shots of the construction techniques used in the main supporting timbers of the main barn on the property, which is 3x or 4x the size of the one containing the mystery hoist.



Note the hand adze work to rough out these timbers, and the "rough and ready" way the builders made up the height difference between the two horizontal beams. It's lasted about 200 years, so I guess that was good enough.



This is my favorite detail shot: hand-crafted pegged mortise and tenon joints. There are structures like this rotting away all over the Delaware Water Gap NRA, most with signs on them advertising their ownership...



It should say "Warning: this irreplaceable colonial-era hand-built structure is being ignored by its owner, the U.S. Government."

 

[GermanG]

Nice pics! I am always fascinated by old buildings and the materials and joinery used to make them. No idea on the hoist though. One guess would be for hoisting livestock for butchering, with the hooks uses to snag the gambrels spreading the critter’s legs. The hole in the middle may have once held a handle, in which case the rops may have once been wound in the same manner. But it doesn’t seem to be attached to the beam in a way that would hold much weight, as you said.

 

[Sue Gremlin]

I agree, I think could for hanging carcasses. Pigs or lambs maybe? Definitely not to lift saddles from horses, they're not that heavy.

 

[Pine Baron]

I'm not sure this was used for butchering... maybe skinning. With the proximity to the wall, wouldn't there be "stains" on it. Was there sawdust on the floor? Sawdust was frequently spread to catch anything. It could be changed fairly easily.

John-

 

[MarkBNJ]

There may have been sawdust at some point, but as I recall the floor now is just packed dirt, grass, straw, etc. This property may have been sporadically occupied and used over the last ten to fifteen years, but it hasn't been permanently occupied, nor has the barn been used for its original purposes, since at least 1975, so whatever was on the floor at that time has long since been replaced by what has blown in and settled.

This was hanging on the outside wall...



Seemed too small to be a horse collar, but I'm not sure.

 

[jburd641]

This is the best history there is, history you can see and touch.

 

[Spung-Man]

hmm

This is the best history there is, history you can see and touch.

JBurd,

You are so right!

Oh what the heck, let’s have a guess at that structure… Is that a corncrib to the right? The axel-like apparatus appears old, and ratcheting the hoist looks cumbersome. It doesn't seem practical for frequent “full depth” raising and lowering, just occasional adjustments. I wonder if it has anything to do with corn, perhaps husking, maybe crib-loading or a feed-chopper for mix? There is a crib gate at just to the right that is about the same height off the ground as the hooks.

Spung

 

[MarkBNJ]

JBurd,

You are so right!

Oh what the heck, let’s have a guess at that structure… Is that a corncrib to the right? The axel-like apparatus appears old, and ratcheting the hoist looks cumbersome. It doesn't seem practical for frequent “full depth” raising and lowering, just occasional adjustments. I wonder if it has anything to do with corn, perhaps husking, maybe crib-loading or a feed-chopper for mix? There is a crib gate at just to the right that is about the same height off the ground as the hooks.

Spung

I don't think it was even intended to be raised or lowered the "full depth" because there are only 2-3 winds on each side. I think you're right about that being a corn-crib, but I'm at a loss as to what this mechanism might have had to do with it. The axle is perpendicular to the wall of the crib, and set several feet out from it.