Lewis

["George Graham" <georgergraham@zzzzzzzzzzz>]

George,
Was it a split lewis?

Hi Simon,
No it was not a split lewis. It was hardware owned by the quarry , and came
with the block.
I'd say it operated on the same principle as a lewis. It was a single unit
of steel, made from round stock about 1 1\2 inches in diameter. It was
placed in a hole that was in the center of gravity. That was easy as it was
a square block with sawed bottom and top, and split sides. The block was
about 4 1\2 feet x 4 1\2feet x 5feet tall.
When the stone was delivered , I could see the hardware sticking out of the
top! Like a fool , the first thing I did when I got on top was to pull it
out to see what it was and how it worked. Wrong thing to do! The next hour
and a half was spent trying to get it back in, and holding , while the crane
sat waiting, (and getting paid) for something to do.
I did get the pin back in place, almost, and laid on top as the crane raised
the stone up about 6". Whereupon the pin slipped, block dropped , hardware
bounced around just above my head and I had to call for some tissue paper!
Anyway, it all worked out the second time. The shaft straight into the
center of the stone. There was a small metal wedge that hung down the side
of the shaft. There was a very small steel cable, maybe 1\8" in diameter,
that connected the wedge to the top of the hardware. The wedge had to fit
between the steel shaft and the stone in way that made the lifting device
grip the stone. It didn't look like it would work, but it did. The block
arrived sitting flat on the bed of the truck, so nylon straps could not be
used.
When we figured out how to use the equipment, I could see and appreciate the
simplicity and elegance of lifting from the top. We were able to maneuver
and control the stone easily, and did not have to struggle to get straps
 from underneath.
I would like to know what this hardware is called.
Thanks
George Graham
http://www.grahamsculpturestudio.com