The snatch block is a pulley system with covered and protected yet removable sides. It is possible to unscrew or remove one side, slip in the winch cable or rope and then re protect the same side to prevent the cable from leaving the groove. It has either a hook or a shackle at it’s tip. Snatch blocks or pulleys are used to change the direction of the pull to a different angle relative to a fixed point. They are also used to create more complex pulley structures and gain mechanical advantage. A pull of 10 lbs can be changed to a pull of 80 or even 800lbs depending upon the mechanical advantage offered by the pulley structure.