sylvester
n. countablen. a special tool used in mining to pull out heavy wooden supports from the ground. It uses a long handle and a chain to create a lot of force.
n. a mechanical device consisting of a long lever and a chain, used in underground mining to extract pit props or roof supports. Primarily used in historical or traditional mining contexts.
The miner used a sylvester to pull the old timber from the wall.
Before modern hydraulic systems were common, miners relied on the sylvester to safely remove wooden supports from worked-out areas.
The mechanical advantage provided by the sylvester allowed a single worker to exert enough force to dislodge heavy props that had been compressed by the weight of the overlying rock.
Commonly used in British mining terminology; often referred to as a 'prop-drawer'.