In contrast to a steel cable, a conventional roller chain has a length-specific dead weight that is about 8 times higher for a comparable breaking force. However, the ap-plication of a longitudinal force to the roller chain or the tapping of a torque from it with a sprocket is extremely trivial and highly efficient. Various rope winch designs make it possible to set a steel rope in powerful motion, but these are limited either in their propulsive capacity or in the rope shearing. In addition, the winches have a high drivability-specific dead weight and can hardly be used for passive operation when the movement of a steel rope is to be converted back into a torque. The winch presented here can be designed compactly and with a low drivability-specific dead weight, it has a high drivability with very high rope protection. It is self-acting, quiet, re-liable and can be driven or operated.