A lifting device, in particular patient lifter, comprises - a drive motor (3, 4) with an output shaft (6), - a winding coil (11) to wind a lifting mechanism (13), - a rotatably mounted winding coil (11), - an abutment body (15) non-rotatably connected to the winding coil (11), and - a clamping body (24) that is radially displaceable with respect to the output shaft (6) between the abutment body (15) and a locking ring (21), said clamping body being coupled by means of a coupling arm (27), which is articulated to the output shaft (6), to the latter in such a way that = in the event of a torque (D) produced by the output shaft (6), the clamping body (24) is released from its locking position resting on the locking ring (21) and = in the event of a torque-free output shaft (6), the at least one clamping body (24) locks the mechanism owing to the load-induced counter-torque (G) on the winding coil (11).
