Spiked weight

Spiked weights,  also referred to as Chain Gates, spiked traps or spike traps, are large spiky logs on chains appearing in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and its reissue. They typically appear in castles and forts. At the top of a spiked weight is a wooden wheel with a question mark on it. If a Yoshi hits the pulley with an egg, the gate will rise, allowing the Yoshi to pass under the barrier. Spiked weights cannot be destroyed.

In Yoshi's Story, Chain Gates are spikeless. Rather than spinning a wheel, they are cranked up by using a swing; specifically, every swing towards the gate winds it up a small amount, after which it slowly descends. They only appear in Mecha Castle, where there are two, one being the stage's first obstacle.

Spiked weights reappear in Yoshi's Island DS with their original design and behavior. Two of them appear in Yoshi's Island Easter Eggs.

Spiked weights return in Yoshi's New Island, where they are prominently found in Count Fang's Castle.

Trivia

 * In a prototype build of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, the spiky log of a Chain Gate was originally a shelled enemy with spikes and nails on it.