A hoisting mechanism for raising a ladle filled with liquid steel from a transfer vehicle to immersion pipes of a vacuum treatment tank of an RH degasser. Two lifting arms are provided, one end of which can be brought into engagement with a support device formed on the ladle, and a bearing end of the arms is supported in a stationary saddle support comprised in such a way of a runway, disposed on the bearing ends of the lifting arms and having the shape of a circular arc, and of a path of rolling contact, adapted to axially fixedly guide the runway during pivoting of the lifting arms, that due to shifting of the point of load introduction in the saddle support occurring during a raising movement, reduction of a horizontal movement of the ladle occurs.