Windlass

How Gears, Wheels & Axles Work

Windlass

The windlass is a type of horizontal winch used to move heavy weights, featuring a cylinder (barrel) operated by a crank to wind a rope. While the core mechanism is a simple winch, larger, historical, or maritime versions often include secondary pulling spools, or "winch heads," at the ends for handling multiple lines. The Greek scientist Archimedes was the inventor of the windlass.

A surviving medieval windlass, dated to 1360 –1400, is in the Church of St Mary and All Saints, Chesterfield.
The oldest depiction of a windlass for raising water can be found in the Book of Agriculture published in 1313 by the Chinese official Wang Zhen of the Yuan Dynasty (fl.
1290–1333).

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Source: Wikipedia · Image: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0