windlass.
apparatus for moving heavy weights, consisting of a horizontal cylinder (barrel) rotated by the turn of a crank or belt; a winch is affixed to one end, and a cable is wound around the winch, pulling a weight attached to the opposite end
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About 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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