Winch
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Modern self-tailing winch on a sailing boat. Here, the line winched is a jib or spinnaker sheet which runs from the sail (upper left, not shown) to a block (lower right,not shown) and from there to the lower part of the winch. The handle is detachable to facilitate handling of the line. |
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Largest winch in the world |
A
winch is a mechanical device that is used to wind up a
rope or
cable. In its simplest form it consists of a
spool and attached
crank. More elaborate designs have
gear assemblies and can be powered by electric,
hydraulic,
pneumatic or
internal combustion drives. Some may include a
solenoid brake and/or a mechanical brake or
ratchet that prevents it from unwinding.
Besides industrial applications (e.g. in
cranes), winches are used for towing cars, boats, or
gliders. There are several winches on almost every boat or ship where they are used to pull
anchor or mooring lines,
halyards, and sheets.
The rope or cable is usually stored on the winch, but a similar machine that does not store the rope is called a
capstan.
Winches are frequently used as elements of backstage mechanics to move
scenery in large theatrical productions. Winches are often embedded in the stage floor and used to move large set pieces on and off.
The largest winch in the world is placed on the
Balder. It is used as a Mooring Line Deployment Winch with a diameter of 10.5 meter and a SWL (Safe Working Load) of 275 mT.
