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BELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL 



in handling this reel and that at least two of them must of necessity 

 occupy positions which present more or less hazard in the event 

 that the winch rope should break or some part of the mechanism 

 otherwise fail to hold the suspended load. This familiar method of 

 winch operation by means of a manila rope laboriously wound upon 

 a ratchet stop drum by two men, was limited entirely to loading and 

 unloading heavy items of material from the truck platform. For this 

 purpose it was, however, a great improvement upon former methods 

 even though it was very slow and not entirely free from danger. 



Fig. 15 — Loading Cable Reel by Use of Sheave and Spindle with Rope Sling, Without 



Skids 



In Fig. 15 a similar reel of cable is being loaded on a motor truck 

 by means of the engine operated winch in conjunction with the sheave 

 and spindle feature previously mentioned. In this case the possi- 

 bility of hazard to the workman is completely removed. The reel 

 is loaded in a fraction of the time required by the old manual method 

 and the entire opera ton, after adjusting the winch line, is completed 

 by the chauffeur from his position in the cab. In the event that the 

 winch rope or other parts of the mechanism should fail, the result 

 would be a vertical drop of the reel of cable, perhaps slightly damag- 



