96 FERGUSON'S LECTURES. 



LECT. ous to the men in the wheel ; for, if any of the rne* 

 .^v^ should chance to fall, the burthen will make the wheel 

 run back, and throw them all about within it ; which 

 often breaks their limbs, and sometimes kills them. 

 The late ingenious Mr. Padmore of Bristol, (whose 

 contrivance the foremeutioned crane is, so far as I can 

 remember its construction, after seeing it once about 

 twelve years ago,*) observing this dangerous construc- 

 tion, contrived a method for remedying it, by putting 

 cogs all around the outside of the wheel, and applying 

 a trundle E to turn it ; which increases the power as 

 much as the number of cogs in the wheel is greater 

 than the number of staves in the trundle : and by putting 

 a ratchet-wheel F on the axis of the trundle, (as in the 

 above-mentioned crane) with a catch to fall into it, the 

 great wheel is stopped from running back by the force 

 of the weight, even if all the men in it should leave off 

 walking. And by one man working at the winch /, or 

 two men at the opposite winches when needful, the men 

 in the wheel are much assisted, and much greater 

 weights are raised, than could be by men only within 

 the wheel. Mr. Padmore put also a gripe wheel G upon 

 the axis of the trundle, which being pinched in the same 

 manner as described in the former crane, heavy burthens 

 may be let down without the least danger. And before 

 this contrivance, the lowering of goods was always 

 attended with the utmost danger to the men in the wheel ; 

 is every one must be sensible of, who has seen such 

 engines at work. 



And it is surprising that the masters of wharfs and 

 cranes should be so regardless of the limbs, or even 



Note 38. Since the first edition of this book was printed, I have seen 

 the same crane again; and find, that though the working parts are 

 much the same as above described, yet the method of raising or lower- 

 ing the trundle B, and the catch R, are better contrived than I had 

 described them. Note by Author. 



