90 Assembly 



two or more levelled pinion wheels, each mounted on the inner 

 end of a short shaft that goes through the base, and receives on 

 the outer end a metal disk, the rim of which is formed as a fe- 

 male ratchet wheel, each keyed on, and rotating with their own 

 shaft ; over each there is a metal plate, fitted inside, with a pair of 

 pauls, that take the Inner ratchet teeth in opposite directions. On 

 the outside each of these plates is cast with a socket to receive the 

 end of a handspike or capstan bar, and each plate is secured by 

 a pin through the outer end of the sliaft on which it rotates. 



The barrel or body of the capstan is made as a hollow cylinder, 

 the section of which approaches the form of two parabolic curves, 

 the largest curve forming the base of the cylinder, the smallest 

 the top. Within the base, an inverted bevelled spur wheel is so 

 secured that the teeth gear into the pinions beneath, and the hub 

 of this wheel is fitted to rotate on the main spindle ; and the up- 

 per part of the barrel is fitted with « flanch or arms, bored to fit 

 the upper end of the spindle, and a key or pin through the spin- 

 dle keeps the barrel secure from lifting while in work ; and around 

 the base of the barrel are pauls on pins ; the moving ends of these 

 take the ratchet teeth around the top of the fixed base, and these 

 te«th are made with each side at an angle of about 45°, so that 

 whichever way the capstan is rotated, the paul ends, turned in 

 the ©pposite direction, hold every inch that is gained in heav>ng 

 roiind. 



On the top of the barrel, an ordinary capstan drum-head com- 

 pletes the machine, and is fitted with holes to receive the like 

 capstan bars that are used with the sockets beneath. When used 

 with the bars in the drum-head, the barrel carries the gear wheels 

 with it, but the slight friction of these parts is not found to inter- 

 fere with the work; the gearing sockets do not come in the way, 

 and the machine is merely an ordinary capstan convenient for 

 light work. 



But on placing the handspikes into the lower sockets and set- 

 ting the pauls the right way, the barrel can be rotated in either 

 direction, and the machine becomes at once a powerful vertical 

 windlass. The pauls ou the inside of the socket plates, taking 

 the ratchet teeth on the pini..n shafts, force t lese, with the pin- 



