IMPROVED CAPSTAN AND WINDLASS. 135 



made according to the model, which I laid before the So- 

 ciety for the Encouragement of Arts, &c., would be accept- 

 able, I send the following, which I hope will make the sub- 

 ject sufficiently clear. 



As few but mariners understand the manner in which Method of 

 cables are hauled aboard in large ships, it wfll probably ren- ^^bles'onbo^d 

 der the object of my- capstan more manifest, to give sorneaship, 

 account of this operation. — Cables above a certam diameter 

 are too inflexible, to admit of being coiled round a capstan; 

 in ships where cables of so large dimensions are necessary, 

 a smaller cable is employed for this purpose, which is called 

 the messenger, the two ends of which are made fast together 

 so as to form an endless rope, which, as the capstan is turned 

 about, revolves round it in unceasing succession, passing on 

 its course to the head of the ship, and again returning to the 

 capstan. To this returning part of the messenger, the great 

 cable is made fast by a number of small ropes, called nip- 

 pers, placed at regular intervals; these nippers are applied, 

 as the cable enters the hawse hole, and are again removed as 

 it approaches the capstan, after which it is lowered into the 

 cable tier. 



The messenger, or any other rope coiled round the cap- Necessity of 

 stan, must descend a space at every revolution, equal to the s^^S^^g* 

 diameter of the rope or cable used; this circumstance brings 

 the coils in a few turns to the bottom of the capstan, when it 

 can nolonger be turned round, till the coils are loosened and 

 raised up to its other extremity, after which the motion pro- 

 ceeds as before. This operation of shifting the place of the 

 coils of the messenger on the capstan is called surging the 

 messenger : It always causes considerable delay; and when Causes delay 

 the messenger chances to slip in changing its position, which ^"^ danger, 

 sometimes happens, no small danger is mcurred by those who 

 are employed about the capstan. 



The tirst method that 1 know of, used to prevent the ne- First attempt 

 f. . I, I • u i 1 11 I to obviate this. 



cessity 01 surging, was by placmg a horizontal roller be- 

 neath the messenger, where it first entered on the capstan, 

 so supported by a frame, in which it turned on gudgeons, 

 that the messenger in passing over it was compelled to force 

 upwards all the coils above the capstan, as it formed a new 

 coil. 



This 



