capstan

Ship's winding drum

A capstan is a vertical rotating machine used on ships and docks for winding in ropes, cables, or anchor chains.

Sailors or workers push on horizontal bars radiating from the top to turn it, or modern versions use motors.

The design provides mechanical advantage for hauling heavy loads.

Capstans also appear in tape recorders and cassette players, where a small rotating spindle moves tape at a constant speed past the playback head.

nautical

windlass

Cranked cylinder for lifting

  • anchorSecures ships to seabed
  • mooringVessel's secured resting place
  • hawserThick nautical tethering rope

bollard · cleat · deck · cable · rope · ship · vessel · maritime · seafaring · dock

lifting

hoist

Raise with tackle

  • haulPull or carry laboriously
  • heaveForceful lift or throw
  • raiseLift or increase

tackle · block · rigging · pull · tension · traction · strain · load · line · purchase

mechanism

drum

Struck percussion cylinder

  • pawlHinged mechanical stopper
  • ratchetToothed one-way mechanism
  • barrelHooped cylindrical vessel

spindle · gears · crank · spool · winding · vertical · horizontal · sprocket · bearings · shaft

rotary

turntable

Rotating music player

spin · revolve · reel-to-reel · cassette · recording · audio · video

Categories
Opposites
rotational axis orientation

capstanwindlass

Cranked cylinder for lifting

winch

mechanical action

capstanbrake

Device to slow motion

pawl · release mechanism · fairlead

Family

capstans

Familiarity
Top 500,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Rated G