Crank machine
The crank machine was a device consisting of a hand-turned crank which forced four large cups or ladles through sand inside a drum, doing nothing useful. The crank machine is a historical form of penal labour used in England. The prisoner would typically be forced to do 6,000–14,400 revolutions over the period of six hours per day (1.5–3.6 seconds per revolution), and the warden could make the task harder by tightening an adjusting screw, hence the slang term "screw" for prison warden. The crank machine is no longer in use; in 1895 there were 29 crank machines in use, but by 1901 there were only 5.[1]
Crank machine model, from the Oxford Prison & Castle museum.
In popular culture
The television show Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt features a crank machine.[2]
See also
References
- Britannica editors (1926). Britannica on the treadmill. 13th edition: Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 19 September 2016.CS1 maint: location (link)
- Bradley, Laura (2016-04-11). "How Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Production Designers Dreamed Up That Apocalyptic Bunker". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2018-03-13.
Bibliography
- "Inveraray Jail and County Court, Life in Jail". 2016. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
- "BBC - A History of the World - The Crank". 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
- "Prison Treadmills". No tech. Low-tech magazine. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
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