Triple Block
Description
A triple sheave block with double strop and no eye. Axle is wood and three sheaves are present. Blocks and tackle were used on board ship to carry out a number of tasks including; hoisting anchors, lifting ship’s boats and controlling a gun’s movement on deck. Blocks are a simple mechanical method of raising or controlling heavy loads easily. Pulley blocks would be used in key positions throughout the ship such as being used with ropes to run the great guns in and out of their ports. Another area where they could be found was above the sailors in the ships running rigging where they would help raise and lower the yard arms and control the sails. A 74-gun ship such as the HMS Invincible was said to carry over nine hundred individual blocks used in tasks such as those listed above.
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Object Detail
Breadth: 380mm
Depth: 520mm (20 1/2")