Scotch airer easy winch

[John Stumbles]

My mum's got one of those contraptions of 4 strips of wood suspended from a pair of metal hangers, raised and lowered from pulleys screwed into the ceiling by sash-cord-type rope. She's getting on and finding it hard to manage the weight so I'm thinking of some sort of winch which would give her a mechanical advantage, or maybe even some sort of electric gizmo. My Google-fu isn't winning here: anyone have any suggestions for sources of suitable devices?

[newshound]

You could try a boat winch (used to pull boat on to trailer). Machine Mart stock some. I used one to upgrade a hay soaker, it's a bit big and clunky but it works and has ratchets both ways.

[Peter Parry]

Take the two ropes to a wall mounted wheel (if not already fitted) and then attach both to a small block and tackle with standing block fitted to the wall.

Using a luff (one double and one single block) you will gain 3 or 4 times mechanical advantage without spoiling the look of the assembly.

has a 6:1 advantage - which might be a bit too much but you could always re-rig it.

[Nick Odell]

If it is like mine then the sash-cords are passed through a simple pulley system which gives the operator a mechanical advantage of 2:1. If the layout of the room would allow, I'd use an additional sash cord and pulley and double the mechanical advantage. You will now have have about four foot of cord pulled through for every one foot of elevation (and one pound of effort (less friction) for every four pounds lifted). If you were to mount something like a cable reel drum on the wall to wind up the cord with, the cord would be kept tidily out of the way and you would gain even more mechanical advantage over the load. Heath-Robinson, eat your heart out.

Nick

[John Stumbles]

I think a drum with handle would be neatest and would possibly give all the mechanical advantage she needs without extra pulleys. I could rig something up but I wonder if there's anything ready-rolled? Especially as it would need some means of locking (though a chandlers might yield something useful in that department).

[Graham.]

We had one in the house where I grew up 1950s/60s, but I never knew until now what it was called.

I think we just called ours "the rack".

[Andy Burns]

Sheila Maid were/are a common brand ...

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I've got one too - very useful. Couldn't you persuade her simply to not load it so much?

[Owain]

round here it's called a pulley.

I suspect "Scotch airer" is making an allusion to its lack of electricity consumption.

Owain

[Chris Hogg]

I know it as a 'Lazy Susan' (see

I installed one recently for my 92-yr-old mother, who has bad arthritis in both hands (and everywhere else), but she manages it OK. She finds that if she pulls on the ropes 'in-line' with the rack and then ties them off on the cleat, which is to one side on the wall, she can cope with it quite well, but it's much more difficult if she pulls the rope directly towards the cleat.

[Bob Eager]

"Sheila Maid" is probably a brand name, but that's what we call ours.

[Andy Burns]

"cast iron", translate to Chinese, then translate back to English on cast-iron.org.uk ...

[Chris Hogg]

Yes, the 'English is quite bizarre! I only noticed it after I'd posted the link.

[Graham.]

Often known alternatively in the North of England as a creel.

can't find any corroboration for this though.

A creel is also a fisherman's basket.

[grimly4]

They were a feature of every kitchen I knew as a kid.

And people just took it for granted that windows would run with condensation and the only reason mould didn't grow in the corners of every room was the draught whistling through the house.

Jeez.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Cooking in that kitchen would also produce vast quantities of water vapour. Then as now. If you don't ventilate for that you'll get condensation.

[grimly4]

Yes, but the majority of inhabitants of said houses were just ignorant of the basic principles of that. Most still are, of course, but many more than before have some sort of clue.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I doubt it. Most think adequate ventilation simply wastes heat and is to be avoided.

[grimly4]

Or 'pulley'.

[Nick Odell]

Google images seem to agree with you, Adam.

Nick