The crank machine was a
penal labour device used in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
in the 19th century. It consisted of a hand-turned
crank which forced four large cups or ladles through sand inside a drum, doing nothing useful.
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). The prison warden could make the task harder by tightening an adjusting screw.
In 1895, there were 29 crank machines in use, but by 1901 there were only 5.
See also
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Penal treadmill
A penal treadmill (penal treadwheel or everlasting staircase) was a treadmill with steps set into two cast iron wheels. These drove a shaft that could be used to mill corn, pump water or connect to a large fan for resistance.
Penal treadmills ...
References
Bibliography
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Ethically disputed judicial practices
Penal labour
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