Page 281 - The Ashley Book of Knots

THE ASHLEY BOOK OF KNOTS

1521. Toggle tmd eye or two eyes toggled. A toggle is easily freed

even when under strain, which is sometimes a great advantage. It

is used to support a heavy weight that is designed to be dropped

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rather than lowered, such as a mooring or anchor.

1522. In heavy lifting a SHEET BEND is often toggled. Adjusted

in this way, it never jams and is less liable to spill.

1523. The DOUBLE SHEET BEND can be toggled in this fashion and

instantly spills when the toggle is removed. All toggles must be held

in place until the load has been added.

1524. Two eyes may be toggled together in much the same way

and will spill at once when the toggle is withdrawn.

1525. The common buckle and strap serves the purpose of a bend

although it is of a mechanical nature.

1526. A less common buckle bears a stud instead of a tongue.

1527. A buckle that consists of two rings. This is an old form that
Ins

has been revived in recent years.

o 1528. The CINCH or CINCHA KNOT, which started out in life either

in Mexico or in South America. It is now universally used on pack

saddles and on most riding saddles except the English type.

1529. The SHIVER HITCH is made of an old block shiv and a

MATTHEW WALKER KNOT. It was formerly used in the merchant

service to hold on to the cable at a time when a tackle was used for

heaving. A SINGLE HITCH was taken around the cable and the shiv

152 jammed when hauled taut.

1530. The DOUBLE SHIVER HITCH may be used for the same pur-

pose and also for hauling unfinished spars about in a spar yard. It

would be excellent for hauling circus poles around the lot.

1531. A chain and ring are used in the rigging loft when putting

1521 1528 wire rigging on the stretch. The method is also used on the rigger's

bench when tightening wire rope strands.

1532. The HOOK AND EYE is one of the simplest means by which

rope may be lengthened and shortened, and if the hook is moused it

cannot spill.

1533. Bull's-eyes are among the earliest surviving bits of appa-

ratus that are still used on shipboard. They are to be found on

Egyptian models from the P ramids. In our Merchant Marine they

are used to secure the ends 0 fore and aft stays. One end of the stay

is seized into the groove around a bull's-eye. The other end is rove

through the bull's-eye. After the stay has been set up with tackles

the second end is made fast with round seizi,lgs.

1534. A single shell has two grooves but no holes.

1535. A double shell has two holes. Nowadays it is made of pot-
1530 1531

tery ("stoneware") or glass, and is to be seen on telephone-pole guy

ropes, where it provides electrical insulation as well as a means

of tightening.

1536. Large hemp cables usually had a thimble eye in either end,

and when it was necessary to lengthen the cable, two eyes were

shackled together, or one was shackled to a chain cable. Often the

eye was put in when the cable was made. Swivels were often added.

1537. An S hook provides the simplest method of coupling two

1S'37. pieces of chain. The hook is put through the two links and closed

with a hammer.

1538. The most secure way to bend two wires together is with

two loops. The ground turns in the wire should be close together

and riding turns should be added.

1539. This is a coupling from an Eskimo seal harpoon line, made

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