Page 331 - The Ashley Book of Knots
P. 331
THE ASHLEY BOOK OF KNOTS
1973. This counterweight, of gilded cast iron in the form of 8
19 3 tassel, was suspended by a rope from the ceiling of the harness room.
1974. The cast-iron horse was attached to the wall and a rope led
up the wall and across the ceiling to the middle of the room, where
it terminated in the counterweight pictured above; to the bottom of
o the iron tassel was attached a leather-covered hook. Harness was
hooked to this and cleaned. When not in use the counterweight was
hauled to the ceiling and the height was adjusted on the iron horse
o o with a series of loops.
1974
1975. A more realistic animal was found in a friend's stable. An
OVERHAND KNOT instead of a loop was used in making fast, and
there was a second OVERHAND KNOT higher up, with which to hold
the hook to the ceiling.
1976. A reversed cup held open the carriage-room skylight. Sev-
eral OVERHAND KNOTS were tied in the rope at different lengths to
allow of adjustment. Almost the same thing, but upturned, is found
in gymnasiums for holding dumbbells.
1977. This shows a modern head halter of sash cord with a great
variety of cast-iron and bent wire couplings.
'~18 1978. Strings are secured to the tailpieces of musical instruments
with STOPPER KNOTS. These are generally DOUBLE OVERHAND KNOTS.
The knots are dropped through large holes and then slipped forward
into narrow slots which pinch the string.
• 1979. The "fly" or "snapper" of a carriage whip is held in a similar
way. Generally a half dozen or more whips are hung against the
carriage- or harness-room wall from a cast-iron rack, the edges of
which are slotted. Each slot tapers to pinch the fly below a TERMI-
- -- NAL OVERHAND KNOT. Whips were very personal things and each
member of a family often had his individual whip and place in the
- - rack.
1980. The clip on the end of a whifHetree, if of iron, was tilted
'~80 forward at a 45-degree angle. The trace or tug had to be lifted to
admit of buttoning to the clip. When traces were slack they sagged
forward at right angles to the clip, when taut at about 45 degrees, so
982:: they .::ould not become unbuttoned without assistance.
-
-
- 1981. The holdback was often a leather loop nailed to the under-
•
- , side of the • ~t; the strap took a round turn through the loop and
- around the ;)lI .. it. But in the final quarter of the last century an iron
casting was screwed to the shaft. The bight of the holdback strap
•
-- was bent forward and the edge farthest from the shaft was slipped
into place first. Once adjusted, there was no tendency to slip out.
1982. On light carts a wooden clip, which was a contineation of
,~ 83 the whifHetree, held the trace, and a leather tongue was thrust
through a hole, which prevented its slipping. On farm wagons and
heavy carts the whifHetree was fitted with curved iron hooks to
•
• • which chain tugs were hooked .
'1//1"
1983. A ball-and-socket adjustable fastening for a unching bag.
The first illustration gives a vertical cross section. 0 shorten the
rope, pull on the standing part; to lengthen, insert a nail to lift the
ball and pull down the end.
1984. A hammock anchor was a common contrivance for hooking
a rope to a hammock clew. The hook on the post or tree was gener-
ally out of reach. The knotted end could be extended wd a BECKET
HITCH made, as shown by the arrow.
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