Dear Phil,
Fearing that I might over write what might already have been said, and
stating what already might already be known, the only thing that would limit the
use of horse whims is the weight/size of the rope. The 2.5 cwt load may indeed
remain a constant, but the rope weight would of course increase
significantly with depth - in diminishing diameter/circumference to any final depth.
Speed and the number of horses required is therefore variable since at certain
operating depths there might be 1 to 4 tons (+/-), of rope to haul as well as
the load, but within 200 feet or so from surface the weight is 'straight
forward'. I suppose it is possible that considerable depths would be possible, but
the varying number of horses required, the large drum diameter and the
gearing required for greater depths, would make the raising speeds and gnrl.
operation impractical just for 2.5 cwt. - mind you, if there was no other
option......
It would be interesting to know where the greatest depth ever achieved with
a horse whim might be - probably overseas.
Regards, Bernard
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