Crank machine


The crank machine was a device consisting of a hand-turned crank which forced four large cups or ladles through sand inside a drum, doing nothing useful. The crank machine is a historical form of penal labour used in England. The prisoner would typically be forced to do 6,000–14,400 revolutions over the period of six hours per day, and the warden could make the task harder by tightening an adjusting screw, hence the slang term "screw" for prison warden. The crank machine is no longer in use; in 1895 there were 29 crank machines in use, but by 1901 there were only 5.

In popular culture

The television show Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt features a crank machine.