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Fairleads guide cables, ropes, or chains to prevent snagging or fraying. They can be simple holes or complex rollers. They are used on sailing vessels, construction equipment, and small vehicle winches. Fairleads have been used for centuries and are found in various cultures and civilizations. They help to lift and lower sails smoothly and prevent damage to the line by providing a smooth edge or roller. Wetting or lubricating the thread can prevent fraying.
A fairlead is a device used to guide a cable, rope, or chain and prevent it from snagging or fraying. It can be nothing more than a hole in a steel or wooden plate, or it can be as complex as a roller. The fairlead allows the cable or rope to be pulled in a direction not away from the line. The wire is pulled onto a spool directly from the fairlead as it enters the fairlead at an angle.
While fairleads are mostly found on sailing vessels and heavy construction equipment, a commonly used version is found on small vehicle winches. Usually of the roller type, this fairlead allows the winch cable to run easily and smoothly as the line is reeled onto the winch. By operating with less resistance, the winch is able to run longer without overheating and draws less amperage from the battery.
On a sailing ship, the device helps to raise and lower the sails smoothly. The line is pulled horizontally by the crew while hoisting the sail vertically. By passing the rope through a hole in a block of wood mounted on the deck of the ship, the crew is better able to exert their strength to operate and lift the heavy sail. The grommet also helps keep the deck neat and organized.
Grommets have been in use since the days of the Roman Empire. The ropes arming large catapults were passed through fairleads and wound onto reels. The bores could be lubricated with animal fat or petroleum products to not only wind more easily, but also to unwind and fire faster. Catapults weren’t the machines that used fairleads; drawbridges also used them to strengthen and lift and lower assist.
A simple design device that has proven useful for centuries, the grommet has been used in nearly every culture and civilization. From the brake systems on Conestoga railroad cars in the American West to the steeples of Notre Dame, fairleads have helped pull ropes and cables for centuries and prevent fraying.
By resting a smooth edge against the line, it is allowed to pass freely through the opening without causing damage. By installing an actual roller device that the line has to contact with, the line can run with virtually no additional resistance. Wetting or lubricating the thread as it passes through the hole will prevent the heat from damaging the thread and causing fraying.
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