Word of the Day
6 April 2026
Koepe
A system of winding, using the friction between the winding ropes and the drive pulley.
Why this one
Named for the German engineer Carl Koepe, whose idea was that the rope need not be stored at all: it passes over a friction wheel with a balance rope below, so shaft depth stops being limited by how much rope a drum can hold.
In use
Deep shafts here are all Koepe, so we're checking tread wear on the wheel and rope tension, not counting drum layers.
Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.