draaimiddel

Draaimiddel is a Dutch term meaning a turning device or instrument. It is used in technical contexts to refer to mechanisms that generate motion by turning a handle, wheel, or shaft, or that convert rotary motion into another form of motion. The word derives from draai en middel, literally “to turn” and “means.”

In practice, draaimiddelen cover a range of devices. This includes hand cranks and winches, which are operated by turning a wheel or handle; gear trains and cams that transmit or transform rotary motion; screws and threaded mechanisms that convert rotation into linear displacement; and crank-and-rod linkages that convert rotation into reciprocating motion. The exact type is typically specified in modern engineering language, with more precise terms such as crank, cam, screw, or gear train used to describe the function.

Historically, draaimiddel was used as a broad category in education and older manuals to describe various turning mechanisms without detailing their specific form. In contemporary usage, the term is more general and less common in technical writing, where explicit names are favored.

Notable examples of turning devices include manual hand cranks on equipment, winches and windlasses for lifting loads, bicycle cranksets, and clockwork mechanisms that rely on winding and rotation to drive gears. See also: crank, cam, screw, gear, winch, windlass, clockwork.