Early models found in China dating back to the Western Han dynasty (202 BC - 9 AD) were used for winnowing fans and grinding grain.
When combined with a connecting rod (conrod), it changes linear movement (like a piston moving up and down) into rotation. Early models found in China dating back to
Evidence of hand-cranked rotary handmills appeared in Spain (5th Century BC) and later Greece. A 2nd-century AD Roman iron crankshaft was found in Switzerland. mechanical pencil sharpeners
The housing that contains the crankshaft and connecting rods. and carpenter's braces.
Early automobiles required a starting crank (a "starting handle") to initiate the engine, a technique still used in some specialized or historic vehicles.
Hand winches, fishing reels, mechanical pencil sharpeners, and carpenter's braces.