Line shafting in the context of Pulley

A line shaft or millworks is a power-driven rotating shaft for power transmission within factories and industrial complexes. They were used extensively from the Industrial Revolution until the early 20th century. Prior to the widespread use of electric motors small enough to be connected directly to each piece of machinery, line shafting was used to distribute power from a large central power source to machinery transmitted through branching belts or gear drives. The central power source could be a water wheel, turbine, windmill, animal power, or a steam engine. Power was distributed from the shaft to the machinery by a system of belts, pulleys and gears known as millworks.