# It's not a wheel, it's a ... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 2, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-wheel-its-a/479635 "2009-01-02T21:32:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-wheel-its-a/479635/1 "2009-01-02T21:32:44Z")
Out of curiosity, I looked up [wheel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel#History) on wikipedia. Interesting! But now what would the correct name for a log, or similar shaped device used for moving a heavy object. To be specific, you need at least three logs and you move the rear one to the front as you roll the object forward on the others. So, what is this “log” called? Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-wheel-its-a/479635/2 "2009-01-02T21:34:33Z")
A roller? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-wheel-its-a/479635/3 "2009-01-02T21:38:19Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > A roller? Gets my vote. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-wheel-its-a/479635/4 "2009-01-02T21:42:13Z")
I’ve always heard roller. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-wheel-its-a/479635/5 "2009-01-02T21:43:14Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > A roller? I thought of that, and it may be that simple. But a roller can have an axle, and I’m hoping for something, some name, that excludes an axle. A wheel requires an axle to be a wheel. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-wheel-its-a/479635/6 "2009-01-02T22:10:39Z")
Here’s an old document that uses the term roller. [Moving a Giant Elm on Rollers](http://books.google.com/books?id=7y0CAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA344&lpg=PA344&dq=moving+a+house+with+tree+rollers&source=web&ots=0ip9hs7NU_&sig=qqYV6_-VTJ1YQHmy4HkvKr6pJ3Q&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=6&ct=result#PPA344,M1) This was the term always used around here when farmers moved sheds on cut tree logs. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-wheel-its-a/479635/7 "2009-01-02T22:21:33Z")
I was gonna say roughly the same thing as Harmonious Discord. When talking about Vikings moving their boats over land or Egyptians moving giant stones, people usually say they moved them over log rollers. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-wheel-its-a/479635/8 "2009-01-02T22:38:05Z")
Which I am free to fill. Give me a minute. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-wheel-its-a/479635/9 "2009-01-02T22:44:03Z")
Sansaxle. Feel free to spread it around. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-wheel-its-a/479635/10 "2009-01-02T23:35:20Z")
Gesundheit. Now, did you have a word to propose? ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-wheel-its-a/479635/11 "2009-01-02T23:55:39Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Gesundheit. Now, did you have a word to propose? Very funny. Now try again, mr. smartypants. This time with some originality. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-wheel-its-a/479635/12 "2009-01-03T00:00:41Z")
You could call it a cylindrical bearing. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-wheel-its-a/479635/13 "2009-01-03T00:11:40Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > You could call it a cylindrical bearing. Bearings like that are called Roller Bearings.😉 ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-wheel-its-a/479635/14 "2009-01-03T00:21:14Z")
Without a wheel or a bearing it’s just a shaft. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-wheel-its-a/479635/15 "2009-01-03T00:41:42Z")
> [@Peanuthead](#): > > Without a wheel or a bearing it’s just a shaft. But a “shaft” implies that its intended use is to have something attached to it. It’s a roller. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-wheel-its-a/479635/16 "2009-01-03T00:53:45Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > I thought of that, and it may be that simple. But a roller can have an axle, and I’m hoping for something, some name, that excludes an axle. > A wheel requires an axle to be a wheel. A roller can have an axle? What sets it apart from a wheel then? ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-wheel-its-a/479635/17 "2009-01-03T01:06:13Z")
Well, a rolling pin like you use in baking has an axle in the middle, doesn’t it? If we need a term that means “just a roller that’s a single piece, not anything with an axle in it”, perhaps “simple roller” would do the trick? ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-wheel-its-a/479635/18 "2009-01-03T01:09:18Z")
In case **mangeorge** wants a gen-u-ine cite (as opposed to the personal experience of people who have, y’know, actually used the things in real life): [From the book](http://books.google.com/books?id=uCzlToir8-4C&pg=PA90&lpg=PA90&dq=roller+sled+block&source=web&ots=HLa6kklE85&sig=j-v7O_i4wwUyoEUYhZJbs9xNQ8I&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result) _Ancient Egyptian Masonry_. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-wheel-its-a/479635/19 "2009-01-03T01:15:34Z")
Well, how about a rolling log? (feel free to substitute log for whatever thing you’re rolling on) ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-wheel-its-a/479635/20 "2009-01-03T01:22:13Z")
> [@Sapo](#): > > A roller can have an axle? What sets it apart from a wheel then? Length, I’d guess. Don’t ask me for specs, though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-wheel-its-a/479635.md?page=2)