Sentence:  This axis is furnished with a cog wheel controlling a series of others, which, in their turn, put in motion the needle of an indicator; when the needle has executed a complete revolution, corresponding to 400 turns of the <WSD>windle</WSD>, a catch stops the machine instantaneously and throws the <WSD>windle</WSD> out of gear. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A reel for winding something into a bundle, such as winding string or yarn into skeins or straw into bundles.