EP2217521B1

EP2217521B1 - Ship's winch, ship provided with ship's winch

Info

Publication number: EP2217521B1
Application number: EP08853086A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gijsbertus Fredericus Van Liebergen; Koenraad Silvester Stephan Salden; Arno Herman Boot; Ronald Peter Blaas; Johannes Catharina Franciscus Gerardus Van Mol
Original assignee: Holmatro BV
Current assignee: Holmatro BV
Priority date: 2007-11-20
Filing date: 2008-11-20
Publication date: 2011-08-24
Anticipated expiration: 2028-11-20
Also published as: ATE521567T1; NL2001300A1; NL2001300C2; WO2009067003A8; WO2009067003A1; EP2217521A1

Abstract

A ship's winch (1) comprises a frame (2), a first drum (4), and a first tightening means (18). The drum (4) is connected to the frame (2) and comprises a winding surface (8) for accommodating a plurality of turns of a line. The drum (4) can be driven in a first direction of rotation of the drum, in which the winding surface (8) receives an incoming line part near a first axial end of the drum and releases an outgoing line part near a second axial end. The first tightening means (18) is provided near the second axial end and is designed to engage with the outgoing line part for exerting a tensile stress on the plurality of turns. The ship's winch (1) comprises a first retaining means (20), which is provided near the first axial end and is designed to feed the incoming line part to the winding surface in a metered manner, so that the plurality of turns come to lie against the winding surface (8).

Description

The invention relates to a ship's winch, according to the preamble of claim 1. Such a ship's winch is already in use on board ships, such as sailing boats, and serves to pull in and pay out a line. Ship's winches are mostly used outside, on deck or in an open cockpit and are thus exposed to the elements. Even if they are used below deck, they have to be able to resist the action of (sea) water.
GB-A-2,030,951 discloses a ship's winch which comprises a drum and a so-called self-tailing ring. The self-tailing ring acts as a tightening means and is provided on an axial end of a winding surface of the drum. The known ship's winch is used, for example, for pulling in a line or clew which controls a sail on board ships, such as a sailing boat. Such a line or sheet runs from the sail, usually via a block on deck, to the ship's winch. The line then runs four to five turns around the drum and then leaves the ship's winch. The known ship's winch is driven manually or has a hydraulic and/or electrical drive mechanism and is usually provided with a gear wheel transmission in order to allow the winch drum to move at various speeds.
A disadvantage of the known ship's winch is the fact that it always requires a crew member to guide one end of the line to or from the ship's winch. With the known ship's winch, the line has to be taken in by hand in order to prevent the line from becoming stuck. If the line is turned, the line has to be manually pulled out of a clamp by means of which the line is secured, and subsequently has to be paid out carefully by allowing the line to slip over the drum. Because of the great forces which may be exerted on the line, the operation thereof is not without risk and requires a great deal of experience. FR 2637278 discloses a ship's winch for feeding through a line comprising a frame, a drum and tightening means. DE 92 05 944 discloses an independently rotating winding disc near the axial end of the drum, lifting however an anker using the same electric motor as the drum.
It is an object of the invention to at least partially eliminate the abovementioned disadvantages or to at least provide an alternative.
In particular, it is an object of the invention to simplify both the pulling in and the paying out of a line in such a manner that the manual guiding of the ship's winch is no longer necessary.
This object is achieved by means of a ship's winch according to claim 1.
Advantageous embodiments are defined in the subclaims.
A ship's winch for feeding through a line comprises a frame, a first drum, and a first tightening means. The frame is designed to be attached to the deck of a ship. The drum is connected to the frame so as to be rotatable about a drum axis and comprises a winding surface, which winding surface extends from a first axial end to a second axial end and is suitable for accommodating a plurality of turns of the line. The drum can be driven in a first direction of rotation of the drum, in which first direction of rotation of the drum the winding surface receives an incoming line part of the line near the first axial end and releases an outgoing line part near the second axial end. The first tightening means is provided near the second axial end and is designed to engage with the outgoing line part for exerting a tensile stress on the plurality of turns. The ship's winch comprises a first retaining means, which is provided near the first axial end and is designed to feed the incoming line part to the winding surface in a metered manner, so that the plurality of turns come to lie against the winding surface.
As a result of the first retaining means feeding the incoming line part to the winding surface in a metered manner, it is ensured that the plurality of turns come to lie against the winding surface. This is particularly important when feeding a line which is not tensioned by, for example a sail, before it reaches the retaining means. The retaining means ensures that the plurality of turns come to lie sufficiently tightly around the drum, as a result of which the drum can apply a force on the line. Thus, it is no longer necessary to guide the line by hand.
In particular, the first retaining means comprises an engagement surface, in which the first retaining means is configured in such a manner that, in use, the engagement surface exerts a normal force on the incoming line part. The normal force which is exerted by the engagement surface is an effective way to feed a line which is not tensioned in a metered way. Preferably, a normal force is exerted continuously during feeding of the incoming line part. The magnitude of the normal force may vary and preferably has a minimum predetermined value.
More particularly, the normal force of the engagement surface pushes the incoming line part against a stop face, which stop face extends in particular around a cylindrical surface, such as the winding surface or a running surface of a counter-pressure roller. By pushing the incoming line part against the stop face, control over the supply of the incoming line part is increased. It is advantageous to use the winding surface as a stop face, since it offers the advantage of a stop face without an additional component being required. Using a separate counter-pressure roller has the advantage that the engagement surface and stop face can be positioned at a distance from the winch drum. Preferably, the cylindrical stop face is rotatable about its axis, for example at the winding surface and at a rotatable counter-pressure roller. This reduces the friction with and thus the wear of the incoming line.
In particular, the engagement surface is configured to exert a tensile force on the incoming line part by means of the normal force, which tensile force is directed opposite to a direction of movement of the incoming line part at the location of the engagement surface. Such a tensile force is achieved by means of friction between the engagement surface and the incoming line part, which friction is a resultant of the normal force and a coefficient of friction between themselves. The coefficient of friction depends on the selected material of the line and the engagement surface, as well as on whether the contact between the line and the engagement surface is a slipping contact.
In one embodiment, the engagement surface extends substantially annularly and is accommodated in the frame so that it is preferably rotatable about the axis of the annular engagement surface. By designing the engagement surface to be annular, it is easily possible to achieve a large contact surface between the line and the engagement surface by passing the line completely or partially around the annular engagement surface. Due to its rotatability, the engagement surface can assume a peripheral velocity which is equal to or slightly less than said velocity of the incoming line part. Thus, the wear of the line on the engagement surface is reduced.
In an advantageous embodiment, the first retaining means comprises a ring, which ring is connected to the frame so as to be rotatable about its axis and comprises a receiving space, which receiving space extends in a circular manner around the axis of the ring in a radially outer part of the ring, with the receiving space being at least partially delimited by the engagement surface in order to secure the incoming line part. Accommodating the incoming line part in the receiving space results in a secure engagement by the engagement surface. In particular, the engagement surface is configured to retain the incoming line part under a clamping and/or frictional force. Such an engagement surface increases the operational reliability of the retaining means.
More particularly, the first retaining means can be rotated in a first direction of rotation independently of the drum, if the drum rotates in the first direction of rotation of the drum. As a result of rotating the first retaining means independently of the drum, the retaining means can be driven at a peripheral velocity which is determined by the velocity of the line itself, for example by driving the retaining means by the line itself. If the plurality of turns around the first drum is still slack, this prevents more line being fed to the drum before the plurality of turns has been tautened by the first tightening means.
Even more particularly, the first retaining means comprises a braking means for exerting a torque counter to the direction of rotation of the retaining means. In this way, the first retaining means actively contributes to increasing the tension on the plurality of turns, which increases the operational reliability.
In an advantageous embodiment, the first retaining means comprises a pressure-exerting roller, which pressure-exerting roller is rotatably connected to the frame in such a manner that a feed-through space is formed between the pressure-exerting roller and the winding surface for retaining the incoming line part by means of a clamping and/or friction force. Such a pressure-exerting roller is a relatively simple means, which in addition ensures that the incoming part immediately contacts the winding surface.
In one embodiment, the drum can furthermore be driven in a second direction of rotation of the drum, counter to the first direction of rotation of the drum, with the first retaining means acting as a second tightening means and the first tightening means acting as a second retaining means. As a result, the ship's winch can both pull in and pay out a line without the line having to be guided by hand.
In particular, the second tightening means can be driven at a speed of rotation which is at least essentially the same as that of the drum, if the drum rotates in the second direction of rotation of the drum. As a result thereof, the first retaining means, acting as a second tightening means, can tauten the line on the drum.
In a particular embodiment, the second retaining means can be rotated independently of the drum in a second direction of rotation, if the drum rotates in the second direction of rotation of the drum. By rotating the second retaining means independently of the drum, the retaining means is driven by the line itself. If the plurality of turns around the first drum is still slack, this prevents more line being fed to the drum before the plurality of turns has been tautened by the second tightening means.
In one embodiment, the ship's winch furthermore comprises a second drum, which is rotatably accommodated in the frame in such a manner that the first and second drum together can accommodate the plurality of turns. Such an arrangement makes it possible to use various advantageous variants, such as guiding the line in the axial direction and using annular retaining means.
In particular, a first turn extends from the first retaining means to the second drum. This makes it possible for the second drum to improve and/or simplify the way in which the line is removed from the first retaining means, for example when using annular retaining means.
In a particular variant, a last turn extends from the second drum to the first tightening means. This makes it possible for the second drum to improve and/or simplify the way in which the line is guided to the first tightening means, for example when using annular tightening means. A second advantage occurs at the second direction of rotation of the drum, as a result of the fact that the second drum removes the line from the second retaining means. In contrast with the prior-art solutions, this is carried out without a removal means, such as a gripper arm, exerting friction on the line.
The invention furthermore relates to a ship's winch according to claim 11. The ship's winch is designed for feeding through a line, in particular according to one of the preceding advantageous embodiments, comprising a line guide for guiding the line in the peripheral direction of the first drum in such a manner that the line is guided away from the first axial end for at least one time the diameter of the line. This reduces the risk of the plurality of turns ending up one over the other, since they are next to one another on the winding surface, preferably viewed in the axial direction.
Preferably, the line guide comprises a second drum, which second drum is connected to the frame so as to be rotatable about a second drum axis, the second drum axis being at an acute angle to the drum axis of the first drum. Thus, the second drum ensures that each successive turn of the line ends up at an axially displaced position on the first drum, thus preventing, or at least reducing, axial displacement across the first drum.
In one advantageous embodiment, the line guide comprises a bearing track, which is essentially securely attached to the frame and extends around at least part of the periphery of the first drum. This provides a compact line guide, resulting in the ship's winch having comparable dimensions and a similar appearance to the known ship's winches, combined with the advantages of a line guide.
The invention also relates to a ship according to claim 14. The ship comprises a hull, a deck, and a ship's winch according to one of the above embodiments, with the ship's winch being provided outside the hull, on the deck. A ship's winch which is arranged outside the hull, on a deck, is easily accessible and makes it relatively easy to use the ship's winch alternately for paying out and/or pulling in various lines. In this context, the expression deck is not only understood to mean the main deck, but also includes any other decks, such as a flush deck, or a floor or side wall of an open cockpit.
The invention is explained in more detail with reference to the attached drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a ship's winch;
Fig. 2 shows a different perspective view of the ship's winch from Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 shows a self-tailing ring of the first embodiment in detail;
Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a ship's winch;
Fig. 5 shows a stationary bearing housing with a bearing track;
Fig. 6 shows the bearing housing from Fig. 5 in a side view;
Fig. 7 shows a pressure-exerting wheel of the second embodiment;
Fig. 8 shows a perspective view of a third embodiment of a ship's winch;
Fig. 9 shows another perspective view of the ship's winch from Fig. 8;
Fig. 10 shows a side view of a fourth embodiment of a ship's winch;
Fig. 11 shows a top view of the ship's winch from Fig. 10;
Fig. 12 shows an alternative fitting for the bottom bearing housing;
Fig. 13 shows an alternative fitting for the top bearing housing;
Fig. 14 shows a side view of a winch drum of a fifth embodiment of a ship's winch;
Fig. 15 shows a side view of a sixth embodiment of a ship's winch;
Fig. 16 shows a detail of a bearing track, for example of the bearing track from Fig. 5;
Fig. 17 shows a top view of a seventh embodiment of a ship's winch;
Fig. 18 shows a side view of an eighth embodiment of a ship's winch; and
Fig. 19 shows a sailing boat which is provided with a ship's winch.

Figs. 1 and 2 show a ship's winch according to the invention which is denoted overall by reference numeral 1. The ship's winch 1 comprises a frame 2 and two drums, in this case in the form of rollers 4 and 6, each having a cylindrical winding surface 8 and 10, respectively. The frame 2 can be attached to a deck (not shown).
The two rollers 4, 6 each have a drum axis 12, 14 which are placed at an acute angle with respect to one another. At least one of the cylindrical rollers 4, 6 can preferably be driven by means of a remote-controlled motor (not shown). Alternatively, it may be driven by means of manual force. By winding a line 16 several times around the two rollers 4, 6, the tensile force per turn will decrease, as is known from existing ship's winches.
As a result of the oblique position of both rollers 4, 6 with respect to one another, the line will roll up and unroll accurately and not be axially displaced, as is the case with existing ship's winches.
The ship's winch 1 comprises a first tightening means, in this case in the form of a top self-tailing ring 18. The ship's winch 1 furthermore comprises a first retaining means, in this case in the form of a bottom self-tailing ring 20. The ship's winch can both wind up and unwind the line 16 automatically without slip occurring between the line 16 and the rollers 4, 6. This is achieved by the two self-tailing rings 18, 20, by clamping the line axially between two conical discs (see description for Fig. 7 below). The known ship's winch comprises only one self-tailing ring. The self-tailing rings 18, 20 are fitted on both axial ends of the winding surface 8, in this case the top and bottom side of the roller 4. In addition to the automatic winding up and unwinding of the line, the invention has the advantage that no slip occurs, thus resulting in less wear of the line 16 and/or rollers 4, 6.
Fig. 3 shows the top self-tailing ring 18 of the first embodiment in detail. However, the same, or similar, self-tailing rings can also be used as second self-tailing ring 20 of the same first embodiment and as tightening means and/or retaining means in other embodiments (see below).
The self-tailing ring comprises two conical discs 22, 24, two freewheeling bearings 26 and a tension spring 28. The tension spring 28 is accommodated between the two freewheeling bearings 26 and pulls these towards one another. The conical discs 22, 24 each have a bevelled surface 32, 34 at their radial outer side 30. The bevelled surfaces 32, 34 of the conical discs 22, 24 are turned towards each other in order to form a receiving space 36. The receiving space 36 is open towards the radial outer side 30 of the ring and extends in a circular manner around the axis of the self-tailing ring 18, 20. Each of the bevelled surfaces 32, 34 acts as an engagement surface and stop face. The line 16 is accommodated in the receiving space 36 and is in this case subjected to a normal force which is exerted by the bevelled surfaces 32, 34 and in which one bevelled surface 32 presses the line 16 against the other bevelled surface 34.
The self-tailing ring 18 can assume various effective diameters for the line 16, depending on the tensioning force in the line, since the conical discs 22, 24 are pulled towards one another axially by means of the spring 28, resulting in a relatively large winding diameter. When the tensioning force is relatively large, the line 16 pushes the conical discs 22, 24 apart and the effective diameter is reduced. As a result of the equilibrium of forces of the spring 28 in the discs and the prestress in the line 16, the diameter can vary up to at least the diameter of the driven roller 4. As a result thereof, the line 16 will always be taut.
If there is no tension on the line 16, the diameter of the self-tailing ring 20, 22 will automatically increase, due to the spring 28, as a result of which sufficient prestress will remain in the line 16 to ensure accurate unwinding.
The action and function of the self-tailing rings 18, 20 changes, depending on the direction of rotation of the ship's winch 1. When the line 16 is wound up, it is introduced at the bottom side of the ship's winch 1, also referred to as a bottom or first axial end of the winding surface 8. The rollers 4 and 6 then rotate in the clockwise direction, viewed from above. In that case, the self-tailing ring 18 acts as tightening means and the self-tailing ring 20 as retaining means.
One of the functions of the ship's winch 1 is feeding through a line. Feeding through is understood to mean both winding up and unwinding. Winding up is also referred to as pulling in of the line. Unwinding is also referred to as paying out. When the line 16 is unwound, it is introduced at the top side of the ship's winch 1, also referred to as a top or second axial end of the winding surface 8. In that case, the self-tailing ring 20 acts as a tightening means and the self-tailing ring 18 as retaining means.
Let us now consider the top self-tailing ring 18. The self-tailing ring 18 is driven externally when the line 16 is being wound up by means of the freewheeling bearing 26, but the self-tailing ring 18 is not driven externally when the line 16 is being unwound. The self-tailing ring is only driven by the line 16 itself. In this case, there will even be some resistance in order to make the ring 18 rotate in the unwinding direction. This resistance may be provided as standard in the freewheeling bearing 26, or in the way in which the line 16 is fed to the self-tailing ring 18. It is also possible for the self-tailing rings 18, 20 to be provided with braking means (not shown) for this purpose. Due to the normal force of the engagement surface 32, the resistance of the self-tailing ring 18 is transferred to the line 16 in the form of a tensile force which is opposite to the direction of movement of the line 16. Thus, the line 16 will be taut during unwinding, as a result of which it is fed in a metered manner to the cylindrical winding surface 10 of roller 6 and will thus not slip on the rollers 4, 6.
Let us now consider the bottom self-tailing ring 20. The incoming line 16 from a sail (not shown) will first be wound around the self-tailing 20 ring. At the next turn, the line 16 will reach the driven roller 4. This is made possible by the second oblique roller 6, which lifts the line 16 off the driven cylindrical roller 4 as it were, and subsequently allows the line 16 to rejoin the cylindrical winding surface 8 of the roller 4 one line diameter higher.
While the line 16 is being wound up, the bottom self-tailing ring 20 will not be driven, due to the freewheeling bearing (not shown). Even when no forces are acting on the sail (and therefore on the line 16), the friction, increased with any additional braking force, in or on the bearing of the non-driven self-tailing ring 20 will ensure that the line is held taut and is neatly wound onto the cylindrical rollers. During unwinding, the bottom self-tailing ring 20 is driven at a speed of rotation which is essentially the same as that of the roller 4, for example by means of a direct connection between the ring 20 and roller 4.
Figs. 4-7 show a second embodiment of a ship's winch 101. The ship's winch 101 is driven either hydraulically or electrohydraulically. The drive mechanism is not shown in the figures. The brake or lock does not use small pawls such as those on all current ship's winches, but rather a multiple disc brake which securely holds the drive shaft (not shown).
The ship's winch 101 comprises a winch drum 102, which can rotate both counterclockwise and clockwise. The ship's winch 101 comprises a frame 103, which comprises a stationary bottom bearing housing 104 and a stationary top bearing housing 106. The two bearing housings 104, 106 fit around the winch drum 102, but due to the fact that there is a clearance of essentially 1 to 2 mm between the bearing housings 104, 106 and the winch drum 102, there is no contact with the winch drum 102.
The winch drum 102 is rotatably accommodated in the frame 103 by means of bearing means (not shown) in the form of ball bearings. The winch drum 102 has a winding surface 107 which is cylindrical in this case.
The bottom bearing housing 104 is provided with fastening means (not shown), such as bolt holes, in order to be able to fasten the ship's winch 101 to a deck. In this embodiment, each bearing housing 104, 106 has a bearing track 108, which runs around the winch drum 102 and which is formed by a conical needle bearing in this example. The bearing track 108 starts at level 110 where a line 112 enters and is carried along by the winch drum 102.
Along approximately three-quarters of the periphery of the bearing housing 104, the bearing track 108 runs approximately 15 mm upwards, to level 114, and then, along the last quarter of the periphery of the bearing track 108, drops approximately 25 mm, down to level 116, and subsequently rises approximately 10 mm again in order to end at the starting level 110. Said distances over which the line 112 is displaced vertically by the bearing track 108 depend on the diameter of the line used; the pitch of the bearing track 108 is essentially equal to at least one time the diameter of the line, in which case a representative design thickness is preferably used, being the maximum thickness of the line to be used in the respective ship's winch 1. The function of the bottom bearing housing 104 with the rising part of the bearing track 108 is to raise the line 112 so that it is moved up along the winding surface 107 of the winch drum 102 in (in this case) the vertical direction, without the line 112 being subjected to much friction from the bottom bearing housing 104 with the associated bearing track 108, as is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. More generally, the bearing track 108 displaces the line 112 away from a first axial end 118 of the winding surface 107 towards a second axial end 120.
The line 112 or sheet runs from, for example, a sail via a block to the winch drum 102, as is the case with known ship's winches as well. The line 112 contacts the winch drum 102 and spirals around it for 5 to 6 turns and then leaves the winch drum 102 again. In other words, the line 112 produces a plurality of turns on the winding surface 107. To this end, the winding surface 107 extends in the axial direction over a distance which corresponds to a multiple of the thickness of line 112. More generally, the winding surface 107 extends in the axial direction over a distance which corresponds to a multiple of the thickness of the thickest line for which the ship's winch 101 is designed. This design requirement preferably applies to all winch drums illustrated here.
The line 112, on which the sail exerts a tensile force, is carried along by the rotating winch drum 102 by means of friction force. The line 112 which enters the ship's winch 101 and contacts the winch drum 102 near the first axial end 118 and at that point also contacts the bearing track 108 at level 110: The rotating winch drum 102 carries the line 112 along by means of friction force.
In a three-quarter revolution, the bearing track 108 pushes the line 112 and all lines thereabove up by one time the diameter of the line, in this case 15 mm. If the line 112 enters at level 110 and is then carried along by the winch drum 102 for a whole revolution (360°), the line is at that point 15 mm higher, at level 194.
At level 110 there is thus sufficient space for the line 112 to enter without it becoming squeezed by the line above it. This is a continuous process, in which the line 112 runs upwards in a spiral.
If the winch drum 102 is being rotated backwards, a similar process takes place with the aid of the top bearing housing 106, only reversed. The line 112 enters the winch drum 102 at the top, at the second axial end 120, and then spirals down for 5 to 6 turns in order then to leave the winch drum 102 again. Thus, the ship's winch 101 is suitable for both winding up and unwinding the line 112.
In order to keep the line 112 under control without requiring direct guidance from an operator, the winch drum 102 is designed with a tightening means and a retaining means, in the form of a first and a second pressure-exerting wheel 122, 124 which press the line 112 onto the winch drum 102 and which are attached to the bottom bearing housing 104 and the top bearing housing 106, respectively. This is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 7. The position of the pressure-exerting wheels 122, 124 is such that they contact the line 112, just before the latter leaves the winch drum 102 or just after the incoming line 112 contacts the winch drum 102. Each pressure-exerting wheel 122, 124 is composed of a drive wheel 126 and a carrier wheel 128, the drive wheel 126 being driven by a thickening 130 on the winch drum 102. Due to the proportions between the diameter of the winch drum 102, the thickening 130, the drive wheel 126 and the carrier wheel 128, the carrier wheel 128 has a peripheral velocity which is slightly higher than the peripheral velocity of the winch drum 102.
The pressure-exerting wheels 122 and 124 are furthermore provided with a freewheeling bearing 132. This freewheeling bearing 132 ensures that the carrier wheel 128 is driven by the drive wheel 126 in a first direction of rotation, while, in a second direction of rotation, the carrier wheel 128 is rotatable free from the drive wheel 126. The freewheeling bearing can, however, inherently or via braking means (not shown) exert a certain resistance on the carrier wheel 128, which results in a braking torque on the carrier wheel 128 in the second direction of rotation. The carrier wheel 128 of the pressure-exerting wheel 122, 124 pushes the line 112 onto the winch drum 102. To this end, a feed-through space 133 is defined between the carrier wheel 128 and the winding surface 107. An annular engagement surface 134 extends around the carrier wheel 128. In this embodiment, the winding surface 107 acts as a stop face.
The different situations described above may occur in use. In a first situation, the line 112 is introduced at the first axial end 118 and the drum 102 rotates in a first direction of rotation of the drum, in this case clockwise, viewed from above. The line 112 is clamped into the feed-through space 133 by the carrier wheel 128 and the winding surface 107 of the second pressure-exerting wheel 124, the engagement surface 134 of the carrier wheel 128, by means of a normal force exerted by the engagement surface 134, increased friction force and the increased peripheral velocity, exerts a tensile stress on the plurality of turns on the winding surface 107, just before the line 112 leaves the drum 102. Thus, the second pressure-exerting wheel 124 acts as a tightening means.
At the first direction of rotation of the drum, the first pressure-exerting wheel 122 freewheels. The carrier wheel 128 of the first pressure-exerting wheel 122 then pushes the line 112 onto the stop face 107 of the winch drum 102 by means of a normal force and prevents too much of the line being carried along simultaneously by the winch drum 102, or the line 112 not ending up on the winding surface, but loosely hanging from it. Thus, the first pressure-exerting wheel 122 acts as retaining means in order to feed the incoming line part to the winding surface 107 in a metered manner. Due to the resistance in the bearing 132, a tensile force is exerted counter to the direction of introduction of the line 112 in order to exert additional tension on the plurality of turns, so as to increase the friction between the winding surface 107 and the line 112. This increases the operational reliability, in particular if the introduced line 112 is slack.
If the rotary movement of the winch drum 102 reverses, the second pressure-exerting wheel 124 at the second axial end 120 will freewheel. The line 112 is now introduced at this second pressure-exerting wheel. Due to the freewheeling, the second pressure-exerting wheel 124 now acts as retaining means. At the same time, the first pressure-exerting wheel 122 which is fastened to the bearing housing 104 is driven at the first axial end 118, which then tightens the outgoing line 112 in a manner similar to that described above.
Figs. 8 and 9 show a third embodiment of a ship's winch 201. The ship's winch 201 comprises a winch drum 202 which is connected to a frame 203 by means of bearing means (not shown). The ship's winch 201 can be driven, preferably by a motor, such as a hydraulic or electric motor (not shown).
The frame 203 comprises a bottom bearing housing 204 and a top bearing housing 206. The frame 203, more particularly the bottom bearing housing 204, can be connected to a deck of a ship. Each bearing housing 204, 206 is provided with a bearing track, in this case a sliding bearing 208, which can be coated with, for example, a resistance-lowering agent, such as Teflon. Reference is made to the detailed description of the previous exemplary embodiment with regard to the height profile and the function of the sliding bearing 208.
The ship's winch 201 is provided with a pressure-exerting wheel 210 and a self-tailing ring 212 for tightening and blocking a line 214, respectively, and vice versa. The construction and function of the pressure-exerting wheel 210 is similar to that of the previous exemplary embodiment, insofar as the rotation shaft of the pressure-exerting wheel 210 is positioned horizontally. This orientation facilitates belaying of the line 214 and driving of the pressure-exerting wheel 210.
The drum 202 of the ship's winch 201 has a winding surface 218, onto which the line 214 is wound with several (in this case eight) turns. The drum 202 has a first direction of rotation, in this case clockwise, viewed from above, which causes the line 214 to be pulled in. In this case, the line 214 is introduced at a first, in this case bottom, axial end 220 of the winding surface 218 and runs to a second, in this case top, axial end 222. By means of a second direction of rotation of the drum, in this case counterclockwise, viewed from above, the line 214 is paid out. In this case, the line 214 is introduced at the first axial end 220 of the winding surface 218 and runs to the second top axial end 222.
The top bearing housing 206 is provided with a feed-through opening 224 and an outlet opening 226. When paying out a line, the feed-through opening 224 guides the line 214 out of the self-tailing ring 212, while the outlet opening 226 is used for introducing the line 214. When the line 214 is tightened, the feed-through opening 224 guides the line 214 away from the winding surface 218 into the self-tailing ring 212, while the outlet opening 226 moves the line 214 out of the self-tailing ring 212.
When tightening a line, the pressure-exerting wheel 210 acts as retaining means, in a way similar to the above-described embodiment. Put briefly, the pressure-exerting wheel 210 exerts a normal force on the line 214, so that the latter comes to lie against the winding surface 218 and so that it ends up on the winding surface, preferably under tension. To this end, the pressure-exerting wheel 210 freewheels with respect to the drum 202. When paying out a line, the pressure-exerting wheel 210 acts as a tightening means. To this end, it is driven in such a way that its peripheral velocity is equal to or slightly greater than the winding surface 218 at the location of the pressure-exerting wheel 210.
While paying out a line, the self-tailing ring 212 acts as a tightening means, to which end it is driven together with the drum 202. During paying out, the self-tailing ring 212 freewheels with respect to the drum, acts as a retaining means and, if desired, is provided with braking means (not shown) in order to actively tension the wound-up line.
Fig. 10 shows a ship's winch 301 with an alternative retaining means 302 according to the invention. The retaining means 302 is designed as a pressure-exerting wheel 302 which comprises a drive wheel 304 and a carrier wheel 306. The drive wheel 304 can be driven by a cylindrical disc 308 which is fixedly connected to a first axial end of a drum 310 of ship's winch 301. At a second axial end, the drum 310 is provided with a second cylindrical disc 312. At this second end, a tightening means (not shown) and/or a second retaining means may also be provided, for example a retaining means such as the pressure-exerting wheel 302. The drive wheel is connected so as to be rotatable about its axis to a housing part (not shown) of the ship's winch 301 in a manner which is also not shown.
By means of a pivot arm 314 (see Fig. 11), the carrier wheel 306 is pivotably connected to the drive wheel 304. To this end, the pivot arm 314 is rotatably connected to the drive wheel 304 at a first end at the axis of the drive wheel 304 and at a second end at the axis of the carrier wheel 306. A compression spring 316 acts on the second end of the pivot arm 314, the other end of which is connected to the fixed surroundings, preferably a part of the housing (not shown) of the ship's winch 301. Due to the rotatable connection of the pivot arm 314 and the compression spring 316, the carrier wheel 306 is pushed against a line 318 which is provided around the winch drum 310. As a result of the spring 316, it is in this case possible to provide lines 318 around the drum which have different diameters with respect to one another.
The carrier wheel 306 can be driven by a transmission gear 320, which can in turn be driven by the drive wheel 304, which can in turn be driven by the cylindrical disc 308. The diameters of these drive and transmission gears are chosen such that the peripheral velocity at the surface of the carrier wheel 306 is higher in the driven state than the peripheral velocity on the winch drum 310. Thus, the pressure-exerting wheel 302 exerts a tensile force on an outgoing end of the line 318. When rotating the winch drum 310 in an opposite direction the pressure-exerting wheel 302 can freewheel, optionally using braking force, as has been described above with respect to the pressure-exerting wheels 122, 124, in order to act as retaining means.
Fig. 12 and 13 show variants of bearing housings which can be used in combination with any of the ship's winches of the other embodiments. Fig. 12 in this case shows a ship's winch 401 which is provided with a winch drum 402, a stationary, axially displaceable bottom bearing housing 404 and a stationary top bearing housing 406. In this context, the term stationary is understood to mean that the respective bearing housings 404, 406, in the direction of rotation, are fixedly connected to a housing (also not shown) and by means of this housing to a deck of a ship. The bottom bearing housing 404 can in this case be displaced with respect to the winch drum 402 in the axial direction along an axial guide (not shown), for example embodied by a rotation shaft (not shown) of the winch drum 402. A spring force is in this case exerted on the stationary axially displaceable bottom bearing housing 404 by compression springs 408, two of which are shown in this exemplary embodiment. The compression springs 408 push the bottom bearing housing 404 away from a housing part 410 towards the stationary top bearing housing 406. Alternatively, one or more draw springs may be provided which pull the bottom bearing housing 404 towards the top bearing housing 406. Due to the springs, in this case the compression springs 408, it is possible to use lines 412 with different line thicknesses on the winch drum 402 and/or to allow more or fewer turns of the line around the winch drum 402, with a sufficiently large braking force being exerted on the line 412 in all cases to guide the latter, on the one hand, along a bearing track 414 to form a spiral-shaped turn, as has been described in more detail with respect to the bearing track 108 of the embodiment from Fig. 4. In addition, the ship's winch 401 may be provided with tightening means and retaining means, for example in the embodiment of the pressure-exerting wheels 210 from Fig. 9. In this case, the compression spring 408 also ensures that a normal force is exerted by the engagement surface of pressure-exerting wheel 210 on the line 412.
Fig. 13. shows a ship's winch 501 with a winch drum 502, a stationary bottom bearing housing 504 and a stationary, axially displaceable top bearing housing 506 on which a spring force is exerted in the axial direction by compression springs 508 which are furthermore connected to a part (not shown) of the housing of the ship's winch 501. As a result of the compression springs 508, a line 510 is clamped on the winch drum 502 between the bottom and top bearing housing 504, 506 in this exemplary embodiment as well, it being possible to use different lines 510 of different line thicknesses. Further details, including the optional use of pressure-exerting wheels, may correspond to embodiments which are described further here, in which case the ship's winch 501 is particularly suitable for use in the embodiment of a double winch drum as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.
Fig. 14. illustrates a part of a ship's winch 601. It shows a winch drum 602, a first self-tailing ring 604, a second self-tailing ring 606, a first or bottom bearing housing 608, and a second or top bearing housing 610. A line 612 is wound around the winch drum 602. Winch drum 602 and self-tailing rings 604, 606 are rotatable about a coaxial axis 613. To this end, the winch drum 602 and self-tailing rings 604, 606 can be mounted separately around a common rotation shaft (not shown). However, it is also possible to provide three separate shafts, each of which is fixedly connected to one of the winch drum 602 and self-tailing rings 604, 606, so that these can be driven by means of the respective shafts. The speed of rotation of the self-tailing rings 604, 606 can in any case be set to a different speed of rotation from that of the winch drum 602.
Both the bottom bearing housing 608 and the top bearing housing 610 are provided with a bearing track 614 and 616, respectively. The respective bearing track may be provided with rollers or with a smooth surface, optionally provided with Teflon, as mentioned in connection with previous embodiments. In addition, the bottom bearing housing 608 and the top bearing housing 610 are provided with a line feed-through opening 618 and 620, respectively. The respective line feed-through openings 618, 620 enable the transfer of the line 612 from the drum 602 to the respective self-tailing ring 604, 606. The respective line feed-through openings 618, 620 are preferably formed at an end of the bearing track, so that the functions of feeding the line 612 to the drum 602 and axially displacing the line 612 on the drum are advantageously combined in a single tapering part which is at an acute angle to a tangential direction of the drum 602.
The self-tailing rings 604, 606 have a radial outer diameter which is essentially equal to the diameter of the drum 602. An advantage of the selected diameters of the self-tailing rings 604, 606 is the fact that no separate stripper arm is required, as is customary with known ship's winches with self-tailing rings. Each of the self-tailing rings 604, 606 is provided with a slotted receiving space 622, 624 which extends around the axis 613 in a circular manner. Each slotted receiving space 622, 624 is delimited by two conical surfaces 626 and 628, and 630 and 632, respectively. The first conical surface 626 of the slotted receiving space 622 in this case acts as an engagement surface, while the second conical surface 628 of the slotted receiving space 622 acts as a stop face. In a similar manner, the first conical surface 630 of the slotted receiving space 624 in this case acts as an engagement surface, while the second conical surface 632 of the slotted receiving space 624 acts as a stop face.
In use, the actual speed of rotation depends on the direction of rotation 602, as a result of which the respective self-tailing ring 604, 606 acts as a tightening means or as a retaining means, as has been explained in detail above in connection with the other embodiments. Thus, the peripheral velocity at the location of line 612 in the respective self-tailing ring 604, 606 will be equal to or preferably slightly lower than the peripheral velocity on the surface of the drum 602, if the respective self-tailing ring 604, 606 acts as a retaining means. If the self-tailing ring 604, 606 acts as a tightening means, the peripheral velocity of the self-tailing ring 604, 606 at the location of line 612 will be higher than the peripheral velocity on the winch drum 602.
Fig. 15 shows a ship's winch 701 with a split winch drum 702. The winch drum 702 comprises a main drum 704, a first, in this case bottom, subdrum 706 and a second, in this case top, subdrum 708. The main drum and subdrums 704, 706, 708 have substantially identical diameters and are rotatably provided around a common axis 710. To this end, main drum and subdrums may be mounted separately on a common rotation shaft (not shown), or fixedly connected to three separate rotation shafts which are arranged concentrically with respect to one another around the axis 710. The ship's winch 701 furthermore comprises a housing, of which a bottom bearing housing 712 and a top bearing housing 714 are shown here. These bottom and top bearing housings 712, 714 may be provided with a bearing track (not shown here), as described in connection with earlier embodiments. Alternatively, the ship's winch 701 may form part of a ship's winch with a double drum, as is described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2.
The subdrums 706, 708 can be driven at a speed of rotation which differs from the speed of rotation of the main drum. Due to the equal diameters of the main drum and subdrums 704, 706, 708, these different speeds of rotation translate into proportionally different peripheral velocities on the relevant winding surfaces. In particular, a line 715, if it enters at a first, in this case bottom, axial end 716, will be blocked by subdrum 706 which has a lower peripheral velocity than the main drum 704. The outgoing part of the line 715 at the second axial end 718 will be tightened by the top subdrum 708, due to the fact that this has a higher peripheral velocity than the main drum 704. When the direction of rotation of the winch drum 702 is reversed, the line 715 will enter at the top axial end 718 and exit at the bottom axial end 716. In that case, the top subdrum 708 will have a lower peripheral velocity and the bottom subdrum 706 a higher peripheral velocity.
Fig. 16 shows a detail of a bearing track 801, for example the bearing track 108 of the bottom bearing housing 104, as illustrated in Fig. 5. The course of the entire bearing track is only represented diagrammatically here by a line 802. At one end, the bearing track 801 is provided with a pivoting track end 804. The track end 804 is pivotable about a pivoting point 806. The bearing track 801 is furthermore provided with an adjustment mechanism 808 in the form of a spindle with a stepping motor or adjustable hydraulic cylinder. The adjustment mechanism 808 causes the track end 804 to turn about the shaft 806, as is diagrammatically indicated by double arrow 810. By pushing out the adjustment mechanism 808, the track part 804 is moved in such a manner that the pitch of the bearing track is increased. Thus, bearing track 801 becomes suitable for a line (not shown) having a relatively large diameter. Conversely, the adjustment mechanism 808 can reduce the pitch of the bearing track 802 by turning a track part 804, as is diagrammatically indicated by the double arrow 810, for use in combination with a line (not shown) having a relatively small diameter.
Fig. 17 shows a top view of a ship's winch 901 with a diagrammatically illustrated winch drum 902. The ship's winch 901 is provided with a retaining means 904, which is formed, in this exemplary embodiment, by three bars, in this case cylindrical bars 906. The cylindrical bars 906 are connected to a housing part (not shown) of the ship's winch 901, or directly to a deck of a ship on which the ship's winch 901 is mounted. A first and a third of the cylindrical bars 906 are arranged in a line, a second one of the cylinders 906 is situated next to this line. In other words, the three cylindrical bars form the three corners of a triangle. A line 906 winds itself around the three cylindrical bars 906 and in this case follows two of the three sides of the triangle defined by the three cylindrical bars. The corner of the triangle at the location of the second cylindrical bar is preferably an acute angle, so that the line 908 contacts the surface of the cylindrical bars 906 to a sufficient degree. A more obtuse angle is also possible, with the cylindrical bars 906 preferably having a resistance-increasing surface.
In use, a line 908 will be fed to the winch drum 902 by friction with the cylindrical bars 906. The surface of the middle cylindrical bar 906 in this case serves as an engagement surface. The surface of the cylindrical bar 906 which is situated closest to the drum 902 in this case acts as a stop face, since the positioning of the three cylindrical bars with respect to one another causes the middle cylindrical bar 906 to push the line against the cylindrical bar 906 which is closest to the drum. The cylindrical bar 906 which is situated furthest away in turn ensures that the line 908 is guided to the middle cylindrical bar 906 in such a way that the line 908 contacts the engagement surface of the middle cylindrical bar 906 to a sufficient degree. Thus, it is ensured that the line 908 is fed to the winch drum 902 under sufficient tension, even if it is lying slack on the deck, in order to ensure that it is wound around the winch drum 902 evenly.
The three cylindrical bars are three braked rollers which can be rotated about a rotation shaft which is at right angles to the plane of the drawing. In a direction of rotation of the braked rollers which corresponds to feeding the line 908 to the winch drum 902, the respective rotation shafts, optionally by means of separate braking means, exert a braking force on the respective rollers. Thus, the line 908 is fed to the winch drum 902 under sufficiently great tension, with wear of the line 908 being reduced. In the reverse direction of rotation, the respective rollers preferably freewheel in an unimpeded manner. In particular, the respective rollers can be driven in the case of such a reverse direction of rotation, and in this case may have a peripheral velocity which is greater than the velocity of the, in this case outgoing, line 908. A second set of rollers which act as a combined tightening means and retaining means may also be provided on another axial end of the winch drum 902.
Fig. 18 shows a side view of a ship's winch 1001 with a winch drum 1002 and a retaining means 1004. The retaining means 1004 comprises a first and a second wheel or roller 1006, 1008. Around the winch drum 1002, a line 1010 is provided which is wound clockwise, in the illustrated situation viewed from above, around the winch drum 1002. The cylindrical outer surfaces of the rollers 1006, 1008 are considered as engagement surface and stop face, respectively. The rollers 1006, 1008 are provided rotatably on a housing part (not shown) of the ship's winch 1001. The rotatable connection (not shown) is provided with braking means. The line 1010 is clamped between the rollers 1006, 1008 when it is fed to the winch drum 1002. In this case, the line itself drives the rollers 1006, 1008. In this case, the line 1010 is subjected to a braking force exerted by braking means (not shown) so that it is fed to the winch drum 1002 under tension. When the direction of rotation of the winch drum 1002 is reversed, the line 1010 is either removed from between the rollers 1006, 1008 or the action of the braking means is released. To this end, the rollers 1006, 1008 may be provided with a freewheeling bearing which enables free rotation of the rollers 1006, 1008 in a direction which removes the line 1010 from the winch drum. In a preferred embodiment, the rollers 1006, 1008 can be driven at a speed which is related to the speed of the winch drum 1002 in such a manner that the peripheral velocity of the rollers 1006, 1008 is greater than that of the winch drum 1002, so that the line 1010 is removed from the winch drum 1002 under tension and it acts as a tightening means. A second set of rollers which act as a combined tightening means and retaining means may also be provided near another axial end of the winch drum 1002.
Fig. 19 shows a sailing ship 1101 comprising a hull 1102, a mast 1104, mainsail 1106, forestay 1108 and jib 1110. The upper side of the hull 1102 has a deck 1112 which closes off the interior of the hull 1102 from the outside. Outside, on the deck 1112, a ship's winch 1114 is provided, by means of a fixed connection, for example in the form of bolts. The ship's winch 1114 is selected from one of the inventive ship's winches from the previous figures and is used here for tightening, securing and paying out a jib sail 1116.
The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The pressure-exerting wheel is already advantageous if it presses the line which is wound onto the drum against the drum and at the same time blocks the free part of the line. Although all the illustrated embodiments operate in two directions, it is also conceivable for the advantageous effect of the invention to be achieved in only one direction of rotation and for the functions of tightening and blocking not to be present at each axial end of the winding surface. This may be sufficient if one end of the line is always under tension. It is also possible for the ship's winch to operate advantageously in two directions of rotation according to the invention, but for the functions of tightening and blocking not to be incorporated in one single means or not at each axial end.
The winding surface of the winch drum does not have to be cylindrical, but can also be convex or concave and may, for example, be in the shape of a diabolo. The pressure-exerting wheels in the various embodiments are oriented differently. Thus, a pressure-exerting wheel can rotate about a substantially vertically oriented shaft or about a substantially horizontally oriented shaft.

Claims

Ship's winch (1) for feeding through a line, comprising a frame (2), a first drum (4), and a first tightening means (18), in which
the frame (2) is designed to be attached to a deck of a ship,
the drum (4) is connected to the frame (2) so as to be rotatable about a drum axis (12) and comprises a winding surface (8), which winding surface extends from a first axial end to a second axial end and is suitable for accommodating a plurality of turns of the line,
the drum (4) can be driven in a first direction of rotation of the drum, in which first direction of rotation of the drum the winding surface (8) receives an incoming line part of the line near the first axial end and releases an outgoing line part near the second axial end, and
the first tightening means (18) is provided near the second axial end and is designed to engage with the outgoing line part for exerting a tensile stress on the plurality of turns, wherein
the ship's winch (1) comprises a first retaining means (20), which is provided near the first axial end, wherein
number corrections the first retaining means (20) is designed to feed the incoming line part to the winding surface in a metered manner, so that the plurality of turns come to lie against the winding surface (8), characterized in that
number corrections the first retaining means (20) can be rotated in a first direction of rotation independently of the drum, if the drum rotates in the first direction of rotation of the drum.
Ship's winch according to claim 1, in which the first retaining means comprises an engagement surface, in which the first retaining means is configured in such a manner that, in use, the engagement surface exerts a normal force on the incoming line part.
Ship's winch according to claim 2, in which the normal force of the engagement surface pushes the incoming line part against a stop face, which stop face extends in particular around a cylindrical surface, such as the winding surface or a running surface of a counter-pressure roller.
Ship's winch according to claim 2 or 3, in which the engagement surface is configured to exert a tensile force on the incoming line part by means of the normal force, which tensile force is directed opposite to a direction of movement of the incoming line part at the location of the engagement surface.
Ship's winch according to one of claims 2-4, in which the engagement surface extends substantially annularly and is accommodated in the frame so that it is preferably rotatable about the axis of the annular engagement surface.
Ship's winch according to claim 5, in which the first retaining means comprises a braking means for exerting a torque counter to the direction of rotation of the first retaining means.
Ship's winch according to one of claim 2-6, in which the first retaining means comprises a ring, which ring is connected to the frame so as to be rotatable about its axis and comprises a receiving space, which receiving space extends in a circular manner around the axis of the ring in a radially outer part of the ring, with the receiving space being at least partially delimited by the engagement surface in order to secure the incoming line part.
Ship's winch according to one of the preceding claims, in which the drum can furthermore be driven in a second direction of rotation of the drum, counter to the first direction of rotation of the drum, with the first retaining means acting as a second tightening means and the first tightening means acting as a second retaining means.
Ship's winch according to one of the preceding claims, furthermore comprising a second drum, which is rotatably accommodated in the frame in such a manner that the first and second drum together can accommodate the plurality of turns.
Ship's winch according to claim 9, in which a first turn extends from the first retaining means to the second drum, and/or in which a last turn extends from the second drum to the first tightening means.
Ship's winch for feeding through a line, according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a frame (2), a first drum (4), and a first tightening means (18), in which
the frame (2) is designed to be attached to a deck of a ship,
the drum (4) is connected to the frame (2) so as to be rotatable about a drum axis (12) and comprises a winding surface (8), which winding surface extends from a first axial end to a second axial end and is suitable for accommodating a plurality of turns of the line,
the drum (4) can be driven in a first direction of rotation of the drum, in which first direction of rotation of the drum the winding surface (8) receives an incoming line part of the line near the first axial end and releases an outgoing line part near the second axial end, and
the first tightening means (18) is provided near the second axial end and is designed to engage with the outgoing line part for exerting a tensile stress on the plurality of turns, characterized by
a line guide for guiding the line in a peripheral direction of the first drum in such a manner that the line is guided away from the first axial end for at least one time a diameter of the line.
Ship's winch according to claim 11, in which the line guide comprises a second drum, which second drum is connected to the frame so as to be rotatable about a second drum axis, in which the second drum axis is at an acute angle to the drum axis of the first drum.
Ship's winch according to claim 11 or 12 in which the line guide comprises a bearing track which, in use, is rotationally fixedly connected to the frame and extends around at least part of the periphery of the first drum.
Ship, comprising a hull, a deck, and a ship's winch according to one of the preceding claims, in which the deck closes an interior space delimited by the hull against the ingress of water from outside the ship and in which the ship's winch is provided on the deck.