US20120080652A1 - Line storing yacht winch with tension-applying level wind mechanism - Google Patents
Line storing yacht winch with tension-applying level wind mechanism Download PDFInfo
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- US20120080652A1 US20120080652A1 US13/249,549 US201113249549A US2012080652A1 US 20120080652 A1 US20120080652 A1 US 20120080652A1 US 201113249549 A US201113249549 A US 201113249549A US 2012080652 A1 US2012080652 A1 US 2012080652A1
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- Prior art keywords
- line
- winch
- drum
- winding
- drive
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B66—HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
- B66D—CAPSTANS; WINCHES; TACKLES, e.g. PULLEY BLOCKS; HOISTS
- B66D1/00—Rope, cable, or chain winding mechanisms; Capstans
- B66D1/60—Rope, cable, or chain winding mechanisms; Capstans adapted for special purposes
- B66D1/74—Capstans
- B66D1/7484—Details concerning gearing arrangements, e.g. multi-speed
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63H—MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING
- B63H9/00—Marine propulsion provided directly by wind power
- B63H9/04—Marine propulsion provided directly by wind power using sails or like wind-catching surfaces
- B63H9/08—Connections of sails to masts, spars, or the like
- B63H9/10—Running rigging, e.g. reefing equipment
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B66—HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
- B66D—CAPSTANS; WINCHES; TACKLES, e.g. PULLEY BLOCKS; HOISTS
- B66D1/00—Rope, cable, or chain winding mechanisms; Capstans
- B66D1/60—Rope, cable, or chain winding mechanisms; Capstans adapted for special purposes
- B66D1/74—Capstans
- B66D1/7421—Capstans having a vertical rotation axis
- B66D1/7426—Capstans having a vertical rotation axis driven by motor only
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Sustainable Development (AREA)
- Sustainable Energy (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
- Storing, Repeated Paying-Out, And Re-Storing Of Elongated Articles (AREA)
Abstract
A power winch for handling running rigging of a sailing yacht. The winch includes a drum for winding and storing the line as it is brought in and for controllably releasing line as it is let out. A novel level wind mechanism is provided for uniformly winding, storing, and releasing lines under operating conditions. During release of line, the line is positively drawn from the unwinding winch drum by the level wind mechanism. The arrangement enables lines to be released from and retrieved by a winch, as when tacking or resetting sails, as well as when hoisting, lowering, furling or unfurling of sails, with no line handling by crew members, with resulting improvement in the safety and convenience. A novel form of primary clutch is also provided to enable the winch to convert easily from power to manual operation, in case of malfunction of the power system.
Description
- The present application is a continuation-in-part of currently pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/909,557, filed Oct. 21, 2010, which in turn is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/722,285, filed on Mar. 11, 2010 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,913,979), which in turn is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/759,398, filed on Jun. 7, 2007 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,717,402). The content of application Ser. No. 12/909,557 is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
- This invention relates to sail handling winches for sailing yachts and particularly to power driven winches having novel and advantageous control features enabling manual override of certain operations when desired and facilitating manual operation in the event of malfunction of the power drive means.
- Sailing yachts of greater than minimal size typically utilize one or more winches to assist in handling of the running rigging. The running rigging normally consists of lines, which are used for hoisting the sails (halyards), and also for trimming the sails (sheets). On larger yachts, the forces required for operating the sheets and halyards can become too great for ordinary manual handling, requiring the use of winches to achieve mechanical advantage. A typical simple winch includes a rotatable capstan or drum about which a line is wound. The “tail” of the line, on the downstream side of the winch drum, is maintained under tension, either manually or by a self-tailing mechanism, so that friction of the line on the surface of the winch drum enables the line to be drawn in with considerable force. In the larger yachts, it is common to utilize multiple speed winches and/or power driven winches for handling of the sheets and halyards under heavy loads.
- With a winch of typical design, the line is wrapped multiple times around the exterior of the winch drum and, as the line is drawn in by manual or powered rotation of the drum, the tail of the line, exiting from the downstream side of the winch, tends to collect haphazardly on the deck or cockpit floor. Once hoisting or trimming operations are completed, the line typically is secured on the downstream side of the winch, by means of a cleat and/or self-tailing jaws of the winch. The leftover tail can then be gathered and collected into a neater coil.
- Particularly for sheets, used in trimming the jib, main sail and other sails of a yacht, adjustment of the sail trim, either by letting a sheet out or winching it in, is performed with considerable frequency, to compensate for variations in the force and direction of the winds, changes in the course of the yacht, etc. Thus, handling, coiling and re-coiling of lines is a continuing activity, which can be somewhat tedious and, especially with larger yachts, can involve a considerable element of risk because of the very large forces acting on the lines. For example, the actions involved in simply easing a jib sheet include initially releasing the line from a cleat and/or self-tailing jaws of the winch, perhaps taking one or two wraps of line off of the winch drum, and then manually allowing the line to slip on the winch drum until a desired amount of line has been released. Thereafter, any wraps removed from the winch are rewound and the line re-secured in the self-tailing jaws and/or cleat. Because jib sheets can be under very significant tension loads, if these operations are not carefully performed there is an ever present possibility of serious injury to crew members. If too many wraps are removed, or a crew member becomes careless, a line can escape and run rapidly through the crew member's hands. Serious burns can result. This is true each time a line is handled, whether in easing or trimming jib sheets. Also, when using conventional winches, the “tails” of the lines, initially at least, collect loosely in the cockpit, enabling lines to be easily confused and/or tangled.
- In accordance with the present invention, a novel and significantly improved yacht winch is provided, which not only retrieves and releases the working lines of a sailing yacht without physical handling of the lines by crew members but also winds up and stores the retrieved line in neat coils on the winch drum. This completely eliminates the otherwise frequent coiling and re-coiling of lines required in order to maintain a shipshape and safe yacht. The new winch takes full advantage of modern high strength, low stretch lines, which can be of substantially smaller diameter than older, conventional lines, while providing the strength necessary for the required sail handling tasks.
- In one preferred form, the winch of the invention is primarily power operated, typically by an electric or hydraulic power source, uniquely combined with a manually operated mechanism, which can be used as a back-up in case of failure of the on-board power systems. It is contemplated, however, that the winch may be provided in modified forms, intended for operation exclusively by power means or exclusively by manual means.
- Importantly, the winch arrangement of the invention, whether intended to be used in a power mode or manually, provides for controllably releasing as well as trimming lines in by controlled rotation of a winding drum on which line is stored. In the power mode, the winding drum can be driven in either direction to wind in or release line from the drum. In a manual mode, a clutch is used for controllably releasing line from the drum. This is in significant contrast to conventional winching systems, in which power is utilized only to trim lines, under load, while the lines typically are eased or released manually, by being allowed to slip, in the manner described above.
- Pursuant to the invention the new winch utilizes a winding drum, which can be operated in either direction, for retrieving, releasing and storing line. The winch of the invention incorporates an advantageous form of level wind mechanism, which engages and guides the line, as it approaches the winding drum during winding operations, assuring that the incoming line is applied neatly to the drum, in tight, uniform layers back and forth along the entire axial length of the drum. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the line guide mechanism includes a novel and advantageous arrangement for imparting nominal tension to line being retrieved onto the winding drum, and for imparting more significant tension to line being released from the winding drum during power driven operation of the winding drum in a line releasing or line unwinding direction. In this respect, under certain circumstances, such as when tacking a sailing yacht, a considerable length of line must be drawn in and wound onto the winding drum while the line is substantially slack and under little or no tension. Under these circumstances, it is advantageous to apply artificial tension to the line as it is being wound onto the winding drum, to assure formation of tight, neatly wound coils. Among other things, this enables more line to be stored on the winding drum.
- During later stages of the line retrieval, the lines will be placed under tension by wind loading on the sail, but it is important that underlying coils, retrieved when there is no natural tension load on the line, be wound in a neat and compact manner, without overrides or crossovers, and this is achieved by means of the new level wind mechanism during initial stages of retrieval.
- It has previously been suggested to provide a level wind feature in a winching arrangement, including a drum for the wind-up and storage of running rigging lines (U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,219), but this prior suggestion involves the provision of two separate drums: a power-driven capstan drum, which applies the torque necessary to trim in a line under the customary heavy operating loads, and a separate winding drum which functions with a level wind feature to take up and store the tail of the line, on the downstream side of the primary capstan drum. Because of the weight, cost and complication of this arrangement, it is of limited practical usefulness. It is suitable only for the very largest of sailing yachts and is intended to be installed entirely below deck, where its operation cannot be easily monitored. The winch arrangement of the invention, including its level wind mechanism, is of a very compact and strong design and is advantageously positioned on the deck of the yacht, where its operations can easily be observed and controlled.
- Importantly, the level wind mechanism of the invention includes means for gripping and applying tension to the line while it is being unwound under power from the winch, in order to strip line off of the drum and prevent the line from reverse winding on the drum, as can occur when line is being released under no tension load from the sail. In this respect, during the tacking of a yacht, for example, when the yacht is approaching and passing a head-to-wind orientation, there is essentially no tension on the line being released. This may also be true at times when sailing at a large angle off the wind. Under such conditions, as the winding drum is driven to rotate in a line-releasing direction, line is stripped off of and cleared from the winding drum by the level wind mechanism to prevent fouling of the line within the winch mechanism.
- The winch mechanism of the invention not only enables powered operation of the winch for both retrieving and releasing operations, but a pair of winches may be set up for unified control, whereby when the winch on one side is operated in a retrieving direction, the opposite side winch is automatically operated in a releasing direction. In this manner, a tack can be executed by manipulation of a single winch control, without manual intervention of any crew member at either of the winches involved in the tacking operations. Among other things, this makes it more convenient and safe to operate a yacht short handed, or even single handed.
- It is contemplated that the winch mechanism of the invention will be utilized principally on medium-sized yachts, for example in a size range of around 35-55 feet in length. It is further contemplated that, for yachts of the primary size range, the winch operation will be primarily, if not exclusively, by power means. However, recognizing that on-board power systems may fail from time to time, the winch arrangement of the invention includes a novel and advantageous mechanical operating system, which may be utilized as a backup in the event of power failure or otherwise when desired by the yacht captain. It is to be understood, of course, that many of the operating principles of the new winch are such that the winch, with appropriate modifications, may be utilized to advantage on yachts of larger or smaller sizes than indicated above. Moreover, the rugged and compact design of the winch enables a winch of given size to be utilized an a wide range of yacht sizes, in contrast to conventional yacht winches which, for a given winch size, are optimum over a relatively small range of yacht sizes.
- In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a novel mechanical drive arrangement is provided which can be selectively actuated to provide for a multiple speed manual backup operation when needed or desired. The new winch offers convenient means for simultaneously enabling the manual drive mechanism while disabling the motor powered drive, (or vice versa). This is preferably and conveniently accomplished by means of standard winch handle engaged with a primary drive sleeve in such a way that rotation of the winch handle in a winding-in direction will engage the manual drive mechanism and disengage the power drive, and rotation of the handle in the opposite direction will disable the manual mechanism and engage the motor powered means for powered operation of the winch.
- To advantage, the winch of the invention, in a preferred embodiment, provides an advantageous arrangement for achieving three-speed manual operation, when desired. To this end, the primary drive sleeve, referred to above, is connected directly to the winding drum for one-to-one rotation by a winch handle, for maximum retrieval speed with minimum mechanical advantage. By moving the winch handle to a second socket, two additional winding speeds are provided, depending on the direction of rotation of the winch handle, to achieve the higher mechanical advantages necessary to winch in lines manually under heavy loads.
- With a standard winch, release of running rigging lines is accomplished by removing one or more turns of line on the winch drum and easing the tailing pressure on the line to allow it to slip controllably over the surface of the drum. After an adjustment, the line is re-wrapped on the winch and again cleated or otherwise secured on the downstream side of the winch. With the winch of the invention, easing of the lines involves controlled unwinding rotation of the winding drum. Under the power operating modes (i.e., power only or power with manual backup), this involves driving the winch drum under power in an unwinding direction, by operating the motor in a reverse direction. In the manual mode, however, (whether manual only mode or using manual backup on a powered winch) a clutch arrangement is provided to enable controlled rotation of the drum in the line releasing direction under the tension force of the line being released. To this end, the winch of the invention incorporates an advantageous form of adjustable line release clutch, which can be manually manipulated between limit positions. In one limit position, a substantially positive drive connection is provided. In the opposite limit position, substantially free rotation of the winding drum is enabled. By manipulation of a convenient control handle, the clutch can also be set at multiple intermediate positions, in which the line can be released at various levels of resistance. This enables closely controlled easing of a jib sheet in a manually operated mode. It also enables controlled resistance to be applied to jib sheets when rolling up a furling jib, for example, Furling jibs are virtually standard on yachts of the size contemplated, and proper furling of the sail in a tight, orderly roll is important, both aesthetically and to minimize windage.
- For a more complete understanding of the above and other features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, and to the accompanying drawings.
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FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing features of the new winch, as mounted on the deck of a sailing yacht. -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view from above of the new winch. -
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the winch. -
FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view from below showing features of the level wind mechanism. -
FIGS. 5 and 6 are cross sectional views taken centrally through the winch, illustrating different settings of two clutch mechanisms incorporated therein. -
FIGS. 7 and 8 are enlarged, fragmentary cross sectional views showing the two clutch mechanisms in different operating positions. -
FIG. 9 is a top view looking into the open gear box illustrating arrangements for operating the winch under low speed manual operation. -
FIG. 10 is fragmentary end elevational view illustrating features of a novel level wind mechanism incorporated into the winch of the invention. -
FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating features of a cam sleeve and follower blade forming part of the level wind mechanism. -
FIGS. 12 and 13 are fragmentary cross sectional views illustrating details of one form of level wind mechanism incorporated in the winch mechanism of the invention. -
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a yoke element forming part of the level wind mechanism. -
FIG. 15 is a fragmentary cross sectional view showing further details of the level wind mechanism. -
FIG. 16 is a highly simplified schematic representation of a power operated winch system according to the invention, including a common control for automatic operation of winches on opposite sides of a yacht. -
FIG. 17 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of an alternative form of primary clutch mechanism for use in the winch of the invention, illustrating the clutch mechanism positioned for motor-driven operation of the winch. -
FIG. 18 is a fragmentary cross sectional view similar toFIG. 17 , showing the alternative clutch mechanism positioned for manual operation of the winch. -
FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an alternative form of line guide mechanism for use in connection with the level wind system of the invention. -
FIG. 20 is a cross sectional view of the line guide mechanism ofFIG. 19 . -
FIG. 21 is an elevational view of the line guide mechanism ofFIGS. 19 , 20, illustrating the manner in which a line guide housing can be opened to release a line. - Referring now to the drawings, and initially to
FIGS. 1-4 thereof, thereference numeral 10 indicates a deck structure of a sailing yacht on which is mounted the winch of the invention. The winch includes a flanged windingdrum 11 supported for rotation on awinch base 20. Positioned forwardly of theflanged drum 11 is a level wind mechanism, generally designated by the numeral 12 which, in the illustrations ofFIGS. 1 and 2 , is largely concealed within aprotective housing 13. A rigging line passes through amovable line guide 14 and is attached to thecore 15 of the winding drum, by a suitable keyhole engagement or the like 15 a. Alternatively, the drum may be formed with a post or hook, to engage a suitable eye fitting at the end of the line to enable the line to be easily engaged to or disengaged from the winding drum. As will be further described herein, as line is wound upon the winch drum by rotation thereof, theline guide 14 travels vertically up and down a predetermined oscillating path extending over the full height of the drum, at a rate such as to cause the incoming line to be applied to the windingdrum 11 in tight, side-by-side coils, in successive layers. - A
gear box 16, containing mechanisms for manually driving the windingdrum 11, can be mounted below thedeck 10, in a manner to be more fully described. A drive motor, indicated at 17 inFIG. 2 , is connected through a right angleworm gear mechanism 18 to an output shaft 19 (FIG. 1 ). When the output shaft is connected to the windingdrum 11, winding drum is rotated directly by means of themotor 17, which typically is electrically or hydraulically powered. - Referring now to
FIGS. 5 and 6 ,FIG. 5 illustrates the winch in its primary operating configuration, set to be driven by themotor 17 through thevertical output shaft 19. The windingdrum 11 is supported for rotation on thebase 12. Aprimary drive sleeve 21 extends upwardly through thegear box 16 and through thecore 15 of the winding drum, projecting somewhat above acover structure 22 extending over the top of the winch assembly. Thedrive sleeve 21 is formed with aflange 23 near its lower end, which rests upon abearing 24 seated in arecess 25 in the gear box. - A
lower portion 26 of the windingdrum 11 projects downward, below thelower flange 27 of the drum, in close-fitting relation to thedrive sleeve 21. Thislower portion 26 is formed as agear 28 which couples the winding drum to a level wind mechanism, to be described hereinafter. Aspacer bearing 29 extends downward from thegear 28 and rests upon a bearingwasher 30, seated on a main, large diameter main drive gear 31 (seeFIG. 9 ). Themain drive gear 31 is located in thegear box 16 and is mounted for rotation about theprimary drive sleeve 21. Thehub 32 of themain drive gear 31 is formed with a plurality ofrecesses 33, each arranged to receive a portion of a drivingball 34. In the configuration ofFIG. 5 , the drivingballs 34 are recessed within theprimary drive sleeve 21, out of driving relation to themain drive gear 31, enabling motor powered rotation of thedrive sleeve 21 independently of thedrive gear 31. - As shown in
FIGS. 5-8 , thecover structure 22 of the winch is formed with a downwardly projectingcylindrical portion 35. The outer surface of the cylindrical projection supports abearing 36, which is received in aninternal recess 37 in thecore 15 of the winding drum, supporting upper portions of the winding drum for rotation about the axis of theprimary drive sleeve 21. - In the illustrated form of the invention, the winding
drum 11 is connected to theprimary drive sleeve 21 by means of a line release clutch mechanism housed between thedrum core 15 and upper portions of thedrive sleeve 21. The line release clutch mechanism, designated generally by thereference numeral 38, will be described in detail hereinafter. In the configuration ofFIG. 5 theprimary drive sleeve 21 and the windingdrum 11 are effectively locked for rotation in unison. - An
actuating cap 39 for the line release clutch is mounted on top of thewinch cover 22. The cap has an opening in the center to receive a projectingupper portion 40 of theprimary drive sleeve 21. Afirst socket member 41, having anoctagonal socket 42 of standard configuration for engagement with a standard winch handle (not shown), is received in theupper portion 40 of thedrive sleeve 21. The socket member is formed with aflange 43 at its upper end, which seats against the top of thesleeve projection 40, as shown inFIGS. 5-8 . Aretainer cap 44 threadedly engages the uppermost extremity of thesleeve projection 40 at 45 (seeFIGS. 7 , 8) and serves to secure thesocket member 41 in its position at the top of thesleeve 21. In addition, portions of the retaining cap overlie theactuator cap 39, via aring washer 46, such that the retainingcap 44, while being rotatable with respect to theactuator cap 39, serves to retain it in position on top of thewinch cover structure 22. - As shown in
FIGS. 5 and 6 , an elongated control stem 47 extends vertically through the upper portion of thedrive sleeve 21. At its upper end, the control stem has aflange 48, which seats against ashoulder 49 formed in thedrive sleeve 21. The upper extremity of the control stem is formed with a left-hand thread engaged with similar threads on the lower portion of thesocket member 41. The control stem 47 has two limit positions, one shown inFIGS. 5 and 7 , and the other inFIGS. 6 and 8 . InFIGS. 5 and 7 , the control stem is shown in an upper limit position, resulting from counterclockwise rotation of thesocket member 41 by means of a winch handle. InFIGS. 6 and 8 , the control stem 47 is shown moved to a downward limit position, as a result of clockwise rotations of thesocket member 41, with theflange 48 being seated against theinternal shoulder 49. - As reflected particularly in
FIGS. 5 and 6 , the control stem 47 is engaged with anextension 50, by means of a pin 51, and the lower end of thisextension 50 is connected, by means of apin 52, to theoutput shaft 19 of the motor drive. In a preferred form of the invention, the lower extremity of theprimary drive sleeve 21 and the upper extremity of thedrive shaft 19 are formed with axially engageableclutch teeth FIG. 5 , thedrive shaft 19 is locked together for rotation with thedrive sleeve 21. In this configuration, operation of thedrive motor 17 in the appropriate direction will result in corresponding rotation (clockwise or counterclockwise, as viewed from above) of thedrive shaft 19 and, via the engagedclutch teeth drive sleeve 21 and windingdrum 11. - As will be noted in
FIG. 5 , when the control stem 47 is elevated, anarrow portion 55 of theextension 50 is positioned at the level of thedrive balls 34. The dimensions of the narrow portion, the drive balls, and thedrive sleeve 21, are such that, in this configuration, the drive balls are recessed entirely within the circumference of thedrive sleeve 21. The drive sleeve can thus rotate independently of the largemain drive gear 31, and vice versa. In this configuration, the windingdrum 11 is driven exclusively by thedrive motor 17. In the winch of the invention, thedrive motor 17 is reversible and can operate the windingdrum 11 in either winding or unwinding directions. - While it is anticipated that the winch will normally be operated exclusively under power, it is recognized that there can be circumstances (such as failure of on-board electrical and/or hydraulic power systems, when manual operation may be necessary. Accordingly, arrangements are provided for operating the winch manually whenever necessary or desirable. To convert the winch mechanism from power operation to manual operation, a winch handle is inserted into the
socket member 41 and is rotated in a clockwise direction. The threads 56 (left handed) at the upper end of the control stem cause the stem to be driven downward until theflange 48 seats against theshoulder 49, as inFIGS. 6 and 8 . As the control stem 47 moves downward, it carries with it theextension 50. Asleeve 57, which has limited vertical sliding movement on theupper portion 58 of theextension 50, is formed with a conicallower end face 59. During downward movement of thecontrol stem 47 andextension 50, theconical end face 59 engages thedrive balls 34 and presses downward and outward thereon. If thedrive balls 34 are aligned with the drive ball recesses 33 in themain gear 31, the drive balls immediately move outward, and are retained in such outward position by the side walls of the sleeve 57 (seeFIG. 6 ). If the drive balls are not initially aligned with therecesses 33, thesleeve 57 initially slides upwardly on theupper portion 58 of theextension 50 and continues to press against the drive balls. As soon as relative rotation occurs between thedrive sleeve 21 and themain gear 31, the drive balls will immediately line up with therecesses 33 and will be displaced into such recesses, locking the gear and sleeve together for rotation under manual drive. - In the manual drive mode, rotations of the
drive sleeve 21 result in rotations of the windingdrum 11 on a one-to-one basis. Thus, manual rotation of thesleeve 21 by means of a winch handle engaged in thesocket 41 results in operation of the winch on a high speed, low mechanical advantage basis. - As will be noted in
FIGS. 5 and 6 , thepin 52 securing theextension 50 to the upper end of thedrive shaft 19 projects outward of the extension a short distance and is received in an internalannular groove 60 in the drive shaft. Accordingly, in the manual drive mode of the winch, thecontrol stem 41 andextension 50 can rotate freely relative to thedrive shaft 19. In the motor-powered mode, on the other hand, thedrive shaft 19 is connected directly to thesleeve 21 via theclutch teeth sleeve 21, control stem 47,extension 50 and driveshaft 19 all rotate together. - In a preferred embodiment of the invention, provisions are made for multi-speed operation of the winch in the manual mode, to enable higher mechanical advantages to be utilized when line tensions become greater. To this end, a second
winch handle socket 61 extends axially through the center of a level wind sleeve 63 (to be described later). At its lower end, thesocket 61 engages asocket extension 64, which extends through thedeck 10 of the yacht and engages a first gear set 65. - As illustrated in
FIGS. 5 , 6 and 9, the gear set 65 comprises alower shaft extension 66 supported for rotation in bearing 67, and anupper shaft extension 68 drivingly connected with thesocket extension 64. Apinion 69, forming an integral part of theshaft extension 66, is arranged for engagement with a second gear set 70 (FIG. 9 ) in lower portions of the gear box. Aring pinion 71 is rotatably mounted on agear body 72, above thepinion 69, and has meshing engagement with themain drive gear 31. Thering pinion 71 is formed internally with a plurality of saw tooth-shapedrecesses 73. A pair of spring-actuateddrive pawls 74 are carried by thegear body 72 and are spring-urged outwardly to engage with therecesses 73. When thegear body 72 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, thering pinion 71 is driven by thepawls 74, driving the large diametermain gear 31 in clockwise rotation. With thedrive balls 34 positioned as shown inFIG. 6 , rotation of themain drive gear 31 simultaneously rotates theprimary drive sleeve 21 and, through theline release clutch 38, the windingdrum 11. - Clockwise rotation of the
socket member 61 will rotate the body of the gear set 65 in a clockwise direction. In this rotational direction, thering pinion 71 is not driven, as thespring pawls 74 simply slide by therecesses 73. Thelower pinion 69, however, is fixed to the main body of the gear set and rotates in a clockwise direction. Thepinion 69 engages aring pinion 75 of the second gear set 70 and rotates it in a counterclockwise direction. Thering pinion 75 is of a similar character to thering pinion 71 and is engaged with themain body 76 of the gear set 70 by means of drive pawls and recesses (not shown) similar to therecesses 73 and drivepawls 74 of thering pinion 71. Counterclockwise rotation of thering pinion 75 will result in counterclockwise rotation of asmall diameter pinion 77, forming the upper portion of the second gear set, which meshes with themain drive gear 31 and drives it in a clockwise direction. - During operation in the manual mode, high winding speed, at low mechanical advantage, is achieved by operating the winch by a handle in the
socket 41. With the winch handle engaged in thesecond socket 61, an intermediate speed, intermediate mechanical advantage is achieved by counterclockwise rotation of the handle, and low speed, high mechanical advantage operation is achieved by clockwise rotation of the handle. In the manual mode, the windingdrum 11 is always rotated in the clockwise direction regardless of the direction of rotation of the winch handles, in order to wind line onto the reel. Release (unwinding) of the line is effected by operation of theline release clutch 38. - The illustrated form of the invention incorporates an advantageous form of line release/
overload clutch 38, details of which are shown inFIGS. 7 and 8 . The mechanism includes aring element 80 which is seated in arecess 81 in thecore wall 82 of the winding drum and is fixed to the winding drum for rotation therewith. The upper surface of thering 80 is formed with a plurality, for example, twelve, of upwardly openingconical recesses 83 for the reception ofclutch balls 84, with eachrecess 83 preferably containing aball 84. The conical recesses 83 advantageously have an included angle around 90 degrees, and are proportioned such thatclutch balls 84 are received in the recesses up to a depth of less than half their diameter. - A
ball carriage 85 has a splined connection to theprimary drive sleeve 21 for rotation with thesleeve 21. Theball carriage 85 has an outwardly extendingflange 86 at its lower end, formed with a plurality ofcylindrical recesses 87 which closely receive the exposed upper portions of theclutch balls 84. Aflat ring washer 88 is positioned above theflange 86 and is arranged to bear downward on upper surfaces of theballs 84 retained within thevertical passages 87. Acoil spring 89 bears on theflat washer 88 and is confined at the top by means of aflanged collar 90. Thecollar 90 has aninner wall 91, which is slideable vertically over outer wall portions of theball carriage 85, and an outwardly extendingflange 92, which overlies and confines the upper end of thecoil spring 89. - As shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8 , adisplacement ring 93 is slideably received within thecylindrical projection 35 of the winch cover and bears on the top of theflanged collar 90. A plurality (preferably three) of upwardly opening cylindrical recesses are formed in the collar to receivepins 94 mountingfollower balls 95. Thefollower balls 95 are received in arcuate cam grooves 96 (one for each follower ball) formed in the underside of theactuating cap 39, which is mounted for limited rotational movement about the axis of thedrive sleeve 21. - The
arcuate cam grooves 96, over the extent of their arc, are relatively shallow at one end, as in the position directly over thefollower ball 95 inFIG. 7 , and gradually increase in depth toward the opposite end of their arcuate lengths (for example, 60 degrees), as shown at the right handvisible grooves 96 inFIG. 7 . The geometric relation of the grooves and the several follower balls is such that all of the follower balls will simultaneously engage their respective grooves at the same level thereof. Thus, in one rotary position of theactuator 39, such as a first limit position shown inFIG. 7 , all of the follower balls are engaged in the shallowest portions of theirrespective cam grooves 96. In an opposite limit position of theactuator 39, reflected inFIG. 8 , all of thefollower balls 95 are seated in the deepest portions of thecam grooves 96. - In the various rotary settings of the
actuator cap 39, if a predetermined torque is applied between thedrive sleeve 21 and the windingdrum 11, theclutch balls 84 can be forced to rise out of theirshallow recesses 83, move circumferentially and drop into the next adjacent recesses. This action occurs repeatedly as long as the torque applied to the winding drum exceeds the threshold established by the clutch setting. The maximum torque can be set very high, so that the clutch releases only under the highest torque and is, in practical effect, a positive drive. This setting would normally be used at all times for power operation of the winch. Upon rotation of theactuator cap 39 in a clockwise direction from its maximum torque position, thefollower balls 95 will engage progressively deepening portions of thecam grooves 96, relieving pressure on thecoil spring 89 and lowering the level of torque at which theclutch balls 84 can break free of their retaining recesses 83. In the limit position shown inFIG. 8 , the absolute minimum of torque is required to permit rotation of the windingdrum 11, so that the line can be freely stripped off of the drum, when needed. - When the winch is being operating in a manual mode, release of a line under substantial load, as for adjustment of sail trim, can be accomplished by controlled rotational movement of the
clutch actuator cap 39 in the clockwise direction until, a limited length of line (often measured in inches or fractions of inches) is released. Theactuator cap 39 is then returned to its maximum torque position. - In the illustrated form of the winch, an
operating handle 97 is hinged to the actuator cap, as indicated inFIGS. 1 and 2 . In the maximum torque setting of the winch, the handle can be folded downward into agroove 98, where the handle is safely out of the way and protected. To adjust the clutch, thehandle 97 is pivoted upward to provide leverage for rotating theactuator cap 39. When the adjustments are finished, the handle can be returned to alignment with thegroove 98 and folded into the groove to return the clutch to its normal maximum torque setting. - The clutch 38 can also serve an important function for line release when operating in a power mode. For example, if the yacht were to be overpowered by a very strong wind gust, and in danger of broaching, a sail could be instantly released by use of the clutch 38. Likewise, line can be controllably released for incremental sail trim by controllably releasing the clutch 38 without actuating the power drive of the winch. Normal power operation would be reestablished by return of the
clutch actuator cap 39 to its normal position. The emergency release function is also significant when operating in a manual mode if the yacht is being overpowered by excessive winds. - In accordance with an aspect of the invention described and claimed in my related U.S. Pat. No. 7,717,402, a unique form of level wind feature is provided in the winch, immediately forward of the winding
drum 11, serving to guide incoming line as it is wound upon thedrum 11, such that the line is wound in neat, snug, side-by-side coils across the axial extent of the drum, between its upper and lower flanges. Importantly, the level wind mechanism of the invention serves to apply a desired level of resistance to line being wound onto the drum and also to apply considerable tension to line as it is being unwound from the drum. In this respect, during an initial phase of a line retrieving operation the line may be slack, and subject to being unevenly distributed on the drum, creating overrides, loosely wound coils, and other undesirable conditions. By applying a nominal resistance to the incoming line, by means of the level wind, immediately before the line is applied to the drum, a neat, uniform wind with tight coils is assured. Moreover, when the winch is being operated under power, which is expected to be the great majority of time, both winding-in and unwinding operations are performed under power. During unwinding operations, if the line is slack (which often will be the case) the line may not freely pay off of the rotating drum and move away, with the resultant possibility of partially re-winding line in the unwinding direction, leading to potential jamming of the winch. In the winch mechanism of the invention, however, the unwinding line, if not under tension loading from the sails, is placed under tension and pulled away from the drum by the level wind mechanism. This unique feature enables line to be released (unwound) by power operation of the winch. Indeed, it becomes possible to tack or gybe the yacht using a single common control that automatically activates both winches of a pair thereof, causing one to retrieve line and the other to release it, as the yacht is brought through the wind and the sail is transferred from one side to the other. - In the illustrated structure, the level wind mechanism, generally designated by the numeral 12, includes the previously mentioned
level wind sleeve 63, which surrounds thesecond socket member 61 and is mounted for rotation by thewinch base 12 andcover structure 22. Thesleeve 63, shown best inFIG. 11 , is formed with abi-directional cam groove 100 extending along a portion of its axial length corresponding to the effective axial length of the winding drum. Acam follower element 101, whose function will be further described, has a semicircular saddle portion 102 (FIG. 15 ), which is received in thecam groove 100. As thelevel wind sleeve 63 rotates, thefollower element 101 travels up and down, from one axial end to the other of the groove. Upon reaching the end of the groove, the follower tilts slightly and enters the oppositely directed portion of the bi-directional groove. - At the bottom extremity of the
level wind sleeve 63 is agear 103, preferably formed integrally with thesleeve 63. In the assembled winch, shown inFIGS. 5 and 6 , thegear 103 meshes with anidler gear 104 which in turn meshes with thegear portion 28 formed at the bottom of the windingdrum 11. Thesleeve 63 thus rotates synchronously with and as a direct function of rotation of the windingdrum 11, independently of the manual or power driven configuration of the winch. - On the fore and aft sides of the
level wind sleeve 63, there are vertical guide posts 105, 106 which slideably support alevel wind yoke 107, shown best inFIGS. 10-15 . Theyoke 107 has a generally U-shaped mounting portion 108 provided on each side withvertical openings - The
guide yoke 107 is provided with a threadedbore 111 arranged to receive acylindrical extension 112, provided on the cam follower 101 (FIG. 11 ). Thefollower 101 is thus adapted for limited tilting movement about the axis of theextension 111. During continuous unidirectional rotation of thelevel wind sleeve 63, thefollower 101 will continuously travel first along the upwardly inclined portion of thebi-directional groove 100 and, after reaching its limit at one end, will tilt about the axis of theextension 112 and enter the downwardly inclined portion of the cam groove in order to travel in the opposite direction along the length of the sleeve. - To advantage, the
level wind mechanism 12 incorporates detent elements acting on thefollower element 101 to retain it in one tilted position or the other during its excursions up and down thesleeve 64. As shown inFIG. 15 , theyoke 107 is provided on opposite sides withbores 115 in which are houseddetent plungers 116, urged inward bysprings 117 to engage outer edges of thecam follower 101. Each time thecam follower 101 reaches the end of its travel in one direction and is tilted for travel in the opposite direction, the opposed pair ofdetent plungers 116 retain the follower in its newly tilted position throughout the full extent of its excursion. - As shown in
FIG. 15 , theyoke 107 is formed with arecess 118 for receiving thecam follower 101 and which is of a greater depth than the cam follower, leaving a space behind the cam follower sufficient to allow the cam follower to be withdrawn from itscam groove 100 when necessary or desirable, as when dealing with a malfunction or other problem. For normal operations, thecam follower 101 should be maintained in the fully engaged position, shown inFIG. 15 . This is accomplished by mounting a flangedcylindrical cap 119 at the end of thecam follower extension 112, by means of ascrew 119 a. Thecap 119 has external threads engaging the threads of thebore 111 and is normally seated with its flange contacting the back surface of the yoke, to hold thecam follower 101 in operative engagement with thecam sleeve 63. To disengage the level wind mechanism, thecap 119 is engaged and rotated in a direction to retract the cam follower away from the cam sleeve to temporarily disable the level wind operation. Thecap 119 is accessible through avertical slot 120 in thelevel wind housing 13, which is normally closed by aremovable cover strip 121. - The
line guide 14 is attached to thelevel wind yoke 107 by anarrow neck portion 113, which projects through a vertical slot 114 (FIG. 2 ) in thelevel wind housing 13. Pursuant to the invention, theline guide 14 of the level wind mechanism includes a novel arrangement for applying a nominal resistance to the line during wind-up operations, to assure that the line is snugly wound on thedrum 11, even though the line frequently may not be under any tension load from the sails. Additionally, and particularly important, the line guide includes means for imparting significant tension to the line during power driven unwinding operations, to assure that the line is positively stripped from the winding drum and cleared away from the line guide mechanism. In both cases, during winding and unwinding of the line, there are many periods (such as during tacking) when the line is slack and other periods when the line is under tension loading from the yacht's sails. When the line is slack, tension applied by the line guide arrangement is important during wind-up operations and may be critical during unwinding operations. - In the form of the invention shown in
FIGS. 10-15 , theline guide 14 includes upper andlower support arms pulley 124 and aconfinement roller 125. Thepulley 124 is formed with a generally V-shaped groove arranged to receive the workingline 126, which is held in engagement with the groove by theroller 125. To advantage, theconfinement roller 125 is secured by a removable pin, allowing the confinement roller to be removed, when necessary, for replacement of the working line. - The illustrated
tension pulley 124 includes a vertically movableupper flange 127 which is spring loaded in the downward direction in order to snugly grip theline 126, which may vary slightly in diameter. Thelower flange 128 of the tension pulley is fixed to ahub 129 on which the upper, spring loadedflange 127 is also mounted. Theupper flange 127 is arranged for axial sliding movement toward and away from thelower flange 128, while being suitably keyed to the hub for rotation therewith. Thehub 129 is slideably mounted on avertical drive shaft 130, preferably of square cross section, such that the hub may travel along the length of thedrive shaft 130 while remaining drivingly connected thereto, during normal excursions of the level wind mechanism. - Pursuant to the invention, the
drive shaft 130 is connected through a one-way (Sprag)clutch 131 for rotation with the windingdrum 11. For this purpose, a ring gear 132 (FIG. 13 ) is fixed to the upper flange of the winding drum and operates through anidler gear 133 to drive anouter gear 134 forming part of theSprag clutch 131. When the windingdrum 11 is being driven in the unwinding direction (i.e., counterclockwise) thedrive shaft 130 will also be rotated in a counterclockwise direction to drive thetension pulley 124 in a direction to strip line off of the winding drum. The gear ratios are selected such that the tension pulley will always rotate at a sufficiently high speed to apply tension to theline 126 even when the drum is filled to a maximum diameter with theline 126. In this respect, it will be understood that there will always be a degree of slippage between thetension pulley 124 and theline 126 to assure that the line is always under tension between the tension pulley and the winding drum. To assure proper gripping of the line, thepulley flanges line 126. - During winding-in operations of the winch, the
winch drum 11 and the one-wayclutch gear 134 will operate in clockwise directions. In this direction, the Sprag clutch 131 does not operate thedrive shaft 130, and thetension pulley 124 applies resistance to the line as it passes through the confined space between the tension pulley and theconfinement roller 125. The frictional gripping of the line by the spring-loadedtension pulley 124, is sufficient to impart a desired level of resistance to the line, between the line guide and the winch drum, to assure that the line is properly applied to the winch drum, in neat, snug, side-by-side coils, free of overrides, during wind-up operations. - One of the important advantages of the level wind arrangement of the invention is that it allows line to be unwound from the winding drum under all conditions, whether the line is under tension from a wind-loaded sail, or under no tension load whatever. With this unique facility, it becomes possible for the yacht winches to be power operated in the line-releasing, as well as line-retrieving directions. Moreover, it further allows a “one button” control of the yacht in carrying out tacking and gybing maneuvers, by utilizing a single unified control to automatically cause one winch to retrieve line and the opposite winch simultaneously to release line. Thus, in the schematic illustration of
FIG. 16 , winches 134, 135 on opposite sides ofyacht 136 are provided withindividual control devices winches common control 139 is provided, which is associated with both of thewinches control device 139 in the appropriate direction and the sail is automatically transferred from one side of the yacht to the other without any crew involvement at either winch. - It will be understood, of course, that the control units 137-139 need not be positioned at different locations, as suggested by the simplified schematic of
FIG. 16 , but may be combined at one or more control stations located conveniently on the yacht and/or incorporated in a hand held remote control unit. Moreover, the opposite side winches need not be operated by individual motors but may also be operated by a common motor with controllable clutches for individually or simultaneously connecting the winches to the common drive motor. - For “one button” control of the winches, the system advantageously will include programmable delay and/or speed control features. This will accommodate the fact that there typically is considerable slack to be taken, up on a windward sheet at the start of a tack, and also will compensate for variations in the effective diameters of the winch drums as line is released from one and retrieved by the other.
- In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the winch arrangement can be provided with an especially low profile above the deck of the vessel, by mounting of the
gear box 16 and related mechanisms below the deck, spaced below the winding drum and level wind mechanisms. This arrangement, which is best shown inFIGS. 1 , 2, 5 and 6, includes upper and lower mounting plates which are positioned above and below thedeck 10 and are tightly secured by screws 158 (FIG. 2 ) extending from one plate to the other. A plurality of spacer bolts 143-145 extend through the deck and mounting plates and also extend below the lower mounting plate 142 a distance sufficient to pass completely through thegear box 16. Each of the mounting bolts 143-145 (of which only 143 and 145 are shown inFIGS. 5 and 6 ), are provided at their upper ends with threadedportions plate 141. The upper extremities of the mounting bolts are formed withpositioning bosses 148, which are received in corresponding recesses formed in the underside of thewinch base 12. It will be understood, that thethird mounting bolt 144, which will not be separately described, is similar in structure to the mountingbolts FIGS. 5 and 6 . - After installation of the mounting
plates lower mounting plate 142 and thedeck 10 and are threadedly engaged with the upper mountingplate 141, until thepositioning bosses 148 are properly projected above the upper surface of the mountingplate 141. Thewinch base 12 can then be seated over the mounting plate andpositioning bosses 148 and secured. The winch base can be secured to the upper mounting plate by a plurality of screws (not shown), including ascrew 159 which passes through asupport portion 99 for the winch cover and thebase 12, and is anchored in the upper portion of the mountingbolt 145. - The
central body portions 149 of the mounting bolts, which are unthreaded in their upper portions and threaded in thelower portions 150, extend below thelower mounting plate 142.Large nuts 151 are threadedly engaged with the threadedportions 150 exposed below thelower mounting plate 142, serving to compress the upper and lower mountingplates - In the illustrated arrangement, the
gear box 16 comprises alower housing 152 and acover 153. Thecover 153, which is secured to the housing by peripheral screws (not shown), is provided with suitable openings for theprimary drive sleeve 21, and also for theextension 64, which connects with the gear set 65. - The lower portions of the mounting bolts 143-145 comprise shouldered
locator sections 154 which are received in openings in thegear box cover 153 and seat against the upper surfaces of thegear box housing 152.Elongated extensions 155 of the mounting bolts pass downwardly through outer wall portions of the gear box housing and project slightly below the gear box, as reflected inFIGS. 1 , 4 and 5. The projectingportions 156 of these extensions are threaded to receive nuts 157. These nuts, when tightened, seat the gear box tightly against the shoulderedlocator portions 154 such that the gear box is rigidly fixed in position with respect to the mountingplates FIGS. 1 , 2, 5 and 6 show a more or less maximum expected deck thickness. For decks of less thickness, thenuts 151 are simply adjusted upwardly along the threadedportions 150 to seat tightly against thelower mounting plate 142. The spacing of thegear box 16 with respect to the above deck mechanisms remains the same. This arrangement also accommodates variations in deck thicknesses over the area of thewinch base 12 and mountingplates - An alternative form of primary clutch mechanism, illustrated in
FIGS. 17 and 18 , is of a somewhat more simplified and compact construction. In the mechanism ofFIGS. 17 and 18 , theprimary drive sleeve 221 is formed with asquare socket 222 which opens downwardly. Apower shaft element 223 is positioned below thesocket 222 and is provided with a square shapedhead 224 adapted for close reception in thesocket 222. Thepower shaft element 223 is arranged to have limited vertical movement toward and away from thesocket 222. Aspring 225 normally urges the power shaft element upward toward the socket, unless the element is restrained. The power shaft element is suitably keyed to asleeve 226 driven by motor 17 (FIG. 2 ). - A
control stem 247, corresponding in function to thecontrol stem FIGS. 5-8 , is selectively actuated for vertical movement in order to convert the winch from motor driven operation to manual operation. The lower portion of the control stem is formed into aflange 248 which bears on thetop surface 249 of thepower shaft element 223. A pilot projection 250 extends downward from theflange 248 and is received in a pilot recess of thepower shaft element 223 to maintain proper alignment of the parts during relative rotation of one with respect to the other. - For normal operations (i.e., motor driven), the
control stem 247 is in an elevated position, as shown inFIG. 17 , allowing thepower shaft element 223 to be urged upward by thespring 225 to a position in which thesquare head 224 of the drive element is received in and drivingly interlocked with thesquare socket 222 of theprimary drive sleeve 221. When the control stem is in its elevated position, driveballs 30 are recessed within the drive sleeve and out of engagement with themain drive gear 31, so that operation of the winch is exclusively by its motor drive. - Manual operation of the winch is effected in the manner heretofore described, by inserting a winch handle (not shown) into the socket 41 (
FIG. 6 ) and rotating the winch handle in the winding-in direction. Initially, this displaces the control stem 247 downward until it reaches a limit position, shown inFIG. 18 , in which thesquare head 224 of thepower shaft element 223 is separated from thesocket 222 to permit rotation of theprimary drive sleeve 221 independently of thepower shaft element 223. Downward displacement of the control stem also causes thesleeve 57 to be urged downward and its conical end face 59 to urge thedrive balls 31 radially outward into therecesses 33 in thedrive gear 31. The drive gear is thus locked together with the primary drive sleeve for full manual operation of the winch in any of three speed ratios, as heretofore described. - In order to return the winch to motor driven operation, a winch handle is inserted into the
socket 41 and operated in a “line-unwinding” direction. Since the winch cannot be manually operated in an unwinding direction, this rotation of the winch handle serves only to displace the control stem 247 upwardly, back toward the condition shown inFIG. 17 . When thepower shaft element 223 is released by the control stem, the shaft element is urged upwardly by thespring 225. If, however, thesquare head 224 is not properly aligned with thesquare socket 222 it will not enter the socket but will seat against the lower face 227 of thedrive sleeve 221. However, as soon as thedrive element 223 is rotated by the motor to a position in which thesquare head 224 andsocket 222 are aligned, the drive element will be moved upward by thespring 225, to the fully engaged, power drive position shown inFIG. 17 . -
FIGS. 19-21 of the drawing illustrate an alternative form of line gripping mechanism which can be incorporated to advantage in the level wind system of the invention. As shown inFIGS. 15 and 13 , the previously described line gripping mechanism includes the spring-pressedtension pulley 124 andconfinement roller 125, mounted by upper andlower support arms narrow neck portion 113. In the alternative form of gripping mechanism anenclosed housing 300 extends from theneck portion 113. Thehousing 300 is comprised of afirst section 301, which is integrally fixed to theneck portion 113, and asecond section 302, which is secured in pivotal relation to thefirst section 301 by means of apivot pin 303. - Each of the
housing sections semi-cylindrical groove line 306 as it passes through thehousing 300. At each side of the housing, thegrooves FIG. 21 to facilitate entry and exit of theline 306 from the housing, whether in the trimming (winding in) direction or easing (letting out) direction. - As shown in
FIG. 20 , eachhousing section gear housing sections FIG. 20 . Eachgear line gripping portion line 306 in central portions of thehousing 300, where the knurled portions intersect with thesemi-cylindrical passages FIG. 20 . In this respect, the intersections of thesemi-cylindrical passages knurled portions access openings line 306. - As indicated in broken lines in
FIG. 21 , theouter housing section 302 can be pivoted upward about its connectingpin 303 to open the confinement passage and enable theline 306 to be inserted into or removed from the housing in a lateral direction. This facilitates changing of lines when necessary or desirable. Among other things, this enables a winch, which may normally be dedicated to performing a single function, to be quickly connected to a different line in order to perform a different function. Such multi-functionality can be very useful in an emergency, for example, and also to perform functions that are only infrequently necessary, such as occasional tightening of the halyard of a furling jib. To facilitate exchanging of lines, the winding drum may be provided with a projection (not shown) forming a restricted space between the projection and the drum surface. A line, which may have a whipped end portion, is inserted into the restricted spaced and frictionally gripped between the projection and the drum surface. The line is effectively locked onto the winch drum after one or more turns are wound. Alternatively, the end of the line may have a splice, knot, or attachment device (not shown) for securing the line end to the winding drum of the winch. In some or all cases, the end of the line may have an enlargement which will not pass through theconfinement passage housing section 302 to an open position, however, opens up the passage and allows a line to be removed or inserted laterally from thelevel wind housing 300, thus obviating any problem posed by an enlargement at the end of the line. - In the illustrated form of the invention the two
housing parts thumb screw 313. To open the housing, thethumb screw 313 is backed out until itsstem 314 is free of the fixedhousing section 301, after which thesection 302 can be pivoted upward as necessary to release theline 306 and allow it to be removed. When the housing is re-closed, thethumb screw 313 is tightened to re-secure the housing sections in closed configuration. Thegears - As indicated in
FIG. 20 , thegear 309 andknurled cylinder 311 are slideably connected tosquare shaft 130, which is driven by one-way clutch 131 as heretofore described. Accordingly, when the winch is operated in the easing or letting out direction, thegears knurled cylinders line 306, it is nevertheless subjected to tension by being gripped between thecylinders gears cylinders square shaft 130 because the one-way clutch is operating in the non-driving direction. However, the friction inherent in the operation of thegears knurled cylinders line 306, serves to impart a desired level of resistance tension to the incoming line, such that it is wound snuggly onto the winding drum of the winch. - The new winch mechanism incorporates a number of unique and very advantageous features. Among them is the ability to operate the winch under power in all phases of line handling, including the controlled release of line from the winch, with no manual intervention from crew members. The winch enables lines to be wound and stored on the winding drum, so as to be out of the way and so as not to pose a danger to crew members. With conventional winches, the numerous line manipulations involved in effecting line adjustments, whether taking in or letting out, and whether operating manually or under power, present many opportunities for missteps, especially (but by no means exclusively) with inexperienced crew members. There is significant potential for injury and/or equipment damage, increasing exponentially as wind velocities increase. With the winch of the present invention, lines can be taken in and stored on the winch drum, and controllably released from the drum, all by remote control under electrical or hydraulic power, with no manual handling of the lines required at any stage. This represents an important advance for the safety of crew members in charge of handling the lines.
- The new winch takes full advantage of the use of modern, hi-tech lines, made of Kevlar, polyester, and other high strength materials. This enables the use of lines of about one-half the diameter of older, more conventional lines, providing for greater line storage capacity on the winch drum, and less windage and weight aloft which reduces heeling angles. In addition to greater strength, the new lines have less stretch and thus enable more accurate sail settings.
- The ability to positively strip line off of the winch during line releasing operations is particularly important and beneficial because, among other things, it allows practical and effective power operation of the winch during release of line from storage on a winding drum. This facilitates very precise adjustment of the lines for continued refinement of sail trim and makes the entire operation very simple and risk free as compared to conventional winch and line handling. Moreover, this feature enables a unified control of winches on opposite sides of a yacht such that, during tacking and gybing for example, line may automatically be let out at one winch and taken in at the other, without any crew intervention. An entire tacking or gybing operation, which at times can be fraught with problems and risk of injury, is reduced to the operation of a single remote control, with no physical handling of the lines. This represents a major advance in sail handling aboard sailing yachts, particularly in the medium to large sizes, where the forces on running rigging lines can be dangerously large.
- The performance of tacks and gybes using a single, unified control for automatically releasing line at one winch and retrieving at the other makes it possible for a yacht to be safely single handed, inasmuch as the necessary winch operations may be controlled by the helmsman without leaving the helming station. It also makes the handling of a yacht safer and more convenient when operating with a small and/or inexperienced crew or, for that matter, even with highly experienced crew.
- The ability the new winch to wind and store line tightly and neatly on a winding drum, and to controllably release the line from such drum, has important advantages as compared to conventional winches. Among them, when lines are coiled and recoiled after operations with a conventional winch, the lines frequently become twisted, which can result in knotting and jamming when the line is passed through pulleys. In emergency conditions this can lead to serious problems. A further important advantage is derived from the unique form of level wind mechanism that imparts resistance to incoming line, and tension to outgoing line. Resistance to incoming line assures tight, neatly formed coils without crossovers, which have the potential for causing the line to jam, requiring the yacht to be turned off course and held into the wind to enable the jam to be cleared. Applying tension to outgoing line assures that the line is properly stripped off the winch drum during “unwinding” rotations of the drum, to avoid re-winding of line in the wrong direction and the probable resulting jam-up.
- Increased safety is a significant advantage of the new winch. Even with highly experienced crew, sail handling operations with conventional winches always have the potential for causing serious injury. For example, if control of the line is lost because of a surprise wind gust or the like, recovery of the line can be difficult and dangerous. Or, if fingers of a crew member become trapped between the line and the winch body, serious injury may result. With the new winch, the lines are always under complete control and crew members do not need to be handling lines in the vicinity of the winch drum (if at all) and thus are not exposed to the risks involved with conventional winches.
- The new winch also has the potential for increasing sailing activities for a variety of individuals who currently are either unwilling or unable to exert the efforts required for operating a typical sailing yacht. In addition to single handers, there is a large class of elderly sailors who will be able to safely and comfortably handle a yacht equipped with the new winchs, who might otherwise have chosen to retire from sailing activities or at least significantly restrict such activities. The ability to tack and gybe a yacht automatically, without physically handling the operative lines, makes it very much feasible for sailors to extend their sailing activities much later in life then otherwise. Additionally, by eliminating most of the physical activities from sail handling operations, the new winch can make sailing more comparable to power boating, for example, which some parties currently may view as preferable to sailing because of the apparent ease of operation of a power boat as compared to a conventional sailing yacht.
- In the illustrated form of the invention, the winch is designed for use primarily in a power mode, with the alternate manual operation being provided principally as an emergency backup, in case of failure of the onboard power systems. However, it is contemplated that, for certain smaller sizes of yachts, the power drive may be eliminated altogether, with the winch being designed to be operated exclusively on a manual basis but otherwise incorporating features of the invention. In a similar manner, the winch of the invention may be designed for operation exclusively in a power mode, without providing mechanisms for backup manual operation. Such a winch can be provided at lower cost to yachtsmen willing to accept the risk of an occasional shipboard power malfunction.
- The winch of the invention also may be provided in an alternative configuration in which the gear box is mounted above deck, especially (although not necessarily) where the winches are designed and intended to be operated exclusively in a manual mode.
- Whether in the form illustrated herein, or in an alternative, manual-only form or power-only form, the new winch provides for significantly greater convenience and safety in the operation of a sailing yacht virtually eliminating the physical handling of lines during tacking, gybing and other maneuvers. Retrieval and easing of lines is accomplished exclusively by rotation of the winch drum, and not, as with conventional winches, by physical handling of the line itself, and excess line remains at all times wound on the winch drum instead of collecting haphazardly in the cockpit.
- The specifically illustrated form of the new winch is focused largely on intended uses for trimming of sheets and halyards. However, the basic novel features of the winding drum and level wind arrangement can be easily adapted for other elements of running rigging, such as reefing lines, cunningham, outhaul, etc.
- It should thus be understood that the specific form of the invention herein illustrated and described is representative only of the basic principles of the invention, and reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention.
Claims (16)
1. A sail managing winch for handling running rigging lines of a sailing yacht, which comprises
a winding drum rotatable about a winding axis for winding and storing a line,
a bi-directional power drive mechanism for controllably rotating said winding drum in line winding and unwinding directions,
a level-wind mechanism positioned closely adjacent to said winding drum and operated synchronously with rotations of said drum,
said level-wind mechanism including a line guide mechanism adapted to receive and confine said line under sail handling conditions and movable parallel to said winding axis with a reciprocating motion to apply said line in uniform coils on said drum as said line is being retrieved and stored,
said line guide mechanism including a vertically movable housing defining a passage for confinement of said line and further including a pair of rotational elements mounted within said housing and having opposed rotational surfaces gripping opposite sides of said line,
said housing having separable portions to accommodate opening of said passage for inserting and removing said line, and
said line guide mechanism further including a drive, operative in accordance with rotations of said drum in a line unwinding direction, to rotate said rotational elements in a direction to apply tension to line being unwound from said drum, to assist in the release and clearance of line from said drum during line unwinding operations.
2. A winch according to claim 1 , wherein
(a) said rotational elements are driven by a one-way clutch operative to drive said rotational elements only when said drum is rotating in a line-unwinding direction.
3. A winch according to claim 2 , wherein
a drive shaft extends adjacent said winding drum and generally parallel thereto,
said drive shaft is driven by said one-way clutch,
one of said rotational elements is mounted for slideable movement along said drive shaft during reciprocations of said line guide mechanism, and is connected for rotation with said drive shaft, and,
the other of said rotational elements is driven by said one of said rotational elements.
4. A winch according to claim 3 , wherein
said housing includes a first portion housing said one rotational element and a second portion housing said other rotational elements,
said rotational elements including meshing gears,
said second housing portion being pivotally joined with said first housing portion to enable separation of said housing portions to disengage said gears and to open said passage.
5. A sail managing winch for handling running rigging lines of a sailing yacht, which comprises
a winding drum rotatable about a winding axis for winding and storing a line,
a bi-directional power drive mechanism for controllably rotating said winding drum in line winding and unwinding directions,
a level-wind mechanism positioned closely adjacent to said winding drum and operated synchronously with rotations of said drum,
said level-wind mechanism including a vertically movable housing defining a passage for confinement of said line and further including at least one rotational element mounted within said housing and having a rotational surface positioned in gripping engagement with said line,
said housing having a separable portion to accommodate opening of said passage for inserting and removing said line in a direction transverse to an axis of said line, and
said line guide mechanism further including a line guide drive, operative in accordance with rotations of said drum in a line unwinding direction, to rotate said rotational element in a direction to apply tension to line being unwound from said drum, to assist in the release and clearance of line from said drum during line unwinding operations.
6. A sail managing winch according to claim 5 , wherein
a pair of rotational elements are mounted within said housing and positioned to engage opposite sides of a line confined by said passage, and
one of said rotational elements is driven by said line guide drive and the other of said rotational elements is driven by said one of said rotational elements.
7. A sail managing winch according to claim 6 , wherein
said rotational elements include gear portions of a first diameter normally positioned in meshing relation and line engaging portions of a second diameter smaller than said first diameter normally positioned in gripping engagement with said line,
said housing comprises a first portion mounting said one of said rotational elements and said separable portion mounting said other of said rotational elements,
said rotational elements being separated and disengaged when said separable portion of said housing is separated from said first portion thereof.
8. A sail managing winch according to claim 7 , wherein
said separable housing portion is pivotally connected to said first housing portion, and
said passage is formed in part by each of said housing portions, and
said housing portions fully surround said line when said housing portions are joined is a closed relation.
9. A sail managing winch according to claim 8 , wherein
said rotational elements are substantially fully enclosed within said housing portions,
each of said housing portions has an access opening communicating with a central portion of said passage, and
limited areas of the line-engaging portions of said rotational elements are exposed at said access openings for gripping a line confined in said passage.
10. A sail managing winch for handling running rigging lines of a sailing yacht, which comprises
a winding drum rotatable about a winding axis for winding and storing a line,
a bi-directional power drive mechanism for controllably rotating said winding drum in line winding and unwinding directions,
a level-wind mechanism positioned closely adjacent to said winding drum and operated synchronously with rotations of said drum,
said level-wind mechanism including a line guide mechanism adapted to receive and confine said line under sail handling conditions and movable parallel to said winding axis with a reciprocating motion to apply said line in uniform coils on said drum as said line is being retrieved and stored,
said winding drum being operable alternatively by said power drive mechanism or by a manual mechanism, to accommodate operation of the winch in the event of power failure or malfunction,
a primary drive sleeve extending axially through said winding drum and drivingly connected therewith such that said winding drum normally rotates with said drive sleeve,
a primary drive clutch associated with the lower end of said drive sleeve for controllably connecting said drive sleeve with said power drive mechanism,
said primary drive clutch comprising a vertically movable power shaft element formed with a non-circular upper end portion,
said primary drive sleeve having a downwardly opening non-circular recess for non-rotational reception of said non-circular upper end portion,
a resilient element urging said power shaft element upward toward said non-circular recess,
a vertically movable control stem extending axially through said drive sleeve and associated at a lower end thereof with said power shaft element to control the vertical position of said power shaft element,
said control stem being operative, upon controlled movement thereof in a downward direction, to displace said power shaft element downward and disengage said primary drive clutch to enable manual rotation of said drive sleeve, and
said control stem being operative, upon controlled movement thereof in an upward direction to enable displacement of said power shaft element in an upward direction by said resilient element to enable said power shaft element to be drivingly coupled with the non-circular recess in said drive sleeve.
11. A sail managing winch according to claim 10 , wherein
a drive socket is associated with an upper end of said primary drive sleeve and is adapted for reception of a winch handle for manually rotating said drive sleeve in a winding-in direction of line on said winding drum,
said control stem extends axially through said drive sleeve and is associated at an upper end thereof with said drive socket,
said drive socket being operative, upon initial manual rotation thereof in said winding-in direction, to axially displace said control stem an a downward direction to effect disengagement of said power shaft element from said primary drive sleeve and thereafter to rotate said primary drive sleeve and said winding drum.
12. A sail managing winch according to claim 10 , wherein
said vertically movable power shaft element is formed with an enlarged upper end portion of polygonal cross section, and
said downwardly opening recess in said primary drive sleeve having a polygonal cross section corresponding substantially in size and shape to the size and shape of said enlarged upper end portion.
13. A sail managing winch according to claim 12 , wherein
said polygonal cross sections are square.
14. A sail managing winch according to claim 12 , wherein
said control stem is formed with an enlarged flange adjacent its lower end bearing upon the top surface of said power shaft element,
said power shaft element is formed with a pilot recess in its top surface, and
said control stem is formed with a pilot projection extending downward from said enlarged flange and received in said pilot recess.
15. A sail managing winch according to claim 10 , wherein
an adjustable secondary clutch is positioned in a space between said primary drive sleeve and said winding drum to control the torque transmitted to the winding drum by said primary drive sleeve, and
a rotary element is positioned at a top of the winch to effect adjustment of said secondary clutch.
16. A sail managing winch according to claim 15 , wherein
said winding drum is manually rotatable only in a winding-in direction, and
said secondary clutch is actuated in order to release line from said winding drum during manual operations of said winch.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US13/249,549 US20120080652A1 (en) | 2007-06-07 | 2011-09-30 | Line storing yacht winch with tension-applying level wind mechanism |
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/759,398 US7717402B2 (en) | 2007-06-07 | 2007-06-07 | Line handling winch for sailing yachts |
US12/722,285 US7913979B2 (en) | 2007-06-07 | 2010-03-11 | Sailboat winch with self-storage of working line |
US12/909,557 US8066261B2 (en) | 2007-06-07 | 2010-10-21 | Mechanism for alternative power or manual operation of a yacht winch |
US13/249,549 US20120080652A1 (en) | 2007-06-07 | 2011-09-30 | Line storing yacht winch with tension-applying level wind mechanism |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/909,557 Continuation-In-Part US8066261B2 (en) | 2007-06-07 | 2010-10-21 | Mechanism for alternative power or manual operation of a yacht winch |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20120080652A1 true US20120080652A1 (en) | 2012-04-05 |
Family
ID=45889020
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/249,549 Abandoned US20120080652A1 (en) | 2007-06-07 | 2011-09-30 | Line storing yacht winch with tension-applying level wind mechanism |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US20120080652A1 (en) |
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US20130313495A1 (en) * | 2010-10-11 | 2013-11-28 | Pontos | Capstan comprising means for assessing the tension of a line wound around it and means for the automatic selection of at least one speed as a function of said tension. |
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US20140284531A1 (en) * | 2013-03-15 | 2014-09-25 | Robert Hoyt | Orbital Winch |
US9676589B2 (en) | 2014-04-04 | 2017-06-13 | Richard Lee Chachere | Device and method usable for installing cable into a winch spool |
US10405609B2 (en) * | 2016-03-15 | 2019-09-10 | Nike, Inc. | Transmission for motorized tensioning system of article of footwear |
US20200017339A1 (en) * | 2018-07-12 | 2020-01-16 | Hall Labs, Llc | Resealable Line Guide |
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2011
- 2011-09-30 US US13/249,549 patent/US20120080652A1/en not_active Abandoned
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US20130313495A1 (en) * | 2010-10-11 | 2013-11-28 | Pontos | Capstan comprising means for assessing the tension of a line wound around it and means for the automatic selection of at least one speed as a function of said tension. |
US20140252153A1 (en) * | 2013-03-06 | 2014-09-11 | Yangzhou Yuansheng Machinery Co., Ltd. | Externally-Adjustable Fishing Reel Drive Gear Pair Backlash Adjustment Mechanism |
US9271483B2 (en) * | 2013-03-06 | 2016-03-01 | Yangzhou Yuansheng Machinery Co., Ltd. | Externally-adjustable fishing reel drive gear pair backlash adjustment mechanism |
US10233061B2 (en) | 2013-03-08 | 2019-03-19 | Warn Industries, Inc. | Remote winch clutch system |
US20140252286A1 (en) * | 2013-03-08 | 2014-09-11 | Warn Industries, Inc. | Remote Winch Clutch System |
US10618784B2 (en) | 2013-03-08 | 2020-04-14 | Warn Industries, Inc. | Remote winch clutch system |
US9315364B2 (en) * | 2013-03-08 | 2016-04-19 | Warn Industries, Inc. | Remote winch clutch system |
US9238572B2 (en) * | 2013-03-15 | 2016-01-19 | Tethers Unlimited Inc. | Orbital winch |
US20140284531A1 (en) * | 2013-03-15 | 2014-09-25 | Robert Hoyt | Orbital Winch |
US9676589B2 (en) | 2014-04-04 | 2017-06-13 | Richard Lee Chachere | Device and method usable for installing cable into a winch spool |
US10405609B2 (en) * | 2016-03-15 | 2019-09-10 | Nike, Inc. | Transmission for motorized tensioning system of article of footwear |
US11209070B2 (en) * | 2016-03-15 | 2021-12-28 | Nike, Inc | Transmission for motorized tensioning system of article of footwear |
US20200017339A1 (en) * | 2018-07-12 | 2020-01-16 | Hall Labs, Llc | Resealable Line Guide |
US10717634B2 (en) * | 2018-07-12 | 2020-07-21 | Hall Labs Llc | Releasable line guide |
US11485518B2 (en) * | 2020-04-06 | 2022-11-01 | Workhorse Group Inc. | Flying vehicle systems and methods |
CN113104667A (en) * | 2021-04-27 | 2021-07-13 | 李恩彦 | Computer cable winding device and control method thereof |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |