Line storing yacht winch with tension-applying level wind mechanism

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.

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.