Abstract: A self-tailing winch of the type having a stationary frame and a rotatable drum. The tail of the rope or sheet is held in a groove between a pair of toroidal shaped gripping diaphrams of elastomeric material. There is a free space between each diaphram and the surface behind it whereby initial feeding of the sheet deflects the diaphrams into the free spaces. As the sheet moves toward the root of the groove, the resultant filling of the groove distorts the diaphrams against a greater reactive force.

Abstract: A variable speed winch including a uni-directional drum rotatable initially by the clockwise motion of a handle in a clockwise sense only. The winch also includes a gear selector including a control plate rotatable with respect to the drum into an extreme clockwise position wherein a first gear ratio is selected. The gear selector further includes ratchet structure, splined to a shaft rotatable by the handle. The ratchet structure is slidable axially with respect to the shaft under the influence of a cam structure responsive to the relative angular displacements of the handle with respect to the control plate. The control plate has recesses engageable by respective spring-loaded balls captively supported by the ratchet structure. The balls are adapted to enter and lock within the recesses in response to an anti-clockwise rotation of the handle sufficient to cause axial sliding of the ratchet structure, with respect to the shaft, under the influence of the cam structure.