Abstract: A resilient ring is provided as an attachment to fit around the barrel of a winch for jamming the end turn of a loaded rope wound around the barrel against the adjacent turn thereby obviating the need to apply manual tension to the tail of the rope.

Abstract: The present winch may be a so-called single speed or double speed winch. The rope, which loops around a clamping roller with a looping angle smaller than 360.degree., is operated by at least one power system controlled by a control system through a spring clutch. The control system can close the spring clutch for full power transmission or open the spring clutch completely to interrupt the power train from the power system to the clamping roller. In addition the clutch may be opened partially to control the power transmission for precisely rotating the clamping roller in both rotational directions and stopping the clamping roller in any desired angular position.

Abstract: A long life crab pot hauling system is provided with longer life than before available in a harsh salt water marine environment and with operation from an energy saving low power gasoline motor capable of dislodging a crab pot from the bottom of a body of water and hauling it up into a vessel without stalling. This is accomplished by a line hauler sheave having a heavy flywheel effect provided by a pair of separated flywheels of cast iron or the like between which is affixed respectively to each flywheel a pair of replaceable sheave members of a salt water and wear resistant material such as stainless steel forming an inclined groove for frictionally receiving the hauling line therebetween with said flywheel-sheave assembly being driven by the low power gasoline motor that can be readily carried on a small boat or skiff that services a line of crab pots. Only the sheave members are replaced after wear or corrosion caused by the lines.

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.