Abstract: A winch having one orbital gear or one set of orbital gears to transmit drive from a drive shaft to a drum in which the orbital gear or a gear of the set of orbital gears transmits drive to the drum at different drive ratios from the drive shaft in accordance with the direction of rotation of the drive shaft. The orbital gear or set of orbital gears is/are double gears engaged with a stationary gear ring and a drivable gear ring. Transmission of drive is either from a carrier of the gear(s) or from the drivable gear ring depending on the direction of rotation of the drive shaft.

Abstract: A single mechanism mounted at the head of a winch has a double-selector function, allowing either 1st or 2nd ratio of drive to a drum to be selected upon initial rotation of the drive shaft. The mechanism is mounted coaxially with the drum and shaft and has coaxial inner and outer control buttons. Its body can be mounted on the end of the drive shaft from above.

Abstract: A winch has two portions of respectively different diameters. A ridge between them permits line to be flipped from the larger diameter portion to the other. Surface treatments of the two portions may be different, with that on the larger diameter portion being less aggressive than that on the smaller.

Abstract: A winch has a final epicyclic reduction drive to its drum. The planetary gearing of the drive is borne in a web of the drum. Input to the final drive is via a ring driven either directly from a drive shaft or via reduction drive trains spaced axially from the final drive in the base of the drum. The drum may be of carbon-fibre material.

Abstract: Planetary gears of an epicyclic drive train of a winch which drive a drum of the winch through a carrier which is at all times constrained to rotate with the drum, are used to keep a feeder/stripper arm of a self-tailing channel of a winch from rotating, by engagement between secondary gears and a gear ring associated with the feeder/stripper arm.

Abstract: A block for line-handling comprises two cheeks and a rotatable sheave sandwiched between the two cheeks. The two cheeks mate together through a central aperture of the sheave by a relative rotation of the cheeks via a bayonet fitting. The mated cheeks are secured to each other by fixing pins, which also secure a swivel attachment member to the block. Bearing elements are used for rotatably supporting the sheave to prevent its translational movement relative to the cheeks.

Abstract: A hinge assembly for counter-balancing a panel e.g. a hatch cover of a boat when the latter is rotated about a horizontal axis has levers pivotally attached to the panel, to the deck and to each other, with a torsion spring arranged coaxially on the pivot between the two levers. Also at that pivot axis a friction brake is provided.

Abstract: A rope clutch having a plurality of apertured pivoted plates which grip or release a rope passing through their apertures according to the angle they make to the rope, has a mechanism for initiating release of the rope which includes a variable toggle linkage.

Abstract: A manually powered winch has two geared drive trains. Both originate from a simple set of gear teeth (7) formed into the diameter of a drive input shaft (5). The final drive, common to both gear trains, to an internal gear track (18) on the drum (3) of the winch is one part (12) of a two-part gear (8,12). The part (12) is directly borne by a hub (20) on an axle (10) in the winch. Its gear teeth are on the outer face of an annulus (22) on the inner face of which are ratchets (14) of a pawl-and-ratchet uni-directional drive (14,16) between the two parts (8,12). The other part (8) of the two-part gear is preferably borne not directly on the axle (10) but on the hub (20) of the part (12).

Abstract: A manually powered winch has two geared drive trains. Both originate from a simple set of gear teeth (7) formed into the diameter of a drive input shaft (5). The final drive, common to both gear trains, to an internal gear track (18) on the drum (3) of the winch is one part (12) of a two-part gear (8,12). The part (12) is directly borne by a hub (20) on an axle (10) in the winch. Its gear teeth are on the outer face of an annulus (22) on the inner face of which are ratchets (14) of a pawl-and-ratchet unidirectional drive (14,16) between the two parts (8,12). The other part (8) of the two-part gear is preferably borne not directly on the axle (10) but on the hub (20) of the part (12).

Abstract: A distributor for independent plural drive inputs (14,15) to plural drive outputs (12,13), especially for sailing craft, enables permutation of drives e.g. both to one output, both to the other or independently to each. Dog clutches (34-37) are engageable with both sides of the drive input sprockets (14,15) in various combinations. They are controlled by rotational setting of a cam shaft (20) with a plurality of face cams (21-24) respectively interacting with cam-follower discs (30-33) on the dog clutches.

Abstract: A winch has four drive trains of progressively increasing mechanical advantage between its drive shaft (3) and drum (8). If a selector (40) is engaged, rotation of the shaft in successively opposite senses will cause automatically engagement of the first third and fourth trains in sequence. If the selector (40) is not engaged and an override control (80,81,82) is appropriately set, the sequence second, third, fourth trains is followed. But the override may be locked so that only second and third trains are engaged alternately.

Abstract: A winch having a central shaft held axially in place by keys in the form of collets, a tongue of which penetrates an aperture in a stationary column of the winch and runs in a groove in the shaft. The collets are readily assembled to the winch by being trapped in a recess under a top cap. Bolts may, in a self-tailing winch, not only restrain the collets but also a hub bearing the arm of a line guide. In a self-tailing winch, the bolts pass through passages in the collets so that the collets attach the entire winch top assembly to the casing and hold it in the desired angular position.

Abstract: A manually powered multi-speed winch has an automatic drive disengagement upon drive reversal which is provided by an axially movable member in one drive train which in a first axial position is engageable for drive transmission through a pawl and ratchet unidirectional drive means. The drive means in its drive-transmitting condition prevents movement of the member away from that first position. Upon drive reversal the unidirectional drive means is ineffective either to transmit drive or to maintain the member in its first position and it moves axially to a second position in which the drive means are disengaged. The member is biased towards that second axial position but is manually movable to the first by a control button accessible at the outside of the winch. The button may be lockable to override the automatic disengagement.

Abstract: The jaws of a self-tailing channel of a winch are each provided with teeth in the form of ribs or ridges, the teeth being on a skew and being staggered so that a tooth on one of the jaws is not opposite to a tooth on the other of the jaws. In the embodiments shown the teeth are staggered by half their pitch; in one embodiment the teeth are straight and skewed and in another are arcs on a center of curvature spaced from the central axis of the jaw. This disposition of teeth enables the jaw to accommodate to a variety of widths of rope and also provides very positive gripping of that rope without however resistance to it being stripped when desired.The disclosure also includes a novel arrangement of stripper tongue and line guide in which the stripper tongue is provided on a stationary slip ring which forms the base of the tailing channel and where the line guide entraps an end portion of the tongue and may be radially supported by it.

Abstract: A self tailing winch has a tailing channel defined by a pair of jaws one of which rotates with the drum of the winch but one of which is non-rotatable. A line guide and stripper element are associated with the non-rotatable jaw, preferably being integrally formed with it, in one piece.

Abstract: A marine shackle has a body with an integral post projecting from it, the integral post having an integral enlarged head. Retaining means for the shackle is an eye part an aperture in which can be passed freely over the head of the post. To retain the eye in the shackle a split collar is placed around the post between the aperture of the eye and the head of the post which is of dimensions such that the aperture is now not free to pass back over the head of the post. A spacer may be then positioned between the aperture of the eye and the body of the shackle to maintain the eye part permanently around the split collar. A particular conformation of latch for the closable/openable loop of the shackle is also disclosed.

Abstract: A winch has a plurality of forward drives and a reverse to its drum, all engageable from a single drive input. Respective drives are engaged by reversal of the direction of rotation of the drive input. Upon one such reversal, therefore, the reverse is automatically engaged. A preselector is provided to permit, after actuation of the preselector, the drives and the reverse to be automatically engaged in succession by successive reversals of the drive input. Locking of the drum against unwanted run back upon cessation of drive input is assured by a lost motion drive and unidirectional drive means in the reverse.

Abstract: In a multi-speed winch which has automatic uncoupling of a first drive ratio when drive input is reversed, an actuator can have an uncoupling position or one in which the first drive ratio is engaged. The actuator is resiliently urged towards the latter position so that when released from a detent which holds it in the uncoupling position it is driven to adopt the engagement position. The operator of the winch therefore does not move the actuator to the engagement position but merely is provided with means for releasing it. Reversal of the drive input when the actuator is in the engagement position causes return of the actuator to the uncoupling position, against its resilient urging. The first drive ratio is usually a 1:1 drive.

Abstract: A manually powered multi-speed winch has an automatic drive disengagement upon drive reversal which is provided by an axially movable member in one drive train which in a first axial position is engageable for drive transmission through a pawl and ratchet unidirectional drive means. The drive means in its drive-transmitting condition prevents movement of the member away from that first position. Upon drive reversal the unidirectional drive means is ineffective either to transmit drive or to maintain the member in its first position and it moves axially to a second position in which the drive means are disengaged. The member is biased towards that second axial position but is manually movable to the first by a control button accessible at the outside of the winch. The button may be lockable to override the automatic disengagement.