Method and Apparatus for Retracting Mooring Lines

Abstract

A boat mooring line dispenser comprises a reel onto which a mooring line or a respective mooring line (if there is more than one reel) can be wound. The reel has resilient biasing means urging it to rotate in a direction such as to wind in the line. A unidirectional clutch mechanism acts, when engaged, in opposition to the resilient biasing means so that the line can be drawn out and will remain in its extended condition. The unidirectional clutch can be released selectively to cause the line to be withdrawn automatically by winding it onto the reel by the resilient biasing means. A cleat, or jamming cleats secure the line when extended so that the moored vessel is held securely. A damper or brake prevents rewinding of the line at excessive speed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for storing and dispensing at least one boat mooring line, comprising:
 a reel onto which a mooring line or a respective mooring line can be wound;   resilient biasing means urging the reel to rotate in a direction such as to wind in the line;   a unidirectional clutch mechanism acting, when engaged, in opposition to the resilient biasing means;   foot-operated means for selectively disengaging the unidirectional clutch whereby to allow the line to be wound in by the said resilient biasing means; and   means for securing the line when partly withdrawn against further withdrawal from the reel.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said means for securing the line comprises a cleat fixed or fixable to a casing of the apparatus or to the boat. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said means for securing the line comprises means for locking the reel against rotation in either direction. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said means for locking the reel against rotation acts to lock said unidirectional clutch mechanism. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said resilient biasing means act to provide a substantially constant restoring force as the line is withdrawn from the reel. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein said resilient biasing means comprise a spirally wound strip spring with a reflex curvature. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein said spirally wound strip spring is carried on a spool freely rotatably mounted on a carrier member on which the said reel is also rotatably mounted, a secondary spool coaxial with and mounted for rotation with the said spool being connected to a free end of the said strip spring whereby to unwind it from the said spring carrier spool as the reel is turned in the directional sense corresponding to unwinding of the mooring line from the reel. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said unidirectional clutch is a ratchet and pawl arrangement, the ratchet teeth being formed on or carried by the said spool or on a component mounted for rotation therewith. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said pawl is urged into engagement with the ratchet teeth by pawl biasing means. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein said pawl is formed as a first order lever and said ratchet disengagement means comprise a push rod one end which is contactable with the pawl lever, the push rod being linearly displaceable between a first, or release position and a second, or ratchet engagement, position. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said push rod is independently biased towards the said ratchet engagement position. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said push rod has an exposed end remote from said one, pawl-contacting, end thereof, for effecting operation ratchet disengagement. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said client is a jamming cleat. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said reel is mounted on a reel support member which depends from a support plate mountable parallel to the deck of the boat. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said ratchet is carried on or for rotation with the secondary spool on the side of the reel support member remote from the said reel itself. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a second unidirectional clutch acts in an opposite directional sense from the said unidirectional clutch, there being means for selectively disengaging one clutch or the other to allow the line to be drawn in or paid out respectively. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said two unidirectional clutches are respective ratchet and pawl arrangements, the ratchet teeth being formed or carried by the said spool or a component mounted for rotation therewith. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said two unidirectional clutches are jamming cleats acting directly on the line itself. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said means for selectively disengaging a unidirectional clutch is operable by means of a foot pedal or foot-operated push button. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein there are provided means for damping or braking the motion of the line in at least one direction of motion. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein said damping or braking means acts on the spool or a component mounted for rotation therewith. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein said damping or braking means act to damp rotation in one direction and offer substantially no resistance to motion in the other. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein said damping or braking means act in both directions of rotation and are connected to the said spool or component mounted for rotation therewith by a unidirectional clutch. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising a reel onto which a mooring line can be wound, a constant-tension resilient biasing means for urging the reel to turn in a sense such as to wind the line onto the reel, and means for securing the line against withdrawal from the reel. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising at least one reel onto which a mooring line can be wound, the reel having two parallel spaced lateral cheeks separated by a distance not substantially greater than twice the diameter of the mooring line itself, whereby to avoid the risk of jamming of adjacent turns of the mooring line when wound onto the reel. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein there are two or more reels, for receiving respective mooring lines, in a common support structure or housing. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising a reel onto which a mooring line can be wound, resilient biasing means for urging the reel to turn in a sense such as to wind the line onto the reel, and means for securing the line against withdrawal from the reel. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein said means for securing the line against withdrawal from the reel is a rope clutch.