Self-tailing winch

Abstract

A self-tailing winch assembly that is either combined with the winch drum or which forms a removable apparatus for use therewith that is adapted for controlling the line extending from an object to be pulled by rotation of the winch drum in the normal manner causing the line to be grasped by one or more rollers thereby pulling the line away from the winch.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A self-tailing sailboat winch assembly comprising in combination: a capstan type winch having an open end,   .Iadd.said capstan type winch together having .Iaddend.a rotative drum about which turns of a section of a rope are manually applied and thereafter require.[.:   pull continuously.]. .Iadd.continuous pull of said rope .Iaddend.to maintain traction of said turns with .[.the.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.rope receiving surface of said drum and while said drum is rotated, .Iadd.and .Iaddend.pull .Iadd.of said rope .Iaddend.while removing and pushing away the rope which exits said drum,   .[.a conventional tailing procedure and optionally,   said tailing is performed by said winch by engaging a section of said rope between   elements of self-tailing means provided therefore in combination with said winch comprising:.]. .Iadd.   elements means which provides self-tailing of said rope off of said winch comprising, .Iaddend.   at least one offstanding roller driven by said winch to rotate with said drum,   .[.an included.]. pinch-finger means .Iadd.to pinch a section of rope .Iaddend.having spring biasing means .Iadd.to bias said pinch-finger means, .Iaddend.said pinch-finger means .[.can be a pinch-roller, said pinch-roller may also be driven by said winch to rotate with said winch drum,.]. cooperating with said at least one offstanding roller driven by said winch to pinch a section of said rope .Iadd.therebetween, and .Iaddend.retain and pull said rope exiting said winch .[.drum.]. and push it away while said drum is rotated,   carrier means .[.for.]. .Iadd.supporting .Iaddend.said .Iadd.at least one .Iaddend.offstanding roller and said pinch-finger means, .[.include carriers thereof that are caused by said pull on said rope to move relative to said rope to apply additional pinch force on said rope in a self-energizing manner,.]. .Iadd.and including carriers .Iaddend.   said carriers are .[., optionally,.]. caused by said pull .[.on.]. .Iadd.of .Iaddend.said rope to move toward said winch to engage drive means to power said at least one offstanding roller and .Iadd.said carriers .Iaddend.retract therefrom by .Iadd.said .Iaddend.spring biasing means when said rope is disengaged from said self-tailing elements.   said drive means, which may consist of .[.obvious.]. rotative drive trains for coupling .[.the.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.drive of said winch to said at least one offstanding roller, .Iadd.and .Iaddend.includes the use of the flange of said drum adjacent the base of said winch and rotative elements coupled to said flange used to drive said .Iadd.at least one .Iaddend.offstanding roller,   support means for retaining and constraining movement of said carrier means for said at least one offstanding roller and said carrier means for said pinch-finger means, .Iadd.and .Iaddend.said spring biasing means.[., the portion of said drive means for said at least one offstanding roller which engages the remaining portion of said drive means,.].   sub-support means .[.an off-center extension of the base of said winch, fixed to the base support of said winch drum, adapted to sub-support, in a manner.]. providing for quick removal and quick attachment, of .[.said support means.]. all  .Iadd.above mentioned .Iaddend.elements assembled to said support .Iadd.means. .Iaddend..[.included,   said base support includes support means for said remaining portion of said drive means for said at least one roller,   said support means may be adapted to be mounted to said winch without said sub-support..].   
     
     
       2. Apparatus for rendering a sailboat winch selftailing comprising: at least one offstanding roller having a drive train arranged to engage and be driven by an end flange of a sailboat winch drum .Iadd.which is .Iaddend.adjacent the supporting base of said sailboat winch drum, .[.to rotate.]. .Iadd.and which said at least one offstanding roller rotates .Iaddend.with said .[.drum.]. .Iadd.sailboat winch, .Iaddend.   .[.an included.]. pinch-finger means .Iadd.to pinch a section of rope and .Iaddend.having spring biasing means, .Iadd.to bias said pinch-finger means, .Iaddend.said pinch-finger means .[.can be a pinch-roller, said pinch-roller may also be driven by said end flange to rotate with said winch drum,.]. cooperating with said at least one offstanding roller to pinch and retain a section of .[.a.]. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.rope .Iadd.therebetween .Iaddend.and pull said rope exiting said winch .[.drum.]. and push it away while said .[.winch.]. drum is rotated,   carrier means .[.for.]. .Iadd.supporting .Iaddend.said .Iadd.at least one .Iaddend.offstanding roller and said pinch-finger means .[.include.]. .Iadd.and including .Iaddend.carriers .[.thereof that are caused to move by said pull on said rope to apply additional pinch force on said rope in a self-energizing manner.].,   said carriers are .[.optionally.]. caused by said pull .[.on.]. .Iadd.of .Iaddend.said rope to move toward the winch to engage drive means to power said at least one offstanding roller and .Iadd.said carriers .Iaddend.retract therefrom when said rope is disengaged from between said .Iadd.at least one .Iaddend.offstanding roller and said .[.included.]. pinch-finger means,   .Iadd.said .Iaddend.means may consist of various drive trains .[.obvious.]. for coupling the drive of said .Iadd.at least one .Iaddend.offstanding roller to .[.a.]. .Iadd.the .Iaddend.winch and includes the use of the end flange of the winch drum adjacent the base of a winch and rotative drive elements coupled to said .Iadd.end .Iaddend.flange used to drive said at least one offstanding roller,   support means for.[.:.]. retaining and constraining movement of said carriers of said at least one offstanding roller and said .[.included.].  pinch-finger means, .Iadd.and said .Iaddend.spring biasing means, .[.that portion of said drive means which engages a winch drum flange portion of said drive means,.].     sub-support means adapted to be mounted adjacent .[.a.]. .Iadd.the .Iaddend.winch and further adapted to sub-support, in a manner providing for quick removal and quick attachment, said support means, .Iadd.and .Iaddend.all elements assembled to said support .Iadd.means. .Iaddend..[.included,   said support means may be adapted to be mounted adjacent a winch, without said sub-support..]. .Iadd.  3. A self-tailing winch assembly, comprising:   at least one drum mounted for rotation about a fixed axis extending from a base, said drum having an open unobstructed end, a flange adjacent said base, and a line-receiving portion disposed between said flange and said open end,   support means mounted adjacent said drum for supporting said winch assembly,   line grasping means to engage a line mounted on said support means and disposed in spaced-apart relation to said drum, said line grasping means including first and second grasping assemblies, said first grasping assembly including at least one roller,   said support means further including a carrier assembly moveably mounting said second grasping assembly,   drive means including means for drivingly interconnecting said flange and said one roller,   said carrier assembly further including biasing means operably engaging at least one of said grasping assemblies and normally biasing said one roller and said second grasping assembly into closer relationship with one another to releasibly grip said line extending therebetween from the drum whereby the line so gripped is drawn away from the drum upon rotation of the drum. .Iaddend..Iadd. 4. A self-tailing winch assembly as in claim 3 wherein said second grasping assembly comprises at least one pinch finger. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 5. A self-tailing winch assembly as in claim 3 wherein said second grasping assembly comprises at least one pinch roller, said pinch roller being rotatably mounted on said carrier assembly and normally biased toward said one roller to grasp a line therebetween. .Iaddend..Iadd. 6. A self-tailing winch assembly as in claim 5 wherein said one pinch roller is caused to rotate concurrently with said one roller as the line passes therebetween and in contact with both. .Iaddend..Iadd. 7. A self-tailing winch assembly as in claim 5 wherein said drive means includes means drivingly connecting said one pinch roller and said flange. .Iaddend..Iadd. 8. The self-tailing winch assembly as in claim 3 wherein said first grasping assembly further comprises another carrier assembly mounting said one roller for movement into and out of driving relation with said flange. .Iaddend..Iadd. 9. The self-tailing winch assembly as in claim 8 further comprising means for moving said one roller into driving engagement with said flange when said line is gripped between said one roller and said second grasping assembly and out of such engagement when the line is removed therefrom. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 10. The self-tailing winch assembly as in claim 8 wherein said second grasping assembly comprises at least one pinch roller, said pinch roller being rotatably mounted on said carrier assembly and normally biased toward said one roller to grasp a line therebetween. .Iaddend..Iadd. 11. The self-tailing winch assembly as in claim 10 wherein said second grasping assembly further comprises another carrier assembly mounting said pinch roller for movement into and out of driving engagement with said flange. .Iaddend..Iadd. 12. The self-tailing winch assembly as in claim 11 further comprising means for moving said another carrier assembly of said second grasping assembly, which moves said pinch roller into driving relation with said flange in response to engagement and disengagement of said line between said first and second grasping assemblies. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 13. An accessory for use with a winch of the type having at least one drum mounted for rotation about a fixed axis extending from a base, said drum having an open unobstructed end, a flange adjacent said base, and a line-receiving portion disposed between said flange and said open end, the accessory comprising,   support means mounted adjacent said drum for supporting said accessory,   line grasping means to engage a line mounted on said support means and disposed in spaced-apart relation to said drum, said line grasping means including first and second grasping assemblies, said first grasping assembly including at least one roller,   said support means further including a carrier assembly moveably mounting said second grasping assembly,   drive means including means for drivingly interconnecting the flange on the winch and said one roller,   said carrier assembly further including biasing means operably engaging at least one of said grasping assemblies and normally biasing said one roller and said second grasping assembly into closer relationship with one another to releasibly grip said line extending therebetween from the drum whereby said line so gripped is drawn away from the drum upon rotation of the drum. .Iaddend..Iadd. 14. The accessory as in claim 13 wherein said second grasping assembly comprises at least one pinch finger. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 15. The accessory as in claim 13 wherein said second grasping assembly comprises at least one pinch roller, said pinch roller being rotatably mounted on said carrier assembly and normally biased toward said one roller to grasp a line therebetween. .Iaddend..Iadd. 16. The accessory as in claim 15 wherein said one pinch roller is caused to rotate concurrently with said one roller as the line passes therebetween and in contact with both. .Iaddend..Iadd. 17. The accessory as in claim 15 wherein said drive means includes means drivingly connecting said one pinch roller and the flange on the winch. .Iaddend..Iadd. 18. The accessory as in claim 16 wherein said first grasping assembly further comprises another carrier assembly mounting said one roller for movement into and out of driving relation with the flange on the winch. .Iaddend..Iadd. 19. The accessory as in claim 18 further comprising means for moving said one roller into driving engagement with said flange when said line is gripped between said one roller and said second grasping assembly and out of such engagement when the line is removed therefrom. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 20. The accessory as in claim 18 wherein said second grasping assembly comprises at least one pinch roller, said pinch roller being rotatably mounted on said carrier assembly and normally biased toward said one roller to grasp a line therebetween. .Iaddend..Iadd. 21. The accessory as in claim 20 wherein said second grasping assembly comprises another carrier assembly further mounting said pinch roller for movement into and out of driving engagement with said flange. .Iaddend..Iadd. 22. The accessory as in claim 21 further comprising means for moving said another carrier assembly of said second grasping assembly, which moves said pinch roller into and out of driving relation with said flange. .Iaddend.