Winch operating handle

An improved winch of the type which is useful in tightening and adjusting ropes, rigging, lines and sheets comprising;

• a winch mounting post having a hollow interior and a through aperture from end to end, means for mounting said post to a fixed support, a winch member having a through passageway and being rotatably mounted on the post with the post extending into the passageway of the winch member, a portion of the winch member extending beyond the post and having the surfaces thereof forming part of the passageway with a non-circular cross-section, the outer surface of the winch member overlying the non-circular cross-section portion and the post extending within the passageway, the outer surface of the winch forming the operable bearing surface for adjusting of the ropes, riggings, lines and sheets, a crank member having a shaft portion which has a non-circular cross-section complementary with the shape of the non-circular portion of the passageway and interengageable therewith so that meshing of the shaft with the surfaces forming the non-circular portion of the passageway and rotation of the shaft causes rotation of the winch member, a handle member hinged to the upper end of the shaft portion so as to pivot between an operating position at right angles with the shaft portion to facilitate rotation of the shaft portion and winch member and an inoperative stowable position projecting from the end of the shaft portion in alignment with the axis thereof, said handle portion having a size and configuration so as to fit through the passageway in the winch member so that when it is in an inoperative stowed position the crank member including the handle portion extends downwardly through the passageway in the winch member, the through aperture in the post, and a communicating opening in the support to its stowed position with only a minimum projection thereabove.