Anchor davit assemblies

In an anchor davit assembly of the type including an anchor support bracket for supporting an anchor in a stowed position, the improvement wherein said anchor support bracket includes:

• support means which defines a forward support surface against which a portion of said anchor bears when in said stowed position thereof;
• and
• releasable locking means operatively associated with said support means for releasably locking said anchor to said anchor support bracket and for urging said anchor poriton into bearing contact against said forward support surface of said support means, said locking means including;
• a lever;
• connection means for pivotally connecting said lever to said anchor support bracket so as to permit pivotal movements to said lever between locked and unlocked positions, and
• biasing means having one end connected to said lever rearwardly of said connection means and another end adapted to being removably interconnected to said anchor rearwardly of said forward support surface of said support means, said biasing means for (i) resiliently urging said anchor rearwardly to cause said anchor portion to be brought into bearing contact against said forward support surface of said support means of said anchor support bracket when said lever is in said locked position, and (ii) encouraging said lever to pivot in a direction towards said locked position.

A winch comprising:

• an axle;
• a spool freely rotatable about said axle;
• a handle pivotally connected at one end thereof to an end of said axle so as to capable of pivotal movements between released and engaged positions about an established pivot axis;
• and
• control means in operative association with said spool and acted upon by said handle for (i) allowig said spool to freely rotate about said axle when said handle is in said released position, whereby a load may be lowered, and (ii) effecting a substantially rigid frictional union between said handle and said spool when said handle is in said engaged position, whereby said spool and handle may be rotated as a unit to hoist the load, wherein
• said spool includes stop means for limiting an extent of forced rotation thereof about said axle, said stop means having a stop member rigidly associated with said spool and adapted to contact said handle in said engaged position, whereby to extent of forced rotation of said spool about said axle is limited by means of contact between said stop member and said handle.

An improved winch for hoisting and lowering a load connected to the winch via a line, said winch comprising:

• a spool having a spool core and a pair of opposing spool end flanges, the line being wound upon said spool core between said end flanges;
• an axle;
• means for mounting said spool to said axle to allow free pivotal movements of said spool thereabout;
• base means adapted to being rigidly connected to a supporting surface and including bearing means for mounting said axle to allow for pivotal movements of said axle relative to said base means;
• a handle;
• means for pivotally connecting said handle to an end of said axle to establish a pivot axis thereof and to allow for pivotal movements of said handle between released and engaged positions;
• friction clutch means actuable to provide an inoperative condition which allows said free rotation of said spool about said axle, and an operative condition which effects a substantially rigid frictional union between said spool and said axle so that said spool and axle are rotatable as a unit relative to said base means;
• and
• cam means associated with said handle for causing said clutch means to assume said inoperative and operative conditions in response to said handle being pivotally moved into said released and engaged positions, respectively, wherein said cam means includes;
• (i) first and second cam surfaces defined on said handle which respectively establish said released and engaged positions thereof;
• (ii) said first and second cam surfaces being eccentrically disposed to said established pivot axis such that said first surface is radially separated from said pivot axis by a lesser dimension as compared to a radial separation dimension between said second surface and said pivot axis;
• and
• (iii) a convexly arcuate transition surface joining said first and second cam surfaces for establishing a number of intermediate positions of said handle between said released and engaged positions thereof to responsively cause said clutch means to frictionally engage said spool to greater and lesser extents when said handle is in one and another of said intermediate positions thereof which, in turn, allows lowering of said load under its own weight at lesser and greater rates, respectively, whereby said load may be paid out under a controlled rate.

An improved winch for hoisting and lowering a load connected to the winch via a line, said winch comprising:

• a spool having a spool core and a pair of opposing spool end flanges, the line being wound upon said spool core between said end flanges;
• an axle;
• means for mounting said spool to said axle to allow free pivotal movements of said spool thereabout;
• base means adapted to being rigidly connected to a supporting surface and including bearing means for mounting said axle to allow for pivotal movements of said axle relative to said base means;
• a handle pivotally connected to an end of said axle for pivotal movments between released and engaged positions;
• clutch means actuable to provide an inoperative condition which allows said free rotation of said spool about said axle, and an operative condition which effects a substantially rigid union between said spool and said axle so that said spool and axle are rotatable as a unit relative to said base means;
• cam means associated with said handle for causing said clutch means to assume said inoperative and operative conditions in responds to said handle being pivotally moved into said released and engaged positions, respectively;
• and
• stop means for limiting an extent of forced rotation of said spool about said axle against said operative condition of said clutch means, wherein
• said stop means includes a stop member extending rigidly from that one of said end flanges adjacent said handle, said stop member contacting said handle when said handle is in said engaged position, whereby the extent of forced rotation of said spool about said axle is limited.