Winch wheel device with half cleat
OwnerRobert L. Wilsoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A winch wheel for attachment to conventional sailboat winches for trimming sails comprises a crank shaft adapted to be inserted into the winch mechanism, a hub located on the shaft, at least two spokes extending radially from the hub to an outer rim, and an outer rim connected to the spokes. A crank handle is located on one of the spokes. The rim is provided with a resilient foam sheath, to provide comfort and flotation. In one preferred embodiment, the crank handle is selectably movable between a plurality of discrete positions, permitting a user to conveniently select a preferred radial distance from the hub for the crank handle while using the device. One or more half cleats may be provided on the hub to secure a tensioned line.
Claims19
A winch wheel for rotatively driving a sailboat winch used for trimming sails on a sailboat, said sailboat winch including a driven shaft having a socket at one end, and a capstan driven by said driven shaft, said winch wheel comprising:
- a drive shaft having a cross-section which conforms to the shape of said socket in said driven shaft to fit within the socket and transmit torque to said driven shaft,
- a hub fixed to said drive shaft,
- a continuous circular rim, and
- a plurality of spokes extending radially from said hub to said rim.
A winch wheel for rotatively driving a sailboat winch used for trimming sails on a sailboat, said sailboat winch including a driven shaft having a socket at one end, and a capstan driven by said driven shaft, said winch wheel comprising:
- a drive shaft having a cross-section which conforms to the shape of the socket in said driven shaft to fit within said socket and transmit torque to said driven shaft,
- a hub fixed to said drive shaft,
- a continuous circular rim, and
- a plurality of spokes extending radially from said hub to said rim,
- said rim comprising a circular metallic member fixed to said spokes and a sheath extending circumferentially around and substantially covering said circular metallic member, said sheath comprising a low density resilient foam material providing a comfortable gripping surface for a user and sufficient flotation that said winch wheel floats.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.