Combination winch and winch handles for University project

I've often wondered about a telescopic handle that lives in the centre of the winch all the time and is pulled up and folded across the top of the winch when needed. There's a fair bit of "dead" space in the middle of a winch. It could be made less complex if you would be prepared to have it poking through the bottom of the winch and had space underneath to absorb it (or partially absorb it).
 
AntarcticPilot said:
You mean like winches did in the 60s? I had (at first) to be reminded NOT to do that when I got Capricious, with her two-speed winches!
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I mean design for the problem, not the existing solution.
On the one hand winches have evolved how they are for many good reasons, but there may be other solutions for pulling string.
And perhaps the problem itself has evolved, modern rope is different?
 
agree... for example, I could see handle located off to one side, with a ratchet type action, rather than just rotational, that allowed a MUCH bigger primary gear to be located in the bottom of the winch, and hence substantial improvements in gearing, and possibly room to fit a larger shaft and hence better load capabilities.
 
how about if the winch has hollow vertical 'core' with the handle stored in the core?

Load the sheet in the normal fashion, pull up the handle, lock it down flat, and wind like hell. Reverse process when tacking.
 
I would guess this is a non-starter for reasons stated.

If you felt more ambitious, you could try developing an idea I gave up years ago (too old to worry about lost rewards!).

My ambition was to create a continuously variable ratio winch (bit like those Dutch cars with belt transmission the name of which escapes me).

As the load on the winch drum increased, so would the ratio increase. Thus handle rotation could be continuous.

A belt drive solution is obviously impossible given the size constraints but there are variable gear devices around (one appeared in the magazine Eureka some years ago).

I'll stop there!

Best of luck!
 
Graham_Wright said:
My ambition was to create a continuously variable ratio winch (bit like those Dutch cars with belt transmission the name of which escapes me).

As the load on the winch drum increased, so would the ratio increase. Thus handle rotation could be continuous.

A belt drive solution is obviously impossible given the size constraints but there are variable gear devices around (one appeared in the magazine Eureka some years ago).
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DAF were the car makers.

I doubt if the V-groove belt would have enough friction grip to prevent slippage at high tension.
 
I think the bottom lever ratchet handle is well worth revisiting. I liked the Bartons on my old Westerly very much; even though my current boat has terribly posh single-speed Andersens the change to a movable, droppable handle seemed distinctly retrograde to me. The ratcheting motion was nice and easy too.

Go for it, OP.
 
JumbleDuck said:
I think the bottom lever ratchet handle is well worth revisiting. I liked the Bartons on my old Westerly very much; even though my current boat has terribly posh single-speed Andersens the change to a movable, droppable handle seemed distinctly retrograde to me. The ratcheting motion was nice and easy too.

Go for it, OP.
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I love the ones on the Centaur

simple, always there, great place to hang the sheets when not sailing

Dylan

PS - you only jab your back once and then you remember to park them properly
 
Thank you all very much, the advice and thoughts are all very useful! I am definately going to go ahead with this idea and I have taken all this on board.
 
Glad to hear it there has to be room for lateral thinking and improvement here. As another posted said consider cost. For some reason winches cost ****loads.
 
Slungmuss said:
If anyone fancies taking a survey for me follow the link. It would be greatly apprciated and get me some useful facts and figures.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RW5FZQW
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Done. Can I suggest that asking how often respondents go sailing per year is a bit meaningless? If the weather brightens up a bit I hope to get a final sailing trip in next week, which will make four this year: three of a night or two away and one of five weeks away. Better to ask how many days' sailing, or how many miles under sail, I think.
 
>got bottom action winches like the ones in the photo above on my Sabre 27

I don't think Slungmuss should go down that route, I've never seen them only winches with a removable handle on top. There must be a reason bottom action winches went out of fashion.

New designs are similar to company start ups, to start a new company ideally it should be in an area that doesn't exist, I started the UK's first Web design company and the world's first discounted yacht charter company. If you start a company and undercut other company's prices you will soon be matched.

On the design front there are two options: a better product with a lower price and a patent or a new product and patent. The latter will make significantly more money if the product has a large market. Slugmuss should, if possible, go down new product and patent route for high marks but make sure you patent it before putting the paper in.
 
Phoenix of Hamble said:
Ah..... the DAF Variomatic!
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The only good thing about the Dafs was how fast you could reverse them.... If you had the nerve it was as fast as they would go forwards.

Seriously for the project, separate the winch power input from the drum, maybe a big telescopic lever somewhere that folds out of the way. Most peoples feet are stronger than their ams? Just thinking aloud. Not likley to get built, but that does not matter for a project.
 
Many years ago my youthful thoughts strayed to a self tailing winch that could be operated by pulling on an endless rope. Bit like the endless rope genoa furler but obviously with some gearing. It would be nice to have 2 speed but it would also be nice to be able to winch out under control. Could then sit on the windward side and operate the leeward winch.
I even drew a picture of it. Unfortunately I hadn't got the faintest idea how you would engineer the 'insides'.
 
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