Abstract:
A winch is provided for taking or winding ropes, cables, and the like. The winch has a drum, a lower crown, a rope groove and an upper crown having a socket which has a fluted cavity. The fluted cavity is configured to cooperate with a pin of a winch handle, which when turned rotates the drum. In an embodiment, the fluted cavity has a groove having a canted coil spring positioned therein. The pin on the winch handle has a groove placed to correspond with the depth of the groove when placed into the socket. The combination allows the winch handle to latch to the winch and to resist unintended separation between the two.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This is a regular utility application of Ser. No. 61/080,973, filed Jul. 15, 2008, the contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The great majority of sailboats use capstan winches to control the sails and other various control lines on the boat. The gear driven capstan winches are typically manually operated by a person turning a lever arm crank, known as a “winch handle”. For safety reasons and to provide the ability to freely release a line from the capstan winch, it is necessary to remove the winch handle when not in use. This means the winch handle is typically engaged to a top socket of the winch every time the winch is used and is removed after every use. It is also desirable to sometimes leave the winch handle in the top socket for a short period of time in case a sail adjustment is anticipated. 
     As is well known to a skilled artisan, a winch handle that is not latched into the top socket of the capstan winch head properly poses safety hazards including injuries to the handler when it comes loose or dislodges from the top socket during use. Additionally, winches are often mounted on the side of a mast or bulkhead surface so the winch handle could fall out and be lost overboard if not properly latched. 
     Companies that manufacture capstan winches and winch handles have spent a great amount of time developing latching mechanisms to hold the winch handle in place. The most common type of winch handle latch involves a rotating plate that locks the handle to the winch head. The operator must move a lever arm to release the rotating latch. The release lever must be actuated to insert the handle into position and to remove the handle. Although designed to provide latching, sailors are often frustrated by the mechanism when trying to engage or disengage the latching handle during time sensitive sailing maneuvers or when racing against other sailboats. 
     Also commercially available is a ball and detent latch mechanism that is claimed to be easier and faster to operate. However, a latch and holding device that is less demanding or does not require the operator to operate to engage or disengage the winch handle would be more advantageous. Winches of this type are equally advantageous in other applications and industries that utilize rotary applications, particularly for such connections that allow for the transmission of torque while concurrently employing easy connect and/or disconnect means. 
     SUMMARY 
     An aspect of the present invention comprises a method for increasing a force necessary to remove a winch handle from a winch. The method comprises fixing relative rotation between the winch and the winch handle by providing mating fluted surfaces between the winch handle and the winch and deflecting a plurality of coils of a canted coil spring when moving the winch handle axially relative to the winch. 
     The present invention may also be practiced by providing a method for rotating a winch involving placing a portable drive mechanism into rotational communication with the winch and engaging a pin to a socket of the drive mechanism and the winch such that a canted coil spring located in a groove of the socket increases a force necessary to remove the pin from the socket. 
     A still further aspect of the present invention includes a rotary application assembly for torque transmission. In an embodiment, the assembly comprises a rotatable flange and a socket having an opening extending through the rotatable flange. The socket comprising a plurality of fluted surfaces and a groove intersecting each of the fluted surfaces and having a canted coil spring positioned therein. The groove comprises a bottom surface and two side surfaces and said rotatable flange being rotatable by a shaft having corresponding fluted surfaces. 
     A yet further aspect of the present invention is a winch comprising a drum having an upper crown and a socket. The socket comprising a plurality of fluted cavities and a groove intersecting each of the fluted cavities and having a canted coil spring positioned therein. The groove comprising a bottom surface and two side surfaces. 
     A still yet further aspect of the present invention is a method for transmitting a torque from a first component to a second component. The method comprises inserting a shaft through a flange and into a socket. The socket comprises fluted surfaces and a groove intersecting each of the fluted surfaces. The shaft comprises fluted surfaces and a groove. The method further includes the step of rotating said shaft and said flange, and wherein a canted coil spring is positioned between the groove of the shaft and the groove of the socket. 
     Other aspects of the present invention are provided which will become apparent when read in full in combination with the attached accompanied figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a combination winch and winch handle provided in accordance with aspects of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a closed-up view of a top socket of the winch of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a closed-up view of the winch handle of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the engagement between the winch handle and the winch of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a closed-up cross-sectional side view of the engagement between the winch handle and the winch of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of a socket adaptor provided in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 7A-7F  are schematic cross-sectional views of various alternative geometries. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of the presently preferred embodiments of capstan winches (herein “winch” or “winches”) provided in accordance with aspects of the present invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the features and the steps for constructing and using the winches of the present invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions and structures may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention. As denoted elsewhere herein, like element numbers are intended to indicate like or similar elements or features. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a perspective view of a capstan winch  10  having a winch handle  12  engaged to a top socket  14  of an upper crown  16  is shown, which has a rotatable structure or flange for rotating about an axis. The winch  10  also has a rope socket  4 , a drum  6 , and a lower crown  8 . The top socket  14  of the winch  10  is fluted, has at least one but preferably a plurality of fluted cavities  20  ( FIG. 2 ), and is configured to engage the fluted surface  22  of the pin  18  ( FIG. 3 ) of the winch handle  12 , which has corresponding fluted ridges  24 . The socket is either a part of or is in mechanical communication with a drive shaft for rotating a gear drive system, as is well known in the art. The socket may also be part of the flange or is part of a structure that is connected so that the socket is in communication with an opening on the flange. The engagement between the fluted surfaces fixes relative angular rotation between the handle and the winch by providing direct mechanical interference so that when the handle is rotated to impart a torque, it rotates the winch. Axially, the engagement permits easy assembly/disassembly for quick or frequent connect/disconnect by allowing easy axial separation by the pin relative to the socket. 
     In one embodiment, a groove  26  is cut approximately mid way down the female fluted receiving socket  14  of the winch head, although a cut at a greater depth or a shallower depth may be practiced without deviating from the spirit and scope of the present invention. As is more clearly shown in  FIG. 5 , the groove  26  has a bottom surface  28  and two side surfaces  30  and may be cut so that the bottom surface is angled relative to the wall surface  32  of the socket. The bottom surface  28  may alternative have a V-bottom configuration, similar to that shown in  FIG. 5  for the pin. Still alternatively, the bottom surface  28  may be flat or generally parallel to the wall surface  32 . Selection of a particular angle of the bottom surface relative to the socket wall surface  32  will force the canted coil spring  34  to rotate to a desired rest position in the groove  26 , which angle surface enables a designer to control the connect and disconnect forces of the pin  18  when it engages or disengages from the top socket  14 . The groove  26  and the spring disposed therein are preferably oriented along a perpendicular plane or planes to the direction of insertion of the pin. Alternatively or in addition thereto, certain canted coil spring characteristics, such as spacing between coils, wire diameter size, wire shape, wire material, etc., may be selected so that different forces are required to deflect the spring, which in turn allows a designer to control connect and disconnect forces of the pin moving relative to the socket. Canted coil springs are available from Bal Seal Engineering of Foothill Ranch, Calif. 
     A notch or groove  36  ( FIG. 3 ) is machined in the male fluted section  18  of the winch handle  12  that corresponds to the engaged location of the canted coil spring  34 , i.e., the groove  26 . In one embodiment, the notch  36  is generally V-shape having symmetrical tapered surfaces of the apex of the notch. In other embodiments, the surfaces have different tapered angles relative to the remaining surface of the pin. In another embodiment, the angle of the lower tapered surface  38  of the notch ( FIG. 3 ) is selected to provide a desired release force when retracting the pin  18  from the socket  14 . This may be practiced by increasing the angle to increase the release force and decreasing the angle to decrease the release force. 
     When the winch handle  12  is inserted into the winch socket  14  ( FIGS. 4 and 5 ), the male fluted engagement pin deflects the canted coil spring  34 . When the winch handle is fully inserted into the capstan winch body, the canted coil spring engages with the machined groove in the winch handle drive pin and holds the handle in place and prevents most if not all unintended disengagement. No manually operated release mechanism is required aside from simply retracting the pin. The canted coil spring provides adequate retention of the handle and resists separation due to events such as vibration, accidental and unexpected contacts, or change in assembly orientation while still allowing frequent assembly/disassembly and quick adjustability. For example, the engagement provides a latch in the axial direction when the male shaft is inserted into a receiving socket to resist unintended separation as compared to, for example, when no canted coil spring is used for a rotary application involving torque transmission. 
     In other embodiments involving a shaft that transmits rotation and torque to another part in a mechanical assembly in a connection that requires the shaft to be inserted into a corresponding cutout geometry easily and disconnect easily, the same retention benefit may be realized by incorporating a groove for retaining one or more canted coil springs and a matching groove on the mated part. Examples could include a splined drive axel driven by a drive train gear in automotive applications, wherein the drive gear consists of the corresponding spline geometry along the inner diameter. Another application is for raising and lowering overhead mounted blinds, screens, or shades by inserting a rod into a gear system and then turning the gears to lower or raise the blinds, screens, or shades. 
     Thus, an aspect of the present invention is a combination winch and winch handle having simple latching between the two without manually operated latching or releasing mechanism. Another aspect of the present invention is a combination winch and winch handle having ridges for fixing relative rotation between the two and grooves having a spring located therebetween for increasing a force that is required to remove the pin from the socket relative to the same pin and socket without the spring. In yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a capstan winch having a drum, a rope groove, and a fluted socket having a groove comprising a bottom surface and two side surfaces. In a preferred embodiment, a canted coil spring, which may be an axially canted coil spring or a radially canted coil spring, is disposed in the groove. In still yet another aspect of the present invention, a winch handle is provided having a spindle, an arm, and a pin having a fluted surface and at least one fluted ridge, and wherein the fluted surface of the pin comprises a notch. In a preferred embodiment, the notch comprises a lower bottom surface and two side walls, which may have the same or dissimilar angles relative to an axis of the pin. In still yet another aspect of the present invention, the pin or shaft  18  includes a groove for retaining a canted coil spring. 
     A still further feature is a combination pin and groove in a rotary drive system in which a torque is transmitted by the pin to the groove, or vice versa, and the pin is coupled to the groove by axially inserting the pin into the groove. Said combination further comprises corresponding grooves having a canted coil spring disposed therein and corresponding cutout geometries for direct mechanical interference. As used herein, axial direction is understood to mean in the direction of insertion or removal of the pin from the socket and radial direction or rotational direction is understood to mean around the axis of insertion or removal of the pin or spaced radially away from the axis of rotation of the pin, which may be coaxial or coincident with the axis of the pin. 
     In an alternative embodiment, a socket adaptor  40  is provided comprising a fluted lower pin  42 , similar to the fluted pin  18  on the winch handle, and an upper fluted pin  44 . The fluted lower pin  42  has a notch  46  and is configured to latch with the grooved winch socket  14  of  FIGS. 4 and 5 , similar to the winch handle of  FIGS. 3-5 . The upper fluted pin  44  of the socket adaptor  40  may have a similar fluted surface and a larger cross-sectional diameter compared to the lower pin. Alternatively, the upper fluted pin may resemble a hex-head, similar to a screw bolt, or other shapes or configurations designed to engage a socket. In one embodiment, the upper fluted pin  44  incorporates a groove  48  for accommodating a canted coil spring, similar to the groove  26  of  FIG. 5 . Thus, the socket adaptor  40  is configured to convert the winch socket  14  of a winch to one having a surface having a male projection for engaging with a modified winch handle having a socket instead of a pin. The socket of the modified winch handle preferably incorporates a notch or groove placed and dimensioned within the socket for engaging the canted coil spring located on the upper fluted pin  44 . As is readily apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art, this allows a designer to incorporate gearing or ratchet mechanism with the modified winch handle for added maneuverability and functionality in manipulating the winch. 
     Thus, other aspects of the present invention is a provision for an adaptor for converting a winch for use with a winch handle having a pin to a winch for use with a winch handle having a female socket. In a further aspect of the present invention, the adaptor has an upper pin section and a lower pin section having different cross-sectional dimensions and wherein each of the two pin sections incorporates a groove having a plane that intersects the longitudinal axis of the adaptor. 
     Over and above the basic latching feature without complex mechanisms, the canted coil spring can be tailored to provide the desired insertion and removal force that prevents the pin from inadverantly becoming disengaged but retains operator convenience. The simple spring latch is integral with the capstan winch and is less likely to be damaged or sustain mechanical failure. The spring latch holds the handle in place but also automatically releases in an emergency in case a line was trapped under the handle. The spring latch is lower cost than other mechanisms that hold the handle in place and the spring is not subject to freezing up due to salt water corrosion and requires little or no maintenance. 
     In addition to providing engagement and retention of a winch handle into a winch, another embodiment of this invention involves use of the principles to temporarily hold a portable winch power drive system into the winch for operation. Portable winch power drive units have an electric motor and gear box drive system so that the operator does not need to manually crank the winch handle. Winch power drive units engage into the winch in the same manner as a winch handle. The canted coil spring provides suitable retention of the power drive unit during operation. 
     With reference now to  FIGS. 7A-7F , various cross-sectional geometries may be used for the companion pin and socket of the present invention.  FIG. 7A  shows a star shape geometry  52 .  FIG. 7B  shows a hexagon or polygon shape  54  geometry.  FIG. 7C  shows a diamond shape geometry  56 .  FIG. 7D  shows a triangle shape geometry  58 .  FIG. 7E  shows a rhombus shape geometry  60 , which may also be considered a quadrilateral.  FIG. 7F  shows a square shape geometry  62 . Each of the corners  64  of the various shaped pin or socket may be called or is considered a fluted surface. However, the invention is not limited to the geometries shown as other shapes may be adapted by a person of ordinary skill in the art that provides direct mechanical interference. 
     Although limited embodiments of the capstan winch, its components, and other applications involving a pin and socket for angular torque transmission have been specifically described and illustrated herein, many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, the retention mechanism comprising a canted coil spring may be incorporated in one, two or greater than two-speed winches, may be made with multiple grooves for retaining more than one canted coil spring, or may be used in combination with other retention mechanisms. The same pin to socket arrangement for torque transmission may also be made from conductive materials to permit current flow between the components. In yet another embodiment, the groove and/or notch geometries provide a locking connection such the pin cannot be removed from the groove without destroying or permanently deforming the canted coil spring. Still alternatively, the groove and/or notch geometries provide a holding connection through friction forces between the canted coil spring and the component, which may be the groove or the pin depending on the location of the spring. Also, although certain features are described relative to a particular embodiment, it is stood that the same may be used for other embodiments not specifically discussed provided the interchangeability produces a contemplated functional result. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the capstan winch and their components constructed according to principles of this invention may be embodied other than as specifically described herein. The invention is also defined in the following claims.