IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDLASSES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Waters, of Port Isaac, in the County of Cornwall,
Merchant Captain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDLASSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Waters at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th May 1878.
JOSEPH WATERS, of Port Isaac, in the County of Cornwall, Merchant Captain.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDLASSES.'
"
This Invention relates to improvements in those windlasses in which the barrel
or whelp wheels is or are actuated by rocking cross heads worked by manual
levers.
In these windlasses the rocking cross head is usually connected by depending
rods to nipping or paul levers, the latter being connected to nipping pauls, which.
by the up-and-down motion from the depending rods act upon the lift wheel and
through the whelp wheel upon the cable.
In my Invention, instead of connecting the depending rods to nipping or paul.
levers, I attach their lower ends to cranks which drive pinions supported on the
windlass frame. These cranks are placed' preferably at right angles to each other,
so that the pressure upon them (up or down) of the depending rods from the
manual levers cannot fail to rotate the cranks which drive the pinions taking into
wheels on the barrel or whelp wheel axle, by which the latter is rotated, and the
chain cable hauled upon. The manual levers, which through the depending rods
act upon the cranks, are pivoted upon a centre pin arranged above them and are
independent of each other.
Check pauls and brakes are fitted as usual, to prevent the barrel from running
back as the cable is hauled in.
The wheels on the barrel axle and their pinions may be arranged in the centre
or at the ends of the windlass, and the rock levers may be arranged to work. fore-
and-aft or athwart the ship, as desired..

page_text: In the case of large windlasses, where great power is required, I key or fasten the
pinions which take into the wheels on the barrel axle upon a shaft, which is pro-
vided with two larger wheels, which are acted upon by pawls put in motion by the
depending rods from the manual levers by which the required degree of power may
be obtained.
By my Invention a continuous rotation of the windlass barrel or whelp wheels is
effected, and the cable easily and rapidly hauled in without the "jerky" action
common in windlasses as at present constructed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Waters in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
November 1878.
JOSEPH WATERS, of Port Isaac, in the County of Cornwall, Merchant Captain.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDLASSES."
This Invention relates to improvements in those windlasses in which the barrel
or whelp wheels is or are actuated by rocking cross heads worked by manual
levers.
In these windlasses the rocking cross head is usually connected by depending
rods to nipping or paul levers, the latter being connected to nipping pauls which
by the up-and-down motion from the depending rods act direct upon the lift wheel
on the windlass barrel axle and through the whelp wheel or the windlass barrel
upon the cable.
In my Invention, instead of connecting the depending rods to nipping or paul
levers to act direct as above, I attach their lower ends to crank levers which drive
pinions supported on the windlass frame. These cranks are placed preferably at
right angles to each other, so that the pressure upon them (up or down) of the
depending rods from the manual levers cannot fail to rotate the cranks which drive
the pinions, taking into wheels on the barrel or whelp wheel axle by which the.
latter is rotated and the rope or chain cable hauled upon. The manual levers
which through the depending rods act upon the cranks are pivoted upon a centre
pin arranged above them, and are independent of each other.
Check pauls and brakes are fitted as usual, to prevent the barrel from running.
back as the cable is hauled in.
The wheels on the barrel axle and their pinions may be arranged in the centre
or at the ends of the windlass, and the rock levers may be arranged to work fore-
and-aft or athwart the ship, as desired.
In the case of large windlasses, where great power is required, I key or fasten
the pinions which take into the wheels on the barrel axle upon a shaft, which is
provided with larger wheels, which are acted upon by pawls put in motion by the

page_text: depending rods from the manual levers, by which the required degree of power may
be obtained.
By my Invention a continuous rotation of the windlass barrel or whelp wheels is
effected, and the cable easily and rapidly hauled in without the "jerky" action
common in windlasses as at present constructed.
The Invention will be clearly understood by reference to the annexed Drawings,
in which Figure 1 is a front view of a windlass constructed according to my Inven-
tion, Figure 2 being a side view of the same. This arrangement is preferred for
windlasses of small size.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the Figures.
A, A, are the rocking cross heads pivoted on brackets B, B, on the top of the side
bits C, C, of the windlass frame; D, D, are depending rods connected at their upper
ends a, a, to the rocking cross heads, and at their lower ends b, b, to the crank
levers E, E. Each of these crank levers E, E; is keyed to a short shaft F supported
in a bearing G, one on each of the side bits C, C. Each of these shafts F carries at
its outer end a pinion H, which takes into a spur wheel I on the windlass barrel
axle J. The barrel is provided with the usual paul wheel and pauls to prevent
it running back. The cross heads are actuated by the usual manual levers, as
shown.
It will be seen that the rocking cross heads are arranged (in Figures 1 and 2)
with their manual levers, which may be single or double-ended, standing fore-and-
aft, and on motion being imparted to them the cranks E, and through them the
pinion H, will be caused to revolve, the latter in their turn gearing into the
wheel I, and through it causing the windlass barrel to revolve and the cable to be
hauled upon.
The two cranks, as shown, are set at right angles to each other so
that no "dead point" occurs in the working.
The pinions H, H, are arranged to slide in and out of gear with the wheels I, I,
the pinion shaft being extended for the purpose, as shown.
If preferred, the cranks may be arranged outside of the bits C, C, and the two
wheels in this case would be on the inside, the shaft F running across from side
to side to preserve the cranks at their right angle relatively to each other.
Figures 3, 4, and 5 show my Invention applied to windlasses of larger size, where
great power is required.
In this arrangement I key or fasten the pinions H, H, (which take into tho
wheels I, I, on the barrel axle J), upon the shaft F, which is provided with larger
wheels K, K, acted upon by pawls L, L, put in motion by the depending rods D, D;
through the manual levers A, A, the upper ends a, a, of these depending rods being
connected to the cross heads A, A, as in Figures 1 and 2, whilst the lower ends b, b,
are connected to paul lovers M, M, the pauls L, L, taking into the paul wheels
K, K, as before described.
In this arrangement the whole windlass is carried upon a cast-iron bed plate
which can be bolted to a ship's deck, and the main axle J'is carried in standards N,
bolted to the bed plate.
Whelp wheels O₁ are employed in this case to take the cable in lieu of the
wooden barrel, as in Figures 1 and 2, and the cable can pass through the chain
pipe O to the chain locker, as usual.
The main axle J is steadied by the centre bearing N¹, and is provided with a
pawl wheel and pauls on each side of the said bearing, the pauls being carried on
pins passed through the centre standard. Brakes P, P, and the necessary levers
Q, Q, are fitted as shown; screw brakes may be fitted, if preferred. The surging
heads R, R, are by preference fitted on the ends of the axle F, as shown, but they
may be fitted on the ends of the main axle J, or on both if desired. S is a sprocket
wheel to receive an endless chain from the donkey engine when it is desired to
work the windlass by steam.
The shaft F (see Figure 4) is carried at its centre in a standard T, which is
pivoted at its lower end T' to the bed or foundation plate. It is further supported
by two legs U, U, by preferencce on the outside of the paul wheels K, K. These.

page_text: legs are also pivoted to the bed plate at their lower ends, the two legs and the
standard T having the centres of their pivots in the same axial line.
The standard T carries a pin V, upon which the rocking cross head vibrates, and
a boss W, which receives one end of a screw rod X, the other end passing through
a nut secured to a boss Y on the top of the centre standard N.
i
The object of pivoting the frame T and legs U is to enable the pinions H, H, to
be thrown out of gear by means of the screw rod X with the large wheels I, I,
when it is desired to set the main axle free, as in letting go the anchor or paying
out the cable, or when it is required to use only the purchase from the surging
heads R, R, when the latter are fitted on the shaft F, as shown in the Drawings.
To put the pinions H, H, into gear with the wheels I, I, again, it is only necessary
to turn the screw shaft X in the opposite direction, when the standard T and legs Ū
are drawn towards the centre frame N and securely jammed against the distance
piece Z, in which position the pinions and wheels will be in gear.
The screw rod X offers great facility for drawing the whole firmly together, and
preventing any vibratory movement as well as for readily throwing the wheels into
and out of gear.
To lift the cable I jamb the male cone of the whelp wheel into the cone on the
spur wheel I by means of the nut m on the screwed portion of the main axle in
the usual manner, the nut abutting against the brake wheel which conveys the
pressure to the whelp wheel. When the cable is to be paid out it is of course
simply necessary to ease the nut.
Should the cone arrangement fail in its action through breaking, or from any
other cause, I provide a means of driving the whelp wheel by the spur wheel I, by
simply forming one or more keyways in the faces of the two cones, into which I
place a key or keys n, which may be held in place by small screws. This device
is shown in Figure 5ª.
Figures 6, 7, and 8 show a windlass similar to that shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5,
save that the bits are of oak, and are fixed into the ship during the process of
building, as is usual in many cases. These three Figures show the Invention
applied to an ordinary wooden windlass.
It will be seen that the main axle has no centre bearing as in the former case,
but this could be provided for in new windlasses of this description by fitting two
paul wheels with a centre bearing between them, as in Figures 3, 4, and 5, instead
of one, as in Figures 6, 7, and 8. The centre bearing would be carried on the
centre standard or bit N.
As seen in Figure 7, the standard T is fitted at its foot in a metal socket or shoe,
which is pivoted as well as the legs U to a bed or foundation plate, which also
carries the brake levers, and is bolted to the ship's deck as shown. The metal
socket and legs U are each provided with a foot d which by means of the screw
rod X are drawn down firmly on the foundation plate, when the pinions H, H,
and wheels I, I, are put in gear and have the same effect as the stay. Z, shown
particularly in Figure 4.
In lieu of two whelp wheels or two barrels, as shown in the respective Figures,
I sometimes employ one whelp wheel and one barrel on the same windlass.
Figures 9 and 10 show an arrangement for leading the cable off and on the
windlass barrel either by means of guide rollers for heaving in or paying out.
Figure 9 shows the cable on the barrel looking forward, while Figure 10 shows
another way of fitting the rollers looking aft. The lead-on of the cable is at the
point e, whilst the lead-off to the chain locker is at f. The chain is guided in its
movements by the rollers g, g¹, the axles of which latter (g') in Figure 9 are movable
(as seen in dotted lines), while in Figure 10 they are a fixture. In the latter Figure
(as well as in Figure 9) the cable is led on to the top of the barrel through the jaw
of the bracket carrying the roller g, and after passing round the barrel is led on
the outside of the roller g¹ when it takes another turn round the barrel, guided by
the rubbing plate or block j, and thence it is led over the barrel again at k, when it
passes to the chain locker as before..

page_text: The advantage of this "guide roller" arrangement is that the cable will run on
and off the barrel with the greatest facility, the barrel at the same time revolving
whether the cable is being hauled in or payed out.
Another great advantage of my Invention, in addition to the extra power
obtained to which there is practically no limit, is the power of throwing the lifting
gear carried on the after bit out of gear with the main barrel or lifter wheel axle J,
prevents any of the lifting gear being destroyed in the event of the stop pauls being
carried away by a heavy strain whilst the vessel is riding, a casualty which as
every experienced seaman knows frequently occurs.
"
Another advantage of my Invention in windlasses fitted with wood or iron
barrels, is the power of throwing the lifting portion out of gear, enables the barrel
when the stop pauls are lifted to revolve more or less while a vessel is riding at
anchor, say, in heavy weather, under which circumstances a rope "messenger
would be made fast to the cable between the windlass barrel and the compressor,
the latter being on the after side of the windlass, and the messenger carried to the
after part of the ship and there made fast, the elasticity of this messenger pre-
venting the cable from parting, a casualty which often occurs under the present
system of riding at anchor.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―
First. The several arrangements and combinations of parts constituting my
improvements in windlasses, as herein-before respectively described, and substan-
tially as shown in the annexed Drawings.
Secondly. The employment in windlasses (which are actuated by rocking cross-
heads) of crank levers, shafts, wheels, and pinions, for rotating the barrel or whelp
wheels, as herein-before described, and substantially as shown in Figures 1 and 2
of the annexed Drawings.
Thirdly. The arrangement, herein-before described, and substantially as shown
in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, 7, 8, for rotating the barrel or whelp wheels of windlasses
actuated by rocking cross heads.
Fourthly. I claim the use of rollers, or their equivalents, in combination with a
windlass barrel for guiding the cable when hauling in or paying out, as herein-
before described, and substantially as shown in Figures 9 and 10 of the annexed
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Waters, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourteenth day of November, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-eight.
Witness,
EDGAR EDMONDS,
Patent Agent,
166, Fleet Street,
London.
JOSEPH WATERS. (L.S.)