IMPROVEMENTS IN MAST WINCHES AND CAPSTANS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Ernest Bentall, of Maldon, in the County of
Essex, Engineer, and Frederick Arthur Bentall, of Maldon, in Essex, Engineer,
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAST WINCHES AND CAPSTANS,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmund Ernest Bentall
and Frederick Arthur Bentall at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
on the 14th April 1881.
EDMUND ERNEST BENTALL, of Maldon, in the County of Essex, Engineer, and
FREDERICK ARTHUR BENTALL, of Maldon, in Essex, Engineer. " IMPROVEMENTS
IN MAST WINCHES AND CAPSTANS."
In the manufacture of mast winches it is desirable to maintain the form of barrel
common to capstans, that is to say, the back of the winch or that nearest the mast
should be of larger diameter than the outer end.
Another object is to keep the rope clear of the gearing and to bring the strain of
the winch as near to the fixed point of support as possible.
In constructing most winches (which are commonly made in pairs) according to
this Invention, the axle which carries the winch barrels is supported at the middlo
of its length by bracket arms attached to the mast. The inner or larger ends of
the barrels are provided with a ring of internal teeth into which gears an idle
pinion mounted loosely on a stud pin carried by an arm keyed fast to the axle.
Mounted loosely on this axle and within the barrel of the winch is a sleeve
carrying at its inner extremity a pinion in gear with the idle pinion before
mentioned, and forming the axle on which the barrel is loosely mounted.
Made fast to the outer end of the sleeve is a plate which is cast with lugs and
serves to retain the barrel in position.
These lugs receive a handle for rotating the sleeve, thus transmitting rotary
motion through the gearing to the barrel.
. The barrels are provided as usual with a ring of ratchet teeth to receive a
retaining pawl pivotted to the fixed arm on the axle.
By this arrangement it will be seen that the larger end of the barrel is utilized
to receive the gearing, which is actuated from the outer or opposite end of the
winch, and that the strain on the opposite end of the winch comes directly on the
part of the axle that is nearest to its support.
The above described arrangement may be readily adapted to capstans, the
gearing being in this case close to the deck and out of the way of the chain, and
the retaining plate at the upper end of the sleeves being fitted to receive handspikes
instead of a winch handle.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edmund Ernest Bentall and Frederick Arthur- Bentall in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th October 1881.
EDMUND ERNEST. BENTALL, of Maldon, in the County of Essex, Engineer, and
FREDERICK ARTHUR BENTALL, of Maldon, in Essex, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN MAST WINCHES AND CAPSTANS."
:
In the manufacture of mast winches it is desirable to maintain the form of
barrel common to capstans, that is to say, the back of the winch or that nearest
the mast should be of larger diameter than the outer end.
Another object is to keep the rope clear of the gearing and to bring the strain of
the winch as near to the fixed point of support as possible.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 shows in longitudinal section one of a pair
of mast winches constructed according to our Invention and fitted in place; Fig. 2
is a view of the outer end of the winch; Fig. 3 is a view of the inner end of the
winch; and Fig. 4 is a transverse section shewing the internal gearing.
In these Figures A is the axle which carries the pair of winch barrels B. This
axle is supported at the middle of its length by bracket arms A¹ attached to the
mast C. As the winches are similarly constructed and fitted the description of one
will serve equally for both.
The inner or larger end of the barrel B is provided with a ring of internal
teeth B¹ into which gears an idle pinion D mounted loosely on a stud pin carried
by an arm D¹ keyed fast to the axle A. Mounted loosely on this axle and within
the barrel of the winch is a sleeve E carrying at its inner extremity a pinion E¹ in
gear with the idle pinion D and forming the axle on which the barrel is loosely
mounted.
Made fast to the outer end of the sleeve E is a plate E² which is cast with lugs
and serves to retain the barrel in position.
These lugs receive a handle F for rotating the sleeve Ę and thereby imparting
through the gearing rotary motion to the barrel.
The barrel is provided as usual with a ring of ratchet teeth B² to receive a
retaining pawle D2 pivotted to the fixed arm D¹.
By this arrangement it will be seen that the larger end of the barrel is utilized
to receive and cover the gearing, which gearing is actuated from the outer or
opposite end of the winch, and that the strain on the outer end of the winch comes
directly on the part of the axle that is nearest to its support, thereby removing as
far as may be all tendency to torsional strain.
Fig. 5 shews in longitudinal section a capstan with the above described
arrangement adapted thereto.
The central axle A is carried by a bed plate A' which is also fitted with a stud
axle for receiving the idle wheel D. In this case as in the mast winch it will be
seen that the gearing is effectually protected by the barrel B.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of "Improvements in
Mast Winches and Capstans," and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, we wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent, we claim,―
Constructing mast winches and capstans with internal gearing fitted near the
supporting point of the central axle as above described whereby the rope or chain,

page_text: as the case may be, is kept clear of the gearing, and the strain is carried near the
fixed point of support.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edmund Ernest Bentall and Frederick
Arthur Bentall, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Tenth day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty
one.
E. ERNEST BENTALL. (L.S.)
F. A. BENTALL.
(L.S.)