Patent Application
20080256765
The present invention is concerned with an assembly for hauling a line in a marine environment. Particularly, but not exclusively, the invention is concerned with windlasses, winches and the like for sailing yachts and pleasure craft, including such windlasses and winches that are powered via a motor.
In the context of the present invention, the term “line” is intended to encompass chain, rope and/or cable or other such flexible elongate members capable of taking up tension.
It is known to fix a device such as a windlass to the deck of a yacht, the windlass being adapted to haul and lower anchor line (e.g. chain or rope) for the yacht. Such windlasses can be powered by hand but many users prefer motorised windlasses, e.g. using electric or hydraulic motors. Especially when using electric motors, it is often necessary to use reduction gearing, held in a gearbox, in order to provide the windlass with low geared power. If a motor is used to drive the windlass, it is of course necessary to fix the windlass with respect to the motor casing or gearbox in order to resist the torque transmitted to the windlass by the driveshaft. In the present context, the motor casing and gearbox will together be referred to as the drive casing.
In order to avoid cluttering the deck of the yacht more than necessary, and to some extent to protect the motor, it is preferred to locate the motor for the windlass, and the gearbox, under the deck of the yacht. The driveshaft for the windlass then extends through a hole in the deck from the gearbox into the windlass.
Previously, the windlass has been provided with an attachment flange and the drive casing has been provided with a corresponding attachment flange, each flange having bolt holes extending through so that bolts may connect the flanges together, to be tightened using nuts. After attachment, the drive shaft extends axially within the flanges from the drive casing to the windlass.
The present inventor has realised that the above arrangement has serious disadvantages. In particular, the installation of the drive casing is difficult, since it is necessary to present the drive casing flange to the windlass flange, hold the two in place so that the bolt holes line up, insert the bolts and then thread the corresponding nuts along the bolts to attach the flanges to each other. Furthermore, it is often necessary to carry out this operation in a cramped space underneath the deck. However, it is seen as desirable that the drive casing and windlass are firmly fixed with respect to each other, since the driveshaft often transmits high torques and so this must be resisted by the attachment of the drive casing to the windlass.
Accordingly, in a general aspect, the present invention provides attachment via a flange clamp, the flange clamp circumferentially embracing and attaching first and second attachment flanges and pressing said flanges towards each other via circumferential constriction of or tension in said flange clamp.
In a first preferred aspect, the present invention provides a method of assembling a drive casing and a marine line hauling device, the drive casing being provided with a first attachment flange, the hauling device being provided with a second attachment flange, the method including bringing said first attachment flange and said second attachment flange together and attaching them using a flange clamp circumferentially embracing said flanges, wherein said clamp has an inwardly-facing surface for bearing against said first and second flanges, in which method circumferential constriction of the clamp presses the first and second flanges towards each other.
In a second preferred aspect, the present invention provides a marine line hauling assembly comprising a line hauling device and a drive casing, the drive casing having a first attachment flange and the line hauling device having a second attachment flange, said first and second flanges being attached to each other by a flange clamp circumferentially embracing said flanges and said first and second flanges being pressed together by an inwardly-facing surface of said flange clamp due to circumferential tension in said flange clamp.
In a third preferred aspect, the present invention provides a drive casing kit for a marine line hauling assembly comprising a drive casing and a flange clamp, the drive casing having a first attachment flange for attachment to a second attachment flange of a line hauling device using the flange clamp, the flange clamp having an inwardly-facing surface for bearing against surfaces of the first and second attachment flanges, the flange clamp being suitable for circumferentially embracing said flanges and pressing said flanges together due to circumferential tension in said flange clamp.
In a fourth preferred aspect, the present invention provides a marine craft such as a sailboat or a motorboat having a marine line hauling assembly according to the second aspect.
Preferred and/or optional features of the invention are set out below, and in the specific description of preferred embodiments of the invention. It is to be understood that these are applicable either singly or in any combination with any of the aspects of the invention, unless the context demands otherwise.
Preferably, the drive casing includes a gearbox. The gearbox typically contains reduction gearing for gearing down from an electric motor to a drive shaft. The first attachment flange may be formed in a single piece with a top cap of the drive casing or gearbox.
Preferably, the line hauling device is one of a windlass and a winch.
The first attachment flange and the second attachment flange may be shaped so as to be attachable to each other only in a discrete number of relative positions. For example, the first attachment flange and second attachment flange may attach to each other via an arrangement of pins and recesses, to resist relative rotation of the drive shaft housing and line hauling device in operation. There may be, for example, two, three, four or more pins extending from the first flange, cooperating with the same number of recesses in the second flange, or vice versa. However, there may be more recesses than pins, thereby allowing the first flange to be located relative to the second flange in more than two alternate positions. For example, if the first flange has two pins regularly spaced and the second flange has eight corresponding recesses regularly spaced, then there are eight different location positions for the first flange relative to the second flange. This can be advantageous where the drive casing needs to be located in a particular orientation, e.g. to optimise space saving or to assist in installation.
The axis along which the driveshaft lies can be considered the principal axis of the attachment flanges. Preferably, the first attachment flange has a face for abutment with a corresponding face of the second attachment flange, said face being perpendicular to the principal axis. The face preferably includes a peripheral flat portion and a stepped inner portion, the stepped inner portion also being flat but axially offset from the peripheral flat portion. Preferably, the corresponding face of the second attachment flange also has a stepped inner portion for mating engagement with the stepped inner portion of the first attachment flange. In this way, the two flanges can be more easily located with respect to each other, since the stepped inner portions click into place to indicate axial alignment of the flanges.
Preferably, each flange has a tapered cross-sectional profile, being thinner at the periphery of the flange than at an inner part of the flange. As will be set out in more detail below, this assists with the clamping together of the flanges.
The second flange may be provided integrally with the casing of the line hauling device or may be provided in an adapter portion, the adapter portion having at one end said second attachment flange and at the other end an attachment arrangement for attachment to the casing of the line hauling device.
Preferably, the flange clamp may be attached with respect to either the first or second flange before the step of bringing the first and second flanges together. Typically, the line hauling device is fixed first to the deck of the craft. Therefore, typically, the flange clamp is fixed with respect to the first flange, this being provided extending from the drive casing.
It is preferred that the attachment of the flange clamp with respect to the first flange is achieved so that the flange clamp can be positioned so that it does not interfere with the operation of bringing the first and second flanges together. Thus, preferably, the flange clamp is not attached directly to the first flange at this stage of the operation. Instead, preferably it is attached to a substrate that itself is attached or attachable to the flange. For example, the substrate may form part of a top plate for the drive casing.
The flange clamp may attach to the substrate via a pivot attachment. In this way, it can be pivoted into a position so that it will not interfere with the operation of bringing the first and second flanges together. After the first and second flanges have been brought together, the flange clamp may then be pivoted so as to circumferentially embrace the flanges and clamp them together.
Preferably, the flange clamp is detachable from the substrate. Preferably, the detachment of the flange clamp is achieved by movement of the flange clamp in a direction perpendicular to (or, alternatively, at least not parallel with) the principal axis of the flange. For example, such detachment may be achieved by rotation of the flange clamp about the flange. This may be desirable if the flange clamp could be more easily tightened if located at a different rotational angular position with respect to the flanges.
Preferably, the pivot attachment of the flange clamp to the substrate is achieved via a pivot pin. The pivot pin may extend from the substrate into a corresponding pivot recess in the flange clamp. However, preferably the pivot pin extends from the flange clamp into a corresponding pivot recess in the substrate. The pivot pin may have an enlarged head portion. This may fit into a corresponding enlarged portion of the recess, covered via an overhang. Location of the enlarged head portion into the enlarged portion of the recess therefore may only be possible along a defined path, said defined path not being parallel with the principal axis of the flange but preferably being perpendicular to said axis.
Preferably, the recess for the pivot pin is provided in the substrate at an upstanding portion of the substrate, so that when the flange clamp is attached to the substrate, the inwardly-facing surface of the flange clamp is level with the first flange. In this way, the flange clamp can be rotated into position more easily for clamping the flanges.
Preferably, apart from at the upstanding portion of the substrate, there is a gap between the flange clamp and the substrate. Preferably, this gap extends for at least two thirds of a turn, or three quarters of a turn, or four fifths of a turn, or five sixths of a turn, or more, around the substrate. This provides room for an installer's fingers to locate the flange clamp as required around the flanges.
Some of these features of the flange clamp are considered to be new per se and thus are set out in an independent aspect of the invention below. Also set out below are further preferred and/or optional features of the flange clamp.
In a fifth preferred aspect, the present invention provides a flange clamp for circumferentially embracing and attaching first and second attachment flanges after said flanges have been brought together, said flange clamp having an inwardly-facing surface for bearing against said first and second flanges so that circumferential constriction of the clamp presses the first and second flanges towards each other, the flange clamp including a pivot arrangement for attaching the clamp to a substrate about a pivot point, so that the flange clamp is attachable to said substrate but pivotable about said pivot point away from the first and second flanges to allow said flanges to be brought together and pivotable back towards said flanges to circumferentially embrace said flanges for attachment.
Preferably, the substrate is fixed or attached with respect to one of the first and second flanges, most preferably the first flange.
Preferably, the pivot arrangement is detachable from the substrate to allow the flange clamp to slide circumferentially around the flanges. In this way, the optimal angular position of the flange clamp may be selected for a particular assembly and location.
It is preferred to define an attachment axis for the flange clamp, being the axis extending perpendicular to the circumferential extent of the flange clamp. In this way, in use, the attachment axis is aligned with the principal axis of the flanges.
Preferably, the pivot arrangement includes a pivot pin protruding from the flange clamp. Most preferably, the pivot pin is shaped to resist detachment from the substrate along the attachment axis. The pivot pin may have a head portion for location in a corresponding recess in the substrate, the recess preferably including an overhang for preventing the axial detachment of the pivot pin from the recess.
The flange clamp preferably is C-shaped so that it has circumferential end portions that can be moved apart to receive the flanges and brought together to embrace the flanges and circumferentially constrict the clamp. Tension may be applied to the clamp via a bolt and a nut threaded on said bolt. The bolt is preferably hingedly attached to one circumferential end of the flange clamp. At the other circumferential end of the flange clamp, there is preferably provided a gate into which the bolt may be placed by rotation about its hinge. Preferably, the nut is shaped so that, when screwed up along the bolt and into the gate, the nut and thus bolt is prevented from escaping from the gate.
Preferably, the bolt is hinged using the pivot pin that attaches the flange clamp to the substrate. In this way, the construction of the flange clamp is simplified.
Preferably, the flange clamp has two arms connected via a hinge, the free ends of the arms constituting the circumferential ends of the clamp.
Preferably, the inwardly-facing surface of the flange clamp has a V-shaped surface. This allows the inwardly-facing surface to cooperate with the outer surfaces of the first and second flanges, assisting in pressing the flanges together.
Preferred and/or optional features of embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Embodiments of the invention are described with respect to a windlass. However, it is to be understood that the invention is also applicable to other marine line hauling devices, such as winches.
A drive casing 20 is provided, having a motor casing 22 for housing an electric motor and a gearbox 24 for housing reduction gearing. Gearbox 24 attaches to the motor casing 22.
Gearbox 24 has a top plate 26 attached to the gearbox by bolts 28. Top plate 26 will be described in more detail below. A drive shaft (not shown) extends through top plate 26, through a windlass adapter portion 30 (described in more detail below) and into the windlass, in order to provide power to the windlass from the electric motor. Power and control signals are provided to the electric motor via cables 32.
Top plate 26 of the gearbox 24 and the windlass adapter portion 30 are attached to each other via a flange clamp 34. Flange clamp 34 is shown in more detail in
As shown in
The outer surfaces of the flanges are tapered so that they decrease in thickness towards the periphery of the flanges. Each arm of the flange clamp 34 has a corresponding V-shaped inner face 74. As can easily be seen in
It is noted here that some of the components shown in
As can be seen from
Recessed track 60 is formed in raised support portion 56. Recessed track 60 has an overhang 62 shaped to trap the enlarged head 52 of the pivot pin 50. Recessed track 60 takes the form of an arc, substantially centred on the principal axis of first flange 40. In this way, the flange clamp may be detached from the support portion 56 by rotation of the flange clamp around the first flange 40. This may be desirable in order to locate the locking nut in the most suitable position for tightening of the flange clamp, depending on the availability of space to the person installing the assembly.
The above embodiments have been described by way of example. Modifications of these embodiments, further embodiments and modifications thereof will be apparent to the skilled person on reading this disclosure and as such are within the scope of the present invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0526427.0 | Dec 2005 | GB | national |
The present application is a continuation of pending International patent application PCT/GB2006/004730 filed on Dec. 15, 2006 which designates the United States and claims priority from GB patent application No. 0526427.0 filed on Dec. 23, 2005, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/GB2006/004730 | Dec 2006 | US |
| Child | 12144276 | US |
