Modern self-tailing winch on a sailing boat. Here, the line winched is a jib or spinnaker sheet which runs from the sail (upper left, not shown) to a block (lower right,not shown) and from there to the lower part of the winch. A jib (also spelled jibb) is a triangular Staysail set ahead of the foremost mast of a sailing boat A spinnaker is a special type of Sail that is designed specifically for Sailing off the wind from a reaching course to a downwind i In Sailing, a sheet is a line ( Rope, Cable or Chain) used to control the moveable corner(s of a Sail. In Sailing, a block is a single or multiple Pulley. One or a number of sheaves are enclosed in an assembly between cheeks or chocks The handle is detachable to facilitate handling of the line.

A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in (wind up) or let out (wind out) or otherwise adjust the "tension" of a rope or wire rope (also called "cable" or "wire cable"). A rope is a length of Fibers twisted or Braided together to improve strength for pulling and Connecting. Wire rope consists of several strands laid (or 'twisted' together like a helix In its simplest form it consists of a spool and attached hand crank. A crank is an arm at right angles to a shaft (an Axle or spindle by which motion is imparted to or received from the shaft it is also used to change circular into Reciprocating In larger forms, winches stand at the heart of machines as diverse as tow trucks, steam shovels and elevators. A tow truck (also called a wrecker, a breakdown truck, recovery truck or a breakdown lorry) is a vehicle used to transport disabled A steam shovel is a large steam-powered excavating machine designed for lifting and moving material such as rock and Soil. An elevator or lift is a Transport device used to move people or goods vertically from one floor to another The spool can also be called the winch drum. More elaborate designs have gear assemblies and can be powered by electric, hydraulic, pneumatic or internal combustion drives. This is the page for mechanical Gears For other uses see Gear (disambiguation For the gear-like device used to drive a roller chain see Sprocket For the mechanical technology see Hydraulic machinery and Hydraulic cylinder Hydraulics is a topic of science and Engineering Pneumatics, Pressurized gas to affect mechanical motion Pneumatic power is used in Industry, where it is common to have factory units plumbed for Compressed The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the Combustion of Fuel and an Oxidizer (typically air occurs in a confined space called a Some may include a solenoid brake and/or a mechanical brake or ratchet and pawl device that prevents it from unwinding unless the pawl is retracted. A Solenoid Brake is an electrically controlled Brake that is used along with a mechanical brake to manage the load on a cargo Winch. In Mechanical engineering, a ratchet is a device that allows linear or rotary motion in only one direction while preventing motion in the opposite direction

Applications

Besides industrial applications (e. g. in cranes), winches are used for towing cars, boats, or gliders. A crane is a lifting machine equipped with a Winder, Wire ropes or Chains and sheaves that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to Terminology A "glider" is an unpowered Aircraft. The most common types of glider are today used for sporting purposes There are several winches on almost every boat or ship where they are used to pull anchor or mooring lines, halyards, and sheets. An anchor is an object often made out of metal that is used to attach a ship to the bottom of a body of water at a specific point In Sailing, a halyard or halliard is a line ( Rope) that is used to hoist (pull up a Sail, a Flag or a yard.

The rope is usually stored on the winch, but a similar machine that does not store the rope is called a capstan. A capstan is a rotating machine used to apply Force to another element notably used on board ship and on dock walls for heaving-in or veering ropes cables and hawsers When trimming a line on a sailboat, the crew member turns the winch handle with one hand, while tailing (pulling on the loose tail end) with the other to maintain tension on the turns. Some winches have a "stripper" or cleat to maintain tension. These are known as "self-tailing" winches ^[1].

Winches are frequently used as elements of backstage mechanics to move scenery in large theatrical productions. Theatrical scenery is that which is used as a setting for a Theatrical production Winches are often embedded in the stage floor and used to move large set pieces on and off.

History

The earliest literary reference to a winch can be found in the account of Herodotus of Halicarnassus on the Persian Wars (Histories 7. Herodotus of Halicarnassus ( Greek: Hēródotos Halikarnāsseús) was a Greek Historian who lived in the 5th century BC ( 484 BC&ndash 36), where he describes how wooden winches were used to tighten the cables for a pontoon bridge across the Hellespont in 480 B. C. Winches may have been employed even earlier in Assyria. Early history The most Neolithic site in Assyria is at Tell Hassuna, the center of the Hassuna culture By the 4th century BC, winch and pulley hoists were regarded by Aristotle as common for architectural use (Mech. Aristotle (Greek Aristotélēs) (384 BC – 322 BC was a Greek philosopher a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. 18; 853b10-13). ^[2]

The largest electric drive winch in the world is placed on the Balder, a construction ship. The DCV Balder is a Deepwater Construction Vessel (DCV operated by Heerema. It is used as a Mooring Line Deployment Winch with a diameter of 10. 5 meter and an SWL (Safe Working Load) of 275 MT.

See also

• Steam donkey

References