Windlass Drum Multi-Layer Rope Storage Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional windlass systems for marine craft require significant below-deck space for anchor rode storage and are noisy due to the accumulation of chain, and rope storage is prone to tangling and inefficient compared to chain.
Innovation Solution
A line hauling device with a rotatable drum and line laying mechanism that allows multiple layers of neatly wound line, including rope, on the drum, featuring a carriage system driven by rotation to manage line layers and a load-detecting switch for secure operation, reducing the need for an anchor locker and minimizing noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If anchor rode is stored in an anchor locker, then storage capacity is sufficient, but below-deck space is significantly occupied and noise is generated during accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the anchor rode storage function from the traditional anchor locker and relocates it to the drum of the windlass. The drum is designed to store the anchor rode in multiple layers during hauling operations, eliminating the need for a separate anchor locker and its associated space requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The drum serves multiple functions: it acts as both the winding mechanism for the anchor rode and the storage container. By integrating storage into the drum structure itself, the system eliminates the need for separate storage compartments while maintaining full storage capacity.
2Strength
If chain is used for anchor rode, then strength and durability are high, but weight and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the material parameter of the anchor rode from traditional chain to high-strength rope. Modern rope technology has developed materials that match or exceed the strength of chain while significantly reducing weight and cost, allowing the windlass to handle rope effectively.
3Weight of moving object
If rope is used for anchor rode, then weight and cost are reduced, but tangling occurs more easily in anchor locker
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the anchor locker and storing rope directly on the drum, the system eliminates the environment that causes rope tangling. The drum's structured winding surface and controlled laying mechanism prevent the random coiling and tangling that occurs in loose anchor lockers.
Solution Approach 2:
The line-laying mechanism automatically guides and winds the rope onto the drum in an organized manner during hauling operations. This self-organizing process ensures the rope is stored neatly in layers without manual intervention, preventing tangling and maintaining reliability.
4Quantity of substance
If multiple layers of line are wound on drum, then storage capacity increases, but line laying mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from single-layer to multi-layer storage by utilizing the vertical dimension on the drum surface. The line-laying mechanism deposits line in successive layers, effectively using three-dimensional space on the drum to maximize storage capacity without requiring a larger drum diameter.
Data Source
AI summary
A line hauling device such as a windlass is disclosed for marine craft. The device has a support, a drum held on the support and rotatable with respect to the support, a motor for selectably driving rotation of the drum in a forward (hauling) direction and a reverse (paying out) direction, and a line laying mechanism for laying the line onto the drum. The drum is adapted to store the line on the drum. When operated in the forward direction, the line-laying mechanism lays the line onto the drum in a first series of turns. On completion of the first series of turns the line-laying mechanism lays the line in a second series of turns overlying the first series of turns. The line-laying mechanism includes a carriage which is driven reciprocally with respect to the drum by rotation of the drum.