Towing winch

Claim 2

A towing winch for use with a towing vessel and towed member comprising: a. a winch mounted upon the towing vessel including a drum shaft, a drum concentrically disposed about and keyed to said drum shaft whereby said drum and drum shaft rotate as an integral unit, a drum cable disposed about said drum an end thereof secured to the towed member, a unidirectional rotating power source, a continuously slipping clutch interposed between and coupled to said rotating power source and said drum shaft whereby the rotation of said rotating power source is transmitted to said drum shaft; b. a tension measuring member coupled to said towing cable and outputting a signal responsive to the tension in said towing cable; c. air pressure regulating means for regulating the transmission of power from said unidirectional rotating power source through said continuously slipping clutch, said air pressure regulating means coupled to said continuously slipping clutch; d. means coupling the output signal of said tension measuring member to said air pressure regulating means; and e. linear displacement measurement means for measuring the linear displacement of said towing cable coupled to said air pressure regulating means and said tension measurement member whereby the power transmitted through said continuously slipping clutch is changed in response to the linear displacement of said towing cable.

Claim 3

A towing winch as defined in claim 1 wherein said continuously slipping clutch comprises an inner hub and outer housing adapted to frictionally rotate with respect to each other and liquid means for dissipating the frictionally generated heat therein, said drum shaft being secured to said inner hub and said power source being coupled to said outer housing.

Claim 4

A towing winch as defined in claim 2 wherein said continuously slipping clutch further includes a friction disc secured to said inner hub, friction elements adapted to slidably engage and rotate with said outer housing, said liquid means for dissipating heat adjacent to the friction elemeNts, and air actuated expandable elements secured to said housing and adjacent said firction elements whereby said friction elements frictionally engage said friction disc upon actuating said expandable elements.

Claim 5

A towing winch as defined in claim 3 wherein said air pressure regulating means is coupled to said air actuated expandable elements, said frictional engagement being responsive to the regulated air pressure.

Claim 6

A towing winch as defined in claim 1 wherein said linear displacement measurement means includes rotating means for converting the linear displacement of said towing cable to angular movement, a displacement clutch coupled to said rotating means, a potentiometer having a mechanically movable wiper coupled to said displacement clutch whereby the mechanical position of said wiper is responsive to the linear movement of said towing cable.

Claim 7

A towing winch as defined as claim 5 further including means coupling the position of the wiper of said potentiometer to said air pressure regulating means.

Claim 8

A towing winch for use with a towing vessel and towed member comprising: a. a winch mounted upon the towing vessel including a drum shaft, a drum concentrically disposed about and keyed to said drum shaft whereby said drum and drum shaft rotate as an integral unit, a drum cable disposed about said drum an end thereof secured to said towed member, a unidirectional rotating power source, a continuously slipping clutch comprising an inner hub and outer housing adapted to frictionally rotate with respect to each other and liquid means for dissipating the frictionally generated heat therein, said drum shaft being secured to said inner hub and said outer housing being coupled to said power source; b. a tension measuring member coupled to said towing cable and outputting a signal responsive to the tension in said towing cable and including a sheave in contact with said towing cable whereby the linear displacement of said towing cable is converted to the rotation of said sheave; c. air pressure regulating means for regulating the transmission of power from said unidirectional rotating power source through said continuously slipping clutch; d. means coupling the output of said tension measuring member to said air pressure regulating means; and e. a linear displacement measurement member including a displacement clutch having a first and second member, the first member thereof being coupled to said sheave, a potentiometer having a moveable wiper, said wiper being coupled to the second member of said displacement clutch whereby the position of said wiper is responsive to the linear movement of said towing cable and electrically coupled to said air pressure regulating means.

Claim 9

A towing winch for use with a towing vessel and towed member comprising: a. a winch mounted upon the towing vessel including a drum shaft, a drum concentrically disposed about and keyed to said drum shaft whereby said drum and drum shaft rotate as an integral unit, a drum cable disposed about said drum an end thereof secured to said towed member, a unidirectional rotating power source, a continuously slipping clutch comprising an inner hub and outer housing adapted to frictionally rotate with respect to each other and liquid means for dissipating the frictionally generated heat therein, said drum shaft being secured to said inner hub and said outer housing being coupled to said power source; b. a tension measuring member coupled to said towing cable and outputting a signal responsive to the tension in said towing cable and including a sheave in contact with said towing cable whereby the linear displacement of said towing cable is converted to the rotation of said sheave; c. air pressure regulating means for regulating the transmission of power from said unidirectional rotating power source through said continuously slipping clutch; d. means coupling the output of said tension measuring member to said air pressure regulating means; and e. a linear displacement measurement member including a displacement clutch having a first and second member, the first member thereof being coupled to said sheave, a potentiometer having a moveable wiper, said wiper being coupled to the second member of said displacement clutch whereby the position of said wiper is responsive to the linear movement of said towing cable and electrically coupled to said air pressure regulating means.

Claim 10

A towing winch as defined in claim 7 wherein said unidirectional rotating power source rotates at a constant speed.

Claim 11

A towing winch as defined in claim 7 wherein said continuously slipping clutch further includes a friction disc secured to said inner hub, friction elements adapted to slidably engage and rotate with said outer housing, said liquid means for dissipating heat adjacent to the friction elements, and air actuated expandable elements secured to said housing and adjacent said firction elements whereby said friction elements frictionally engage said friction disc upon actuating said expandable elements.

Claim 12

A towing winch as defined in claim 9 wherein said air pressure regulating means is coupled to said air actuated expandable elements, the frictional engagement of said continuously slipping clutch being responsive to the regulated air pressure.

Claim 13

A towing winch for use with a towing vessel and towed member comprising: a. a winch mounted upon the towing vessel and including a drum shaft, a drum concentrically disposed about and keyed to said drum shaft whereby said drum and drum shaft rotate as an integral unit, a drum cable disposed about said drum an end thereof being secured to said towed member, a unidirectional rotating power source, a continuously slipping clutch comprising an inner hub and outer housing, a friction disc secured to said inner hub, friction elements to slidably engage and rotate within said outer housing, liquid means for dissipating heat being adjacent said friction elements, and air actuated expandable elements secured to said housing and adjacent said friction elements, said drum shaft being secured to said inner hub and said power source being coupled to said outer housing whereby said friction elements frictionally engage said friction disc upon actuating said expandable elements transmitting the power of said power source to said drum shaft; b. a tension measuring member coupled to said towing cable and adapted to output a hydraulic signal responsive to the tension in said towing cable, said tension measuring member incorporating at least one sheave in contact with said towing cable, said sheave adapted to convert the linear displacement of said towing cable to rotational displacement; c. an air pressure regulator including a transducer coupled to said tension measuring member and the output thereof being responsive to said hydraulic signal, generating means coupled to said transducer for generating air pressure signals in response to the output of said transducer and means for coupling said air generating means to said air actuated expandable elements whereby the engagement of said friction elements and said friction disc is regulated; and d. a linear displacement measurement member including a displacement clutch having a first and second member, the first member coupled to said sheave, a potentiometer having a mechanically moveable wiper, said wiper being mechanically coupled to the second member of said displacement clutch whereby the position of said wiper is responsive to the linear movement of said towing cable, and being electrically coupled to said air pressure regulator.

Claim 14

A towing winch for use with a towing vessel and towed member comprising: a. a winch mounted upon the towing vessel and including a drum shaft, a drum concentrically disposed about and keyed to said drum shaft whereby said drum and drum shaft rotate as an integral unit, a drum cable disposed about said drum an end thereof being secured to said towed member, a unidirectional rotating power source, a continuously slipping clutch comprising an inner hub and outer housing, a friction disc secured to said inner hub, friction elements to slidably engage and rotate within said outer housing, liquid means for dissipating heat being adjacent said friction elements, and air actuated expandable elements secured to said housing and adjacent said friction elements, said drum shaft being secured to said inner hub and said power source being coupled to said outer housing whereby said friction elements frictionally engage said friction disc upon actuating said expandable elements transmitting the power of said power source to said drum shaft; b. a tension measuring member coupled to said towing cable and adapted to output a hydraulic signal responsive to the tension in said towing cable, said tension measuring member incorporating at least one sheave in contact with said towing cable, said sheave adapted to convert the linear displacement of said towing cable to rotational displacement; c. an air pressure regulator including a transducer coupled to said tension measuring member and the output thereof being responsive to said hydraulic signal, generating means coupled to said transducer for generating air pressure signals in response to the output of said transducer and means for coupling said air generating means to said air actuated expandable elements whereby the engagement of said friction elements and said friction disc is regulated; and d. a linear displacement measurement member including a displacement clutch having a first and second member, the first member coupled to said sheave, a potentiometer having a mechanically moveable wiper, said wiper being mechanically coupled to the second member of said displacement clutch whereby the position of said wiper is responsive to the linear movement of said towing cable, and being electrically coupled to said air pressure regulator.