US3272478A

US3272478A - Anchor reel

Info

Publication number: US3272478A
Application number: US373192A
Authority: US
Inventors: Clem C Binns
Original assignee: Cass Tool & Die
Current assignee: Cass Tool & Die
Priority date: 1964-06-08
Filing date: 1964-06-08
Publication date: 1966-09-13
Anticipated expiration: 1983-09-13

Description

C. C. BINNS Sept. 13, 1966 ANCHOR REEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 8, 1964 INVENTOR.

CLEM c. BINNS ATTORNEY C- C. BINNS ANCHOR REEL Sept. 13, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 8, 1964 FIG. 5

INVENTOR. CLEM C. Bl NNS ATTORNEY FIG. 4

United States Patent 3,272,478 ANCHOR REEL Clem C. Binns, Niles, Mich. Cass Tool & Die, Cassapolis, Mich. 49031) Filed June 8, 1964-, Ser. No. 373,192 4 Claims. ((Il. 254-486) The present invention relates to reels and more particularly to a manually operable anchor reel.

Various types of anchor reels have been devised for use in small boats which will effectively control the anchor as it is being raised and lowered, and which will hold the anchor line in any desired paid out position and retain the anchor firmly in its raised position. In order to accomplish these various operations, the reels in the past have included several levers for manipulating the reels to wind the anchor line, brake the line while it is being paid out, hold the reel with the desired line length unwound, and lock the reel when the anchor has been fully raised. These various levers and controls have often been difiicult to operate effectively and have often made the reel bulky, cumbersome and difficult to install in and adapt to different makes and types of boats. It is therefore one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide a compact and relatively simple anchor reel for small boats which can be easily and effectively operated to control the raising and lowering of the anchor and which will retain the anchor line in either its fully wound position or in any partially unwound condition.

Another object of the invention is to provide an anchor reel for small boats and the like which is so constructed that it can be installed and effectively operated in any convenient position in the boat and which is virtually service-free even when operated under adverse conditions which would normally result in the following of the line and the operating mechanism of conventional reels.

When a boater drops the anchor he frequently wishes it to drop slowly to prevent disturbing his view of the bottom or scaring the first from the area. At other times he may wish to drop it rapidly, even to a considerable depth, to prevent drifting too far from a chosen spot. It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide a manually operated anchor reel which incorporates a brake for the anchor rope which is easily adjustable from a completely released position to a virtually immobilizing position.

When the anchor is being dropped, it is often possible for the handle of a reel to spin, threatening accidents ranging from blows on the fishermans hand to hopelessly fouled lines caught in the handle. possible for a person to remember this danger or perform a releasing action on the handle of his anchor reel. It is therefore another object to provide an anchor reel with a handle Which is automatically free-wheeling in either rotational direction.

An additional object is to provide a push-button controlled anchor release.

When a boat is loaded onto a rack on top of an automobile, the anchor reel should not project from it to scratch or mar the roof or sides of the vehicle. In addition, when the boat is in use, the anchor reel should not interfere with the use or operation of the boat in any way. Therefore, another object of the invention is to provide a reel which is small and may be mounted in any convenient position in the boat.

A further object is to provide such a reel which is sturdy and able to withstand all normal shocks and blows while in use.

Still another object is to provide an anchor reel which is simple and which is easily manufactured from readily available parts and which requires little or no maintenance.

Yet it is not always Additional objects and advantages will become ap parent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a boat having the present invention mounted in one possible convenient position;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the anchor reel;

FIGURE 4 is an end elevational view of the reel;

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional view of the free-wheeling mechanism taken on line 5-'5 of FIGURE 2 and showing the mechanism in the free-wheeling position;

FIGURE 6 is a cross sectional view similar to that of FIGURE 5, showing the mechanism in the handle engaging position;

FIGURE 7 is an end elevational view of a shaft used in the reel; and

FIGURE 8 is a view of a portion of the handle of the present invention.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, and to FIGURE 1 in particular, a boat 10 has an anchor 12 raised and lowered by a rope 14 connected to reel 16. In FIGURE 1, the reel 16 is placed on the side of the boat near the back for the convenience of a person using an outboard motor (not shown), but the reel can be placed near the back for the convenience of a person using an floor of the boat, or even under a seat, if desired. It is connected in the desired position by screws or bolts (not shown) in one side or the base of reel 16. The reel is also suitable for one without modification in many types of boats other than the one shown in FIGURE 1, for example cabin cruisers and sail boats.

As seen in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, reel 16 includes a U-shaped frame 20 having a base 22 and

sides

24 and 26. A handle 28 adjacent side 24 is connected by a shaft 30 to a reel 32 between

sides

24 and 26. Reel 32 includes a drum 34, and ratchet wheel 36 and disc-shaped wheel 38 connected integrally and concentrically with drum 34.

Wheels

36 and 38 are centrally drilled to accommodate shaft 30, and a central disc on each wheel having a diameter equal to the diameter of drum 34 is stamped out to a displacement equal to the thickness of the wheels. Thus, when drum 34 is integrally connected between

Wheels

36 and 38 are centrally drilled to accommodate side of each wheel, the centers of the wheels are close to

sides

24 and 26, as will be described more fully hereinafter, while the outer rims of the wheels are spaced from the sides sufficiently to eliminate any chance of contact between the rims and the sides. As seen in FIGURES 4 and 5, drum 34 is connected concentrically for rotation with shaft 30 'by a tube 40. Shaft 30 and reel 32 are mounted for free rotation between

sides

24 and 26 by bearings 42 and 44 of nylon or the like. In the basic operation of this device, rope 14 is passed through tube and knotted, thus holding it on the reel. The rope is then simply wound on and from reel 32 by handle 28.

When handle 28 is used to draw up anchor 12, a pawl automatically locks ratchet wheel 36 to prevent the weight of the anchor from reversing the movement of reel 32 when the boatman releases the handle. Ratchet 36 has teeth every inch or two inches about its circumference, thus allowing a very close measurement of rope 14 and hence of the depth of anchor 12. Pawl 50, pivoted at 52, is biased by a spring 54 acting between base 22 and surface 56 of pawl 50 to a ratchet engaging position wherein tooth 58 of pawl 50 catches in the teeth of wheel 36. An extension 60 of pawl 50 on the end of the pawl opposite tooth 58 extends through opening 62 of base 22 to be used as a ratchet disengaging button. Thus, when extension 60 is pressed, the ratchet is released and anchor 12 can pull as much rope as needed from reel 32. The

withdrawal of rope from the reel can be stopped at any desired time by releasing extension 60.

To provide a braking action on reel 32 and hence rope 14, bearings 42 and 44- have annular extensions 64 and 66, respectively, extending between the raised portions of

wheels

36 and 38 and

sides

24 and 26. A common machine screw 70 connects the open ends of

sides

24 and 26 and acts to draw them together or push them apart, as desired. By drawing the sides together a small amount, the pressure on extensions 64 and 66 is increased sufficiently to increase the friction and thus increase the braking action on line 14. This operation is so sensitive that even a fraction of a turn of screw 70 noticeably afiects the friction on drum 32, and hence the rate of descent of the anchor. For the convenience of the operator of the reel, several types of screw heads might be used, for example, a simple wing nut '72 or a hex nut, easily turned by the fingers or a pair of pliers.

An annular nylon bearing 74 journalled on the outer end of shaft 30 is connected to handle 28 by rivets 75 molded integrally with bearing 74, the handle being constrained to rotate concentrically with shaft 30 by the position of bearing 74 about shaft 30. The assembly is held on shaft 30 by a bearing 76 having an integral annular stop 78 and being mounted on shaft 30 by a screw 80. A spring 82 acting between side 24 and bearing 74 biases handle 28 in a normally disengaged relation with shaft 30. As seen in FIGURES 6, 7 and 8, handle 28 has a semi-circular opening with one flat side 84 and shaft 30 has two matching

flat lands

86 and 88 cut out on opposite sides of the shaft for a distance along the shaft far enough to allow handle 28 to turn shaft 30 while preventing the handle from approaching side 24 closely enough to interfere with wing nut 72. Bearing 76 has a diameter equal to the distance between

lands

86 and 88 on shaft 30; thus, handle 28 turns freely on the bearing.

When the reel is to be operated, handle 28 is pressed against spring 82, allowing flat side 84 to come in contact with land 86 or land 88 and turn shaft 30. When the handle is released, it is immediately forced into the disengaged position by spring 82.

When using the present invention, reel 16 is mounted on the boat as previously described. When the anchor is to be dropped, screw 70 is adjusted to the desired braking action, and then extension 60 is pressed to release the anchor. The friction brake not only slows the descent of the anchor, but also prevents excess rope from being paid out after the anchor bottoms. When the anchor is to be raised again, handle 28 is pressed toward side 24 and turned until the anchor is at the desired level, pawl '50 and ratchet wheel 36 preventing the anchor from dropping at any time during the raising process. When the anchor raising is completed, handle 28 is released and the unit is ready for another lowering or raising cycle again.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

I claim:

1. An anchor reel comprising a unitary assembly of a base and two sides joined to said base forming a U- shaped frame, a reel assembly mounted within said frame and comprising a hub, a wheel concentric with and integrally connected to one end of said hub, and a ratchet wheel concentric with and integrally connected to the other end of said hub, one of said frame sides being movable toward and away from said hub on opposite sides thereof a shaft extending concentrically from said hub and passing through one of said sides, a handle connected to said shaft for free rotation with respect to said assembly, keying means on said handle, cooperating keying means on said shaft, a spring on said shaft acting between said handle and said frame to bias said handle away from said second mentioned keying means, a pawl resiliently biased into latching contact with said ratchet wheel, frictional means interposed between one of said wheels and the adjacent side wall, and means for mg ing said last mentioned side wall and said last mentioned wheel into closer contact with said frictional means.

2. An anchor reel comprising a unitary assembly of a base and two sides joined to said base forming a U- shaped frame, a reel assembly mounted within said frame and comprising a hub, a wheel concentric with and integrally connected to one end of said hub, and a ratchet wheel concentric with and integrally connected to the other end of said hub, one of said frame sides being movable toward and away from said hub on opposite sides thereof, a shaft extending concentrically from said hub and connected for rotation with said hub and passing through one of said sides, a handle connected to said shaft for free rotation with respect to said shaft, keying means on said handle, cooperating keying means on said shaft, a spring on said shaft acting between said handle and said frame to bias said handle away from said second mentioned keying means, a pawl resiliently biased into latching contact with said ratchet wheel, frictional means interposed between one of said wheels and the adjacent side wall, and screw means connected to said frame for urging said last mentioned side wall and said last mentioned wheel into closer contact with said frictional means.

3. A reel comprising a unitary assembly of a base and two sides joined to said base forming a U-shaped frame, a reel assembly mounted on said frame and comprising a hub, a wheel concentric with and integrally connected to one end of said hub, and a ratchet wheel concentric with and integrally connected to the other end of said hub, one of said frame sides being movable toward and away from said hub on opposite sides thereof, a shaft extending from said hub and connected for rotation with said hub and passing through said side, a handle connected to said shaft for free rotation with respect to said shaft, keying means on said handle, cooperating keying means on said shaft, resilient means for biasing said handle away from said second mentioned keying means, a pawl biased into contact with said ratchet wheel, brake means interposed betweeen one of said wheels and the adjacent side wall and an adjustable means for urging said last mentioned side Wall and said last mentioned wheel into closer contact with said brake means.

4. A reel comprising a unitary assembly of a base and two sides joined to said base forming a U-shaped frame, a reel assembly mounted on said frame and comprising a hub, a wheel integrally connected to said hub, and a ratchet wheel integrally connected to said hub, one of said frame sides being movable toward and away from said hub on opposite sides thereof, a handle connected for free rotation with respect to said assembly, keying means for operatively connecting said handle and said assembly, resilient means for biasing said keying means into an inoperative position, a pawl biased into contact with said ratchet wheel, brake means interposed between one of said wheels and the adjustment side wall, and an adjustable means for bringing said frame and said last mentioned wheel into closer contact with said brake means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,197,671 9/1916 Schneiden 188-71 2,031,501 2/1936 Porten 24299 2,354,805 8/1944 Fey 74-548 2,626,763 1/1953 Dunnock 24299 2,654,828 10/1953 Vandenberg 24299 2,684,833 7/1954 Benson.

2,780,333 2/1957 Reiser 19267 2,927,771 3/1960 Clark.

3,182,962 5/1965 Gray 254-186 EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

HUGO O. SCHULTZ, Examiner.

H. C. HORNSBY, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. AN ANCHOR REEL COMPRISING A UNITARY ASSEMBLY OF A BASE AND TWO SIDES JOINED TO SAID BASE FORMING A USHAPED FRAME, A REEL ASSEMBLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID FRAME AND COMPRISING A HUB, A WHEEL CONCENTRIC WITH AND INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TO ONE END OF SAID HUB, AND A RATCHET WHEEL CONCENTRIC WITH AND INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID HUB, ONE OF SAID FRAME SIDES BEING MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID HUB ON OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF A SHAFT EXTENDING CONCENTRICALLY FROM SAID HUB AND PASSING THROUGH ONE OF SAID SIDES, A HANDLE CONNECTED TO SAID SHAFT FOR FREE ROTATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID ASSEMBLY, KEYING MEANS ON SAID HANDLE, COOPERATING KEYING MEANS ON SAID SHAFT, A SPRING ON SAID SHAFT ACTING BETWEEN SAID HANDLE AND SAID FRAME TO BIAS SAID HANDLE AWAY FROM SAID SECOND MENTIONED KEYING MEANS, A PAWL RESILIENTLY BIASED INTO LATCHING CONTACT WITH SAID RATCHET WHEEL, FRICTIONALY MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN ONE OF SAID WHEELS AND THE ADJACENT SIDE WALL, AND MEANS FOR URGING SAID LAST MENTIONED SIDE WALL AND SAID LAST MENTIONED WHEEL INTO CLOSER CONTACT WITH SAID FRICTIONAL MEANS.