Wind vane self steering design

E, F, and G are all the same solid piece. R is a slot the handle slides back and forth in. The multi-cam rotates to align a new cam with the roller. However, the cam can only rotate when the handle is in the round part of the gate, and that requires pushing against a spring, so that normal ratcheting would not allow shifting--- it has to be a conscious push away from the operator.
The four cam faces each are generated shapes. Therefore, action is absolutely linear, and each cam makes the inner ratchet toothed face of the drum move an exact whole number of teeth clockwise.
For instance, in low gear, maybe four clicks are heard as the drum turns. In second gear, 6, third gear 9, etc.. I have worked out many gear number sets, similar to how bicycle ratios are numbered.
There are "advancing pawls" and "holding pawls". The drawing doesn't show the holding pawls. I believe there would be six holding pawls (three sets of two), and the way they are arranged, they are phased, so that advancing to a new holding pawl requires only a third of a tooth pitch rotation. So whereas there might be 100 teeth, for example, on the inside of the outer winch drum, the drum can be advanced one three-hundredth of a full rotation.
So now, looking at the gate R, see how there is one position only where one could spin to a new cam. The actual gate is not anything like the one shown. It is actually simpler and smaller, and inside. In fact, the cam ends when the handle is pushed away from the operator, and because the roller is sprung against the cam faces, it self aligns EXCEPT when the cam begins its rise. There, the flat face of the cam is no longer against the roller, but instead, a rounded groove is, and so the multi-cam can rotate even though it is sprung against the roller.

Alan

 

oh-- but there are 2 r's - that is what confused me. I noticed only the one you did not mention above.

otherwise the drawing is clear and your explanation seems clear too.

 

The left R is the gate. The right R is the rounded groove that allows the cam to rotate. Sorry, Sigurd. I should have fixed that.
The biggest challenge to this design was the logistics--- fitting it all in. The later drawings could be built from. All necessary to fit everything into a 3 1/2" drum with a 7" base.
Harken's winch engineer said, after examining the design, that he felt the cams would pick up material between the cam face and the roller.
I disagreed that this was an issue. Both cam (forged and ground 17 ph ss) and the roller 310 ss (softer) would contact each other in the same way any roller bearings would under similar pressures. The advantage to my design was I could get five speeds by using the same number of rolling high pressure surfaces as a common geared single speed winch.
Vertical axis roller bearing for drum, two roller bearings for the handle pivot, plain bearing (bronze) for the rotation of the multi-cam, one for the roller, and the cam/roller contact. The entire unit could be completely disassembled with a single allen wrench. Half of the inside space was empty, and in that space, a plasic snap-closing container would store extra pawls, grease, oil, and spare hex wrench. The handle that is used to ratchet the winch has a simple rotatable lock that allows the handle to be removed. The handle has a hex wrench on the end of it, formerly hidden. It then looks like a screwdriver with a hex end. That is the tool that disassembles and reassembles the whole thing, every part. That means repairing the winch or servicing it at sea is very easy. The handle also has clear numbers one through four to tell at a glance what gear you are in, and which direction to twist the handle to get the next gear.
Because no gears are used, the winch should be at least 98% efficient in every gear (and even better using the direct drive top handle, which is the fast gear, and which uses a regular winch handle.
Such a winch would also allow the pull to be a lot lower, and as has been my experience, turning top handle winches requires unweildy positions that twist the wrist. The side handle Murray winch from NZ is loved by anyone that has used them, I hear. You sit down and pull naturally instead of raising your arms too high pulling a vertical handle.

 

wow so you really finished the design.
I have only used the simplest 2-speeds so I don't really know what the state of the art is.
One drawback of the regular top cranks is they are slow to wind onto - problem when tacking the jib. You either remove the crank, wind the rope, etc, or wind with the crank on. If you prepare with three or four turns before the tack then you'll get englishmen when pulling in fast.

So, maybe there could be a high gear on the low handle on one model? I think only huge boats need 4-5speeds anyway. Maybe not as quick to pull back and forth as a top handle is to rotate though - dunno.

Doesn't seem very likely/common with junk on the roller/cams, and not a showstopper if it comes.

I eyed an old sachs 3speed bicycle hub gear for a kite reel. IIRC I got something like 4:1, 2:1, and some ratio close to unity - by locking the sprocket and cranking the axle. Ditched it for the endless rope reel.

Edit: if you have time some time, please develop a better bicycle gear. the flimsy derailer **** is annoying. wears out fast/unreliable/cannot be shifted under load. maybe cogbelt with variable size sprocket or something. they can fit inside each other or segments can slide radially? 14speed hubgear exist but nobody use for some reason. They are a tad heavy and expensive.

 

The spinshift winch is five speeds because it is possible to do so with only slight modification of a single speed of the same design.
Having 4 ratios with the bottom handle is great for mixed crews--- women, kids, etc.. The shifting is so easy and natural, you know what gear you're in from a number on the handle as it faces you. The ratio spread can be large.
I think the fastest ratio I designed for the bottom handle is a 10:1 or so, whereas a 10" handle on top (direct drive) with a 3 1/2" drum is 5.7:1.
The swing of the side handle is, I think, about 70 degrees. It's always there too, not lying on the cockpit sole or worse, missing. The line is wrapped and tailed and there is no fitting of a handle while doing this. The fast retreive top socket would only be used in light air with someone else tailing. Otherwise, the same ratio as the top handle would yield could be made available with the bottom handle. Drum diameter can be increased too.
To get an entirely new set of ratios, only the cam need be changed. And in terms of super mechanical advantage, it's easy to get a ratio of 60:1, about 9 times direct drive, on a sheet winch sized for a 100 sq ft headsail. Finger tip control.

 

here it is, the bicycle gear. nuvinci

Otherwise I think reciprocating motion is easier to make variable transmission, for instance one of the locomotive valve gears, the baker for instance. Hoekens linkage can make a constant velocity in a straight line for more than 50% of the input rotation cycle. So the driving bar would be an eccentric on the crank shaft, then from point p would the motion be geared by a valve gear, then to a rope, onto a freewheel on the rearwheel. Two of these mechanisms would be needed ofcourse. I have tried to make a constant velocity + quick return linkage, using only rope, would be neater. not very good so far. Any way, the point would be to make bike transmission lighter and more reliable.

 

Billy can you post a exploded view of the bits and pieces of your wind vain steering
along with maybe a perspective drawing of the thing assembled
I might like to try to build one myself if you dont mind me hijacking the design

 

Hi Boston,

I'd be honored if you "hijack" the design! There is a more detailed description of it here: http://poiesisresearch.com/Wind Vane.php and a description of the boat it was designed for here: http://poiesisresearch.com/Lieserl.php The boat design is a bit dated now, as I've been through several more iterations on the design but with the economy tanking have been looking to buy instead . . . and not finding . . . so I may yet build and will probably die of old age before finishing it!

Let me know if there is anything there that isn't clear and I'll do what I can to sort it out. I might still have the original Rhino file somewhere as well, but I'm not at all sure of that.

BillyDoc

 

thanks
I like the mechanical systems over the electric ones any day

Ild like to incorporate in is some aesthetic way into the design Im working on

nice site by the way
thanks
B

 

You're welcome!

I just re-read the site for the first time in a couple of years and found I had forgotten to mention that all mechanical parts (bearings, gears, etc) can and should be immersed in oil to prevent corrosion. I just fixed this rather important detail.

And I'm definitely with you on the mechanical systems, certainly for self-steering. Electrical is nice, but way too subject to problems for my taste.

I once sailed over a week steadily on course out in the Atlantic without ever touching my earlier version home-brew self-steerer. Then one morning I got up, took a look around, and it was a nice sunshiny morning so I ducked back below and made myself a cup of tea. (I was single-handing.) Got the tea brewed and went up on deck to enjoy the sunrise, which I did for about 30 minutes before it dawned on me (pun intended) that the sun had just come up in the West.

Now, I'm certainly not the best of celestial navigators. I can do a noon sight with a sextant, and in fact that was how I was navigating at the time as GPS wasn't available yet. But, I certainly did know that the sun does not usually come up in the West!

After pondering this anomaly and sipping on my tea it did finally occur to me to check the course . . . and sure enough the wind had come about 180 degrees during the night and that old reliable fireball in the sky was arising in the East after all. That was a relief, I can tell you! I like consistency in sun behavior. It's reassuring. And the self-steerer did exactly what it's supposed to do. In fact, it never failed me in many years going to sea. But I did have trouble with deterioration of plastic parts (delrin) and seals over stainless steel bearings. Thus the present design.

BillyDoc

 

if your wondering what Ive got planned for it go to

http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/propulsion/these-turbine-alternaters-easy-make-26738-new-post.html

 

I only see one mast . . . it's a sloop, right?

Nice boat!

 

actually its a wind vein self steering brothel

 

Excellent! I wouldn't want to be stuck at the tiller with THAT kind of action going on. Don't forget the "not under control" lights (two red lights, one above the other in the cockpit)!

Actually, I live in a cat house now. The Madam is named Annie, and the place is known far and wide as "Annie's Cat House."

Only six cats now. We had a couple of deaths.

 

my condolences

we have two
and the you know where wants me to help in the cat house because they need people badly
I can still work over with the swimming things
but Im ok with the big cats as I have tons of experience with them anyway and know how to handle myself round em

roar

B