Hand crank winch

[DCM]

Got this heavy old thing from a scrapper years ago, has been sitting next to the garage ever since, cast in Montreal is all I know about it. Wondering where it would have been used. Its yard art now. 5 gal. pail for reference.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

No idea what it's used for.

Never seen one that big before.

Thanks for the pic..

 

[Ted in NE-OH]

Retrieving a boat anchor??

 

[Buddy]

Would be nice to know its original use. I have one exactly like it sitting here behind my shop.

 

[DoubleO7]

How is the band brake actuated?
Whatever it was made for, they wanted to slow down how fast it went out. Or to hold it in between?

I would guess it was for steel cable maybe 3/8 inch or less.
The wraps would be limited to the drum flanges.
High ratio so easy cranking for the weight but also slow.

This post was edited by DoubleO7 on 05/10/2022 at 01:51 pm.

 

[John Garner]

I've seen hand winches that size used to move railcars on private sidings, in San Francisco in the 1960s and '70s.

 

[DCM]

You can't see it in the pic but there is a brake lever behind the brake.

 

[wingnuttx]

May not be related but I see a few small drill bits showing in the photo. On modern rigs especially land rigs youll see hydraulic operated winches on the rig floor to move chicshan pipes , down hole tools , pull down hole tools and drill pipe up the VDoor, and just anything too heavy for a man to pick up without getting a hernia. Maybe its a non hydraulic winch for the days when REAL MEN moved equipment. Ha ha Wingnut

 

[DCM]

You are right those are drill bits but totally unrelated, someone mentioned to me that it may be a ferry winch but that's just a guess.

 

[Tony in SD]

A local wrecker truck had a winch just like that one in the 60 & 70. He has since retired and the son has taken over and moved up to a power winch

 

[quefan]

I do not know much detail but I have seen photos where they are used to operate the lock gates on a canal for passing boats.

 

[Martin Reece]

They were used on the cable ferries in Cape Breton island in Nova Scotia. Used to pull a ferry across the river. They still use cable ferries but are all mechanized now
Martin

 

[rrlund]

It looks like the ones on the docks at Sunset Marina on Dale Hollow Lake. They use them to raise and lower the docks as the water level goes up and down.

 

[Bret4207]

My late FIL had one like that in the back of his Willys pickup wrecker.

 

[PJH]

One of our local concrete contractors used a big hand-cranked winch like that to pull a curb/gutter mule.

 

[DoubleO7]

Your post clearly shows what the o.p.'s winch was made for.

Makes sense since they were made in Quebec also since they likely were used on all of the Rideau canal locks at one time.I

You are the winner!

 

[Carlmac 369]

(quoted from post at 08:01:28 05/11/22) They were used on the cable ferries in Cape Breton island in Nova Scotia. Used to pull a ferry across the river. They still use cable ferries but are all mechanized now
Martin

Are you a Caper?





This post was edited by Carlmac 369 on 05/12/2022 at 09:24 am.

 

[davewaterwheel]

if anyone could tell us t manufacturer would help us write some history for the display, thanks D

 

[Dober_paw]

I do not know much detail but I have seen photos where they are used to operate the lock gates on a canal for passing boats.

I've operated same/similar on canal lock gates on Crinan Canal in Scotland - some 60 yrs ago. Happy days.

 

[davewaterwheel]

thanks mate i will add info to my file