15
ANCHOR HANDLING
GEAR AND CAPSTANS
 
A. ANCHOR HANDLING GEAR
 
15A1. General. The ground tackle consists of one 2,200-pound stockless anchor and 105 fathoms of 1-inch die-lock steel chain. The anchor is housed in the hawsepipe in the superstructure. The anchor chain is self-stowing in the chain locker.

The windlass consists of a wildcat driven by a hydraulic motor, which also drives the forward capstan (FigureA-26). The motor is a Waterbury size 10 B-end, and is operated from the main hydraulic system.

The hydraulic motor drives a worm gear, located overhead, which in turn drives a vertical shaft passing through the hull.

The windlass and capstan clutch, located in the drive gear casing at the upper end of the vertical shaft, is operated from the main deck, an indicator being fitted at this station. A pair of spur gears in the drive gear casing drive the vertical shaft on which the capstan head is mounted at the main deck. A pair of bevel gears drive the shaft, which goes forward to a bevel gear assembly. This assembly is mounted on the windlass which actuates the wildcat drive shaft, from which a spur pinion drives the spur gear on the wildcat casting.

A chain indicator, reading in fathoms, is provided on the main deck. Windlass and capstan cannot be driven at the same time.

The wildcat carries a snubber brake band which is operated by gears and a line of shafting to the main deck. An indicator is fitted at this station.

The anchor chain, upon leaving the chain locker, passes through a closed

  fair-lead upon which are mounted two jaws operated by two traveling nuts on a screw to act as a chain stopper for securing the chain. The chain stopper is operated by gears and shafting from the main deck. An indicator is provided at this station and is operated from the drive gear casing for the chain stopper operating shaft.

The bitter end of the anchor chain is secured in a tumbling hook just above the top of the chain locker and is unlocked from the main deck. The latch, which releases the hook, is attached by means of a long connecting rod to a crank on the operating shaft, located beneath a small hatch in the deck on the port side, about 15 inches from the centerline of the ship, where a wrench provided for operating the chain slip is stowed in a convenient place. The operating shaft is locked in the normal secured position of the tumbling hook by a hinged locking plate which engages the square end of the operating shaft. The locking plate is held in position by a toggle pin. The anchor chain can be slipped only when the vessel is on the surface.

Hand operation of the windlass from the diving station is accomplished by setting the change valve to HAND, and the rigging control valve to NEUTRAL, the hand rigging and tilting control valve to RIG, and the clutch in the forward torpedo room in windlass and capstan position. Rotating the bow diving handwheel to the right will hoist the anchor.

 
B. CAPSTANS
 
15B1. General. Two capstans are provided on the main deck, one between frames 20 and 21 and the other between frames 117 and 118. Both are permanent fixtures mounted on vertical shafts. The capstan heads are 15 inches   in diameter for a rope speed of 60 feet per minute.

The forward capstan is driven by a hydraulic motor. (See FigureA-26.) The capstan head is removable and when not in use

 
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can be stowed below the main deck on the port side adjacent to the capstan shaft.

The after capstan is driven by the stern plane tilting motor through a chain drive from a sprocket on the after end of the motor shaft to the capstan worm gear. The chain is removable and can be disassembled by

  removing a special pin from the links. The stern plane tilting hydraulic pump cannot be cut when the capstan is in use; therefore, the pump control shaft should be in the neutral position to prevent movement of the planes. The capstan is mounted on the top of the vertical worm gear shaft.
 
C. OPERATIONS
 
15C1. Dropping the anchor from the water's edge. Following is the procedure for dropping the anchor from the water's edge:

     1. Shift the clutch in the forward torpedo room to the windless and capstan position.
     2. Shift the clutch on the main deck to the windless position.
     3. Open the chain stopper.
     4. Loosen the brake band.
     5. Operate the windlass and capstan control valve from the main deck by turning counterclockwise to lower.
     6. When the anchor reaches the water's edge, return the windlass and capstan and anchor control valve to the neutral position.
     7. Tighten the brake band.
     8. Put the windlass and capstan clutch on the main deck in the neutral position.
     9. Release the brake band.

Note. When the brake band is released, the weight of the anchor will carry out the chain. The chain is snubbed when the desired length is run out.

  15C2. Hoisting the anchor by hand. Hoisting the anchor by hand is accomplished as follows:

     1. Shift the change valve in the control room at the bow plane diving station to the hand position.
     2. Set the bow plane tilting stand pump stroke to full stroke.
     3. Set the hand rigging and tilting control valve to the rig position.
     4. Shift the clutch in the forward torpedo room to the windlass and capstan position.
     5. Shift the clutch on the main deck to the windlass position.
     6. Loosen the brake band.
     7. Open the chain stopper.
     8. Rotate the bow plane wheel clockwise to raise the anchor.

15C3. Securing the anchor for sea. In securing the anchor for sea, it is necessary to:

     1. Shut the chain stopper.
     2. Tighten the brake band.
     3. Shift the clutch on the main deck to the windless position.

 
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