Security winch for divers

Claim 1

A winch comprising a housing having means for securement to a buoy, a drum located within said housing, a pair of hollow tubes extending outwardly of said housing along an aligned axis, a movable bushing interposed between said hollow tubes and said housing having an inner end engaging said drum, said bushings being axially adjustable relative to each other to position said drum within said housing, said drum having a hollow central shaft freely journalled concentrailly within the tubes, one end of said shaft extending outwardly of one tube, the other end of said shaft terminating within the other tube, an elongated line secured at one end to the drum and wound about its surface, the other end of said line extending out of said housing, a continous annular elastic band arranged along the axis of said hollow shaft, a first slot formed at the one end of said shaft extending from the associated tube, a pin received in said slot passing through the elastic band in engagement with said tube, a second slot formed in the tube adjacent the other end of said shaft, a pin received in said second slot and passing through said elastic band, thereby fixing said band to said housing, said drum being free movable on winding or unwinding of said line to torsionally bias said elastic band by a pull on said line providing motive power for the automatic return of said drum on release of said line.