RESULTS OF HANDLING-SYSTEM INVESTIGATION 



GENERAL 



Although the handling system investigation has been 

 primarily concerned with determination of the feasibility 

 of adapting the endless-track winching concept to the task 

 at hand, some preliminary thinking has been devoted to the 

 problems of passing the modules over a stern sheave and 

 ship-board storage of the systemo 



ENDLESS -TRACK WINCH 



Two commercially available models of endless-track- 

 type winching machines were tested to determine the feasi- 

 bility of utilizing machines of this type for handling 

 faired cable and in-line modules o 



These machines consist simply of two tractor-like treads 

 between which the cable is clamped. Tractive effort on the 

 cable is developed by friction between the surface of the 

 cable and the tread. The clamping force is normally developed 

 by air-loaded pistons ^ arranged to permit a limited degree 

 of motion of one or both tracks. The space between the 

 tracks will automatically increase or decrease to accommodate 

 various-sized objects. 



One model; marketed by the Entwistle Manufacturing Company 

 under the trade name "Caterpuller" (Figure 7) g was used to 

 investigate the general capability in receiving and passing 



20 



