1. A composite fiber comprising:
a first fiber component made from a first organic polymer; and
a second fiber component made from a second organic polymer and particulate photocatalyst.
2. The composite fiber of claim 1, wherein said particulate photocatalyst is dispersed in said second organic polymer.
3. The composite fiber of claim 1, wherein said first fiber component and said second fiber component are co-extruded in a side-by-side arrangement.
4. The composite fiber of claim 1, wherein said first fiber component and said second fiber component are co-extruded in a core-and-sheath arrangement.
5. The composite fiber of claim 1, wherein said first organic polymer and said second organic polymer are independently selected from the group consisting of polyester, polycarbonate, polyamide, polyolefin, polyacrylate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene chloride, polyethylene fluoride, polystyrene, and combinations thereof.
6. The composite fiber of claim 5, wherein said first organic polymer and said second organic polymer are polyethylene terephthalate.
7. The composite fiber of claim 5, wherein said first organic polymer and said second organic polymer are polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA).
8. The composite fiber of claim 1, wherein said photocatalyst is present in an amount ranging from 0.5 to 8 wt % of said second fiber component.
9. The composite fiber of claim 1, wherein said particulate photocatalyst is titanium dioxide.
10. The composite fiber of claim 1, wherein the diameter of said particulate photocatalyst ranges from 10 nm to 100 nm.
11. The composite fiber of claim 1, wherein said composite fiber has a diameter ranging from 5 \u03bcm to 2 mm.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A manual marine winch comprising:
a housing having an attachment mechanism for securing the winch to a boat deck;
a rotating drum mounted in the housing;
a mechanism for rotating and holding tension on the drum; and
a winch line having a lead in end adapted to be wound onto the drum, wherein the lead in end is formed by a webbing strap.
2. The winch as claimed in claim 1 wherein the attachment mechanism pivotably attaches the housing to the boat deck.
3. The winch as claimed in claim 2 wherein the mechanism for rotating and holding tension on the drum includes a gearing system coupled to the drum and at least one locking dog for holding tension on the drum.
4. The winch as claimed in claim 1 wherein the webbing strap includes an integral safety indicator.
5. The winch as claimed in claim 4 wherein the safety indicator includes load indicating indicia.
6. The winch as claimed in claim 4 wherein the safety indicator includes operating indicia indicative of operating extremes for beginning of the winding of the webbing strap onto the drum.
7. The winch as claimed in claim 4 wherein the safety indicator includes reflective material.
8. The winch as claimed in claim 4 wherein the safety indicator abrasion resistant material in the webbing strap.
9. The winch as claimed in claim 1 wherein the drum includes a slot receiving the webbing strap there through.
10. The winch as claimed in claim 1 wherein the winch line includes one of the group consisting of wire rope, chain and rope coupled to the webbing strap.
11. The winch as claimed in claim 1 wherein the webbing strap is at least 3 wide.
12. A manual marine winch comprising:
a housing having an attachment mechanism for securing the winch to a boat deck;
a rotating drum mounted in the housing;
a mechanism for rotating and holding tension on the drum; and
a winch line having a lead in end adapted to be wound onto the drum, wherein the lead in end includes an integral safety indicator.
13. The winch as claimed in claim 12 wherein the safety indicator includes load indicating indicia integral with the lead in end of the winch line.
14. The winch as claimed in claim 12 wherein the safety indicator includes operating indicia indicative of the range of winch line positions for beginning of the winding of the winch line onto the drum integral with the lead in end of the winch line.
15. The winch as claimed in claim 12 wherein the safety indicator includes reflective material integral with the lead in end of the winch line.
16. The winch as claimed in claim 12 wherein the drum includes a slot receiving the winch line there through.
17. The winch as claimed in claim 12 wherein the lead in end includes a webbing strap and the winch line further includes one of the group consisting of wire rope, chain and rope coupled to the webbing strap.
18. A lead in end of a winch line for wrapping on a drum of a manual marine winch, wherein the lead in end is formed by a webbing strap.
19. The lead in end of a winch line as claimed in claim 18, wherein the webbing strap includes load indicating indicia integral with the webbing strap.
20. The lead in end of a winch line as claimed in claim 18, wherein the webbing strap includes operating indicia indicative of the range of proper location of the webbing strap for beginning of the winding of the winch line onto the drum that is integral with the lead in end of the winch line.
21 The lead in end of a winch line as claimed in claim 18, wherein the lead in end of a winch line includes a coupling for attachment to one of the group consisting of wire rope, chain and rope.
22 The lead in end of a winch line as claimed in claim 18, wherein the lead in end of a winch line includes an integral grab handle adjacent one end thereof.
23. The lead in end of a winch line as claimed in claim 18, wherein the webbing strap includes an integral safety indicia and a removable stop attached to an end thereof to prevent the webbing strap from being inadvertently pulled through the drum.
24. A method of tensioning a winch line on a manual marine winch comprising the steps of:
feeding a lead in end of the winch line through a rotating drum of the winch;
manually pulling the lead in end of the winch line through the rotating drum to remove slack in the winch line; and
rotating the drum of the winch.
25. A method of modifying an existing marine winch comprising the steps of:
replacing the existing drum with a drum having a slot therethrough adapted to receive a webbing strap; and
replacing the existing winch line with a winch having a lead in end formed of a webbing strap.