huinche o winche
acoplamiento o unión es una de las acepciones que aparecen en los glosarios de proz para 'spud'

English term (edited): spud winch (of a barge)

vertical steel shafts known as spuds in marine construction work deck barges.......
.....The spud equipment typically consists of forward and aft spuds and a diesel
engine-powered spud winch. Three methods are available to prevent the spud from accidentally
dropping or slipping: latching the winch foot brake; engaging a steel pawl that fits into a
notched ring on the outside of the winch drum; and inserting a steel securing pin directly
through the fully raised spud, preventing it from free-falling if the winch or cable fails.

Podrás ver lo que es un spud y un spud winch en el siguiente archivo fuente del texto anterior.


http://www.osha.gov/Publications/factsheet-spud-barge-safety...

http%3A%2F%2Fwww.miem.gub.uy%2Fportal%2Fagxppdwn%3F5%2C6%2C278%2CO%2CS%2C0%2C961%253BS%253B1%253B190%2C&ei=CHaVSsieL5mTtgeygOFK&rct=j&q=barcaza+de+acero+guinches+spud&usg=AFQjCNG-3w17TkdIRQykiS6QHt0QaOOFdw

Del Diccionario para Ingenieros de Louis A Robb:
spud,s (draga) pata,puntal, (A) pilón.......

Hope it helps

Saludos a todos:))


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Note added at 18 hrs (2009-08-26 18:29:29 GMT)
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Otra referencia que creo ayuda a aclarar:

Dynamic braking on CSD
Spuds (pole) are applied onto Cutter Suction Dredgers as rotation point to
swing a cutter-head over the seabed. After being hoisted through its carrier the
spud will be installed into the seabed by a freefall action generating enormous
rotation speed of a relative heavy winch-drum. As planetary gearboxes are not
suitable for these speeds, IHC Hytop developed a dynamic braking system for
a 200mT weighing spud in particular. 8 Hydraulic actuated brakes are circular
mounted on the winch frame. Together with a special brake-ring on the nondriven
drum-fl ange this is the basis of our system.
Full brake engagement allows for spud-hoisti ng; full disengagement starts
freefalling the spud. Hydraulic proportional actuation of the brakes enables
control of the freefall speed and prevents the winch-drum from keeping
rotati ng once the spud is already into the seabed; reverse inertia.
Source: http://www.ihchytop.com/fileadmin/IHC_Hytop_-_ihchytop.com/W...

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Note added at 18 hrs (2009-08-26 18:34:01 GMT)
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Otra explicación de spud:
The Committee explained that a
jacked barge deployed in this manner
has four ‘‘spuds’’ on its corners that are
grounded into the sea-bottom, providing
a level and stable platform on which
employees work. This results in work
conditions similar to a crane working on
land and unlike the work conditions
pertinent to equipment covered by this....
Source: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-21993.pdf


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Note added at 18 hrs (2009-08-26 18:37:19 GMT)
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Te paso esta referencia que está aún mejor que las demás
http://www.dredging.org/documents/ceda/downloads/vlasblom1-i...
Saludos :)

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Note added at 19 hrs (2009-08-26 19:12:20 GMT)
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En algunos países a los spud les llaman "zancos"
Ver :
Dos (2) zancos con facilidades de inclinación o inclinador de zanco (conocido este término en idioma
inglés como tilting facilities for spuds).
Fuente: http://fs03eja1.cormagdalena.com.co/nuevaweb/AdmonCon/Docume...