Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
In portable winch units of thls general type, the
ratchet wheel dog mounted on -the hand lever is selectively
positioned between ratchet wheel engaging and clear.ing posi-
tions, and must be positively maintained in such positions. A
variety of operating mechanisms have been developed ~or posi-
tioning the ratchet dog. For examp:Le, in one such mechanism,
a tension spring is slidably positionable with respect to the
pivot point of -the ratchet dog to selectively permit the spring
to lmpose a hiasing force on the ratchet dog, causiny the dog
to be pivoted in opposite directions. With this mechanism,
there is a likelihood of pinching when the coil spring is
shifted.
Still another mechanism provides a separate, pivoted
spring-shifter plate mounted adjacent the dog to shift the
spring end within the dog slot between two operative-positions.
While this separate spring-shifter plate avoids contact with
the spring end and avoids the hazard of pinching, this spring-
shifter plate presents another component part of the mechanism
that complicates the structural arrangement and increases the
cost. The spring-shifter plate must be positioned necessarily
by a handle that could cause unintentional shifting of the
tension spring if brought into contact with another object,
and cause unintentional movement of the ratchet do~
This invention relates generally to a portable winch,
and more particularly to a portable winch in which a spring
means such as a coil spring is uniquely utilized to bias the
ratchet dog into either the operative or inoperative positionO
The portable winch has a drum and ratchet wheel mount-
29 ed upon a frame for rotation about an a~is, and a hand lever
j~
pivoted upon the frame Eor rotation about the axis. A tension-
transmitting means such as a flexible cable is wound upon the
drum. A releasable stop pawl is pivotally mounted upon the
frame and engages the ratchet wheel for permitting unidirec-
tional rotation of the drum. A ratchet dog is pivoted upon
the hand lever for movemenk between an operative position en-
gageable with the ratchet wheel, ancl an inoperative position
clearing the ratchet wheel during pivoting of the hanA lever
about the axis. ~ spring means is fixed to the hand lever and
extends transversely of a projection on the ratchet dog, the
spring means selectively engaging one side of the dog projec-
tion for biasing the ratchet dog into the operative position
and selectively engaging the opposite side of the dog projec-
tion for biasing the ratchet dog into the inoperative posi-
tion.
In one aspect of the present operating mechanism the
spring means is a coil spring having its opposite ends at-
tachea to the hand lever, and placed under longitudinal ten
sion loading. The ratchet dog projection engages the peri-
phery ol the coil spring between the opposite spring endsOand resiliently flexes the coil spring.
In one aspect of the present operating mechanism, the
projection extends from a body portion of the ratchet dog -to
provide a crotch at each side of the projection. The coil
spring disposed selectively in either crotch to bias the
ratchet dog selectively into either the operative or inopera-
tive position. The ratchet dog projection engages the peri-
phery of the coil sprincJ0 and resiliently flexes the coil
29 spring laterally. The coil spring is slidable and rollable
--2--
r7~ q ~
over the proj~ction and movable selec-tively into either of
the cro-tches.
More particularly, in one aspect of the present opera-
ting mechanism, the hand lever includes opposed, laterally
spaced arms, and the body portion of the ratchet dog extends
between and is pivotally connected to the lever arms. The
coil spring extends between and has its ends attached to the
lever arms, the coil spring being selectively disposed in
either of the crotches provided at each side of the dog pro-
jection extending from the body portion of the ratchet dog.
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the portablewinch;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the winch
shown in FIG. l;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3
of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the drum and
ratchet wheels, and operating mechanism, and
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view as taken on staggered
line 5-5 of FIG. 4.
The portable winch includes a main body frame general-
ly indicated by 10 having laterally spaced side frame portions
11 and 12. At one end, these side frame portions 11 and 12
are integrally interconnected by a transverse web frame por-
tion 13. The opposite ends of the side frame portions 11 and
12 are provided with laterally spaced end tab~ 14. These tabs
14 are interconnected by a bolt and nut connection 15~ and
are maintained in a predetermined spaced relationship by a
29 spacer sleeve 16 mounted on the bolt between the end tabs 140
--3--
A U-shaped guicle bracket 17 is attached to the end
tabs 14 by the bolt and nut connec~ion 15, the guide bracket
17 being generally disposed with its web 18 below the main
body frame lO as best seen in FIG. 3.
A swivel eye 20 is attached to the web frame portion
13. Attached by pin 21 to the swivel eye 20, is a hook 22.
Mountea on and between the side frame portions 11 and
12 by an axle 23 which defines a rotative axis, is a drum 2~.
Attached to each end of the drum 24 and rotatable with the
10 drum 24 on the axle 23, is a ratchet wheel 25~ A flexible
cable 26, constihltiny a tension-transmitting means, is fixed
to and wound on the drum 2~ between the ratchet wheels 25,
the cable 26 extending outwardly from the drum 24 and through
the guide bracket 17. The outer end 27 of cable 26 is secured
by a connector 30 to a hook 31.
As is conventional under certain conditions of use
of this general type of winch, a pulley unit 32 can be pro-
vided which rides on the cable 26 outwardly of the guide
bracket 17. The pulley bracket 32 is provided with a hook 33.
Rotatively mounted on pin 34 extending between the
side frame portions ll and 12, and located closely adjacent
the side frame portion 11, is a stop pawl 35 that operatively
engages an associated ratchet wheel 25. A sleeve 36 is mounted
on the pin 34 between the side frame portion 12 and the stop
pawl 35, the sleeve 36 serving as a spacer to hold the stop
pawl 35 in position relative to its associated ratchet wheel
25.
A torsion spring 37 is disposed about the sleeve 36,
29 one end of the torsion spring 37 being fixed to the side frame
--4--
~'~,11''~h~
portion 12 and the other end beiny fixed to a tab 40 on the
stop pawl 35. The torsion spring 37 -tends to llrge the stop
pawl 35 resilien~ly in-to operative enyayement with its asso-
ciated ratchet wheel 25 to preclude unintentional rotative
movement of the drum 24.
Fixed to the side frame portions 11 and 12 by pin 34
and by cooperatiny pin 41, is a cab:Le housiny 42 that under-
lies the drum 24 ancl the cable 26 wound on such drum 24 for
shielding purposes. Disposec~ on the pin 41 and extending be
tween the side frame portions 11 and 12, is a spacer sleeve
43. A flexible cover plate 44 is disposed over and enyayes
the upper side o~ the cable 26 wound on the drum 24 for the
purpose of shielding the cable 26. The cover plate 44 is
selectively secured in place by one end 45 that underlies
and enyages the spacer sleeve 43 and by an opposite end 46
that underlies and engages the torsion spring 37 and spacer
sleeve 36.
A hand lever referred to by 47 includes a handle 50
and opposed, laterally spaced arms 51 and 52 pivotally mount-
ed respectively to the side frame portions 11 and 12 on the
axle 23.
The operating mechanism includes a pair of ratchet
dogs 53 integrally connected by an intervening body portions
54. The body portion 54 is located between -the spaced lever
arms 51 and 52, and is rotatively mounted on a pin 55 extend-
ing between and fixed to the lever arms 51 and 52. The ratch-
et dogs 53 selectively engage the associated ratchet wheels
25.
29 Extending from the body portion 54, is a dog projec-
--5--
tion 56 that cooperates with the body portion 54 to provide
crotches 57 and 60 at opposite sides o~ the doy projection
56 as is best seen in FIGS. 3 and 5.
A coil spring 61, constituting a spring means, ex-
tends between the spaced lever arms 51 and 52 and is disposed
closely adjacent and transversely of the dog projection 56~
One spring end 62 is fixed to the lever arm 51 by a stud 63,
and the opposite spring end 64 is fixed to the lever arm 52
by stud 65. Preferably, the coil spring 61, when attached, !
is under longitudinal tension loading.
The coil spring 61 selectively engages one side of
the dog projection 56 for biasing the ratchet dogs 53 into
the operative position engageab:Le with the ratchet wheels 25,
and selectively engages the opposite side of the dog projec-
tion 56 for biasing the ratchet dogs 53 into an inoperative
position clearing the ratchet wheels 25 during pivoting of
the hand lever 47 about the rotative axis defined by axle 23.
More particularly, the coil spring 61 is disposed selectively
in either crotch 57 or 60 to bias the ratchet dogs 53 selec-
tively and respectively into either the operative or inopera-
tive position. The dog projection 56 engages the periphery
of the coil spring 61, and resiliently flexes the coil spring
61 laterally. The coil spring periphery is slidable and roll-
able over the dog projection 56 and movable selectively into
either of the crotches 57 and 60.
It is thought that the operation of the portable
winch is apparent from the foregoing detailed description of
the assernbly, but for completeness of disclosure, the usage
29 of the winch will be briefly described.
--6--
When it is desired that the ratchet dogs 53 operative~
ly engage the ra-tchet wheels 25, the coil spring 61 is moved
over the dog projection 56 and disposed in the crotch 57 so
that the coil spring 61 resiliently biases the ratchet dogs
53 into the operative position. Wi.th the ratchet dogs 53
maintained in the operatlve position relative -to the ratchet
wheels 25, the hand lever 47 will impart a windiny rotation
to the drum 24 upon counterclockwise rotation of the hcmd
lever 47 as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 5. As the hand lever 47
is returned to .initiate another winding "pull", the ratchet
dogs 53 will ride over the teeth of the ratchet wheels 25
and yet will remain in engagement because of the biasing force
of the coil spring 61.
When it is desired to unreel cable 26 under tension,
coil spring 61 must be moved over the dog projection 56 and
disposed in the crotch 60 so that ratchet dogs 53 disengage
from ratchet wheels 25. Hand lever 47 is rotated counter-
clockwise to the point where ratchet dog 53 engages stop pawl
35. As hand lever 47 is rotated further counterclockwise,
the stop pawl 35 acting through ratchet dog 53, body portion
54 and projection 56 tenses spr.ing coil 61 and forces ratchet
dog 53 into engagement with ratchet wheel 25,while ratchet
dog 53 acting through stop pawl 35 tenses torsion spring 37
and causes the stop pawl 35 to disengage from ratchet wheel
25. Hand lever 47 is then rotated clockwise, disengaging
stop pawl 35 and ratchet dog 53 and allowing drum 24 to turn
clockwise. Torsion spring 37 forces stop pawl 35 to re-engage
the ratchet wheel 25 after the ratchet wheel 25 has moved one
29 notch clockwise. ~s the hand lever 47 is rotated further
--7--
clockwise, the spring coil 61 forces the ratchet d.og 53 out
of engagement with the ratchet wheel 25. The cable 26 can be
released in additional one-notch steps by repeating the se-
quence of operation described above.
When it is desired to permit the drum 24 to freely
rotate, as when signi~icant lengths of cable 26 are to be un-
reeled, the ratchet dogs 53 and the stop pawl 35 must be
operatively disengaged from the ratchet wheels 25. mhe ratch-
e~ dogs 53 are cleared from the ratchet wheels 25 by moving
the coil spring 61 over the dog projection 56 and disposing
the coil spring 61 in the crotch 60. The coil spring 61 then
engages the dog projection 56 and resiliently biases the
ratchet dogs 53 into the inoperative position. Upon release
of the stop pawl 35, the cable 26 may be rapidly unreeled
from the drum 24.
When tensioning bf the cable 26 is desired, the
operator merely slides and rolls the coil spring 61 over the
dog projection 56 and again disposes the coil spring 61 in
the crotch 57, and rotation of the hand lever 46 will again
impart rotation to the drum 24.
