AU640991B2 - Portable winch bracket - Google Patents

Description

I I I 684099 1 S F Ref: 121657 FORM COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE: Class Int. Class es *r S

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5 Application Number: Lodged: Priority: PJ8682 16 February 1990 Accepted: Published: Related Art: i- Name and Address of Applicant: Albert Robert Stephens Gibson Avenue Casula New South Wales 2170

AUSTRALIA

Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Albert Robert Stephens Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys, Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street, Sydney, New South Males, 2000, Australia *5 0

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S9S. 05 0 Complete Specification for the invention entitled: Portable Winch Bracket The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the REPRINT RE~W method of performing it known to me/us 2 2REPRINT 02 1 5815/2

ABSTRACT

A winch 31 is supported on a frame 32. The frame is located on four wheels 33 and has three horizontal support legs 34 which are telescopic. A pair of upright support legs 35 are supported from a pair of the horizontal support legs or base members 34. The upright frame members 35 are adjustable in length and have a pair of adjacent beams 36 which are securable together by a sleeve 37 to form a horizontal cross member. The horizontal cross member is thus adjustable in length. The winch is attached to one of the beams 36 by a bracket and pin 39. The winch 31 is operated to lift heavy items.

Fig. 7.

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*o o HRW/1138c The present invention relates to winch brackets, and in particular, to a winch bracket which is easily fitted to standard fittings of motor vehicles.

Present practices in relation to lifting of very heavy loads, is by means of a crane or a forklift, but if the load is within 30 -150kgs, it is often the case that it Is lifted by two or three persons. This presents a problem in that injuries may occur to the persons doing the lifting. The present invention is designed for this range of lifting, where the load is not heavy enough to be lifted by a forklift, and at the same time, saving persons from injury. The present invention is a simple, portable and inexpensive device where one person can lift up to 300kg without trouble or injury.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable winch bracket which enables a load to be easily lifted, shifted, or pulled, and substantially overcomes the above mentioned difficulties.

Accordinn to one aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a winch bracket comprising a frame positioned on a plurality of wheels, said frame includes a pair of base members having said wheels attached thereto, a pair of upright frame members each attached to a corresponding one of said pair of base members, said upright frame members being adjustable in length, a horizontal cross member attached adjacent the top of both said upright frame members, said horizontal cross member being adjustable in length, a winch means attache'd to said horizontal cross member whereby said winch means is usable to lift 25 objects.

Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described •with reference to the drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a side view of a winch bracket, Fig. 2 is a partial side view of the bracket of Fig. 1, 30 Fig. 3 is a partial front view of the bracket of Fig. 1 showing the hand winch arrangement, Fig. 4 is a partial perspective view of the insert bracket of the bracket of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is an exploded view of another bracket, 35 Fig. 6 is an exploded side view of the bracket of Fig. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a bracket of a preferred embodiment applied to a frame having wheels, Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the bracket of Fig. and Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a wood plank bridge using another bracket.

One example of a bracket which illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 comprises an apparatus 1 which is able to be connected to a tow bar arrangement 2 of a motor vehicle (not illustrated). An insert bracket 3 is bolted via a bolt 4 to the tow bar arrangement 2. An angle bracket comprising two sections being welded together at right angles is able to be inserted into the insert bracket 3. A gusset 6 on the angle bracket provides extra strength. The angle bracket 5 is located in the insert bracket 3 by means of a locating pin 7.

A hand winch 8 fits over the top of the angle bracket 5 and is also located by a locating pin 7.

The hand winch 8 is then able to be used as required.

Another example illustrated in Fig. 5 shows, the angle bracket having two parts which are telescopic with each other. The angle bracket 5 is able to change its location or angle with regard to the tow bar arrangement 2. A pair of flanges 9 are in contact when the apparatus 1 is in use. The two parts of the angle bracket 5 enable the apparatus to be pivoted about the vertical axis. The apparatus of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 5 includes a footing 19 which is connected to the angle bracket 5. The footing 19 provides extra support during a lifting operation.

25 In this embodiment the top arm 10 has a vertical section 11 onto /which a hollow support sleeve 12 is fixed. The support 12 has a brace 13 to assist the strength of the apparatus. An arm 14 is telescopically received in the support sleeve 12 and is able to be fixed in a variety of positions by means of pins 15 and holes 16. A hand winch 18 is secured over the arm 14 by means of a sleeve 17 which is secured into position by means of pins 15 and holes 16. The winch is able to be used in a similar manner to the first embodiment.

In the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, a winch 31 is supported on a frame 32. The frame 32 is located 35 on four wheels 33 and has three horizontal support legs 34 which are telescopic. A pair of vertical support legs 35 are supported from the opposite horizontal support legs 34 and are telescopic and also braced t; to the support legs 34 for strength.

-4- A pair of adjacent beams 36 are attachable to the vertical support legs 35 and are variable in their relative positions, and are secured together by a sleeve 37. The winch 31 is suspended from one of the beams 36 by a bracket 38 and pin 39. The winch 31 is operated in the usual manner.

The apparatus 32 illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 is adjustable and is used where access fnr this embodiment is required. The apparatus is easily dismantled and transported.

In the example of the bracket illustrated in Fig. 9 the brackets 41 are attached to a wood plank bridge 42 which crosses a canal 43. The brackets 41 are able to be swung into their position illustrated in the Fig. 9 from a position adjacent the handrails 44. Both winches 45 of the brackets 41 are used to lift wooden boards 46 which are used when blocking the canal 43. These boards 46 are substantially heavy and hooks 47 are used to lift a steel pole (not illustrated) which lifts the boards 46 via pins 48 located on the boards 46. The winches 45 are used in unison to maintain the substantially horizontal board 46 in the hooks 47.

The foregoing describes only some embodiments of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art, can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention.

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Claims (4)

1. A winch brackrt comprising a frame positioned on a plurality of wheels, said frame includes a pair of base members having said wheels attached thereto, a pair of upright frame members each attached to a corresponding one of said pair of base members, said upright frame members being adjustable in length, a horizontal cross member attached adjacent the top of both said upright frame members, said horizontal cross member being adjustable in length, a winch means attached to said horizontal cross member whereby said winch means is usable to lift objects.

2. A winch bracket according to claim 1 wherein said horizontal cross member includes a pair of adjacent beams which are each attached to the top of said corresponding said upright member, said pair of horizontal cross members are secured together by a sleeve means.

3. A winch bracket according to claim 2 wherein said base members are braced together by a support leg spanning between said base members.

4. A winch bracket substantially as described with reference to Figs. 7-8 of the accompanying drawings. DATED this TWELFTH day of MAY )393 Albert Robert Stephens o* Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON S S. 0: S S. 0 1138c