Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B66—HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
  • B66D—CAPSTANS; WINCHES; TACKLES, e.g. PULLEY BLOCKS; HOISTS
  • B66D1/00—Rope, cable, or chain winding mechanisms; Capstans
  • B66D1/28—Other constructional details
  • B66D1/36—Guiding, or otherwise ensuring winding in an orderly manner, of ropes, cables, or chains
  • B66D1/38—Guiding, or otherwise ensuring winding in an orderly manner, of ropes, cables, or chains by means of guides movable relative to drum or barrel

Definitions

• This invention relates to cable-handling equipment and, more particularly, to a level winder for a winch.
• a level winder controls the path of a cable as it is wound on the drum of a winch so the cable is wrapped in contiguous helical turns extending from edge to edge of the drum without crossing over one another.
• cable encompasses steel cable, rope, wire, and other types of lines for tensional transmission of force.
• Such a configuration of continuous edge-to-edge helical turns provides the most efficient utilization of storage space on the drum, permits the smoothest and most reliable payout of cable from the drum, and protects the cable from damage.
• Steel cables are particularly vulnerable to damage because of their limited flexibility.
• the diameter of a cable changes as a function of the tension exerted thereon, depending upon the modulus of elasticity of the cable material.
• Presently available level winders have a cable guide that is mechanically coupled to the drum by reversible gearing or screw threads so as to be driven responsive to the rotation of the winch. Such arrangements are generally not able to adjust the pitch of the helical turns as the cable diamete r changes. Thus, in order to prevent crossing of the cable or gaps between helical turns, the cable tension must be maintained within prescribed limits.
• a level winder for a winch has a cable control element movable between the edges of the drum of the winch in a manner that defines two cable path segments, the sum of the lengths of which remain constant.
• the first cable path segment extends from a fleet point, i.e., a stationary point relative to the winch, to the cable control element.
• the second cable path segment extends from the cable control element to the end of the helical configuration on the drum of the winch, i.e., the point on the drum where the cable must be laid down to continue the contiguous helical turns.
• the cable control elemerit is an arm pivotally mounted on a carrier frame to swing back and forth from edge to edge of the drum in a plane parallel to the drum axis.
• the carriage on which the cable control arm is mounted is pivotally mounted relative to the drum so the axis of rotation of the carriage refects the axis of rotation of the cable control arm.
• the carrier is itself pivotally mounted to rotate about the axis of the drum.
• the cable control arm is freely pivotal, subject to the influence of the cable, about three axes, two of which are parallel to each other 5 and the third of which is perpendicular to the other two.
• a feature of the invention is a cable tensioner to maintain tension on the cable when the cable is not tensioned by a load.
• Another feature of the. invention is a no-load lock - 1 - 0 on the cable control arm, which maintains the cable control arm at a position above the end of the helical configuration when the cable-winding operation is interrupted. As a result, it is not necessary to reset the position of the cable control arm when the cable-
• Another feature of the invention is a damping element to prevent unrestrained movement of the cable control arm when subjected to abrupt forces, such as would occur at sea or on a bumpy road.
• FIG. 1 is a side, partially sectional view of a level winder and a winch incorporating principles of the invention
• FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the level winder and winch of FIG. 1;
• FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the level winder and winch of FIG. 1;
• FIG. 4 is a diagram depicting the way a cable tends to wind on a drum in the absence of a level winder
• FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram depicting one cable path segment between the fleet point and the drum
• FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram depicting another cable path segment between the fleet point and the drum
• FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram depicting a cable tensioner for the level winder and winch of FIG. 1;
• FIG. 8- is a schematic diagram depicting the no-load lock for the control arm associated with the level winder and winch of FIG. 1.
• a base 2 which could comprise the bed of a truck, the deck of a ship, or a stationary platform, serves as a mounting surface for a winch 4.
• axle 10 edges is fixed on axle 10 between posts 6 and 8.
• Bars 22 and 24 are fixed to flanges 18 and 20, respectively, out ⁇ board of drum 16.
• An axle 26 is .journalled by bearings not shown for rotation in bars 22 and 24 about an axis 28, which is parallel to axis 14.
• a carrier frame 30 is
• a bar 32 extends between and is secured to bars 22 and 24 to serve as a stop on the rotation of carrier frame 30 about axis 28 in the direction toward winch 4, as illustrated in FIG. 1. As also illustrated in FIG. 1,
• a cable control arm 34 has a distal yoke 36 and a base 38 joined by a shank 40.
• Axle 26 has a centrally located flat 42 (FIG. 1) straddled by a yoke at the end of base 38 of cable 5 control arm 34.
• Base 38 is pivotally connected to flat 42 by a pin 44 for rotation about an axis 46, which intersec axis 28.
• cable control arm 34 is freely pivotal in a plane parallel to axes 14 and 28.
• a directi reversing pulley 48 is mounted for rotation between the 0 arms of yoke 36.
• Pulley 48 rotates about an axis paralle to aixs 28.
• a pair of adjacent rollers 50 are mounted on the side of yoke 36 facing away from winch 4.
• a pair of adjacent rollers 52 are mounted on the side of yoke 36 facing toward winch 4.
• a cable guide 54 having a central upwardly extending passage 56 is secured on the side of frame 30 facing away from winch 4.
• a pulley 58 is mounted in a frame 60 which is pivotally attached to the bottom of cable guide 54 so that pulley 58 may swivel.
• a bracket 62 is mounted at the top of frame 30 on the side thereof facing away from winch 4.
• a pair of adjacent rollers 64 are mounted between bracket 62 and frame 30. Rollers 50, 52, and 64 rotate about axes perpendicular to the axis of rotation of pulley 48.
• a cable 66 being wound onto winch 4 is wrapped around a portion of pulley 58 , extends through passage 56, passes between rollers 64, passes between rollers 50, is wrapped around one-half of pulley 48, reverses directio and passes between rollers 52 to the end of the helical configuration on drum 16.
• Axle 10 is either rotated manually by operating crank arm 12 or driven by an electri motor, not shown.
• cable control arm 34 pivots about axis 46 so cable 66 is laid down on drum 16 in contiguous helical turns without crossing or spacing between turns. This is accomplished as described below in detail in connection with FIGS. 5 and 6.
• a drum 68 without a level winder is depicted with a cable 70 wrapped thereon in a contiguous helical configuration from one edge to the center of drum 68.
• the fleet point of the cable being wound on drum 68 is represented at "Pi and the point of tangency of drum 68 where cable 70 extending from fleet point 72 meets drum 70 at the center thereof is represented at 74.
• Fleet point 72 is a stationary point relative to drum 68 about which cable 70 rotates back and forth as it is wound onto drum 68.
• An arc having a radius equal to the minimum path length is is represented by a line 78.
• the locii of points of tangency on drum 68 from edge to edge is represented by a line 80.
• the deviation of the points of tangency from arc 78 increases as it moves away from the center of drum 68. This means that as cable is being wound onto drum 68 moving away from the center thereof, the point * will be reached where the tendency to maintain the minimum path length will cause cable 70 to cross over the previous turn of the helical configuration and return to the middle of drum 68 rather than to continue forming contig- uous helical turns moving toward the edge of drum 68.
• the distance between the fleet point and the drum is very large relative to the edge-to-edge width of the drum, a cable cannot be wound on a drum in contiguo helical turns from edge to edge without assistance from a level winder.
• FIGS. 5 and 6 depict drum 16 of the previously described level winder and winch incorproating the princi ⁇ ples of the invention and different cable path segments.
• Cable control arm 34 is represented by a dashed line 82 and the arc of travel of rollers 50 and 52 is represented by a line 84.
• the fleet point can be regarded as the point of initial contact of cable 56 with pulley 58
• the length of the cable path segment between pulley 58 and rollers 64 and the length of the cable path segment over pulley 48 between rollers 50 and 52 remain constant.
• segment 66a and 66b vary inversely with respect to each 1 other as cable control arm 34 pivots about axis 46.
• segment 66a has a maximum length at the edge of drum 16 and a minimum length at the center of drum 16.
• segment 66b has a
• cable control arm 34 it is preferable for cable control arm 34 to be rotatable about axis 28 as illustrated in the embodiments of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 because cable control arm 34 moves 0 away from drum 16 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1 as each layer of cable is wound on drum 16. This keeps the length of segment 66b from changing as a function of the number of layers of cable on drum 16. Alternatively, if cable control arm 34 is sufficiently 5
• SUBSTITUTE SHEET i far away from drum 16, i.e., about 2-1/2 times the drum width from edge to edge, or more, it will operate satis ⁇ factorily as a level winder without freedom of movement about an axis perpendicular to axis 46, i.e., when it is
• a fleet point is estab ⁇ lished at the base of arm 34 by means of a pulley, i.e., sheave, which could be swivel-mounted on base 2.
• Pivotability about winch axis 14 permits the level ° winder to accommodate vertical changes in fleet angle without increasing the force on pulley 58 and to permit the carrier frame to be moved about to clear space on base 2, as for example a truck bed.
• the passage of cable 66 over pulley 58 provides a force to 15 pivot carrier frame 30 about axis 14 when the fleet angle is raised above the surface of base 2.
• the described level winder can adjust to vertical changes in fleet angle and carrier frame 30 can be lifted to provide clearance between it and base 2 by raising the fleet
• the swivel capability of pulley 58 permits the level winder to accommodate horizontal changes of fleet angle, i.e., changes in a plane parallel to base 2, as represented
• a cable-tensioning arrangement is preferably provided in the cable path between pulley 58 and rollers 64 as illustrated schematically in FIG. 7.
• Spaced apart rollers 90 and 92 are mounted on carrier frame 30 (not shown) on one side of cable 66 and a roller 94 is mounted on carrier frame 30 on the other side of cable 66 between rollers 90 and 92 so as to pinch cable
• SUBSTITUTESHEET 66 between rollers 90, 92, and 94.
• Roller 94 is either spring loaded or mounted with a lateral adjustment to bear against cable 66.
• Other types of cable-tensioning arrangements known to the art could be employed to perform the described function.
• cable control arm 34 when operation of the level winder is resumed after an interruption, cable control arm 34 must be positioned directly above the end of the helical configuration. If cable control arm 34 is free to pivot at all times, it will tend to pivot to the edge of drum 16 when tension is removed from cable 66. In order to prevent this from happening and having to then manually reset the position of cable control arm 34 when resuming operation of the level winder, a no-load brake is preferably provided on cable control 34 as illustrated in FIG. 8.
• Base 38 of cable control arm 34 has a tele ⁇ scoping inner core 96 and outer shell 98 both having a square or rectangular cross section to prevent relative rotation. Inner core 96 is connected to axle 26 by pin 44. Outer shell 98 is axially movable with respect to core 96.
• Shank 40 is fixed to shell 98.
• a compression spring 100 is disposed between the end of core 96 and shell 98 to bias the latter away from pin 44.
• a brake pad 102 is secured to shell 98 by a bracket 104.
• a semi-circular brake shoe 106 is secured to axle 26 in adjacent relation ⁇ ship to brake pad 102.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Laying Of Electric Cables Or Lines Outside (AREA)
• Storing, Repeated Paying-Out, And Re-Storing Of Elongated Articles (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=25120110

Family Applications (1)

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Citations (1)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 1986
  • 1986-09-24 EP EP19860906171 patent/EP0239623A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1986-09-24 WO PCT/US1986/002019 patent/WO1987002021A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1986-09-24 JP JP50533986A patent/JPS63503377A/ja active Pending

Patent Citations (1)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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