EP3063086B1 - Climbing winch - Google Patents

Description

Introduction

The present invention relates to a winch for moving along a lifting strand such as a rope or cable, and in particular a winch to which a user can anchor to go up and down along a rope.

State of the art

The invention relates to the field of winches and in particular winches with traction sheave. Winches with traction sheaves should not be confused with drum winches or the like. Indeed, the winches pulley adhesion have the characteristic of being able to be used with cables of unlimited length because of the principle of retention by adhesion of the cable inside a single groove of the traction block in which the cable is wound on less than one turn.

• pas de limite de hauteur
• le treuil peut évoluer le long du câble et donc accompagner la charge, qu'il s'agisse d'un objet ou d'un utilisateur.

Such winches have been developed for professional, safety and sporting purposes: access to building facades, windmill or boat mats, work areas in elevator shafts, silo, rescue in assembly and climbing, etc. They have compared to other winches the following advantages:

• no height limit
• the winch can move along the cable and therefore accompany the load, whether it is an object or a user.

The EP 1 030 726 For example, an adhesion winch comprising a motor whose driving shaft is coupled to a single V-groove pulley mounted on a frame. The winch comprises a locking member connected to the frame, which allows the winch to climb on the rope, and locks as soon as the upward force stops. A guide ring is positioned above the pulley, close to it. The rope is put in place by the user so as to pass through the guide ring, wrap around the pulley and pass through the same guide ring again, the rope is thus engaged 180 ° in the groove of the pulley. The design of the pulley portion of this winch, with a contact angle of 180 °, implies the need for a locking member. Another disadvantage is related to forced passage of the strand and soft strand through the guide ring, which implies that the rope enters and exits through the top of the winch. For a rope that does not have the longitudinal rigidity of a rope, pulling up can be problematic and cause jams.

Other devices employing throat pulleys for traction can be cited. The GB 2057871 describes, for example, a rescue apparatus for rappelling persons comprising a frame, to be hooked to the person to descend, and a grooved pulley for the cable, the latter being guided wound on an angle greater than 180 degrees. The braking of the pulley is done by a mechanism that takes into account the weight of the person.

The GB 2055735 describes a winch type winch boat, for hauling sails. The EP0876987 describes an emergency lift system intended to be installed outside a building. The WO2010049597 describes an insurer-descender device, self-locking, anti-panic and lockable in position.

Object of the invention

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved winch not having the disadvantages mentioned above.

General description of the claimed invention with its main advantages.

• un bâti ayant, en service, une région supérieure tournée vers une partie du brin de levage sous tension et une région inférieure du côté mou du brin de levage ;
• une poulie d'adhérence montée sur le bâti et comprenant à son pourtour une gorge permettant la traction (transmission de force/mouvement) du brin de levage par adhérence ;
• un moyen de guidage apte à guider le brin de levage sous tension depuis la région supérieure du bâti vers sa région inférieure, le moyen de guidage comprenant du côté de la région inférieure du bâti une poulie de guidage à proximité de la poulie d'adhérence et guidant le brin de levage en entrée de poulie d'adhérence ;
• une poulie de serrage en sortie de poulie d'adhérence, à proximité de la poulie de guidage, exerçant une pression sur le brin de levage en direction de la poulie d'adhérence.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a traction hoist winch for hoisting strand comprising:

• a frame having, in use, an upper region facing a portion of the tensioned lifting strand and a lower region of the slack side of the lifting strand;
• an adhesion pulley mounted on the frame and comprising at its periphery a groove for traction (transmission of force / movement) of the lifting strand by adhesion;
• guiding means adapted to guide the lifted strand from the upper region of the frame to its lower region, the guiding means comprising on the lower region of the frame side a guide pulley close to the traction sheave and guiding the lifting strand at the entry of the traction sheave;
• a clamping pulley at the outlet of the traction sheave, close to the guide pulley, exerting a pressure on the lifting strand in the direction of the traction sheave.

The winch according to the invention allows the ascent and descent along a lifting strand of unlimited length (the term "lifting strand" is used here to designate a rope, in particular a synthetic rope, a rope, etc.). . It will be appreciated that the design of the winch has been particularly thought for the ropes, which results in an output of the soft strand down, and eliminates the tendency to jam unlike the winches in which the soft strand comes out from above.

Moreover, the design of the winch according to the invention, which employs a traction sheave in combination with a clamping pulley, allows a control of the forces so as to ensure the locking of the rope in the traction sheave when it There is no training, eliminating the need for a specific locking device. The proximity of the guide and clamping pulleys also allows for a large winding angle of the lifting strand on the pulley, which increases the lifting force.

Preferably, the guide pulley and the clamping pulley are positioned so that the lifting strand is engaged in the groove of the traction sheave at an angle of at least 200 °, preferably at least 280 ° and more preferably between 300 and 340 °.

For its drive, the traction pulley is preferably mounted on a shaft coupled to a manual or motor drive mechanism, usually via a gear box. The motor may be of the electric or thermal type.

The motor control allows the traction pulley to rotate in both directions of rotation, allowing the user to control the raising and lowering of the winch on the lifting line.

The design of the winch also allows great compactness, and is therefore suitable for use as a stand-alone portable unit, whose size will still be a function of the drive mechanism.

The winch advantageously comprises an anchor point, which, depending on the applications, will be used for fixing a flexible link or a rigid structure, able to support a user or a load.

The clamping pulley is preferably constrained in the direction of the traction sheave by resilient means, particularly a compression spring.

Preferably, the guide and clamping pulleys are retractable, which allows to wind the rope around the traction block on the running part of the rope (and not only end of rope).

Alternatively, the clamping pulley is carried by an arm pivotally mounted on the frame about an axis and cooperating with a toggle-type mechanism for locking the clamping pulley in the use position against the lifting strand.

The drive pulley is preferably of the V-groove type. The adhesion can be improved by a raised pattern on the sides of the groove.

In practice, the rope and the traction sheave are chosen in adequacy. To limit wear, a pulley of at least 150 mm of winding diameter is advantageously chosen, and a winding coefficient of the order of 14 to 18 is aimed at.

Description using Figures

Fig.1:

une vue de face d'un mode de réalisation du présent treuil ;

Fig.2:

une vue en perspective arrière du treuil de la Fig.1 ;

Fig.3:

une vue en perspective de la poulie d'adhérence ;

Fig.4:

une vue de détail de la gorge de la poulie de la Fig.3 ;

Fig.5:

une vue en perspective du guide de corde.

Other features and characteristics of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description of at least one advantageous embodiment presented below, by way of illustration, with reference to the accompanying drawings. These show:

Fig.1:

a front view of an embodiment of the present winch;

Fig.2:

a rear perspective view of the winch of the Fig.1 ;

Fig.3:

a perspective view of the traction sheave;

Fig.4:

a detailed view of the groove of the pulley of the Fig.3 ;

Fig.5:

a perspective view of the rope guide.

In the figures, the same references designate identical or similar elements.

The figure 1 shows a front view of an alternative embodiment of the present winch 10. It comprises a frame 12 on which is mounted a traction pulley 14 (also called drive pulley) comprising at its periphery a groove 16 (single) allowing driving a lifting strand by adhesion, in particular a synthetic rope which is referenced 20 and materialized by the dashed lines. For its rotation, the traction pulley 14 is fixed to a shaft 19 of which it is integral in rotation. The shaft 19 is generally part of a driving means coupled to the pulley 14 via it, as will be seen below.

On the figure 1 the winch 10 is shown in its service / use position, in which it can be seen that the stretched strand 20a of the rope 20 arrives from the top of the winch 10 (the opposite end of the stretched strand being fixed to a support), and that the soft strand 20b is discharged downwards. Thus the stretched strand 20a arrives on the side of the upper region of the frame 12, while the soft strand 20b leaves on the side of the lower region of the frame 12.

Guiding means is provided for guiding the rope 20 under tension from the upper region of the frame towards its lower region and comprises a guide pulley 22 cooperating preferably with at least one deflection pulley 24, here two. The deflection pulleys 24 (crazy in rotation) are positioned in the upper part of the frame 12, above the traction pulley 14, to receive the stretched strand 20a and deflect laterally to the guide pulley 22 which is positioned in the lower part, under and near the pulley d training 14.

The rope strand 20a under tension coming from the top passes through the deflection pulleys 24 to arrive on the guide pulley 22, which causes the stretched strand 20a to move upwards and ensures its transfer towards the drive pulley 14. The Rope 20 then forms a loop around the pulley 14 and leaves it behind a sheave 26 which exerts a pressure on the rope 20 towards the bottom of the groove 16.

After the clamping pulley 26, the rope 20 falls by gravity downwards; it is the soft strand 20b. Preferably, a guide 28 is placed directly behind the clamping pulley 26 to guide the rope 20 downwards when it leaves the groove 16. In the present variant, the guide 28 is a square-section channel, partly open laterally, one end is close to the traction pulley 14. The guide 28 preferably comprises a curved finger 30 which extends from its upper end partially into the groove 16 of the traction pulley to facilitate the extraction of the rope 20. Thus, the guide 28 allows the extraction of the soft strand 20b out of the winch. It is not useful to ballast the soft strand with a weight to extract it from the traction block 14.

In such a traction hoist 14 traction force depends on the winding angle of the rope in the groove of the traction sheave and the coefficient of adhesion of the rope in the groove, as well as the force exerted by the clamping pulley 26 at the outlet of the traction sheave. Appropriate dimensioning of the pulley 14 and the clamping pulley 26, taking into account the operating load, therefore allows the production of a winch having sufficient lifting force and requiring no additional brake at standstill. In practice, in accordance with EN-1808, the winch is calculated to prevent slippage of the rope when raising or lowering a load greater than or equal to 1.5 times the maximum load.

To improve the adhesion of the rope in the groove, the walls 31 of these are preferably in V. The adhesion is further increased by protuberances, here radial ribs 33 positioned offset on the opposite sides of the groove 16. As can be seen, the ribs are distributed regularly on each of the flanks, and the ribs on one side face the middle of the inter-rib space on the other side.

Adherence is further controlled by proper groove / rope sizing, the bottom of the groove having a diameter slightly smaller than that of the rope, e.g. 0.7 to 0.9 times the diameter of the rope, preferably between 0.7 and 0.8. The opening angle of the throat (noted alpha on the Fig. 4 ) can be chosen between 15 and 35 °, preferably between 20 and 30 °. It will also be possible to adjust the thickness of the protuberances.

Another parameter acting on the tensile force is the winding angle, here denoted β, on which the rope is engaged in the groove 16 of the drive pulley 14. These are the respective positions of the guide pulleys 22 and clamping 26 which determine this angle β. The angle β is greater than 200 °, preferably greater than 280 ° and in particular between 300 and 340 °. As we see on the figure 1 , the clamping and guiding pulleys are positioned close to each other, separated by the guide 28, which allows a large winding angle β of the order of 320 °.

The different parameters influencing the adhesion will be dimensioned with care, since they are also factors of wear of the rope. Preferably, a winding coefficient (ratio winding diameter to rope diameter) of the order of 14 to 18, with a pulley having a winding diameter of at least 150 mm, will be aimed at.

As we see Figs.1 and 2 the present winch 10 is compact, the different pulleys being mounted on the frame in the same plane. The winch is preferably associated with drive means (not shown) which comprises a motor coupled to a gearbox output. The shaft 19 which drives the pulley 14 can be part of the gearbox or be coupled thereto. The motor / gearbox assembly is fixed firmly to the frame by its rear face 12a ( Fig.2 ). As is customary in hoisting applications, the engine will include a brake of service, that is to say a mechanical brake normally closed at rest.

For a realization in the form of autonomous winch, we can use an electric motor to which we will associate a battery. This assembly forms a compact, easy-to-use assembly that can be worn by a user. For the safety of the user the frame is covered, at least at its front side, with a housing with openings for the rope 20.

The reference sign 76 indicates a tab that forms an anchor point or support for an anchor point for receiving a carabiner or other link by which the user can attach a harness, a lanyard or any load. Alternatively, the tab 76 may form an anchor point for a rigid frame comprising a seat, which allows the user to be seated rather than suspended from the winch. The skilled person may further develop any other solution to form a structure suspended from, or supported by, the present winch.

Some preferential provisions can still be noted.

The two deflection pulleys 24 have a fixed axis of rotation 32 mounted on the frame, and rotate about their respective axis 32 by means of a bearing 34, for example ball bearings. The axis 36 of the guide pulley 22 (free to rotate) is also fixed in use, but this pulley 22 is mounted retractable by means of an arm 38. The arm 38 thus carries at one end the guide pulley 22 and is fixed pivotally at its other end to the frame 12. In this variant, the arm 38 consists of a pair of rods 40 fixed by an axis 42 passing through the frame 12, and receiving between them, at the opposite end, the guide pulley 22 rotatably supported by an axis 44 and a bearing 46. Under the tension of the rope, the pivoting arm 38 moves towards the traction pulley 14. A pin 43 makes it possible to limit the displacement of the arm 28 to avoid that the guide pulley 22 does not come into contact with the traction pulley 14. In operation, the guide pulley 22 therefore normally has a fixed position. The reference sign 48 indicates a guide piece which extends from the pivot 42 of the arm 38 partially along the pulley 14.

The retracted position of the guide pulley 22 (when the pin is removed and the arm 38 pivoted back) is shown in phantom on the figure 1 , which facilitates the introduction of the rope 20.

The pressure exerted by the clamping pulley 26 on the rope 20 is preferably obtained by means of a resilient spring system 50, which makes it possible to avoid adapting the position of the pulley 26 according to the diameter and / or the wear condition of the rope 20.

According to the present variant, the elastic spring system 50 is inspired by the knee or grasshopper type mechanisms. The sheave 26 is mounted idle in rotation at the end of a clamping arm 56 which pivots relative to the frame 12 (at the lower end of a guide piece 57 fixed to the frame and which extends along the traction sheave 14, on the opposite side to the guide piece 48). The arm 56 comprises a pair of rods 58 fixed by an axis 60 passing through the frame 12, and receiving between them the guide pulley supported by an axis 52 and a bearing 54.

The reference sign 62 indicates a rod forming an actuating handle, pivotally mounted on the frame 12 about an axis 64 in the upper part of the frame. The arm 56 and the handle 62 are connected by a pair of rods 66, extending on either side of the frame 12. At the clamping arm 56, the rod 66 is housed in the axis of rotation 52 of the clamping pulley 26, in which it is axially locked. On the side of the handle 62, the rod 66 passes through a pivoting axis 68, in which it can slide axially. A compression spring 70 is disposed on the end of the rods 66, beyond the pivot axis 68. The spring 70 is retained by an axial stop 72, whose axial position is preferably adjustable.

This elastic system 50 thus makes it possible to retract the clamping pulley 26 for the positioning of the rope 20, the retracted position being shown in phantom. The system 50 locks by pivoting the handle 62 from the retracted position toward the arrow 74. When the pivot axis 68 exceeds the alignment point of the axes 52 and 64, the handle 62 is blocked. The locking position of the handle 62, and the pressing force exerted by the clamping pulley 26 on the rope 20, can be adjusted by adjusting the spring force by means of axial stop 72.

Claims (15)

1. A winch with a grip pulley for moving along a lifting strand (20), in particular a rope or cable, comprising:

   a frame (12) having, in service, an upper region facing towards a portion of the lifting strand under tension (20a) and a lower region on the slack strand (20b) side of the lifting strand;

   a grip pulley (14) mounted on said frame (12) and comprising on the periphery thereof a groove (16) enabling the lifting strand to be hauled by grip;

   characterised by a guide means capable of guiding the lifting strand under tension from the upper region of said frame (12) towards the lower region thereof, the guide means comprising on the lower region side of said frame a guide pulley (22) close to said grip pulley (14) and transferring the taut lifting strand (20a) onto said grip pulley (14); and

   a clamping pulley (26), close to said guide pulley (22), exerting pressure on the lifting strand towards said grip pulley (14) and acting on the wrapped end of the lifting strand (20) on said grip pulley (14) on the slack strand (20b) side.
2. A winch according to claim 1, in which the lifting strand (20b) exits from the grip pulley (14) on the lower region side of the frame.
3. A winch according to claim 1 or 2, comprising, between the guide pulley (22) and the clamping pulley (26), a guide (28) configured to direct the slack strand (20b) downwards.
4. A winch according to claim 1, 2 or 3, in which said guide pulley (22) has a rotation pin (44) which is stationary in use; and, preferably,
   said guide pulley (22) is mounted on a first arm (38) which pivots relative to said frame and cooperates with a locking means for locking said first arm in use.
5. A winch according to any of the preceding claims, in which said clamping pulley (26) is forced towards said grip pulley (14) by a resilient means, in particular a compression spring (72).
6. A winch according to any of the preceding claims, in which said clamping pulley (26) is carried by a second arm (56) which is mounted pivotably on the frame about a first pin (60) and cooperates with a toggle lever type mechanism (50) for locking said clamping pulley (26) into a working position against the lifting strand (20).
7. A winch according to claim 6, in which said second pivot arm (56) is connected to a handle (62) mounted pivotably on the frame about a second pin (64); said second pivot arm (56) and said handle (62) are connected by at least one connecting rod (66) having an attachment point (68) on said handle (62) offset from the pivot pin (64) thereof, to create a locking force when said handle (62) is pivoted towards the frame and said attachment point (68) projects beyond the alignment of the first and second pins (60, 64); and, preferably,
   a compression spring (70) is subject to said at least one connecting rod (66), the resilient force of which forces the handle (62) into the locking position and the clamping pulley (26) against the grip pulley (14).
8. A winch according to any of the preceding claims, in which said guide pulley (22) and said clamping pulley (26) are positioned in such a manner that the lifting strand (20) is engaged in said groove (16) over an angle of at least 200°, preferably at least 280° and more preferably of between 300 and 340°.
9. A winch according to any of the preceding claims, in which the aperture angle of said groove (16) reduces with depth.
10. A winch according to any of the preceding claims, in which said groove (16) is defined by two sidewalls, the spacing of which gradually reduces as a function of depth, so forming a V groove.
11. A winch according to any of the preceding claims, exhibiting a wrap coefficient of the order of 14 to 18, the grip pulley (14) having a wrap diameter of at least 150 mm.
12. A winch according to any of the preceding claims, in which the sidewalls of the groove (16) have a relief pattern, preferably radial ribs (33), to provide increased grip.
13. A winch according to any of the preceding claims, in which said frame (12) comprises at least one anchoring point (76) for a flexible link or a rigid structure capable of supporting a user or a load.
14. A winch according to any of the preceding claims, comprising rotational drive means for said grip pulley (14), the rotational drive means preferably comprising a motor coupled via a reducing gear to a rotating shaft (19) associated with the frame and in which said grip pulley (14) is mounted; and, preferably,
    the drive means comprise an electric motor with service brake associated with a battery.
15. A winch according to any of the preceding claims, in which the drive pulley has a single groove.

Images