GB2161447A

GB2161447A - Improvements relating to winches

Info

Publication number: GB2161447A
Application number: GB08517568A
Authority: GB
Inventors: J Loughran
Original assignee: ANCRA INT Ltd
Current assignee: ANCRA INT Ltd
Priority date: 1984-07-12
Filing date: 1985-07-11
Publication date: 1986-01-15
Also published as: GB8417734D0; GB8517568D0

Abstract

A winch comprises a mandrel 3 on which a length of flexible webbing may be wound rotatably mounted in a housing 2. Mounted on one end of the mandrel 3 is a ratchet wheel 5 which is engaged by a pawl pivotally mounted on the housing 2. The pawl is biased against the ratchet wheel by means of a spring. The housing 2 has a bore 18 within which is fitted a collar 17 of greater depth than the bore 18. The housing is fixed to, for example, a trailer body by means of a bolt 16 passing through the collar 17 within the bore 18. This means that the winch can swivel to allow the webbing to rotate so that no matter which direction the webbing extends it may always be untwisted. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to winches This invention relates to improvements in winches, especially to winches for use with webbing.

A standard winch typically comprises a mandrel on which a length of flexible material may be wound, rotatably mounted in a housing. Mounted on one end of the mandrel is a ratchet wheel which is engaged by a pawl which is pivotally mounted on the housing. The pawl is either biased against the ratchet wheel by gravity in which case the pawl has to be of a heavy material or can be spring biased so that the mandrel does not unwind when the flexible material has a force applied to it.

Such winches can be used with any flexible material such as chain rope or webbing. This application is particularly concerned with winches for use with webbing, i.e. 'webbing fiendly' winches.

Webbing is increasingly being used on trailers to secure loads which must not be damaged, such as cars. The problem with using webbing in this way is that the webbing should always be straight and not twisted in order to reduce wear of the webbing. It is very difficult to position the winches on a trailer in such a manner that the webbing will always be untwisted, especially if the trailer is to be used with different types of load.

According to this invention a winch includes means to mount the winch on the trailer such that the winch may swivel with respect to the trailer.

This means that the winch can swivel to allow the webbing to rotate so that no matter which direction the webbing extends it may always be untwisted. This provides a more effective load bearing action on the webbing and also reduces wear of the webbing.

The swivel action thus allows the driver of the trailer a much greater degree of flexibility when lashing cars, since he can pull the webbing in any direction from the winch.

Preferably the winch includes means to limit the range of swivel between two limit positions so that the winch is prevented from spinning completely around to be used 'upside down'.

Preferably the housing on which the mandrel is mounted includes a bore into which is fitted a collar with an enlarged shoulder of greater diameter than the bore. The collar has a depth which is greater than the depth of the bore through the housing. The collar is placed within the housing and the winch is secured to a trailer by placing a bolt through the collar from the other side of the housing to the shoulder. Thus although the winch may be secured tightly to the trailer by means of the force between the bolt and the collar the housing may still rotate with respect to the shoulder and allow the whole winch to swivel.

Since the depth of the collar is greater than the depth of the bore, when the bolt is secured tightly to the collar to tighten the collar against the trailer, there is a gap defined between the collar and the trailer within which the housing loosely fits so that the winch swivels easily with respect to the collar and trailer. Conveniently stops to limit the range of swivelling are included between the collar and the housing.

It is preferable that such a winch is light. Also since the winch is to swivel the pawl cannot be biased towards the ratchet wheel by gravity and so the pawl is spring biased towards the ratchet wheel.

At one end of the mandrel is an extended shaft which includes a transverse bore. In order to tighten up the webbing on the winch, a lever known as a 'tommy bar' is inserted into the bore to achieve a good tightening action. Typically such an extended shaft is welded to the end of the mandrel which means that different winches need to be used for left and right handed applications.

Preferably in the winch according to the invention the bar including the bore may be fitted to either end of the mandrel and secured by adrift pin so that the winsh may be used in either a left or right handed manner. Alternatively the mandrel and extended shaft may be removable and reversible from the housing.

two examples of winches in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a view of a first example of a collar; Figure 2 is a section through a first example of a winch; Figure 3 is an end view of a winch of figure 2; Figure 4 is a view of a second example of a collar; and Figure 5 is a section through the collar of figure 4 attached to a second example of a housing.

A first winch 1 for use with webbing comprises a C-shaped housing 2 in which is rotatably mounted a mandrel 3 on which webbing is secured. The mandrel 3 includes a slot through which the end of the webbing may be inserted.

At one end of the mandrel 3 is mounted a ratchet wheel 5 which includes around its circumference teeth 6 which are engageable by pawl 7.

The pawl 7 includes a projection 8 which meshes with tooth 6 to lock the ratchet wheel 5 in position.

The pawl 7 is pivotally mounted on a housing 2 by pivot pin 9. A spring 10 is secured to the housing 2 and to the end 11 of the pawl 7 to urge the projection 8 into contact with the ratchet wheel 5. The mandrel 3 carries a boss 12 which includes a bore 13 extending therethrough. This can be fitted on either end of the mandrel 3 and is fixed in position by passing drift pins 14 through bores in the mandrel 3. A tommy bar may be inserted into bore 13 in order to rotate the mandrel 3 and overcome the force of the spring 10.

The winch 1 is mounted on the trailer 15 by passing a bolt 16 through part of the trailer and into the housing 2. A collar 17 is of slightly smaller diameter than the bore 18 in the housing 2 but includes a shoulder 19 which is of greater diameter than the bore 18. The collar 17 has a greater depth than the bore 18. The collar 17 is inserted into the housing 2 with the shoulder 19 on the inner face of the housing 2. A bolt 16 passes through the beam of the trailer 15 and into the collar 17. The winch 1 is tightened up against the trailer 15 and is held securely. However the clearance between the collar and the housing 1 allows the whole housing 2 to swivel with respect to the collar 17 so that the webbing which is mounted on the mandrel 3 can extend from the winch 1 without being twisted, or bearing against the sides of the housing 2.

In the second example of a winch (Figures 4 and 5) the collar 17 includes on the upper face 22 of the shoulder two arcuate slots 23. On the inner face of the housing 2 are two projections 25 which engage the slots 23. This limits the range of swivelling of the winch; and the range can be set by altering the length of the slots 23.

Claims

1. A winch for use with webbing which comprises a mandrel on which a length of flexible material may be wound rotatably mounted in a housing and carrying on one end thereof a ratchet wheel engaged by a pawl pivotably mounted on the housing, characterised in that the winch includes means to mount the winch on a trailer such that it may swivel with respect to the trailer.

2. A winch as claimed in claim 1 in which the means to mount the winch comprises a collar which fits within a bore in the housing and is of slightly greater length than the said bore, the housing being attached by means of a bolt passing through the collar within said bore.

3. A winch as claimed in either of claims 1 or 2 further including means to limit the range of swivel between two limit positions.

4. A winch as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the pawl is biased against the ratchet wheel by means of a spring.

5. A winch as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 in which one end of the mandrel extends beyond the housing and carries a transverse bore which may be engaged by a tommy bar.

6. A winch as claimed in claim 5 in which the end of the mandrel having the transverse bore is removably attached thereto such that it may be fitted at either end, or in which the mandrel and extended end may be removable from the housing and reversed.

7. A winch substantially as heretobefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.