GB2279635A

GB2279635A - Winch device

Info

Publication number: GB2279635A
Application number: GB9313630A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Simon Hsu; Hua-Mu Liu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-07-01
Filing date: 1993-07-01
Publication date: 1995-01-11
Also published as: GB9313630D0

Abstract

A winch device includes a winch (13 - 16) attachable to the wheel disc (5) of the driven wheel of a vehicle and turned by the wheel to take up a rope or cable (18) and a guard board (2) detachably fastened, as by suction mounts (22) to the vehicle to keep the rope or cable away from the body of the vehicle. An anchor board and an anchor grapnel, (Figs 4, 5 not shown) may be used alternatively for fastening the rope or cable to the ground, for example to help the vehicle to escape from a stuck position. <IMAGE>

Description

WINCH DEVICE The present invention relates to a winch device for mounting on a motor vehicle and particularly although not exclusively to a device usable for helping a wheeled motor vehicle to escape from a stuck position in the mud.

While driving a vehicle such as a car over a muddy or sandy road, the wheels may sink into the road and become stuck. With the car stuck in the mud, the car driver may insert stones, wooden boards, or other hard objects beneath the wheels to increase friction so as to help the car escape from its stuck position. This method is inapplicable if there are no suitable supporting objects available for inserting beneath the stuck wheels. Under this condition, the car driver can only call for a tow truck or wait for the help of others. It may waste a lot of time in waiting for help.

A 4WD vehicle is commonly equipped with an electric winch, which may pull the vehicle if it is stuck in the road. The winch is commonly fastened to the front bumper. When in use, a steel rope of the electric winch is fastened to a tree, a pole, or any fixed object. As the electric winch is turned on to take up the steel rope, the vehicle is pulled away from the stuck position. This structure of electric winch is complicated, and therefore manufacturing cost is high. Another disadvantage of an electric winch is that it consumes much power.

One object of the present invention is to at least partly ameliorate the above disadvantages.

According to the present invention there is provided a winch device comprising a winch, said winch having a mounting disk for fastening to the wheel rim of a driven wheel of a motor vehicle, whereby said winch may be turned by said wheel, a rope or cable attached at one end thereof to said winch, and a guard board detachably fastenable to said motor vehicle to guide said rope or cable away from the body of said motor vehicle.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is an exploded view of a winch for use in the present invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional installed view showing the winch fastened to the wheel rim of a car wheel; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a guard board for use in the present invention; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an anchor board for use with the present invention; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an anchor grapnel for use with the present invention; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the present invention, showing the winch fastened to the wheel rim with the rope or cable fastened to a support for helping the car to escape from a stuck position; Fig. 7 is a view of the anchor grapnel fastened to the earth to anchor the rope or cable; and Fig. 8 is a view of the anchor board embedded in the sand to anchor the rope or cable.

In the Figures, like reference numerals indicate like parts.

Referring to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, a winch device in accordance with the present invention is generally comprised of a winch 1, a guard plate 2, an anchor board 3, and an anchor grapnel 4.

Referring to Figure 1 again, the winch 1 comprises a wire reel 11 having a mounting disk 12 at one end and a circular end stop 3 at an opposite end. The mounting disk 12 has small mounting holes 121 and a bigger mounting hole 121 arranged around a circle. A washer 14 is fastened around the wire reel 11 in the middle. A movable stop ring 15 is mounted around the wire reel 11 and disposed between the end stop 13 and the washer 14. A guide element 16 is rotatably mounted on the wire reel 11, having a slot 161 parallel with the wire reel 11. A rope or cable guide 17;17 is provided for slidable mounting in the sliding slot 161, and the guide consists of two elements 17;17 fastened together through a screw joint and respectively disposed in the sliding slot 161 at two opposite sides. A steel rope 18 is wound round the wire reel 11.The free end of the steel rope 18 is inserted through the sliding bushing 17;17' and coupled with a hook 19. The steel rope 18 is let off or taken up by turning the wire reel 11 with respect to the guide elerrent 16.

Referring to Figure 2 again, the guard plate 2 comprises a plurality of suction mounts 22 at the bottom for mounting on-the body of the car at a suitable location, and a sliding groove 21 at the top through the length for guiding the steel rope 18 away from the body of the car so as to protect the body of the car from being scratched by the steel rope 18.

Referring to Figure 4, the anchor board 3 i made from a flat board having a ring 31 at the top for fastening the hook 19 of the steel rope 18.

Referring to Figure 5, the anchor grapnel 4 comprises an elongated handle gl, a pawl assembly 42 coupled to the handle 41 at one end for fixing the anchor grapnel 4 in place, and a ring 43 coupled to the handle 41 at an opposite end for fastening the hook 19 of the steel rope 18. The pawl assembly 42 is collapsibly fastened to the handle 41, and alternatively set between the collapsed position horizontally aligned with the handle 41 or the operative position perpendicular to the handle 41.

Referring to Figure 6 and Figures 1 and 2 again, the winch 1 can be conveniently fastened to the wheel rim 5 of a car wheel according to the procedure described hereinafter. Remove the nuts 51 from the wheel bolts 52 with one nut remained mounted to prohibit the wheel rim 5 from falling out of the car wheel. Attach the mounting disk 12 of the wire reel 11 to the wheel rim 5 for letting the wheel bolts 52 to respectively inserted into the small mounting holes 121 and the big mounting hole 121'. The big mounting hole 121' is for inserting the wheel bolt which has the nut mounted thereon. When mounted, the dismantled nuts 51 are respectively fastened to the respective wheel bolts 52 to fix the mounting disk 12 to the wheel rim 5. The steel rope 18 is then pulled out of the winch 1 and fastened to the trunk of a tree, a post, a fixed support, a bit stone, etc.Then, the guard plate 2 is fastened to the body of the car at a suitable location to guide the steel rope 18 away from the body of the car. As the engine of the car is started to turn the wheels, the winch 1 is turned to take up the steel rope 18, and therefore the wheels are moved away from a stuck position. As explained, the guard plate 2 is to protect the body of the car not to be scratched by the steel rope 18 during the operation of the winch 1, the guard plate 2 must be fastened to the body of the car at a suitable location to keep the steel rope 18 away from the body of the car.

If there is no fixed supporting means within the reach of the hook 19 of the steel rope 18, the anchor grapnel 4 can be used. Referring to Figure 7, the pawl assembly 42 is extended into the operative position and then fastened to the earth for anchoring the hook 19 of the steel rope 18. Make sure the pawl assembly 42 of the anchor grapnel 4 has been fixed in place before starting the car engine.

If the car is stuck in a sandy road, the anchor board 3 can be used to help the car escape from a stuck position. Referring to Figure 8, the hook 19 of the steel rope 18 is fastened to the ring 31 of the anchor board 3, and then the anchor board 3 is embedded in the earth at a location properly spaced from the car. As the car engine is turned on to rotate the wheels, the wire reel 11 is rotated to take up the steel rope 18, and there fore the car is moved out of a stuck position.

Because different cars have different wheel rims and different wheel rims have different number of wheel bolts, the mounting disk 12 must be separately designed to fit different cars. When not in use, the winch 1 can be received in the center hole of the spare wheel; the guard board 2, the anchor board 3, and the anchor grapnel 4 occupy small storage space and can be conveniently stored in any available space in the trunk.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A winch device comprising a winch, said winch having a mounting disk for fastening to the wheel rim of a driven wheel of a motor vehicle, whereby said winch is rotatable by said wheel, a rope or cable attached at one end thereof to said winch, and a guard board detachably fastenable to said motor vehicle to guide said rope or cable away from the body of said motor vehicle.

2. A winch device according to claim 1 wherein said guard board has a plurality of suction mounts for mounting to the body of the motor vehicle.

3. A winch device according to claims 1 or 2 wherein the guard board has a grooved surface for guiding said rope or cable.

4. A winch device according to any preceding claim having a hook attachable to said rope or cable at a location remote said one end.

5. A winch device according to claim 4 having an anchor board for fastening said rope or cable to the ground, and an anchor grapnel for fastening said rope or cable to the ground, whereby said hook of said rope or cable can be directly fastened to a fixed support or fixed to the ground by said anchor board or said anchor grapnel for letting the winch be turned by said wheel rim to take up said rope or cable in helping the vehicle to escape from a stuck position.

6. A winch device according to any preceding claim wherein said winch comprises a wire reel rotated to take up or let off said rope or cable, a guide element rotatably mounted on said wire reel, said guide element having a slot for a cable or rope guide, whereby said wire reel may be turned by said wheel and said guide element may simultaneously be restrained from movement by tension on said cable or rope in said cable or rope guide.

7. A winch device according to claim 6 wherein said wire reel has one end coupled with a circular end stop, said cable or rope guide has two elements fastened together through a screw joint and respectively disposed in said slot at two opposite sides, and further comprising a washer fastened around said wire reel in the middle, a movable stop ring mounted around said wire reel and disposed between said end stop and said washer to define a variable mounting space between said end stop for winding said rope or cable.

8. A winch device according to claim 5, 6 or 7 wherein said anchor board comprises a plate having a ring for fastening said hook of said rope or cable whereby said anchor board may anchor said rope or cable in the sand.

9. A winch device according to any one of claims 5-8 wherein said anchor grapnel comprises an elongated handle, a collapsible pawl assembly coupled to said handle at one end for fixing the anchor grapnel to the ground, and a ring coupled to said handle at an opposite end for fastening said hook of said steel rope, said pawl assembly being alternatively set between a collapsed position horizontally aligned with said handle and an operative position perpendicular to said handle.

10. A winch device constructed and arranged as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.