US3271010A

US3271010A - Reversible hand winch

Info

Publication number: US3271010A
Application number: US325981A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert H Gray
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-11-26
Filing date: 1963-11-26
Publication date: 1966-09-06
Anticipated expiration: 1983-09-06

Description

Sept.'6, 1966 R. H. GRAY REVERSIBLE HAND WINCH 2 Sheets-Sheet l "4 FIMG.

Filed Nov. 26, 1963 INVENTOR. ROBERT H. GRAY B ATTORNEY Sept. 5, 1966 R, H, GRAY 3,271,010

REVERSIBLE HAND WINCH Filed Nov. 26, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

` I\VENTOR. ROBERTl H. GRAY Bfww. mv

Y Y ATTQBNEY United States Patent O 3,271,010 REVERSIBLE HAND WINCH Robert H. Gray, 4420 NE. Maywood Piace, Portland, Greg. Filed Nov. 26, 1963, Ser. No. 325,981 9 Claims.. (Cl. 254-167) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in Winch structures and more particularly is concerned with a reversi-ble hand Winch.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a hand winch employing novel means for `accomplishing ratchet raising of a load, ratchet lowering of a load, and lfree or release lowering of a load.

A more particular object is to provide a -hand winch employing a novel association of ratchet gear, pawl, and selector means Lfor controlling the above said functions of load raising, load lowering, and free lowering.

Another particular object of the present invention is to provide novel selector means for operating a pawl in various functions of load control.

Another object is to provide a hand winch employing ratio drive means therefor and associating con-trol means with the ratio drive means.

Another object is to provide a hand winc-h which employs in a compact relationship drum winding means, ratio drive means, and control means for raising and lowering a load, thus facilitating convenient handlin-g, shipment, and storage.

It is still another object to provide a hand winch of the type described which employs individual chambers for the winding drum and control mechanism, wherein the latter is maintained free of dust, dirt, or other foreign material which vmay be associated with the winding drum.

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent and the invention will be better understood -from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred form of the device.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational View of the present winch with parts thereof in section and .parts broken away, taken on the staggered line 1 1 off FIG-URE 4, and showing one position of control means -utilized therein;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational View taken on the same line as FIGURE l but showing a second position of the control means;

FIGURE 3 is a View similar to FIGURES l and 2 but showing a third position of the control means;

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal sec-tional View of the winch, somewhat enlarged and taken on the staggered line 4 4 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 6 is a .perspective View of pawl means, such pawl means being shown in inverted position and apart from the winch;

FIGURE 7 .is an enlarged perspective view of a selector member utilized in the present winch and also shown apart therefrom; and

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged lfragmentary sectional view taken on the line 8 8 of FIGURE 1 and showing the selector member installed in t-he winch.

Referring now in particular to the drawings, the present Winch comprises a housing `10l formed of two

complementary sections

12 and 14, FIGURE 4. These housing sections are secured together in assembly by studs or the like 16.

Housing '10 .has a pair of

compartments

18 and 20 separated by an internal wall 22 secured to the housing section 14 through the medium of screws 24 threadedly 3,271,010 Patented Sept. 6, 1966 ICC mounted in an offset portion A26 in the said housing section 14.

Housing 10, adjacent chamber 18, has front and rear openings 28 and a bottom opening 30. The upper wall of the vhousing has incorporated therein a spindle 32 terminating at its lower end in threads `for receiving a nut to secure the spindle to the housing. The other end of the spindle terminates in a hook or the like, not shown, for anchoring the winch.

Mounted in the housing is a drum or spool 38, FIG- URE 4, hafving end flanges 40 for coniining a cable C in wound relation on the drum, the free end of the cable projecting through the bottom opening 30. T-he drum has integral support on a shaft 42 projecting through the `end Walls of the housing as well as through the internal Wall 22. In a preferred construction, shaft 42 is square or of other non-round configuration and is associated, in order to receive rotatable support in -the housing, with pairs of

busings

44 and 46, the latter bushing having a square opening for mounting engagement on the shaft and havin-g a lcircular outer periphery for rotatable journaled engagement in bushings 44.

Mounted on the shaft 42 and disposed in the compa-rtment 20 is a gear wheel 50, FIGURES 1-4 and 8, this wheel having a square central aperture 52 for mounting on the shaft and for rotation therewith. Mounted adjacent the gear wheel 50 on the shaft 42 is a ratchet wheel 54, of smaller diameter than the gear 50.

Meshing with t-he gear Wheel 50 .is a pinion gear 56 forming an integral part of a square shaft 58 one end of which is journaled in an end Wall of the housing by a pair of

bushings

44 and 46 similar to those described in connection with t-he shaft 42. The other end of shaft 58 has a spindle portion 60 journaled in `an aperture 62 in the internal Wall 22.

As seen in FIGURE 4, both

shafts

42 and 58 project through one wall and are both available for turning as by a suitable wrench or crank. A direct turning ratio is accomplished by Vturning shaft 42 and a ratio drive is accomplished by turning shaft 58.

Pinion gear 56 is engageable by a pawl 66 rotatably supported on a pin 68 supported in the adjacent end wall of the housing and the internal Wall 2v2, best shown in FIGURE 5. Pawl 66 has end teeth 70 for engagement with the pinion gear S6. The association of the pawl with the pinion gear is, as shown in FIGURES 1-3, such that when these members are in engagement, rotation of the pinion gear can be accomplished in the direction of arrow 72, FIGURE l, but .prevented from rotation in the opposite direction. Thus, in this position of the pawl a ratcheted load raising function may be accomplished as more fully described hereinafter.

Associated with the pawl 66 are three

control members

74, 76 and 78. Control member 74, in the form of a detent spring, comprises a double leaf spring having a connected end portion `82 seated in a socket 84 in the housing. The other end of the spring is engaged in a recess 86 in the to-p surface of ythe pawl 66.

Spring 74 is constructed and arranged to hold the pawl 66 in the over-center positions, one of which is shown in FIGURE 1 for engagement with pinion 56 and the other of which is shown in FIGURE 2 for disengaged relation with said pinion.

Control member 76 comprises `a leaf spring and is refer-red to herein as a pawl spring. It projects rearwardly from -the pawl 66 in substantially a llongitudinally aligned .position therewith. For mounting this spring, the rear of the pawl is notched at 88 to form a shoulder portion 90. This shoulder portion has a forwardly extending slot 92 which xedly receives one end of pawl spring 76.

Control member 78 comprises a toggle arm and has a right angle top extension 94. The end of extension 94 is widened and xedly received in a slot 96 in the rear surface of the pawl 66. As best seen in FIGURES 1-3, the angled extension 94 of the toggle arm 7S projects substantially longitudinally of the pawl and the main body of this arm projects downwardly.

As best seen in FIGURE 6, the spring 76 and toggle arm 78 are relatively narrow in construction to bypass each other in spaced edge relation, the spring 76 being mounted substantially centrally of the pawl and the body portion of the arm 78 being offset to one side of its widened angled end 94.

Associated with the spring 76 and toggle arm 78 for the purpose of controlling the operation of pawl 66 is a selector member 100, shown apart from the housing in FIGURE 7. This selector has an oval-shaped intermediate cam portion 102, an enlarged cam 104 at one end of the oval portion 102, and a toothed lock segment 106. EX- tending from the end of the selector adjacent cam 104 is a pin 108 and extending from the opposite end of the selector is a shaft portion 110. As best seen in FIGURE 8, the selector is mounted in the compartment by journaled support of pin 108 in a suitable aperture 112 in the wall 22 and by journaled support of shaft portion 110 in a suitable aperture 114 in the side wall of the housing.

The lock segment 106 is associated with a stationary toothed lock segment 116 provided in a counterbore 117 on the inner wall surface of the housing. As will be seen hereinafter, the selector 100 is rotatable lto selected locked positions, and for the purpose of rotatably selecting it, the pin 10S and shaft portion 110 have slidable engagement with their respective apertures and the selector is biased towards its position of locked engagement with the stationary segment 116 by a compression spring 118 supported on the pin 108 and disposed between the wall 22 and the adjacent end of the selector. The shaft portion 110 carries a selector button 120 which in a preferred construction is partly contained in a counterbore 122 so as to be substantially in an out-of-the-way position.

The locking

segments

106, 116 have three different positions of interlocking, such positions being reached by pushing the selector inwardly against the action of spring 118, to ltemporarily disengage the teeth of the locking segments, and rotating it to its desired position. Upon release of the selector the spring 118 forces it outwardly to a locked position.

The parts are constructed and arranged such that the pawl spring 76 is in the path of the cam 104 and the toggle arm 78 is in the path of the oval-shaped cam portion 102 of the selector.

To explain more fully the association of the selector and the springs, the operation will now be described. In a rst position, and with reference to FIGURE 1, wherein it is desired to raise a load the selector is pushed in and rotated to the selected position wherein the cam 104 is vertically disposed. In this position, the toggle arm 78 is substantially unaffected by the oval body portion 102 since the latter has its major axis disposed vertically. The cam 104, however, acts fully on the pawl spring 76 which urges the pawl 66 in a counterclockwise direction. The Ibiased condition of pawl 66 by spring 76 just described is suicient to override any over-centering forces of detent spring 74 and in fact spring 76 is assisted in holding the pawl in engagement by said detent spring since the latter in its FIGURE 1 position is in an overcenter position which tends to hold the pawl against the pinion 56.

By turning the shaft 58 in the direction of arrow 72 or shaft 42 in the direction of arrow 124, ratchet winding of the drum 38 is accomplished, the pawl riding over the teeth of the pinion 56 as the drum is rotated but again catching teeth of said pinion when a winding rotation is stopped to prevent backing otf of the load.

FIGURES 2 and 3 show settings of the selector which provide for unwinding of the drum, FIGURE 2 showing a set position for controlled unwinding and FIGURE 3 showing a set position for free unwinding. First, with regard to FIGURE 2 and a controlled unwinding operation, the selector is pushed inwardly and rotated to a position wherein the cam 104 is substantially horizontal. This lowers the end of spring 76 wherein the latter no longer urges the pawl into engagement with the pinion gear. The toggle arm 78 is bent inwardly slightly as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2 but this has no appreciable operative effect on the pawl since the latter at this time is held securely in engagement with the teeth of the pinion 56 by the force of the load.

Therefore, to obtain a ratcheting function in backing off the drum it is rst necessary to rotate the

shaft

58 or 42 in the appropriate direction to release the force of the load from the pawl. In backing off the drum, the pawl rides up on `the teeth of the pinion and in such upward movement is pivoted sufficiently such that the detent spring is forced to its other overcenter position to hold the pawl 66 in its FIGURE 2 full line, disengaged position. Upon movement of the pawl to its disengaged or released position, the free end of toggle arm 78 moves into the path of ratchet wheel 54 wherein the end of such spring is disposed between two of the teeth of the ratchet wheel. Thereupon, when the operator releases the torque force that he has applied in temporarily raising the load, the pawl 66 will remain disengaged from the pinion wheel 56 until the next tooth of the ratchet wheel 54 engages the end of arm 78 and pushes it upwardly to a position where the detent spring over-centers and pivots the pawl into engagement with the pinion. The end of arm 78 at this time again assumes the dotted line position of FIGURE 2 wherein its lower end is out of the path of the ratchet wheel 54. The process of raising and backing off is repeated to release the load in a controlled function.

When it is desired to free the load completely for fast release, the selector is set such that the cam 104 is downwardly directed, as in FIGURE 3. In this position, the oval-shaped portion 102 has its major access disposed vertically wherein the toggle arm 78 is incapable of engagement with the ratchet wheel 54. The load is then raised slightly and the riding up of the pawl 66 on the teeth of the pinion causes the detent spring 74 to overcenter and hold such pawl in a raised position out of engagement with the pinion.

Thus, in accordance with the present invention a line may be tightened around a load and backed off in a controlled ratcheting or a free release function as desired. Either one of the

shafts

58 or 42 may be the winding shaft, the shaft 58, operating through the pinion 56, giving a ratio winding force if such is desired. It is important to note that in the present invention the control mechanism is disposed in a compartment 20 separated from the winding drum compartment whereby no debris or foreign imaterial which may be associated with the Winding drum will get into the compartment 20. Thus, it can be easily lubricated and maintained in efcient working condition.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and ythat various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A reversible hand Winch comprising a housing, a shaft journaled in said housing, a winding drum on said shaft, a gear wheel operably connected for rotation with said drum, a pawl pivotally mounted in said housing and having a toothed end engageable with said gear wheel, said pawl being arranged to provide ratcheted movement of said gear wheel in one direction, a rst spring engaged with said pawl and having a pair of overcenter positions one of which urges said pawl into engagement with said gear wheel and the other of which urges and is adapted to hold said pawl out of engagement with said gear wheel, a second spring engaged with said pawl and arranged to urge said pawl into ratcheting engagement with said gear Wheel, selector means rotatable between set positions, and a cam on said selector means engageable with said second spring, said cam in one position of the selector means distorting said second spring suficient to override the forces of said iirst spring to cause the pawl to p-ivot into engagement with said gear wheel and in another position releasing said second spring to permit operating influence of said rst spring on said pawl.

2. The reversible hand winch of claim 1 including a ratchet wheel operably connected for rotation with said drum and a toggle member connected to said pawl and arranged for engagement with said ratchet wheel, said ratchet wheel upon operation thereof being arranged to shift said toggle member which is turn pivots said pawl toward said gear wheel.

3. The reversible hand winch of claim `1 including a ratchet wheel operably connected for rotation with said drum, a toggle member connected to said pawl and arranged for engagement with said ratchet wheel, said rachet wheel upon operation thereof lbeing arranged to shiiit said toggle member which in tum pivots said pawl toward said gear Wheel, and a second cam on said selector means engageable with said toggle member in a third position of said selector means to position said toggle member for engagement with said ratchet wheel.

4. The reversible hand Winch of claim 1 wherein said gear wheel is a pinion gear and is in mesh with a larger gear connected to said drum to produce a ratio drive of said drum.

5. The reversible hand winch of claim 4 including a ratchet wheel operably connected for rotation with said drum and a toggle member connected to said pawl and arranged for engagement with said ratchet wheel, said ratchet wheel upon rotation thereof being arranged to shift said toggle member which in turn pivots said pawl toward said gear wheel, each of said gears having a crankengaging shaft projecting through said housing whereby to operate said drum by either of said shafts in selected direct or ratio drives.

6. The reversible hand winch of claim 1 including a ratchet wheel operably connected for rotation with said drum, said housing having a pair of separate compartments, one of said compartments containing said winding drum and said other compartment containing said pawl, said gear and ratchet wheels, and said springs.

7. Control means for a winding mechanism comprising a gear wheel, a pivotal pawl having a toothed end engageable with said gear wheel, said pawl being arranged -to pro-vide ratcheted movement of said gear wheel, in one direction, a iirst spring engaged With said pawl and having a pair of overcenter positions one of which urges said pawl into engagement with said gear wheel and the other of which urges and is adapted to hold said pawl out of engagement with said -gear wheel, a second spring engaged with said pawl and arranged to urge said pawl into ratcheting engagement with said gear wheel, selector means .rotatable between set positions, and a cam on said selector means engageable with said second spring, said cam in one position of the selector means distorting said second spring sufiicient to override the forces of said first spring to cause the pawl to pivot into engagement with said gear wheel and in another position releasing said second spring to permit operating influence of said stirst spring on said pawl.

8. The control means of claim 7 including a ratchet Wheel operably connected for rotation with said gear wheel `and a toggle member connected to said pawl and arranged for engagement with said ratchet wheel, said ratchet wheel upon rotation thereof being arranged to shift said togle member which in turn pivots said pawl toward said gear Wheel.

9. The control means of claim 7 including a ratchet wheel operably connected for rotation with said gear wheel, a ytoggle member connected to said pawl and arranged for engagement with said ratchet wheel, said ratchet wheel upon rotation thereof being arranged to shift said toggle member which in turn pivots said pawl toward said gear wheel, and a second cam on said selector means engageable with said toggle member in a third position of said selector means to position said toggle member for engagement With said ratchet Wheel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,917,278 12/1959 Arnold 254 167 X MILTON KAUFMAN, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A REVERSIBLE HAND WINCH COMPRISING A HOUSING, A SHAFT JOURNALED IN SAID HOUSING, A WINDING DRUM ON SAID SHAFT, A GEAR WHEEL OPERABLY CONNECTED FOR ROTATION WITH SAID DRUM, A PAWL PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING AND HAVING A TOOTHED END ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID GEAR WHEEL, SAID PAWL BEING ARRANGED TO PROVIDE RATCHETED MOVEMENT OF SAID GEAR WHEEL IN ONE DIRECTION, A FIRST SPRING ENGAGED WITH SAID PAWL AND HAVING A PAIR OF OVERCENTER POSITIONS ONE OF WHICH URGES SAID PAWL INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID GEAR WHEEL AND THE OTHER OF WHICH URGES AND IS ADAPTED TO HOLD SAID PAWL OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID GEAR WHEEL, A SECOND SPRING ENGAGED WITH SAID PAWL AND ARRANGED TO URGE SAID PAWL INTO RATCHETING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID GEAR WHEEL, SELECTOR MEANS ROTATABLE BETWEEN SET POSITIONS, AND A CAM ON SAID SELECTOR MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID SECOND SPRING, SAID CAM IN ONE POSITION OF THE SELECTOR MEANS DISTORING SAID SECOND SPRING SUFFICIENT TO OVERRIDE THE FORCES OF SAID FIRST SPRING TO CAUSE THE PAWL TO PIVOT INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID GEAR WHEEL AND IN ANOTHER POSITION RELEASING SAID SECOND SPRING TO PERMIT OPERATING INFLUENCE OF SAID FIRST SPRING ON SAID PAWL.