WO2015069193A1

WO2015069193A1 - Forestry winch with a cable guiding device for the controlled decoiling of the towing cable from the winding drum

Info

Publication number: WO2015069193A1
Application number: PCT/SI2014/000060
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ales GORJANC; Sandi GROBELNIK
Original assignee: Tajfun Planina Proizvodnja Strojev, D.O.O.
Priority date: 2013-11-08
Filing date: 2014-10-20
Publication date: 2015-05-14
Also published as: EP3066041B1; EP3066041A1; SI24540B; SI24540A

Abstract

In accordance with invention, a forestry winch is improved in such manner that a supporting roller member (5) on the upper pulley block (3) is mounted pivotally around an axis (320) of rotation of a pulley (32) in the upper pulley block (3), however independently on rotation of said pulley (32), and is moreover adapted to cooperate with a section (21) of a towing cable (2), which extends towards a winding drum (1).

Description

FORESTRY WINCH WITH A CABLE GUIDING DEVICE FOR THE CONTROLLED DECOILING OF THE TOWING CABLE FROM THE WINDING DRUM

The invention belongs to transport and performing operations, namely to lifting, hoisting and towing devices, and in particular to winches, namely to construction details related thereto.

The purpose of the invention is to create a forestry winch, which can be attached to a tractor and which is powered by means of a tractor, and which should comprise a frame, in which a rotatable winding drum should be embedded, as well as an upper pulley block, which should be attached to said winch frame and intended for guiding of a towing cable during decoiling thereof from said winding drum or during coiling of said towing cable to said winding drum, as well as at least one assembly for controlled decoiling of said towing cable from the winding drum, which should be arranged between the winding drum and the upper pulley block and should enable undisturbed coiling of said towing cable to said winding drum or decoiling of said towing cable from the winding drum, so that operation of said coiling assembly could be initiated on the basis of tensioning of the towing cable from the outside of the winch, as well as that components, which are required to control said decoiling of the towing cable, could be integrated within the interior of the winch and herewith efficiently protected against the external influences and mechanical damages. A forestry winch, which can be attached to a tractor and which is powered by means of a tractor engine, is described e.g. in SI 9600339 A2 or SI 22280 i.e. DE 20 2007 005538 or also in SI 22281 i.e. DE 20 2007 005535, while a known solution of a motor-driven upper pulley block of such winch is disclosed in WO 2009/148414.

A forestry winch, which comprises a frame, in which a rotatable winding drum and directing assembly for directing a towing cable during winding onto said winding drum are embedded, as well as an upper pulley block, which is attached to said winch frame and intended for guiding of a towing cable, and optionally a further pulley block, which is also attached to said winch frame and located below said upper pulley block, wherein the directing assembly is arranged between the winding drum and the upper pulley block, is described in currently non-published Slovenian patent application P-201200170. Said winch defining state of the art is dealing with controlled decoiling of each towing cable from the winding drum, which is at least by larger winches characterized by essential inertia, so that at least in the initial stage an essential force is required for the purposes of decoiling of the towing cable. Of that reason, a powered pulley block is attached on the winch frame, which makes decoiling of the cable from the winding drum essentially easier. In order to detect, if the towing cable is tensioned or released, a roller member is foreseen in the area below the upper pulley block and above the lower pulley block, wherein said roller member is adapted to cooperate with the towing cable and is pivotally mounted and elastically supported on the upper pulley block in order to be pivoted between two end position thereof. In its first end position, when the towing cable cooperating therewith is tensioned in the area between the upper and lower pulley block, the roller member is located on a tangent to the pulley of the pulley block, while in its second end position, when the towing cable is released, it is located at a distance apart from said tangent. A sensor is foreseen, which serves for detection of each position of said roller member, so that each motor for driving the pulley of the upper pulley block is then controlled depending on signals received from said sensor in order to maintain the towing cable tensioned. Such approach is problematic on the one hand due to location of said roller member and said sensor, which are due to such construction concept exposed to external influences and possibility of mechanical damages. On the other hand, winches without remote control do not allow to each user to pull-out the towing cable i.e. to decoil it, when the user is not present in the adjacency of the winch. Namely, when certain section of the towing cable is decoiled by the user from the winding drum, the towing cable needs to be pulled towards each load, which is then connected with the towing cable, which is then followed by towing of said load. Whenever the length of the towing cable is insufficient, the user must return to the winch and decoil some more towing cable from the drum, upon which the user must return again to the load, wherein such proceeding often needs to be repeated several times.

The invention refers to a forestry winch with improved control of assembly for controlled decoiling of a towing cable from a winding drum, wherein said winch is in particular adapted for attachment to a three-point coupling mechanism on each tractor and comprises a frame, in which a rotatable winding drum for coiling or decoiling of a towing cable is embedded, which is preferably driven by means of a Cardan shaft of each disposable tractor and via appropriate clutch and transmission gear, and wherein at least an upper pulley block is mounted on a winch frame, which pulley block is pivotal around its vertical geometric axis and comprises a pulley, and optionally an lower pulley block with a pulley is placed below said upper pulley block at appropriate distance apart from the ground, so that said towing cable extends at least via said pulley of the upper pulley block and optionally also via the pulley of the lower pulley block, wherein said upper pulley block comprises its own casing, in which said pulley is embedded rotatably around its horizontal axis, and the upper pulley block is furthermore furnished with a guiding bush, through which said towing cable is extending towards the winding drum via said pulley placed within the casing of the upper pulley block and optionally via an appropriate directing assembly. Such forestry winch further comprises a supporting roller, which is arranged in the area of the upper pulley block and elastically supported in order to be pivoted between two end positions, namely the first position, in which the supporting roller is rest on the tensioned towing cable, and the second position, in which the supporting roller is rest on the released towing cable.

In accordance with the invention, the previously described forestry winch is characterized in that said supporting roller is attached to the upper pulley block pivotally around the geometric axis of rotation of the pulley in the upper pulley block, however independently on rotation of said pulley, and is moreover adapted to cooperate with a section of the towing cable, which extends towards the winding drum, wherein said roller member is arranged in the area between said section of the towing cable and the pulley of the upper pulley block and is moreover pivotal from its first end position on a tangent of said pulley, which coincides with a direction of extension of said section of a tensioned towing cable towards the winding drum, into its second position apart from said tangent in a direction apart from said pulley, which at least approximately corresponds to position of said section when the towing cable is released and in which said roller member is maintained by means of at least one spring. The forestry winch according to the invention moreover comprises a sensor, which is capable to recognize each position od said roller member, wherein said sensor is arranged in the intermediate area, within which said roller member is shifted from its first position and its second position, or vice versa.

Said roller member is mounted in the area of the upper pulley block pivotally around the rotation axis of the pulley by means of a pair of rings, which are spaced apart from each other and each per se furnished with a radially outwards protruding cantilever, wherein an axle is embedded between said cantilevers, which is fixedly connected therewith and extends throughout corresponding cutouts on the casing of the upper pulley block and on which said freely rotatable roller member is mounted. In this, said axle is arranged parallel to the axis of the pulley and at appropriate distance apart from the circumference of the pulley, namely corresponding to end positions of the roller member and position of said section of the towing cable. Besides, at least one of said radial cantilevers is furnished with an attachment for mounting a spring, which is on the other hand attached to the second mounting attachment on the casing of the upper pulley block and by means of which said roller member is maintained in its second position together with the belonging axle and said rings.

Said roller member is preferably a roller, which is freely rotatable on said axle, while said sensor is preferably an inductive sensor, which is capable to detect, when the roller member is located in its adjacency, or is displaced adjacent to it, as well as to generate correspondingly each appropriate electric signal.

The invention will be described in detail on the basis of an embodiment, which is schematically presented in the attached drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a schematic presentation of components of a forestry winch, via which a towing cable extends, namely a winding drum, a directing assembly as well as an upper pulley block;

Fig. 2 is a preferred embodiment of the upper pulley block of a forestry winch with improved control of assembly for controlled decoiling of a towing cable from a winding drum; and

Fig. 3 is a separately presented supporting roller member, by means of which said assembly for controlled decoiling of a towing cable from a winding drum is controlled.

A forestry winch with improved control of decoiling of a towing cable in the area of an upper pulley block 3 is generally adapted for attachment to a three-point coupling mechanism on each tractor. Such winch comprises a not shown frame, in which a rotatable winding drum 1 for coiling or decoiling of a towing cable 2 is embedded, which is preferably driven by means of a Cardan shaft of each disposable tractor and via appropriate clutch and transmission gear. At least an upper pulley block 3 is mounted on a winch frame, and is pivotal around its vertical geometric axis 30 and comprises a pulley 32. Optionally, an lower pulley block, which is also not presented in the drawings, with a pulley is placed below said upper pulley block 3 at appropriate distance apart from the ground. Consequently, said towing cable 2 extends at least via said pulley 32 of the upper pulley block 3 and optionally also via the pulley of the lower pulley block.

Said upper pulley block 3 comprises its own casing 31, in which said pulley 32 is embedded rotatably around its horizontal axis 320, and moreover, the upper pulley block 3 is furnished with a guiding bush 33, through which said towing cable 2 is extending towards the winding drum 1 via said pulley 32 placed within the casing 31 of the upper pulley block 3 and optionally via an appropriate directing assembly 4.

Such forestry winch further comprises a supporting roller 5, which is arranged in the area of the upper pulley block 3 and adapted to cooperate with the towing cable 2 and moreover elastically supported in order to be pivoted between two end positions, namely the first position, in which the supporting roller 5 is rest on the tensioned towing cable 2, and the second position, in which the supporting roller 5 is rest on the released towing cable 2. Besides, such forestry winch is furnished with a sensor 6, which is capable to recognize each position of said roller member 5.

In the forestry winch according to the invention, said supporting roller 5 is attached to the upper pulley block 3 pivotally around the geometric axis 320 of rotation of the pulley 32 in the upper pulley block 3, however independently on rotation of said pulley 32. Moreover, said roller member 5 is adapted to cooperate with a section 21 of the towing cable 2, which extends towards the winding drum 1.

In this, said roller member 5 is arranged in the area between said section 21 of the towing cable 2 and the pulley 32 of the upper pulley block 3 and is moreover pivotal from its first end position on a tangent T of said pulley 32, which coincides with a direction of extension of said section 21 of a tensioned towing cable 2 towards the winding drum 1 , into its second position apart from said tangent T in a direction apart from said pulley 32, which at least approximately corresponds to position of said section 21, when the towing cable 2 is released and in which said roller member 5 is maintained by means of at least one spring 7, preferably by means of two springs 7, which are each per se arranged on each side of the casing 31 of the upper pulley block of the winch.

Moreover, the forestry winch in accordance with the invention comprises a sensor 6, which is capable to recognize each position od said roller member 5, wherein said sensor 6 is arranged in the intermediate area, within which said roller member 5 is shifted from its first position and its second position, or vice versa.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention according to Figs. 1 to 3, the roller member 5 is mounted in the area of the upper pulley block 3 pivotally around the rotation axis 320 of the pulley 32 by means of a pair of rings 51 , 52, which are spaced apart from each other and each per se furnished with a radially outwards protruding cantilever 510, 520. An axle 55 is embedded between said cantilevers 510, 520, which is fixedly connected therewith and extends throughout corresponding cutouts 310 on the casing 31 of the upper pulley block 3 and on which the freely rotatable roller member 5 is mounted, which is therewith located within the casing 3 of the upper pulley block 3.

Said axle 55 is arranged parallel to the axis 320 of the pulley 32 and at certain distance apart from the circumference of the pulley 32, namely depending on corresponding end positions of the roller member 5 and position of said section 21 of the towing cable 2. At least one of said radial cantilevers 510, 520 is furnished with an attachment 70 for mounting a spring 7, which is on the other hand attached to the second mounting attachment 72 on the casing 31 of the upper pulley block 3 and by means of which said roller member 5 is maintained in its second position together with the belonging axle 55 and said rings 51, 52. In the shown embodiment each spring 7 is a tension helical spring 7, wherein such spring 7 is preferably available on each side of the casing 31 of the upper pulley block 3, and is adapted to cooperate with each belonging sliding ring 51, 52.

Thanks to previously described concept, said roller member 5 and the belonging sensor 6 are integrated within the interior of the upper pulley block 3 and protected against external influences and mechanical damages.

Moreover, thanks to said concept of integration of the roller member 5, and in particular thanks to possibility of pivoting thereof around the rotation axis 320 of the pulley 32 as well as to a direction of extension of the first section 21 of the towing cable 2 towards the winding drum 1, upon just a slight tensioning of the second section 22 of the towing cable 2 said towing cable is sufficiently tensioned to rotate the roller member 5 together with radial cantilevers 510, 520 of the sliding rings 51, 52 around the axis 320 nearby the sensor 6, which generates appropriate signal, on the basis of which by means of a powered pulley, either the pulley 32 of the upper pulley block 3 or a pulley of a directing assembly, the section 21 of the towing cable 2, which extends towards the winding drum 1, is displaced in a direction apart from the winding drum 1, which actually means decoiling of the towing cable 2 from the winding drum 1.

To this aim, the roller member 5 is preferably a roller, which is freely rotatable on said axle 55, while said sensor 6 is an inductive sensor, which is capable to detect, when the roller member 5 is located in its adjacency, or is displaced adjacent to it, as well as to generate correspondingly each appropriate electric signal.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Forestry winch with improved control of assembly for controlled decoiling of a towing cable (2) from a winding drum (1), wherein said winch is in particular adapted for attachment to a three-point coupling mechanism on each tractor and comprises a frame, in which a rotatable winding drum (1) for coiling or decoiling of a towing cable (2) is embedded, which is preferably driven by means of a Cardan shaft of each disposable tractor and via appropriate clutch and transmission gear, and wherein at least an upper pulley block (3) is mounted on a winch frame, which pulley block is pivotal around its vertical geometric axis (30) and comprises a pulley (32), and optionally an lower pulley block with a pulley is placed below said upper pulley block (3) at appropriate distance apart from the ground, so that said towing cable (2) extends at least via said pulley (32) of the upper pulley block (3) and optionally also via the pulley of the lower pulley block, wherein said upper pulley block (3) comprises its own casing (31), in which said pulley (32) is embedded rotatably around its horizontal axis (320), and the upper pulley block (3) is furthermore furnished with a guiding bush (33), through which said towing cable (2) is extending towards the winding drum (1) via said pulley (32) placed within the casing (31) of the upper pulley block (3) and optionally via an appropriate directing assembly (4), and wherein said winch further comprises a supporting roller (5), which is arranged in the area of the upper pulley block (3) and adapted to cooperate with the towing cable (2) and moreover elastically supported in order to be pivoted between two end positions, namely the first position, in which the supporting roller (5) is rest on the tensioned towing cable (2), and the second position, in which the supporting roller (5) is rest on the released towing cable (2), characterized in that said supporting roller (5) is attached to the upper pulley block (3) pivotally around the geometric axis (320) of rotation of the pulley (32) in the upper pulley block (3), however independently on rotation of said pulley (32), and is moreover adapted to cooperate with a section (21) of the towing cable (2), which extends towards the winding drum (1), wherein said roller member (5) is arranged in the area between said section (21) of the towing cable (2) and the pulley (32) of the upper pulley block (3) and is moreover pivotal from its first end position on a tangent (T) of said pulley (32), which coincides with a direction of extension of said section (21) of a tensioned towing cable (2) towards the winding drum (1), into its second position apart from said tangent (T) in a direction apart from said pulley (32), which at least approximately corresponds to position of said section (21) when the towing cable (2) is released and in which said roller member (5) is maintained by means of at least one spring (7), and in that the winch moreover comprises a sensor (6), which is capable to recognize each position od said roller member (5), wherein said sensor (6) is arranged in the intermediate area, within which said roller member (5) is shifted from its first position and its second position, or vice versa.

2. Forestry winch according to Claim 1, characterized in that the roller member (5) is mounted in the area of the upper pulley block (3) pivotally around the rotation axis (320) of the pulley (32) by means of a pair of rings (51, 52), which are spaced apart from each other and each per se furnished with a radially outwards protruding cantilever (510, 520), wherein an axle (55) is embedded between said cantilevers (510, 520), which is fixedly connected therewith and extends throughout corresponding cutouts (310) on the casing (31) of the upper pulley block (3) and on which the freely rotatable roller member (5) is mounted, and wherein said axle (55) is arranged parallel to the axis (320) of the pulley (32) and at certain distance apart from the circumference of the pulley (32), namely depending on corresponding end positions of the roller member (5) and position of said section (21) of the towing cable (2), and wherein at least one of said radial cantilevers (510, 520) is furnished with an attachment (70) for mounting a spring (7), which is on the other hand attached to the second mounting attachment (72) on the casing (31) of the upper pulley block (3) and by means of which said roller member (5) is maintained in its second position together with the belonging axle (55) and said rings (51, 52).

3. Forestry winch according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the roller member (5) is a roller, which is freely rotatable on said axle (55).

4. Forestry winch according to anyone of the preceding Claims, characterized in that said sensor (6) is an inductive sensor, which is capable to detect, when the roller member (5) is located in its adjacency, or is displaced adjacent to it, as well as to generate correspondingly each appropriate electric signal.