Forestry winch

A machine for ensnaring objects comprising in combination:

• a winch system;
• and
• a processor energy source to which the winch system is coupled, the processor energy source having multiple processor driving rollers, the processor providing energy to the winch system,
• the winch system comprising
• a body having a front face, a back face, lateral side faces, a top, a bottom, an imaginary horizontal axis extending between the lateral side faces, an imaginary vertical axis extending between the top and the bottom, the body being detachably attachable to the processor energy source;
• multiple driven rollers that are driven by the one or more processor driving rollers, the driven rollers being supported between the top and the bottom of the body so that they are rotatable about axes that are parallel to the vertical axis in response to the one or more processor driving rollers;
• a winch drum supported by the body and extending between the lateral side faces, the winch drum having an axis of rotation that is parallel to the horizontal axis of the body;
• a drum gear in communication with the driven rollers and the winch drum that transfers rotational energy about the vertical axis from the processor driving rollers to rotational energy about the axis of rotation of the winch drum and influences the speed and direction of winch drum rotation, wherein the drum gear includes a pair of sprockets and a chain extending around the pair, the chain being adapted to transfer rotary motion from one socket to the other socket in the pair;
• and
• a cable that is adapted to wrap around the winch drum, the cable extending substantially horizontally from the front or back faces, the cable having a proximal end region attached to the winch drum and a distal end region that is detachably attachable to an object to be retrieved by the winch system, the distal end region influencing the direction in which the object may fall, the object being located laterally away from the winch system.

A method for operating a winch system with a drum, the winch system being coupled to a movable processor having one or more driving processor rollers, the processor providing energy to the winch system that applies tension to a cable having a distal end that is detachably attached to an object against which a pulling force is to be applied and a proximal end that wraps around and is secured to the drum, the winch system comprising:

• a body having a front face, a back face, lateral side faces, a top, a bottom, an imaginary horizontal axis extending between the lateral side faces, and an imaginary vertical axis extending between the top and the bottom, the body being detachably attachable to the processor energy source;
• multiple driven rollers that are driven by the one or more processor driving rollers, the driven rollers being supported between the top and the bottom of the body so that they are rotatable about axes that are parallel to the vertical axis in response to the one or more processor driving rollers;
• the winch drum being supported by the body and extending between the lateral side faces, the winch drum having an axis of rotation that is parallel to the horizontal axis of the body;
• a drum gear in communication with the driven rollers and the winch drum that transfers rotational energy about the vertical axis from the processor driving rollers to rotational energy about the axis of rotation of the winch drum wherein the drum gear includes a pair of sprockets and a chain extending around the pair, the chain being adapted to transfer rotary motion from one socket to the other socket in the pair, the sprockets being aligned along an imaginary angled axis so that one is higher than the other;
• and
• a cable that is adapted to wrap around the winch drum, the cable extending substantially horizontally from the front or back faces, the cable having a proximal end region attached to the winch drum and a distal end region that is detachably attachable to an object to be retrieved by the winch system, the distal end region optionally influencing the direction in which the object may fall, the object being located laterally away from the winch system,
• the method including the steps not necessarily practiced in the order presented, of:
• A. lowering the processor and the one or more driving processor rollers over the winch system;
• B. engaging the driving processor rollers with the driven winch rollers so that each processor driving roller engages one or more winch driven rollers;
• C. securing the distal end of the cable to the object to be engaged;
• D. rotating the processor driving rollers and the driven winch rollers to apply tension to the cable and the object so that the object may be pulled or retrieved towards or across intervening terrain.