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US 4,625,947 AGranted
Tire lift/carrier
AssigneeDeuer Manufacturing Inc.
InventorsStephen A. Denman, Garthwood R. Taylor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeDeuer Manufacturing Inc.
InventorsStephen A. Denman, Garthwood R. Taylor
Estimating the term…
The illustrated embodiment which is in the form of a winch (or hoist) comprises a reel including a spool and embodying a portion thereof through which it may be driven for its raising and lowering functions. The reel mounts in bearing relation to a drive shaft between parallel relatively closely spaced side walls of its housing. This embodiment features an overload clutch including a drive plate mounted for rotation with said shaft within said housing. The drive plate nests within a shallow cup-shaped plate firmly and resiliently coupled by springs, parts of which have an interfit relation with portions of the bounding wall. Upon rotation of the shaft the nature and direction thereof is transmitted through the clutch and successive drive transmission elements to the portion of the reel provided for this purpose. The spool includes a narrow track the base of which is formed in a special arcuate pattern, an interior pocket which is formed to anchor one end of a cable and a restricted passage leading from the pocket, to open from said base, the line of which is lateral to a line radial to the spool. The form of the base and the track dictates a natural stress free coil of the cable on the base and smooth extension of the cable from the winch housing. Additional features include a guide system for the cable providing not only a minimalizing of the wear, tear, and stress normally incident to the use of such apparatus but facilitating a most efficient use thereof where the winch is offset from the applied load. Controls are incorporated through the medium of which the rotation of the reel may be interrupted before the cable is completely unwrapped from the base of the spool.
A tire lift/carrier or the like including a spool, said spool comprising a plurality of plate elements fixed in side by side face abutting relation, one portion of said plate elements intermediate others thereof having its outer peripheral surface recessed relative that of other plate elements by which it is bounded to define therewith a narrow track the base of which is provided by the outer periphery of said portion of said plate elements, said one portion of said plate elements being apertured to form therein a generally rectangular opening to provide a pocket in said spool which is laterally expanded by apertures in said bounding plate elements, one end of a cable having means providing an enlargement thereof anchored in said pocket, a restricted passage defined in said one portion of said plate elements, said passage being open at one end thereof to said pocket and having the other end thereof opening from said base of said track, the direction of said passage being laterally of and substantially at a right angle to a line radial to said spool, said passage providing a path through which said cable extends from said pocket, the configuration of said outer perpheral surface of said one portion of said plate elements, to one side of the opening of said restricted passage from said base, being formed in an essentially spiral arc, facilitating a natural, smooth wrap of said cable about said base and a smooth extension thereof from said spool.
Apparatus including a clutch for use in connecting a drive shaft to a device mounted thereon for rotation relative thereto which is used to lift or maintain a load not in excess of a predetermined limit, for example a tire lift/carrier, comprising a clutch plate connected to the shaft for rotation therewith, a further plate mounted to and for rotation on said shaft in an immediately following relation to said clutch plate, said further plate having the shape of a cup comprising a base portion and generally perpendicular thereto a shallow wall portion, said clutch plate being nested in said cup and having springs engaged thereto in a generally circular arrangement thereof, a plurality of said springs each having a portion thereof projecting outwardly of the outer peripheral boundary of said clutch plate and formed on a uniform radius and to include a further projection centered between its ends which has the shape of a tit, said projecting portions being in a substantially co-planar relation, said shallow wall portion presenting to the interior of said cup at each of a number of locations which are circularly spaced a wall formation arranged to receive and lodge one of said tits, each said tit being normally lodged and laterally contained in one of said wall formations to provide a normally positive and secure drive of said further plate and the device to which it is connected, on rotation of said shaft, absent said device being subjected to a load in excess of said predetermined limit.
Tire lift/carrier apparatus including a drive shaft, a clutch plate mounted on and connected for rotation with said shaft, a spool mounted in bearing relation to said shaft to accommodate relative rotation therebetween, said clutch plate being normally in driving relation to said spool through interposed means which mount to and about said shaft, said spool being formed to define therein a narrow track having a base which is recessed relative to portions of said spool which define the sides of said track and bound said base thereof, a cable one end portion of which is anchored to said spool to align it with said base of said track, said interposed means including a further plate mounted to and for rotation on said shaft in an immediately following relation to said clutch plate, said further plate having the shape of a cup comprising a base portion and generally perpendicular thereto a shallow wall portion, said clutch plate being nested in said cup and having springs engaged thereto in a generally circular arrangement thereof, a plurality of said springs each having a portion thereof projecting outwardly of the outer peripheral boundary of said clutch plate and formed on a uniform radius and to include a further projection centered between its ends which has the shape of a tit, said projecting portions being in a substantially co-planar relation, said shallow wall portion presenting to the interior of said cup at each of a number of locations which are circularly spaced a wall formation arranged to receive and lodge therein one of said tits, each said tit being normally lodged and laterally contained in one of said wall formations to provide a normally positive and secure drive of said further plate and, therethrough, the other of said interposed portions and said spool on rotation of said shaft, absent said spool being subjected to a load in excess of prescribed limit.
Tire lift/carrier apparatus comprising a drive shaft, a housing supporting said drive shaft for rotation, a clutch plate within said housing and mounted on said drive shaft for rotation therewith, a set of annular sheet metal plates forming a spool mounted on said drive shaft for relative rotation within said housing and defining a narrow annular track, said clutch plate being normally in driving relation to said spool through interposed means surrounding said shaft, an elongated flexible cable having opposite end portions, means mounted on one end portion of said cable for supporting a tire, means connecting the opposite end portion of said cable to said spool, said annular track of said spool having a width slightly greater than the diameter of said cable to confine said cable for wrapping radially outwardly in a spiral overlapping manner within said track, said interposed means including a drive plate supported for rotation relative to said shaft and adjacent said clutch plate, said drive plate including circumferentially spaced projections disposed around said clutch plate, spring elements mounted on said clutch plate and having portions projecting outwardly into engagement with said projections on said drive plate, said spring elements being deformable inwardly by said projections in response to relative rotation between said clutch plate and said drive plate and providing for driving said drive plate by said clutch plate with a predetermined limiting torque, said interposed means further including an eccentric cam member rotatable with said drive plate, an annular drive gear mounted on said cam member and supported for orbital movement in response to rotation of said cam member, a ring gear surrounding said drive gear, and means for rigidly securing said ring gear to said spool to effect rotation of said spool in response to rotation of said shaft and said clutch plate through said interposed means.
Tire lift/carrier apparatus comprising a drive shaft, a housing supporting said drive shaft for rotation, a clutch plate within said housing and mounted on said drive shaft for rotation therewith, a set of annular sheet metal plates forming a spool mounted on said drive shaft for relative rotation within said housing and defining a narrow annular track, said clutch plate being normally in driving relation to said spool through interposed means surrounding said shaft, an elongated flexible cable having opposite end portions, means mounted on one end portion of said cable for supporting a tire, means connecting the opposite end portion of said cable to said spool, said annular track of said spool having a width slightly greater than the diameter of said cable to confine said cable for wrapping radially outwardly in a spiral overlapping manner within said track, said interposed means including a drive plate supported for rotation relative to said shaft and adjacent said clutch plate, said drive plate including circumferentially spaced projections disposed around said clutch plate, spring elements mounted on said clutch plate and having portions projecting outwardly into engagement with said projections on said drive plate, said spring elements being deformable inwardly by said projections in response to relative rotation between said clutch plate and said drive plate and providing for driving said drive plate by said clutch plate with a predetermined limiting torque, said interposed means further including an eccentric cam member rotatable with said drive plate, an annular drive gear mounted on said cam member, a plate connected to said housing and supporting said drive gear for orbital movement in response to rotation of said cam member, a ring gear surrounding said drive gear and having at least one tooth more than the number of teeth on said drive gear, and means for rigidly securing said ring gear to said spool to effect rotation of said spool in response to rotation of said shaft and said clutch plate through said interposed means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.