Hydraulic winch

A combination winch-tractor assembly having rapid connect and disconnect capabilities comprising;

• a conventional farm type tractor having a hydraulic power source and a conventional three point hitch having three fastening elements provided on the ends of three rearwardly projected arms, said fastening elements having fastening points that in combination define a generally vertical plane, said hitch actuated by the hydraulic power source for raising and lowering the arms and thereby implements fastened to the hitch;
• a hydraulic winch having a housing, a spool rotatably mounted in the housing, a hydraulic motor for rotatably driving the spool relative to the housing, a wire rope attached at one end to the spool for winding and unwinding the wire rope by rotation of the spool and including a fastening means on the free end for attaching said free end to objects, and mounting means carried by said housing for securely mounting said winch to a support;
• said support for the winch comprised of a plate-like support, member generally defining a plane, three fastening elements fixed to the support member in spaced relationship, and in the general plane defined by the plate-like member, said fastening elements aligned with and adapted for rapid connection and disconnection to the three fastening elements of the three point hitch of the tractor thereby to mount the plate-like member in a verticle position parallel to and substantially in line with the plane of the three fastening elements of the three point hitch, and mounting means on the plate-like support member confined within an area defined by the fastening elements, said mounting means compatible with the mounting means carried by the winch for securely and rigidly mounting the winch to the plate-like support in said defined area, said winch positioned on the tractor side of the plate-like member to thereby, when operated, generate a generally axial pull on the arms of the hitch and a compressive force against the plate;
• and hydraulic lines for interconnecting the hydraulic motor of the winch to the hydraulic power source of the tractor and including quick connect fasteners for rapid connection and disconnection of the motor and power source.