US 5,054,745 AGranted

Auxiliary winch for all terrain vehicle

OwnerFrank A. Swayze, Irvin R. Bourellinventors

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Abstract

An auxiliary winch for mounting on the drive axle of an all terrain vehicle and operating by rotation of the drive axle to remove the all terrain vehicle from a stuck or bogged condition. In a preferred embodiment, the auxiliary winch is characterized by a split shaft fitting having matching split shaft halves for fixed retrofitting to the drive axle of the all terrain vehicle and a split reel characterized by a pair of matching split reel halves which mount on the split shaft fitting in normally rotatable relationship. A pair of wing nut bolts are used to couple the split shaft fitting to the split reel. One end of a winch line is anchored to the split reel, the winch line is extended through a pulley mounted on the vehicle frame above and in alignment with the split reel and the opposite end of the winch line is secured to a tree, stump or other fixed object when the all terrain vehicle is stuck or bogged. Removal of the all terrain vehicle from the stuck or bogged condition is then effected by placing the all terrain vehicle in gear and allowing the winch line to wind on the split reel.

Claims6

Dependent claims

An auxiliary winch for an all terrain vehicle having at least one drive axle, said auxiliary winch comprising a split shaft fitting characterized by a pair of split shaft halves, each having a matching split shaft neck, a matching large flange provided on one end of said split shaft neck and a matching small flange provided on the opposite side of said split shaft neck, said split shaft halves carried by the drive axle in releasable, frictionally-engaging relationship;

a split reel characterized by a pair of matching split reel halves provided with a winch line groove, said split reel halves seated on said split shaft neck between said large flange and said small flange in interlocking, normally rotatable relationship;
a winch line adapted for winding in said winch line groove with one end of said winch line attached to said split reel;
and coupling means adapted for engaging at least one of said split reel halves and said split shaft halves and selectively joining said split reel to said split shaft fitting, whereby said split shaft fitting rotates with respect to said split reel with the drive axle when said coupling means is detached from said split reel and said split shaft fitting, and said split reel rotates with said split shaft fitting and the drive axle when said coupling means engages said split reel and said split shaft fitting, to wind said winch line on said split reel responsive to rotation of the drive axle.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.