US 5,368,279 AGranted

Automatic load responsive winch

AssigneeIMI-Barient, Inc.

InventorsWilliam Ottemann, Bruno Resch, Guillermo Ferramola

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Abstract

An automatic load responsive winch is disclosed and includes a base, a winch drum rotatable mounted on the base, and a rotatable drive shaft for driving the winch drum. At least two gear trains are mounted between the drive shaft and the drum for rotating the drum in response to rotation of the drive shaft. One of the two gear trains produces a different drum speed than the other gear train. In one embodiment, when a variable torque load is applied to the winch, a mechanism is vertically displaceable. The mechanism engages one of the gear trains at a first vertical position of the mechanism and disengages the one gear train at a second vertical position to isolate the one gear train and provide for rotation of the winch drum by the other gear train. In another embodiment, when a variable torque load is applied to the winch, a mechanism is angularly displaceable. The mechanism engages one of the gear trains at a first angular position of the mechanism and disengages the one gear train to isolate the one gear train and permit rotation of the winch drum by the other gear train.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A load-responsive automatic-shifting winch comprising:

a base;
a winch drum rotatably mounted on said base;
a rotatable drive shaft for driving said winch drum;
at least two gear trains, each including at least one gear and mounted between said drive shaft and said winch drum for rotating said winch drum in response to rotation of said drive shaft, one of said two gear trains producing a different winch drum speed than the other of said gear trains for the same rotational speed of said drive shaft;
and
a mechanism displaceable between first and second positions in response to changes in load on said winch drum, said mechanism including means for engaging one of said gear trains at the first position and for disengaging said one gear train at the second position to isolate said one gear train and provide for rotation of said winch drum by the other of said gear trains,
said winch drum having a load receiving portion, a second portion, and means for mounting said load receiving and second winch drum portions together, said mounting means permitting said load receiving and second winch drum portions to rotate with respect to each other from a first rotational position to a second rotational position and including means responsive to rotation from the first to the second rotational positions for displacing said mechanism between the first and second positions.

4 more elements

A load-responsive automatic-shifting winch comprising:

a base;
a winch drum rotatably mounted on said base;
a rotatable drive shaft for driving said winch drum;
at least two gear trains, each including at least one gear and mounted between said drive shaft and said winch drum for rotating said winch drum in response to rotation of said drive shaft, one of said two gear trains producing a different winch drum speed than the other of said gear trains for the same rotational speed of said drive shaft;
and
a mechanism angularly displaceable in response to changes in load on said winch drum, said mechanism including means for engaging one of said gear trains at a first angular position of said mechanism and for disengaging said one gear train at a second angular position to isolate the one gear train and permit said drum to be rotated by the other of said gear trains,
said winch drum having a load receiving portion, a second portion, and means for mounting said load receiving and second winch drum portions together, said mounting means permitting said load receiving and second winch drum portions to rotate with respect to each other from a first rotational position to a second rotational position and including means responsive to the rotation from the first to the second rotational positions for displacing said mechanism between the first and second angular positions.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.