Variable speed winch

A winch comprising:

• a drive shaft;
• a power source configured to rotate the drive shaft;
• a variable gearing system coupled to receive the rotational movement of the drive shaft, the variable gearing system configured to select a gearing of the winch based on the positioning of a gear position knob in a helical slot of a first clutch member and in a groove in a second clutch member of the variable gearing system;
• a drum in rotational connection with the variable gearing assembly;
• an operation lever;
• a clutch axis assembly coupled to the operation lever, the gear positioning knob extending from a surface of the clutch access assembly;
• the first clutch member being a clutch housing, the clutch housing having an interior passage in which the clutch axis assembly is received, the gear positioning knob extending through the helical slot of the clutch housing;
• and
• the second clutch member being a cam clutch gear, the cam clutch gear having an interior passage in which the clutch housing is received, the gear positioning knob being received in the groove of the cam clutch gear, the cam clutch gear having an outer gear.

A winch comprising:

• a drive shaft having a sun gear and an end gear, the drive shaft positioned along a central axis;
• a power source configured to rotate the drive shaft;
• a variable carriage gear assembly including,
• a first plate having a first side and a second side, the first plate having central opening, a portion of the drive shaft passing through the central opening,
• a plurality of planet gears rotationally coupled to the second side of the first plate, the sun gear of the drive shaft engaging the planet gears,
• a second plate having a central opening, the central opening defining an interior gear, the second plate coupled to first plate, the second plate being selectively movable along the central axis in relation to the first plate to selectively engage the interior gear of the second plate to the end gear of the drive shaft,
• an output sun gear coupled around the central opening of the first side of the first plate;
• a ring assembly having an internally selective movable ring gear, the planet gears of the variable carriage gear assembly being engaged with the selectively movable ring gear of the ring assembly;
• a drum in rotational communication with the output sun gear of the variable carriage gear assembly;
• a gearing changing system configured to manipulate the second plate of the variable carrier assembly and the internally selective movable ring gear of the ring assembly to change gears of the winch;
• a clutch axis assembly having a gear positioning knob extending from a surface of the clutch axis assembly;
• a clutch housing having a helical slot, the clutch axis assembly received in the clutch housing such that the gear positioning knob of the clutch axis assembly extends through the helical slot of the clutch housing;
• and
• a cam clutch gear having an internal clutch positioning groove, the clutch housing received in the cam clutch gear such that the gear position knob extending through the helical slot of the clutch housing is received in the clutch positioning groove, wherein positioning of the gear positioning knob in the helical slot of the clutch housing manipulates the second plate of the variable carrier assembly and positioning of the gear positioning knob in the internal clutch positioning groove of the cam clutch manipulates the internally selective movable ring gear.