Load-facing winch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10308488-B2
Application number	US-201615282256-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2016
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

A system and method for a load-facing winch are described for hauling or lifting loads at least 30° from center of the primary support object. The load-facing winch includes a winch-mount that includes a housing, a center-pivot, a mounting-plate, and a plurality of springs. The mounting-plate is attached to the winch and tilts and/or turns about the center-pivot, which allows the winch to face the load. By directing the winch to face the load, angular resistance against a moving fairlead may be reduced.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A winch comprising:
a motor;
a rotatable drum for winding a line;
wherein the rotatable drum is connected to the motor;
a winch-line-guide for positioning the line during winding, comprising:
an elongated rod extending longitudinally within a frame for the rotatable drum and in substantially parallel relation to the axis of rotation of the drum,
a fairlead through which the line penetrates,
wherein the fairlead is connected to the rod, and
wherein the fairlead is movable along the length of the rod;

a winch-mount comprising:
a housing;
wherein the housing is attached to a primary support object;
a center-pivot;
wherein the center-pivot is attached to the housing;
wherein the axis of rotation of the center-pivot is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the drum, and the axis of rotation of the center-pivot passes through the drum;
a mounting-plate to which the rotatable drum is attached;
wherein the mounting-plate is rotatably connected to the center-pivot;
a plurality of springs each attached at one end to the housing and at the other end to the mounting-plate for biasing rotation of the mounting plate about the center-pivot; and
wherein, when the fairlead is unable to move along the length of the guide rod due to a force of a load working against a movement direction of the fairlead, the winch and mounting plate rotate about the center-pivot such that the force of the load is relieved, and the fairlead is able to move along the length of the guide rod.

2. The winch of claim 1 , wherein the winch-mount further comprises one or more spring-securement brackets that extend from the housing or mounting-plate, and to which one or more springs are attached.

3. The winch of claim 1 , wherein the springs attached to the housing and mounting plate are directly secured to the housing and mounting-plate.

4. The winch of claim 1 , wherein the winch-mount comprises one or more compression springs, variable springs, coil springs, flat springs, serpentine springs, cantilever springs, coil springs, volute springs, or wave spring.

5. The winch of claim 1 , wherein one or more springs of the winch-mount are comprised of steel alloys, carbon steel, ferrous metals, stainless steels, non-ferrous metals, or oil tempered spring wire.

6. The winch of claim 1 , wherein the housing of the winch-mount is cylindrical and the mounting-plate is disc-shape, allowing the mounting-plate to rotate within the housing.

7. The winch of claim 1 , wherein the mounting-plate of the winch-mount comprises a center-hole through which the center-pivot penetrates.

8. The winch of claim 7 , wherein a tip of the center-pivot of the winch-mount comprises a sphere, a plate, a rhombus, or a polyhedron, upon which the mounting-plate oscillates, turns, rotates, balances, pivots, tilts, teeters, vacillates, hovers, hangs, or sways.

9. The winch of claim 1 , wherein the winch-mount further comprises one or more protrusions, attachments, flanges, extensions, shelves, depressions, grooves or other surface discontinuities on the mounting-plate that interact with the springs.

10. The winch of claim 1 , wherein the winch-mount further comprises one or more spacers, insertions, or attachments between the frame for the rotatable drum and the mounting-plate.

11. The winch of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of springs of the winch-mount comprise less compressional resistance than a force necessary to move the fairlead in a direction opposite a load.

12. The winch of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of springs of the winch-mount comprise one or more lubricants.

13. The winch of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of springs of the winch-mount are arranged parallel, perpendicular, or diagonal to the mounting-plate.

14. The winch of claim 1 , wherein the mounting-plate of the winch-mount comprises one or more folds, bends, creases, or curvatures such that the mounting plate rotates as much as 180° from rest.

15. The winch of claim 1 , wherein the mounting-plate of the winch-mount is comprised of materials with a stronger composition than resistance applied by the plurality of springs.

16. The winch of claim 1 , wherein the mounting-plate of the winch-mount rotates about the center pivot as much as 360° from rest.

17. The winch of claim 1 , wherein the housing of the winch-mount comprises one or more of latches, clamps, and other securement mechanisms for securing the housing to the primary support object.

Assignees

• Hall David R
• Madsen Daniel
• Taylor Benjamin
• Fox Joe
• Wilson Lloyd J
• Hall Labs Llc

Inventors

• Hall David R
• Madsen Daniel
• Taylor Benjamin
• Fox Joe
• Wilson Lloyd J

Classifications

• B66D1/365 Primary

  by means of pivotably mounted drums or barrels · CPC title

• B66D1/38

  by means of guides movable relative to drum or barrel · CPC title

• B66D1/28

  Other constructional details · CPC title