Powered winch

Claim 2

A powered winch comprising an operating lever movable between free, hold and haul positions, a cable drum shaft, power means operatively associated with said shaft, clutch means intermEdiate said power means and said shaft and movable between an engaged position in which said power means is drivingly coupled to said shaft and a disengaged position in which said power means is disconnected from said shaft, means causing said clutch to assume its engaged position when said lever is in hold or haul position and its disengaged position when said lever is in free position, means causing said power means to be energized when said lever is in haul position and deenergized when said lever is in hold or free position, whereby when said lever is in haul position, said shaft is driven in a haul or wind direction, whereas when said lever is in hold position said shaft is locked against movement in an unwind direction, while when said lever is in free position, said shaft is free to move in an unwind direction, the combination further comprising a cable wound around said shaft, a stop member adjustably mounted on said cable, and movably mounted means engageable by said stop member when said cable is wound beyond a predetermined amount, and means interconnecting said movably mounted means and said operating lever whereby movement of the former pursuant to engagement by said stop means forces the lever to move from haul to hold position, said movably mounted means comprising a generally U-shaped spring, the opposite legs of which resiliently engage the top and bottom of the wound cable to effect level winding and unwinding thereof.

Claim 3

A powered winch comprising an operating lever movable between free, hold and haul positions, a cable drum shaft, power means operatively associated with said shaft, clutch means intermediate said power means and said shaft and movable between an engaged position in which said power means is drivingly coupled to said shaft and a disengaged position in which said power means is disconnected from said shaft, means causing said clutch to assume its engaged position when said lever is in hold or haul position and its disengaged position when said lever is in free position, means causing said power means to be energized when said lever is in haul position and deenergized when said lever is in hold or free position, whereby when said lever is in haul position, said shaft is driven in a haul or wind direction, whereas when said lever is in hold position said shaft is locked against movement in an unwind direction, while when said lever is in free position, said shaft is free to move in an unwind direction, the combination further comprising a gear train drivingly interconnecting said power means and said shaft, said clutch means being located in said gear train and comprising a clutch gear, a clutch pinion and a clutch spring connected to said clutch gear and extending around said clutch pinion to effect a driving connection from said gear to said pinion when said clutch means is in its said engaged position, said clutch means being movable to its said disengaged position by the application of an unwinding force to the free end of said spring, and means effecting said unwinding force when said lever is moved to free position, said last mentioned means comprising a ratchet wheel secured to the free end of said clutch spring, a ratchet slide movable between a first position wherein it is disengaged from said ratchet wheel and a second position wherein it engages and imparts rotation to said ratchet wheel to unwind said clutch spring, and means interconnecting said lever and said slide whereby the latter is in its said first position when said lever is in hold or haul position, but is moved to its said second position when said lever moves to free position.

Claim 4

A powered winch comprising an operating lever movable between free, hold and haul positions, a cable drum shaft, power means operatively associated with said shaft, clutch means intermediate said power means and said shaft and movable between an engaged position in which said power means is drivingly coupled to said shaft and a disengaged position in which said power means is disconnected from said shaft, means causing said clutch to assume its engaged position when said lever is in hold or haul position and its disengaged position when said lever is in free position, means causing said power means to be energized when said lever is in haul position and deenergized when said lever is in hold or free position, whereby when said lever is in haul position, said shaft is driven in a haul or wind direction, whereas when said lever is in hold position said shaft is locked against movement in an unwind direction, while when said lever is in free position, said shaft is free to move in an unwind direction, the combination further comprising a gear train drivingly interconnecting said power means and said shaft, said clutch means being located in said gear train and comprising a clutch gear, a clutch pinion and a clutch spring connected to said clutch gear and extending around said clutch pinion to effect a driving connection from said gear to said pinion when said clutch means is in its said engaged position, said clutch means being movable to its said disengaged position by the application of an unwinding force to the free end of said spring, and means effecting said unwinding force when said lever is moved to free position, said last mentioned means comprising a ratchet wheel secured to the free end of said clutch spring, a ratchet slide movable between a first position wherein it is disengaged from said ratchet wheel and a second position wherein it engages and imparts rotation to said ratchet wheel to unwind said clutch spring, and means interconnecting said lever and said slide whereby the latter is in its said first position when said lever is in hold or haul position, but is moved to its said second position when said lever moves to free position.

Claim 5

In the powered winch of claim 2, the combination further comprising a cable wound around said shaft, a stop member adjustably mounted on said cable, and movably mounted means engageable by said stop member when said cable is wound beyond a predetermined amount, said movably mounted means including said ratchet slide, whereby movement of said slide transmits corresponding movement to saiD lever through said interconnecting means to force the lever to move from haul to hold position.