Portable winch

Claim 2

A winch of the type described comprising a rotatable drum having ratchet means associated therewith, a lever oscillatable to actuate said ratchet means to rotate the drum, said ratchet means comprising a ratchet wheel fixed to the drum, a feed pawl carried by the lever, means for adjusting the feed pawl on the lever to an advancing position where it engages the teeth of the ratchet wheel so that oscillation of the lever will rotate the drum in a forward direction or to a reversing position where it is spaced from the ratchet teeth so that oscillation of the lever will not rotate the drum in a forward direction but will permit reversal thereof, a stop pawl engaging the teeth of the ratchet wheel to prevent reverse rotation of the drum as it is advanced in a forward direction, fixed cam means adjacent the path of movement of the lever for engaging the feed pawl upon swinging of the lever in a forward direction only when the feed pawl is set at reversing position to engage the feed pawl with the ratchet teeth to cause it to function as a stop pawl for the reversing movement of the drum, and a cam movably mounted adjacent the ratchet wheel and positively engaged by said feed pawl upon the camming thereof by said fixed cam upon further swinging of the lever in said forward direction to positively move the movable cam into engagement with the stop pawl to thereby release the stop pawl from the ratchet teeth to permit such reversing movement under control of the lever and positively engaged by the feed pawl upon moving of the lever in a reverse direction to thereby return it to its original position, said movable cam having fixed cam portions spaced in the direction of swinginG of said lever with which the feed pawl engages respectively in its forward and reverse movement, and a cam portion adjustably mounted on said movable cam intermediate said fixed cam portions for movement between an inoperative position where it will not be engaged by said feed pawl and an operative position where it will be engaged by the feed pawl upon reverse movement of the lever.

Claim 3

A winch of the type described comprising a frame, a drum rotatably mounted on the frame, a ratchet wheel fixed with the drum for rotation therewith, a lever pivoted to the frame for oscillation, a feed pawl pivoted to the lever for cooperating with the teeth of the ratchet wheel, means for adjusting the feed pawl on the lever about its pivot to an advancing position where it engages the ratchet teeth so that oscillation of the lever will rotate the drum in a forward direction or to a reversing position where it is spaced from the ratchet teeth so that oscillation of the lever will not rotate the drum in a forward direction but will permit reversal thereof, a stop pawl pivoted to the frame and normally engaging the ratchet teeth to prevent reverse rotation of the drum as it is advanced in a forward direction, a cam edge on the frame adjacent the path of movement of the lever serving as a stop member which engages the lever to limit swinging in a forward advancing direction and engaged by the feed pawl upon oscillation of the lever only when the pawl is set at reversing position to cause the feed pawl to engage the ratchet wheel and to function as a stop pawl for the reversing movement, and a cam rotatably mounted on the frame adjacent the ratchet wheel and positively engaged by the feed pawl when it is set in reversing position upon said oscillation of the lever to positively engage the stop pawl to release it from the ratchet wheel to permit such reversing movement of the drum under control of the lever said feed pawl having a cam-engaging portion which upon oscillation of the lever in one direction with the pawl in reversing position first engages the cam edge and then engages the rotatable cam and swings it in one direction about its pivot into engagement with the stop pawl for releasing it from the ratchet and upon swinging of the lever in the opposite direction engages the rotatable cam and returns it to its original position, said rotatable cam having a pair of radially-extending angularly spaced fixed lugs, one of which is engaged by the feed pawl when it is set in reverse position upon oscillation of the lever in drum-advancing direction and the other of which is engaged by the feed pawl upon oscillation of the lever in drum-reversing direction and an additional lug mounted on said rotatable cam intermediate said fixed lugs and selectively adjustable between an inner retracted position where it will not be engaged by said feed pawl and a radially-extending operative position where it will be engaged by the feed pawl upon reverse oscillation movement of the lever.

Claim 4

A winch of the type described comprising a frame, a drum rotatably mounted on the frame, a ratchet wheel fixed with the drum for rotation therewith, a lever pivoted to the frame for oscillation, a feed pawl pivoted to the lever for cooperating with the teeth of the ratchet wheel, means for adjusting the feed pawl on the lever about its pivot to an advancing position where it engages the ratchet teeth so that oscillation of the lever will rotate the drum in a forward direction or to a reversing position where it is spaced from the ratchet teeth so that oscillation of the lever will not rotate the drum in a forward direction but will permit reversal thereof, a stop pawl pivoted to the frame and normally engaging the ratchet teeth to prevent reverse rotation of the drum as it is advanced in a forward direction, a cam edge on the frame adjacent the path of movement of the lever serving as a stop member which engages the lever to limit swinging in a forward advancing direction and engaged by the feed pawl upon oscillation of the lever only when the pawl is set at reversing position to cause the feed pawl to engage the ratchet wheel and to function as a stop pawl for the reversing movement, and a cam rotatably mounted on the frame adjacent the ratchet wheel and positively engaged by the feed pawl when it is set in reversing position upon said oscillation of the lever to positively engage the stop pawl to release it from the ratchet wheel to permit such reversing movement of the drum under control of the lever said feed pawl having a cam-engaging portion which upon oscillation of the lever in one direction with the pawl in reversing position first engages the cam edge and then engages the rotatable cam and swings it in one direction about its pivot into engagement with the stop pawl for releasing it from the ratchet and upon swinging of the lever in the opposite direction engages the rotatable cam and returns it to its original position, said rotatable cam having a pair of radially-extending angularly spaced fixed lugs, one of which is engaged by the feed pawl when it is set in reverse position upon oscillation of the lever in drum-advancing direction and the other of which is engaged by the feed pawl upon oscillation of the lever in drum-reversing direction and an additional lug mounted on said rotatable cam intermediate said fixed lugs and selectively adjustable between an inner retracted position where it will not be engaged by said feed pawl and a radially-extending operative position where it will be engaged by the feed pawl upon reverse oscillation movement of the lever.

Claim 5

A winch according to claim 2 in which resilient means is provided for maintaining the rotatable cam in its original position and a locking lug carried by the stop pawl and adapted to be engaged by a locking notch in the edge of the rotatable cam when the cam is moved into engagement with the stop pawl.

Claim 6

A winch according to claim 2 in which said adjustable lug comprises a lug member pivoted to the rotatable cam adjacent an edge extending between said fixed lugs, and a stop shoulder on said lug positioned to permit inward swinging of said lug into an inoperative position at said edge but limiting outward swinging of said lug to an operative position extending radially from said edge.

Claim 7

A winch according to claim 4 in which said adjustable lug is pivoted to the cam by a pivot structure including friction creating surfaces tending to hold it in its selectively adjusted positions.

Claim 8

A winch according to claim 5 in which the adjustable lug includes a tongue pivoted to the cam for swinging movement, said tongUe being connected to an outer lug portion which will extend beyond said cam edge when swung outwardly into its radially extending operative position, said lug portion having a lateral flange portion which will engage said edge when swung inwardly into inoperative position and an inner shoulder on said flange which will engage said edge when swung outwardly into operative position.

Claim 9

A winch according to claim 2 including means for locking the rotatable cam in the said position where it engages the stop pawl and releases it from the ratchet teeth, said means comprising interlocking portions on the said rotatable cam and the stop pawl, and means for releasing said interlocking portions, said last-named means comprising an extension on said feed pawl for engaging said cam upon swinging of the lever in a reverse direction to rotate said cam in the opposite direction to thereby permit the stop pawl to again engage the ratchet teeth.