Vehicle winch

Claim 2

A combination of a vehicle having a frame with a pair of side beams and a vehicle winch comprising a cable drum and a winch operating device arranged in operating engagement with said cable drum via a transmission shaft which extends substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and bearings positioned in said side beams operatively engaging said transmission shaft, the cable drum and the winch operating device being arranged externally of different ones of said side beams and at least one of the cable drum and the winch operating device being detachably mounted to said shaft, a tube or a transverse beam at least partially encircles the shaft between the side beams, and wherein said tube or said transverse beam comprises one of the original vehicle frame transverse beams.

Claim 3

A combination of a vehicle having a frame with a pair of side beams and a vehicle winch, comprising, a cable drum, a transmission shaft which extends substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, a winch, said winch arranged in operating engagement with said cable drum via said transmission shaft, bearings, said bearings located in said side beams and operatively engaging said transmission shaft, said transmission shaft extending laterally from each said side beam of the vehicle frame, each said cable drum and said winch operating device located externally of different ones of each said side beam, at least one of said cable drum and said winch operating device detachably mounted to said transmission shaft, a support beam, said support beam substantially U-shaped in horizontal section and having a base portion, the ends of said support beam secured to a side beam so that said support beam extends laterally therefrom, said support beam base portion engaging the end of said transmission shaft adjacent to said cable drum so that an additional bearing support is provided for said transmission end.

Claim 4

A combination of a vehicle having a frame with a pair of side beams and a vehicle winch, comprising, a cable drum, a transmission shaft which extends substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, a winch, said winch arranged in operating engagement with said cable drum via said transmission shaft, bearings, said bearings located in said side beams and operatively engaging said transmission shaft, said transmission shaft extending laterally from each said side beam of the vehicle frame, each said cable drum and said winch operating device located externally of different ones of each said side beam, at least one of said cable drum and said winch operating device detachably mounted to said transmission shaft, a support beam, said support beam substantially U-shaped in horizontal section and having a base portion, the ends of said support beam secured to a side beam so that said support beam extends laterally therefrom, said support beam base portion engaging the end of said transmission shaft adjacent to said cable drum so that an additional bearing support is provided for said transmission end.

Claim 5

A vehicle winch according to claim 2, wherein at least one end of said shaft and at least one of said cable drum and said winch operating device are provided with splines.

Claim 6

A vehicle winch according to claim 2, wherein said bearings are slide or roller bearings.

Claim 7

A vehicle winch according to claim 4, wherein a tube or a transverse beam at least partially encircles said transmission shaft between the side beams.

Claim 8

A vehicle winch according to claim 5, wherein said tube or said transverse beam comprises one of the original vehicle frame transverse beams.

Claim 9

A vehicle winch according to claim 5, wherein said winch operating device is a motor, bore walls in said side beams, and said slide or roller bearings fixedly supported by said bore walls.