US2567526A - Cable winch - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 11., 1951 W, NITKEY 2,567,526

CABLE WINCH v Filed July 9, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 1l, 1951 W. NITKEY 2,567,525

' CABLE WINCH Filed July 9, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

.Y Loren MMM@ Sept. l1, 1951 l.. w. NITKEY 2,567,526

CABLE WINCH Filed July 9, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 IN VEN TOR 4 TTOR/VE Y Patented Sept. 11, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WINCH Loren W. fNitkey, Dudley, Idaho appiieatnmuiy 9, maseriamo. 37,850

This invention relates to a cable'wmch yand it is one object of .the invention to provide a winch which Ais hydraulically Vcontrolled,thus allowing a workman operating'tl1`,e"wincl'i to stand at such Adistance from'the winch that he will `not be liable .to be injured in case a .cable is broken or mechanism forming parts of the winch are broken .or otherwise damaged.

Another object Vof ,the invention is to provide a winch having a drum or drums rotatably mounted upon an axlev land having associated therewith y.clutch .mechanism which is'hydraul-ially controlled vand .also hydraulic brakes.

v Another 4object .of the invention'is to provide a winch .wherein the .clutch ,mechanisml is normally held in Aan `inoperative position by springs .and movedv ,to an 'operative .position by hydraulic pressure, retrograde rotation of the drum ybeing prevented Yloya pawlwhich is moved into -and out of engagement with ,a ratchet wheel on the drum by hydraulic means.

Another object of the invention `is to provide a hydraulically controlled winch which is easy to control and .very eiiicient in operation.

-With these and other objects .the invention consists of a special construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view showing a ,double drum winch partially in elevation and partially injlongitudinal-section.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the winch.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View upon an .enlarged scale showing a portion of thev winch principally in section and partially in elevation.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing a pawl'ior preventing retrograde rotation of the drums.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic View of4 the control mechanism for the pawl.

Fig. 6 is a ytop plan view of `a winch having a single drum.

This improved `winch is mounted ,upon asupport which may be of anyr suitable construction and in the present illustration consists of channel bars I constituting the chassis bars orv other por-tionsof the frame of a motor truck. An axle 'Y 2 extends acrossthe lframeand has reducedend portions 3 which t into center openings 4 ,o, f heads .5. These heads are mounted in .clamps l which are split, as shown in Figure 2, V.andare securedupon the bars I Ibyholts 1.andg8'.' The axle is keyed -to the heads as shown at 9 and,A the heads keyed to the clamps as shown atY ,I,!l, and when the bolts l and 8 aretightened theheads wilibe held against turning in theclamnsahd the axle also prevented from having turning movement. `A collar or ring II surrounds". the axle midway its length and at opposite sides of this collar are drums I2 having heads I3 and I4 at 'their inner and outer ends. Roller vbearings I5 mount the drums for rotary movement about the shaft and between the collar'jI I `and inner ends of the drums are thrust bearings I; 6. The heads I4 are of greater dimensions than lthe heads I3 and each is formed with a centrally located brake chamber or pocket I] and with an annular groove or recess It which surrounds the chamber I1 and is in concentric relation thereto.

The drums and their loperating means are of duplicate' construction and the operating means for the single drum I2 shown inFigure 6 Ais also of the same construction provided for the double drums. This single drum extends the full width o f the frame and at its ends 'has headsv I4 cor' responding to the outer heads of the'Y double drums. VTherefore the operating and controlling means now described will be understood to apply to 'all of the drums.

,Referring to Figure 1 it will be seen that a roller bearing I9 lits about the axle between the head f5 and the outer head of the drum and about this bearing 'is a clutch plateZI carrying aflg 2| to which are secured tapered plugs 22 which t'into the tapered groove or recess 18. Acap 2,3v fits loosely about the reduced inner en d `portion of the head 5 between this capand the plate 2S is a thrust bearing 2:1, the cap and the bearing `24 tting about :the roller bearing I@ as shown clearly in Figure l3. A thrust bearing 25 ,engages the inner end of the bearing 1 9 and at'its inner side the bearing 2 5 has engagement with coiled springs 26 carried by'a concavoconvexed plate 21 whichts into the outer end ofthe chamber I'I and is secured 'to vacollar 2 8 by screws 29. kThis collar fits about the axle and secured thereto Ybya key 3U so that it is heldstationary. The springs v2t urge the clutch plate 20 outwardly and this 'causes the clutch to 'bernormally inoperative and the clutch vplate may turn Without the drum turning with'v it. When, however, the clutchplate ris'shifted towards the' drum the plugs 22 will :be' `forced tightlyinto thegroove or recess I8 and the'drum will be turned with the clutch plate. vA sprocket wheel 3| is secured VVagainst the peripheral edge portion of the clutch plate byscrews tZ'and about the sprocket wheel is trained a rsprocket chain 33 which extends downwardly' and -is er1- gaged about a smaller sprocket wheel 315 carried byadrive shaft.

The head or housing 5 is formed with circumferentially spaced cylinders 3B which are closed at their outer ends by a ring or annular closure plate 31 secured to the housing by screws 38 and this closure plate has its center opening registering with the center opening 4 of 'the housing and normally closed by a disk 39 secured by screws 40 which pass through the disk and into threaded sockets 4I formed in the axle longitudinally thereof. Within each cylinder is a piston 42 carrying a sealing cup 43 and from the piston extends a piston rod 44 which slidably passes through an opening 45 leading. from the inner end of the cylinder and bears against the cap 23. When the pistons are forced towards inner ends of the cylinders their rods apply pressure to the cap and the clutch plate will then be shifted towards the head I4 in opposition to action of the springs 25 and the plugs 22 will have clutching engagement with walls of the groove I8 to cause turning of the drum with the clutch plate. Fluid under pressure is to be admitted simultaneously to the upper ends of the cylinders and in order to do so the confronting faces of the housing and the ring or plate 31 are formed with annular recesses which register, as shown in Figure 3 and form an annular passage 46 having communication with all of the cylinders. A port 41 formed through the plate 31 communicates with this annular passage and into the outer end of this port is screwed a nipple 48 to which is attached a tube 49 leading from a suitable source of fluid under pressure. As long as fluid pressure is allowed from the tube or pipe the clutch will be held in its operative position and the drum will turn but when fluid pressure through the tube is released, the springs will return the clutch ring or plate to its inoperative position and rotation of the drum in a direction to wind cable thereon will cease.

In order to control the speed at which the drum rotates and bring it to a stop after the clutch has been rendered inoperative there have been provided brakes 5ll which are disposed within the chamber I1 and pivoted to the plate by pins 5I. These brakes are of a conventional hydraulic construction and include the usual cylinder 52 to which fluid under pressure is admitted through a tube 53 leading from a side extension 54 at the inner end of a port 55 formed longitudinally of the axle and leading from the end thereof. A nipple 56 which is screwed into the outer end of the port 55 passes through an opening 51 in the plate 39 and to this nipple is attached a tube 58 leading from a conventional brake applying pump and it will be readily understood that when pressure is applied to the fluid the brakes will be actuated and their shoes brought into gripping engagement with the annular wall of the charnber I1 to stop rotation of the drum.

It is desired to permit the drum to be positively held against rotation in a retrograde rotation after a cable has been wound thereon as much as desired and in order to do so there has been provided a ratchet wheel 59 carried by the head I4 and engaged by a pawl 60. The pawl is pivoted to a bracket 6I mounted upon the frame and to the pawl is pivotally connected the outer end of the rod 62 of a piston 63 which is slidable longitudinally in a cylinder 64. This cylinder is mounted over the bracket carrying the pawl and to its opposite ends are connected pipes or tubes 65 and 66 leading to opposite ends of a cylinder 61. A piston 68 is slidable longitudinally in the cylinder G1 with its rod 69 projecting from one end thereof and attached to a lever 10, and from an inspection of Figure 5 it will be seen that when an attendant moves the lever in a direction to shift piston 68 forwardly fluid will be forced through the tube 66 and the pawl moved into engagement with the ratchet wheel 59 Whereas when the lever is moved in an opposite direction and shifts the piston rearwardly in the cylinder 61 the fluid will be forced through the tube 65 and the pawl will be moved to its inoperative position.

I have therefore perfected an improved Winch in which its drum or drums rotate about a stationary shaft and in which rotation of the drum or drums is controlled by hydraulic mechanism adapted to be operated by an attendant standing at sufficient distance from the winch to eliminate danger of injury to the attendant.

Having thus described the invention, what 1s claimed is:

1. In a cable winch, a, stationary shaft, housings into which ends of said shaft t, means for mounting said housings upon a support, a drum rotatable about said shaft and having heads at its ends, one head constituting a clutch member and being formed with a chamber constituting a brake chamber, an adjustable clutch member adapted to have rotary motion imparted to it and being shiftable along the shaft into and out of an operative position for clutching engagement with the clutch member of the drum, a fluid operated brake in said brake chamber, means for delivering fluid under pressure to the brake structure including a passage formed in the shaft and a tube extending from said passage outwardly from the shaft to the brake, spring means yieldably holding the adjustable clutch in an inoperative position, fluid operated means carried by one housing for moving the adjustable clutch to its operative position, a ratchet wheel carried by said drum, a pawl for engaging said ratchet wheel and preventing retrograde rotation of the drum, and fluid operated 'means for moving the pawl into and out of operative engagement with the ratchet wheel.

2. In a cable winch, a stationary shaft, housings into which ends of said shaft t, means for mounting said housings upon a support, a drum rotatable about said shaft and having heads at its ends, one head constituting a clutch member and being formed with a chamber constituting a brake chamber, an adjustable clutch member adapted to have rotary motion imparted to it and being shiftable along the shaft into and out of an operative position for clutching engagement with the clutch member of the drum, a fluid operated brake in said brake chamber, means for delivering uid under pressure to the brake structure, one housing having cylinders therein and a fluid inlet passage communicating with all of its cylinders, pistons in said cylinders having stems projecting from the cylinders and bearing against the movable clutch, and spring means urging the movable clutch member towards an inoperative position.

3. In a cable winch, a stationary shaft, housings into which ends of said shaft nt, means for mounting said housings upon a support, a drum rotatable about said shaft and having heads at its ends, one head constituting a clutch member and being formed with a chamber constituting a brake chamber, an adjustable clutch member adapted to have rotary motion imparted to it and being shiftable along the shaft into and out of an operative position for clutching engagement with the clutch member of the drum, a fluid operated brake in said brake chamber,

one housing having cylinders therein extending longitudinally of the shaft and means for delivering iiuid under pressure to the cylinders, pistons in said cylinders having rods projecting from the inner ends of the cylinders and engaging the movable clutch member for simultanea ously imparting pressure to the said movable clutch member at circumferentially spaced points and forcing the movable clutch member into gripping engagement with the clutch member `of the drum, and spring means urging the movable clutch member towards an inoperative position.

4. In a cable winch, a stationary shaft, housings into which ends of said shaft t, means for mounting said housings upon a support, a drum rotatable about said shaft and having heads at its ends, one head constituting a clutch member and being formed with a chamber constituting a brake chamber, an adjustable clutch member adapted to have rotary motion imparted to it 20 and being shiftable along the shaft into and out of an operative position for clutching engagement with the clutch member of the drum, a fluid operated brake in said brake chamber, means for delivering fluid under pressure to the brake, a disk in the brake chamber carrying the brake, a bearing for the movable clutch member, springs between the disk and the bearing urging the movable clutch member towards an inoperative position, pistons slidable longitudinally in cylinders formed in the adjoining housing and REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name n Date 892,907 Snow July 7, 1908 1,612,238 Turney Dec. 28, 1926 2,042,762 Berby June 2, 1936 2,405,156 McIntyre Aug. 6, 1946 25 2,447,280 Rowe Aug. 17, 1948

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