Reversible winch ratchet mechanism

• US 6,116,580 A
• Filed: 07/13/1999
• Issued: 09/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dutton-Lainson Company
• Original Assignee: Dutton-Lainson Company
• Inventors: Hull, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matecki, Katherine A.
• Application Number:
  US09/352,614
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 254/342, 254/376, 254/357, 74/575, 74/577 R, 74/577 S, 74/577 M
• US Class Current: 254/357
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 1/06 Safety cranks for preventing unwanted crank rotation and subsequent lowering of the loads
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2136 Pivoted pawls
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2137 Single tooth

Abstract

A mechanical winch includes a ratchet lever having a single pawl which may be positioned in either one of two orientations in order to preclude clockwise or counterclockwise movement of the winch, drum or reel. In each orientation, the ratchet lever may also be positioned in a free wheeling position for the drum.

Claims

1. In a winch including

a housing bracket, a drum mounted on a rotation shaft journaled in the bracket, said drum including a drum spur gear;

a drive spur gear on a drive spur gear shaft, said drive spur gear shaft mounted on the bracket, said drive spur gear being positioned for driving the drum spur gear;

said drive spur gear shaft connectable with a drive handle and rotatable in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction by operation of the handle, the improvement comprising;

a removable ratchet lever shaft mounted on the bracket;

a unitary ratchet lever pivotally mounted on said ratchet lever shaft, said ratchet lever including a single projecting pawl for engaging the drive spur gear to preclude rotation in one of the clockwise or counterclockwise direction, said ratchet lever further including a surface for engaging the drive spur gear for free wheeling movement without engagement of the pawl with said drive spur gear;

an over center acting spring connected to the ratchet lever for maintaining the lever in one of two positions including a first position to engage the pawl with the drive spur gear and a second position to disengage the pawl from the drive spur gear with the surface against the drive spur gear for free wheeling movement, whereby, when said pawl is engaged, the drive spur gear is rotatable in a single sense as a result of engagement of the pawl with the drive spur gear, and when disengaged said drive spur gear is freely rotatable in either sense;

said ratchet lever being mounted on the ratchet lever shaft to preclude rotation of the spur gear in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction depending upon the mounting position of the ratchet lever;

said ratchet lever being mountable on the ratchet lever in a first orientation which precludes clockwise rotation of the drive spur gear and in a second orientation which precludes counterclockwise rotation of the drive spur gear.

2. The improvement of claim 1 including a sleeve and a washer on the ratchet lever shaft to position the lever in opposed relation to a drive spur gear and spaced from a side wall of the bracket.

3. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the ratchet lever is a T-shaped member with a central leg for manual manipulation and opposite extending arms from one end of the leg, one of said arms including a depending pawl and each arm includes means for connecting with said spring.

4. The improvement of claim 1 or 3 wherein the spring comprises a coil spring having one end attachable to the bracket and the opposite end attachable to the ratchet lever.

5. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the drive spur gear meshes with the drum spur gear and with the pawl.

6. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the spur gears and ratchet lever have parallel axes.