Ratchet cap for winch
First Claim
1. In a ratcheted winch for tightening a strap to retain an article on a vehicle deck, said winch having a shaft around which the strap is wound in a direction to tighten the strap, a ratcheting cap comprising:
- means for attaching said ratcheting cap to the shaft of the winch;
a pair of pins mounted in said ratcheting cap in opposing positions;
a plate having a plurality of recesses arranged in a circular configuration formed therein;
means for resiliently driving said pins into said recesses in abutment against the inner walls of said recesses;
said recesses each having one end which prevents the pins from being driven out of the recesses and an opposite end which permits said pins to be driven out of a recess into an adjoining recess; and
means for driving said pins either towards said one end of said recesses or towards the opposite end of said recesses;
wherein said ratcheting cap has first and second sections, means for removably attaching said two sections to each other, and means for attaching said first section to said winch shaft;
including a protective sleeve fitted over the attachment between said first and second sections of said ratcheting cap to prevent moisture and contaminants from entering said ratcheting cap.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A winch used for tightening a strap to retain an article, which may be cargo, on the deck of a vehicle has a ratcheting mechanism which tightens the strap around a cylindrical shaft. A ratchet cap installed on the winch has two sections. One of these sections is fixedly attached to the winch drive shaft This first section has a plurality of spaced recesses running around a surface plate thereof. Spring urged pins with rounded end surfaces are mounted in receptacles formed in the second cap section. The rounded ends of the spring urged pins are urged against the surfaces of the recesses. The pins are prevented from moving out of the recesses in one direction by a right angled end portion of the recess in this one direction and are free to move out of a recess over a slanted recess end portion into an adjoining recess in the opposite direction. At least one aperture is formed in the cap into which a lever for driving the winch is fitted. When the lever hits against the deck and cannot be moved any further, the ratchet cap can be rotated in its free moving direction to enable further driving of the winch downwardly to tighten the strap.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. In a ratcheted winch for tightening a strap to retain an article on a vehicle deck, said winch having a shaft around which the strap is wound in a direction to tighten the strap, a ratcheting cap comprising:
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means for attaching said ratcheting cap to the shaft of the winch; a pair of pins mounted in said ratcheting cap in opposing positions; a plate having a plurality of recesses arranged in a circular configuration formed therein; means for resiliently driving said pins into said recesses in abutment against the inner walls of said recesses; said recesses each having one end which prevents the pins from being driven out of the recesses and an opposite end which permits said pins to be driven out of a recess into an adjoining recess; and means for driving said pins either towards said one end of said recesses or towards the opposite end of said recesses; wherein said ratcheting cap has first and second sections, means for removably attaching said two sections to each other, and means for attaching said first section to said winch shaft; including a protective sleeve fitted over the attachment between said first and second sections of said ratcheting cap to prevent moisture and contaminants from entering said ratcheting cap. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. In a winch used for tightening a strap to retain an article on a deck, said winch having a shaft and being employed to drive a ratcheting mechanism in a direction which tightens the strap around the shaft of the winch, the improvement comprising:
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a ratcheting cap having first and second sections said second section having an aperture formed therein; a lever fitted into said aperture in said second cap section; means for attaching said first cap section to said second cap section; means for attaching said first cap section to said winch shaft; said first cap section having an outer plate with a plurality of recesses formed therein in a circular configuration; said second cap section having a surface directly opposite the outer plate of said first cap section; a pair of receptacles formed in said second cap section, said receptacles extending to said surface of said second cap section; a pin installed in each of said receptacles; and a spring in each of said receptacles urging said pins against the surfaces of said recesses; said recesses being shaped so that said pins are prevented from exiting the recess in which it is installed and entering an adjacent recess when said second cap section and said pins are rotated in one direction and permitted to exit the recess in which it is installed and enter an adjacent recess when said second cap section and said pins are rotated in a direction opposite to said one direction; whereby when said lever abuts against the deck, said ratcheting cap can be driven in said direction opposite to said one direction by said lever to raise said lever off the floor to permit the lever to drive the ratcheting cap in said second direction to further tighten the strap; and
further including a protective sleeve fifed over the attachment between said first and second sections of said ratcheting cap. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification