Rope anchor for a winch

• US 9,120,656 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2012
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Warn Industries Incorporated (LKQ Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Warn Industries Incorporated (LKQ Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoder, Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Marcelo, Emmanuel M
• Assistant Examiner(s): GALLION, MICHAEL E
• Application Number:
  US13/523,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20130334479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 254/278, 254/371, 254/373
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 1/34 Attachment of ropes or cables to drums or barrels
• CPC Class Codes: F16G 11/00 Means for fastening cables or ropes to one another or to other objects; Caps or sleeves for fixing on cables or ropes attaching ropes or cables to lift cars or cages B66B7/08, to winch drums or barrels B66D1/34; ground anchors E02D5/00; anchoring devices for prestressed members E04C5/00; rope clamps in earth drilling E21B19/12
• CPC Class Codes: F16G 11/046 by bending the cable around a surface

Abstract

A winch includes a motor and a rotatable drum drivingly attached to the motor. The rotatable drum includes an anchor pocket therein. A cable includes a proximal end connected to the rotatable drum by an anchor received in said anchor pocket with the cable wrapped around the anchor. The anchor includes a first slot in a surface thereof and the rotatable drum includes a second slot therein adjacent to the anchor pocket that allows access to the first slot in the anchor. An edge of the second slot forms a fulcrum point for a pry tool inserted into the first and second slots for freeing the anchor from the anchor pocket.

Claims

1. A winch, comprising:

a motor;

a wedge-shaped anchor having a side face, the side face including a first slot in a surface thereof;

a rotatable drum drivingly attached to said motor, said rotatable drum having a cylindrical body surface and including a wedge-shaped anchor pocket in the cylindrical body surface, a second slot in the cylindrical body surface continuous with the wedge-shaped anchor pocket, and an opening in the cylindrical body surface that communicates with the wedge-shaped anchor pocket and the second slot;

a cable having a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end being connected to said rotatable drum by the wedge-shaped anchor when the wedge-shaped anchor is received in said wedge-shaped anchor pocket with said cable wrapped directly around said wedge-shaped anchor, the cable extending through the opening in the drum,

wherein, when the wedge-shaped anchor is received in said wedge-shaped anchor pocket, the second slot allows access to said first slot in said wedge-shaped anchor.

2. The winch according to claim 1, wherein said wedge-shaped anchor has a pair of side faces in which said first slot extends, and said second slot is aligned with said first slot when said wedge-shaped anchor is received in said wedge-shaped anchor pocket.

3. A winch comprising:

a motor;

an anchor having a side face, the side face including a first slot in a surface thereof;

a rotatable drum drivingly attached to said motor, said rotatable drum having a cylindrical body surface and including an anchor pocket in the cylindrical body surface, a second slot in the cylindrical body surface continuous with the anchor pocket that allows access to the first slot, and an opening in the cylindrical body surface that communicates with the anchor pocket and the second slot;

a cable having a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end being connected to said rotatable drum by the anchor when the anchor is received in said anchor pocket with said cable wrapped directly around said anchor, the cable extending through the opening in the drum;

wherein an edge of said second slot forms a fulcrum point for a pry tool inserted into said first and second slots, the pry tool adapted to pry the anchor out of the anchor pocket via the fulcrum point so that the cable can be disconnected from the drum.

4. A cable anchor system for a rotatable drum, comprising:

a rotatable drum having a cylindrical body surface, the cylindrical body surface including a wedge-shaped anchor pocket therein; and

a cable having a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end being connected to said rotatable drum by a wedge-shaped anchor received in said wedge-shaped anchor pocket with said cable wrapped directly around said wedge-shaped anchor, wherein a side face of said wedge-shaped anchor includes a first slot in a surface thereof and said cylindrical body surface of said rotatable drum includes a second slot therein continuous with said wedge-shaped anchor pocket that allows access to said first slot in said wedge-shaped anchor, and wherein the cylindrical body surface of said rotatable drum further includes an opening that communicates with the anchor pocket and the second slot, the cable extending through the opening.

5. The cable anchor system according to claim 4, wherein said wedge-shaped anchor has a pair of side faces in which said first slot extends, and said second slot is aligned with said first slot when said wedge-shaped anchor is received in said wedge-shaped anchor pocket.

6. A cable anchor system for a rotatable drum, comprising:

a rotatable drum having a cylindrical body surface, the cylindrical body surface including an anchor pocket therein; and

a cable having a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end being connected to said rotatable drum by an anchor received in said anchor pocket with said cable wrapped directly around said anchor,

wherein said anchor includes a first slot in a surface thereof and said cylindrical body surface of said rotatable drum includes a second slot therein continuous with said anchor pocket that allows access to said first slot in said anchor, the cylindrical body surface of the rotatable drum further including an opening that communicates with the anchor pocket and the second slot, the cable extending through the opening;

wherein an edge of said second slot forms a fulcrum point for a pry tool inserted into said first and second slots for freeing said anchor from said anchor pocket.