Implements or apparatus for applying pushing or pulling force – Apparatus for hauling or hoisting load – including driven... – Device includes rotatably driven – cable contacting drum
Reexamination Certificate
2003-03-13
2004-07-27
Marcelo, Emmanuel M. (Department: 3654)
Implements or apparatus for applying pushing or pulling force
Apparatus for hauling or hoisting load, including driven...
Device includes rotatably driven, cable contacting drum
C254S346000, C254S350000, C114S048000, C114S051000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06767004
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates a drive unit that can be installed onto existing boat lifts in place of the normal hand wheel and ratchet drive used for driving a winch for manually lifting the boat lift, with a compact simple drive that utilizes a threaded worm driven a worm gear on a hollow shaft that fits over the existing winch drive shaft. A friction clutch is used to provide a power drive for the winch.
Many boat lifts have been made where large manual wheels operating through a ratchet will drive a lift or winch shaft through a friction drive. The hand wheel is normally drives a ratchet that will permit rotational movement in one direction until the ratchet is released, so that the wheel can be turned in angular increments with safety. A manual winch drive is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,124.
Boats are getting heavier, and the effort needed to raise and lower a boat out of water using a manual drive even when speed reducing drives are used between the manual wheel and the lift cable is becoming excessive. It is desirable to have a motor drive, but many of the existing lifts are not adapted to direct motor drives, until the advance of the present invention. A power unit that drives the outer rim of a manual winch wheel is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,959,011.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a power unit that will mount onto an existing winch box shaft that has a drive disc that normally is operated manually through one or more friction plates, much like a clutch plate, and wherein an output shaft of a gear reduces drive by the drive motor can be placed directly onto the winch shaft once the ratchet and hand wheel are removed. A worm gear box is used as a gear reducer, and the gear box has a tubular output shaft on which the worm gear is mounted. A suitable motor, such as an air motor, a 12 volt DC electric motor, a hydraulic motor, or other type of motor that is reversible is integral with the gear box and is used for driving the input worm, that in turn drives the worm gear.
The tubular output shaft is selected to have an interior diameter so it will fit over the existing shaft of various models of boat lifts. Both ends of the shaft extends outside the gear box. One end of the shaft has a flange or disc fixed thereon that will bear against a friction disc, and the friction disc engages an existing drive disc on the winch shaft. The tubular output shaft is held in place on the winch shaft with a suitable nut. Washers or spacers can be used so that adequate compression is placed onto the friction drive disc for driving the winch.
Various types of winch boxes and winch shafts are used with the boat lifts that exist, and which are driven through a hand wheel. By modifying the nut used to hold the tubular output shaft, the gear box of the present invention can be adapted to provide drives to a wide range of different type of winch shafts.
While a flange and friction disc drive coupling is shown, jaw couplings, pin and receptacle coupling and other desired drives between the tubular shaft and the existing winch shaft can be used.
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patent: 5970813 (1999-10-01), Parkins et al.
Commander Products LLC
Marcelo Emmanuel M.
Westman Champlin & Kelly P.A.
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