Patent ID: 8079570
Filing Date: 2011-12-20
Classification: B66D

Abstract:
1. A winch comprising: a spool; a captivator; and a substantially flexible tensile member, said substantially flexible tensile member being coupled to said spool at a first base portion of said tensile member, a second wrapped portion of said tensile member disposed longitudinally adjacent to said first base portion and being wrapped circumferentially about said spool, a surface region of said second wrapped portion being disposed substantially in contact with an external surface region of said spool, a third portion of said tensile member being slidingly coupled to said external surface region of said spool by said captivator, said captivator being connected at two ends thereof to a circumferential surface region of said spool, said two ends both being disposed adjacent to said third portion, so as to prevent an unwrapping of said second wrapped portion of said tensile member, and a fourth portion of said tensile member being adapted to be wrapped and unwrapped from about said spool under a tensile force, whereupon a frictional force between said surface region of said second wrapped portion and said external surface region of said spool opposes a portion of said tensile force to thereby reduce a load on said coupling between said spool and said first base portion.