Abstract:
Winch apparatus for raising and holding a rolling steel door includes a wheeled base with telescoping members extending upwardly from the base. A hand cranked winch raises and lowers the telescoping members, while a reversible electric motor is used to power a separate winch for raising and lowering a load secured to an arm extending outwardly from an innermost telescoping member. The arm is disposed against a building when the apparatus is in position to raise the rolling steel door for its installation.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to winches and, more particularly, to a winch for lifting and positioning rolling doors during the installation of the doors. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     U.S. Pat. No. 1,685,144 (Austin) discloses a wall board lidder which includes a ratchet winch system for raising a platform on which wall board is disposed. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 1,754,873 (Blackwood) discloses a hoisting apparatus which includes a reversible electric motor and a screw shaft The apparatus includes a boom, and a cable on the boom is secured to a load. As the screw shaft is raised, the load is raised via the cable system. The cable is secured to the boom and extends downwardly and under a pulley on a fixed base, and back up to the boom and over pulleys to where it is fastened to the load. A reversible electric motor is used to raise and lower the screw shaft which in turn raises the boom and the load. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 1,861,191 (Russell) discloses a lift system which includes a cable wound about a drum and the drum is in turn secured to a gear which meshes with a worm gear. A shaft on the worm gear includes a crank for rotating the worm gear which in turn causes the cable drum to rotate for either reeling out the cable or reeling in the cable. The apparatus is disposed on a wheeled dolly. The apparatus is described as being a service truck truck for lifting refrigerators. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,671,638 (Allen) discloses telescoping members on a cable system for raising and lowering the telescoping members. The apparatus includes a base element to which are secured caster wheels for moving the apparatus. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,714,434 (Peterson) discloses a hoisting system for raising and lowering a platform. The apparatus includes a triangular support system, and a pair of generally parallel like elements of the triangle comprises a slide on which a platform moves. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,896,908 (Stone) discloses a telescoping mast hoisting apparatus which utilizes a chain drive. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,983,474 (Hanna) discloses another telescoping mast system which includes a triangular base and castor wheels secured to the base for moving the apparatus. A crank cable system is used for raising and lowering the telescoping members. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,272,286 (Leduc) discloses a hoist system having telescoping members disposed on a movable base. The telescoping members are raised and lowered by means of a screw jack rotated by a gearing system and a hand crank. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,891,184 (Fields) discloses a telescoping mast system which includes a movable base. Telescoping members are raised and lowered by a hand crank and a cable. The telescoping members include a fixed outer tube, a middle tube and an inner tube. A single cable is used to raise the two movable tubular members. The cable extend through pulleys on the middle tube and is secured to the inner tube. Accordingly, as the cable is shortened, both the inner tube and the middle tube move upwardly. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,508,316 (Millard) discloses a telescoping system utilizing a hand crank and a cable for lifting a pair of telescoping members. The telescoping members are disposed on a movable base and an outer fixed tube is secured to the base, while a pair of telescoping members nest within each other. The telescoping members include a middle member and an inner member, and a single cable is used to lift both telescoping members at the same time by means of a single cable. The single cable utilizes pulleys on the middle member and is secured to the upper portion of the inner member. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,364 (Harrell) discloses a lock system for locking a telescoping mast in a desired location. A single cable is used to raise the mast, and to raise a platform on which a load is disposed. The apparatus includes wheels for moving the apparatus to a desired location. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention described and claimed herein comprises a winch apparatus for lifting rolling steel doors during the installation process of the rolling door. A movable base includes stabilizing legs and wheels secured to the base frame disposed slightly above the base frame when the apparatus is in its use position, but the wheels are used for moving the apparatus into position by tilting the apparatus. Telescoping members are secured to the base and are extended to support the rolling door. The innermost telescoping member includes an arm, and a cable extends through the innermost telescoping member and through the arm. A lifting sling is secured to the outer end of the cable for lifting the rolling steel door into position. In the use environment, the arm is disposed against the building, thus providing stability for the apparatus. A reversible electric motor powers the winch for raising and lowering the lifting sling, while a hand driven winch and separate cable system are used to raise and lower the telescoping members. 
     Among the objects of the present invention are the following: 
     To provide new and useful winch apparatus; 
     To provide new and useful winch apparatus for lifting a rolling steel door; 
     To provide new and useful winch apparatus including a base and telescoping members secured to the base; 
     To provide new and useful portable winch apparatus including telescoping members and an arm extending outwardly from the telescoping members; 
     To provide new and useful winch apparatus including telescoping members and a cable system for raising the telescoping members and a separate cable system for lifting a load secured to an arm extending outwardly from one of the telescoping members; and 
     To provide new and useful winch apparatus including wheels for moving the winch apparatus to a use environment and a base having stabilizing arms disposed adjacent to the wheels. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a view in partial section taken generally along line  2 — 2  of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Winch apparatus  10  includes a base  12  having two fixed arms, a fixed arm  14  and a fixed arm  16 . The fixed arms  14  and  16  extend outwardly from the base generally oppositely each other. A pivoting arm  18  is secured to the fixed arm  14 , and a pivoting arm  20  is secured to the fixed arm  16 . The pivoting arms  18  and  20  fold for convenience in storing the apparatus  10 . In the use environment, such as suggested in FIG. 1, the pivoting arms  18  and  20  move outwardly on the fixed arms to provide outrigger stability for the winch apparatus  10 . 
     Extending upwardly from the base  12  are three tubular members, including an outer fixed tube  30 . Within the outer fixed tube  30  are two movable tubes, including a middle movable tube  60  and a movable inner tube  80 . The three tubular members  30 ,  60 , and  80  telescope together. In FIG. 1, they are shown extended, and they are similarly shown extended in FIG.  2 . 
     A pair of roller wheels  22  is also secured to the base  12 . For maneuvering the apparatus  10  to a use position, the tubes  80 ,  60 , and  30  are nested within each other, as will be discussed below, and tilted downwardly. The winch apparatus is pivoted downwardly onto its wheels  22  and moved into a use position. In the use environment, as indicated in FIG. 2, the apparatus  10  is moved to the position shown in FIG. 1, with the pivoting outrigger arms  18  and  20  moved outwardly to provide a relatively stable base. 
     A winch assembly  40  is secured to the outer fixed tube  30 . The outer fixed tube  30  includes a bottom  32  and a top  34 . The winch assembly  40  includes a drum  42  about which a cable  48  is disposed. The winch assembly  40  also includes a drive gear  44  which meshes with a gear on the drum  42 . A handle  46  is appropriately secured to the drive gear  44 . The cable  48  extends upwardly from the drum  42  to a pulley  50  secured adjacent to the top  34  of the fixed tube  30 . The cable  48  then extends downwardly within the outer fixed tube  30  and is secured to the middle tube  60 . A shroud  52  is disposed about the pulley  50 . The shroud  52  is, of course, secured also to the outer tube  30 . 
     The middle tube  60  includes a bottom  62  and a top  64 . The cable  48  extends over the pulley  50  and to the bottom  62  of the middle tube  60 , where it is secured. A second cable  66  is secured to the top  34  of the outer tube  30  and extends over a pulley  68  which is secured adjacent to the top  64  of the middle tube  60 . The cable  66  then extends down the inside of the middle tube  60  and is secured to the inner tube  80 . The inner tubular member  80  includes a bottom  82  and a top  84 . The cable  66  is secured to the bottom  82 . 
     When the handle  46  of the winch  40  is turned to take up the cable  48  by winding the cable onto the drum  42 , the middle tube  60  is moved upwardly. As the middle tube  60  is moved upwardly, the cable  66 , being fixed at one end to the top  34  of the fixed outer tube  30  and to the bottom  82  of the inner tube  80 , causes the inner tube  60  to move upwardly. That is, with the cable  66  being fixed at both ends, movement of the middle tube  60  also causes an upward movement of the inner tube  80 . 
     Appropriately secured to the outer end  84  of the inner tube  80  is a pair of support plates  110 . A pulley  112  is appropriately journaled for rotation between the support plates  110  and within the upper portion of the inner tubular member  80 . 
     Extending outwardly from the support plates  110  is a tubular arm  120 . The tubular arm  120  includes an inner end  122  and an outer end  124 . The inner end  122  is pivotally supported between the support plates  110  by a pivot pin  128 . A locking pin  130  extends through aligned holes or apertures in the arm  120  and also in the plates  110 . 
     Adjacent to the outer end  124  of the tubular arm  120  is a bottom slot  126 . Above the slot  126  and extending through opposite sides of the arm  120  are two pairs of aligned apertures, of which one aperture or hole  134  is shown in FIG. 2. A pulley  132  is appropriately journaled for rotation on the arm  120  through the other pair of holes, outwardly from the pair of holes of which the hole  134  is shown. The two pairs of holes allow the pulley  132  to be located, as desired, with respect to the arm  120 . 
     Extending outwardly from the tubular arm  120  and its outer end  124  are stabilizer plates  140 . In FIGS. 1 and 2, the stabilizer plates  140  are shown disposed against a wall  2 . Also shown in FIG. 2 is a door opening  4  in the wall  2 . A rolling steel door will be located at the door opening  4 . 
     A winch assembly  150  is appropriately secured to the base  12 . The winch assembly  150  includes a reversible motor  152 , the output shaft of which is secured to a worm gear  154 . The worm gear  154  meshes with a drive gear  156  on a drum  158 . A cable  160  is secured to the drum  158  and is rolled on and off of the drum  158  in response to operation of the motor  150 . In FIG. 1, a power cable  162  and control cable  164  are shown extending outwardly from the winch assembly  150 . The power cable  162  extends to an appropriate source of electrical power and the control cable  164  extends to a control device (not shown) having up, down, and off switch positions for controlling the motor  152 . Such is well known and understood. 
     The cable  160  extends upwardly within the telescoping tubes  30 ,  60 , and  80 , and over the pulley  112 . This is best shown in FIG.  2 . From the pulley  112 , the cable  160  extends outwardly through the arm  120  and over the pulley  132 . The cable  160  then extends downwardly through the slot  126  in the bottom of the arm  120  and the cable  160  is appropriately secured to a sling  170 . A rolling steel door or other load may be appropriately secured to the sling  170  for lifting and holding. 
     Actuation of the motor  150  allows the cable  160  to be unwound from the drum  158  and thus the sling  170  will move downwardly. A rolling steel door is then secured to the sling  170 , and the motor  152  is then reversed to raise the sling  170  and its door (not shown) upwardly and adjacent to the opening  4  in the wall  2 . The rolling steel door is then supported by the sling  170  and the cable  160  as the installation of the door is accomplished. The installation may be accomplished by only a single individual utilizing the winch apparatus  10  of the present invention. 
     In operation, as discussed above, the telescoping tubular members  60  and  80  are appropriately nested within the outer fixed tubular member  30  for storage and transporting. The arm  120  may be pivoted on the support plates  110  by removing the lock pin  130  and allowing the arm  120  to pivot on its pivot pin  128 . With the cable  160  wound on the drum  158 , the sling  170  will be disposed adjacent to the arm  120  and will be pivoted therewith. 
     The stabilizer elements  18  and  20  will be pivoted against the fixed arms  14  and  16 , and the apparatus  10  may then be pivoted downwardly onto its roller wheels  22 . In the folded, compact position, the apparatus  10  may be secured to a trailer or on a truck, as appropriate. When the trailer or truck arrives at the desired destination, the reverse procedure takes place. The winch apparatus  10  is moved into position on its roller wheels  22  until it is positioned adjacent to a door opening  4  in a wall  2 . The arm  120  is pivoted outwardly and locked into place by its lock pin  130 . The winch  40  is hand actuated by the handle  46  to raise the arms  60  and  80  relative to the fixed outer tube  30 . When the telescoping members  60  and  80  are moved upwardly to the desired position relative to a door opening  4  of a wall  2 , the apparatus is tilted inwardly until the stabilizer plates  140  are disposed against the wall  2 . At this time, the motor  152  of the winch assembly  150  is actuated to lower the sling  170  to pick up a rolling steel door. The motor  152  is then reversed to raise the sling  170  and its attached rolling steel door. The sling and the door are then raised appropriately with respect to the door opening  4  for the installation of the door. 
     It will be noted that the winch apparatus  10  may be used to lift and hold other loads than merely the rolling steel door discussed herein, and it may be used to remove and lower loads, as well. 
     While the principles of the invention have been made clear in illustrative embodiments, there will be immediately obvious to those skilled in the art many modifications of structure, arrangement, proportions, the elements, materials, and components used in the practice of the invention, and otherwise, which are particularly adapted to specific environments and operative requirements without departing from those principles. The appended claims are intended to cover and embrace any and all such modifications, within the limits only of the true spirit and scope of the invention.