Patent Publication Number: US-8967337-B2

Title: Device for preventing overdrawing of winch hook

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present patent application claims the benefits of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/364,357, entitled “Device for Preventing Overdrawing of Winch Hook” and filed at the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Jul. 14, 2010, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to winches and hoists and their related accessories. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Winches and hoists are commonly used today. However, one of the problems of winches, and also of hoists, is that it is relatively easy to overdraw the cable and its associated hook/attachment element and therefore to damage the winch. 
     At the present time, there is no simple solution to the aforementioned and other problems. 
     There is thus a need for a device which will provide a workable solution to the aforementioned problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to at least mitigate the aforementioned and possibly other problems, a device for preventing overdrawing of a winch cable and/or hook in accordance with the principles of the present invention generally comprises a resilient member or cushion configured to be mounted to the winch cable. The resilient member generally prevents the hook, mounted at the free extremity of the cable, from contacting the winch when the cable is overdrawn. 
     In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the resilient member is generally made from elastomeric material and generally comprises a relatively central opening extending therethrough for receiving the cable. 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, the resilient member comprises a central portion intermediate the first end portion and the second end portion, and wherein the central portion defines a waist, wherein the waist is of reduced diameter and is more compressible than at least one of the two end portions. 
     The device typically further comprises two end caps respectively mounted at each extremity of the resilient member. The end caps are generally, though not necessarily, made from metallic material and generally comprise a relatively central opening extending therethrough and configured to be substantially aligned or coextensive with the opening of the resilient member for receiving the winch cable. It is to be noted that the end caps may be made from non-metallic material such as polymer or composite, for example, that are hard enough or resistant enough to support the forces or pressures applied on them. 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, the inner side of at least one end cap of the device comprises an axially extending sleeve extending inwardly toward the resilient member wherein the inwardly extending sleeve is frictionally received into the central opening of the resilient member and wherein the outer surface of the sleeve is provided with at least one circumferentially extending protrusion or rib frictionally engaging the inner surface of the central opening. 
     The resilient member and the two end caps are each provided with a side or lateral slot extending from their respective periphery all the way to their respective central opening. The lateral slots allow the cable of the winch to be laterally inserted into (or extracted from) the device without removing the hook from the cable. However, during use, the slots, which are not aligned, generally prevent the cable from accidentally exiting the device. 
     The resilient member according to one aspect of the present invention typically comprises a first opening that has a central longitudinal axis, wherein the first lateral slot define a plane bisecting the central axis of the first opening. 
     Other and further aspects and advantages of the present invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiments about to be described or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice. The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of an exemplary winch hook overdrawing prevention device in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an end view of the device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of the device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the resilient member of the device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional side view of the resilient member of  FIG. 5 , along lines A-A in  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is an end view of the resilient member of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the resilient member of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 9  is an end view of the one of the end caps of the device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional side view of the end cap of  FIG. 9 , along lines A-A in  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the end cap of  FIG. 9 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A novel device for preventing overdrawing of winch hook will be described hereinafter. Although the invention is described in terms of specific illustrative embodiments, it is to be understood that the embodiments described herein are by way of example only and that the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited thereby. 
     Referring first to  FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  4 , an exemplary device  10  in accordance with the principles of the present invention is illustrated. The device  10  is configured to be mounted to the cable (not shown) of a winch (not shown), preferably near or adjacent to the hook (not shown) mounted at the free extremity of the cable. Referring particularly to  FIG. 4 , the device  10  comprises a main resilient member (or cushion)  100  and generally two end caps  200 . When the device  10  is mounted to a cable, the resilient member  100  acts as a resilient cushion between the hook, or other similar attachment element such as ring, coupler, clamp, etc., and the winch such as to resiliently absorb over-tension in the cable and/or hook when the cable is wound on the shaft of the winch. The device  10  therefore generally prevents damaging contacts between the hook and the winch when the cable is overdrawn. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 5 to 8 , the resilient member  100  is depicted in more details. In the present embodiment, the resilient member  100  is substantially of cylindrical configuration and generally comprises a first end portion  110 , a second end portion  130 , and an intermediate or central portion  150 . The resilient member  100  is preferably made from elastomeric material such as to be able to resiliently deform when the cable is overdrawn. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 6 to 8 , the resilient member  100  comprises a peripheral surface  101  and an opening  103  extending therethrough (see  FIG. 6 ). The opening  103  allows the cable of the winch to extend through the device  10 . In that sense, it is preferable that the diameter  104  of the opening  103  be at least slightly larger than the diameter of the cable such as to allow the device  10  to slide or move more or less freely along the cable. 
     The two end portions  110  and  130  of the resilient member  100  are configured to receive the end caps  200  which will be described in more details below. As shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the end portions  110  and  130  are each provided with radially extending grooves  111  and  131 . 
     For its part, as best shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the central portion  150  generally defines a waist  151  of reduced dimensions or reduced diameter. Being of reduced diameter, the waist  151  of the central portion  150  is more easily compressed than the two end portions  110  and  130 . Hence, the waist  151  allows the resilient member  100  to deform more easily when the cable is overdrawn. 
     The resilient member  100  further comprises a laterally extending slot  105  extending all the way from the peripheral surface  101  to the central opening  103  (best shown in  FIG. 7 ). The slot  105  allows the resilient member  100  to open during installation to allow the cable of the winch to be laterally inserted into the central opening  103 . Preferably, but not necessarily, as best shown in  FIG. 5 , the slot  105  extends at an angle (angle  108  in  FIG. 5 ) with respect to the longitudinal axis  107  of the resilient member  100 . The angular orientation of the side slot  105  generally prevents the cable from accidentally exiting the central opening  103  during use. 
     Even though in the present embodiment, the resilient member  100  is unitary, in other embodiments, the resilient member  100  could be made of several portions mounted, connected and/or fastened together. The resilient member  100  could also be made of portions of different hardness or of different materials. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 9 to 11 , one of the end caps  200  is shown in more details. As explained above, in the present embodiment, the device  10  comprises two end caps  200 . As the two end caps are essentially identical, only one end cap  200  will be described. 
     In the present embodiment, the end cap  200  is generally of circular configuration to match the cylindrical configuration of the resilient member  100 , and comprises a peripheral surface or rim  201  and a central opening  203 . As for the central opening  103 , the central opening  203  is also configured to receive the cable. In that sense, the central openings  203  of the end caps  200  are generally aligned with the opening  103  of the resilient member  100  when they are mounted thereto (see  FIGS. 3 and 4 ). Also, the diameter  204  of the opening  203  is preferably slightly larger than the diameter of the cable. 
     As best shown in  FIG. 10 , the outermost extremity  205  of the opening  203  preferably flares. This flared portion of the opening  203  generally defines a stress-relief zone allowing the cable to bend without excessive stress. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , the end cap  200  generally comprises an outer side  210  and an inner side  230 . 
     In the present embodiment, the inner side  230  of the end cap  200  comprises an axially extending sleeve  231  extending inwardly toward the resilient member  100 . The sleeve  231  is configured to be frictionally received into the central opening  103  of the resilient member  100 . In that sense, in the present embodiment, the outer surface of the sleeve  231  is provided with one or more circumferentially extending protrusions or ribs  233  configured to frictionally engage the inner surface of the central opening  103 . Understandably, the sleeve  231  could be provided with other configurations of engaging or elements such as, but not limited to, axially extending ribs. 
     To install the device  10  on the cable, the end caps  200  and the resilient member  100  are inserted one by one on the cable and then the end caps  200  are pressed inside the resilient member  100 . 
     Having the slot  105  at an angle  108  prevents the slots  205  of the end caps  200  and the slot  105  of the resilient member  100  to be aligned. This generally prevents the cable from getting out of the device  10  accidentally. 
     Due to the presence of the axially extending flange portion  202  of the peripheral rim  201 , the end caps  200  also prevent the resilient member  100  to open under pressure. Indeed, since each the flange portions  202  of the peripheral rim  201  covers or circumscribes an annular portion of the resilient member  100 , near the extremities thereof, this generally prevents the resilient member  100  to open along the slot  105 . 
     To insert the resilient member  100  on the cable or to slide a cable in the slot  105 , the end caps  200  must not be installed on the resilient member  100  as shown in  FIG. 1 . Indeed, when the end caps  200  are connected on the resilient member  100  as shown in  FIG. 1 , it is generally not possible for the resilient member  100  to open along the slot  105  due to the flange portions  202 . 
     Once the resilient member  100  is properly mounted to the cable, the end caps  200  are then mounted to the resilient member  100  by pressing the sleeves  231  into the opening  103 . The device  10  is then ready to be use. 
     In use, the device  10  will typically be located adjacent or near the hook mounted at the free extremity of the cable. Then, when the cable is wound back into the winch, the device  10  will typically prevent the hook from contacting the winch if the cable is overdrawn, thereby preventing possible damages. 
     While illustrative and presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in detail hereinabove, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts may be otherwise variously embodied and employed and that the appended claims are intended to be construed to include such variations except insofar as limited by the prior art.