Patent ID: 7770871

Claim:
A flagpole winch, configured to fit within a flagpole and with a sidewall of a flagpole and to facilitate winding and unwinding a cord attached thereto, comprising: a ring bushing having an inner bushing surface; a release spindle rotatably supported about the ring bushing, the release spindle comprising: an actuator disc having a front flange rotatably disposed within the ring bushing; an axle extending from the actuator disc; and an actuator arm extending from the actuator disc; an elongate bushing having a distal portion and a proximal portion, the distal portion being coupled to a far sidewall of the flagpole and the proximal portion having a bore therein for receiving the axle of the release spindle; a cord spool rotatably disposed on the elongate bushing and configured to receive and support a flexible line, the cord spool having first and second spool arms; and a torsion spring rotatably disposed about the proximal portion of the elongate bushing and situated between the cord spool and the actuator disc, the torsion spring having first and second spring ends configured to engage the first and second spool arms, wherein a tension force applied to the cord spool by the flexible line causes engagement of one of the first and second spool arms with one of the first and second spring ends, the torsional spring contracting and clamping about the elongate bushing to arrest rotation of the cord spool, and wherein positive rotation of the actuator causes engagement of the actuator arm with one of the first and second spring ends to induce an inverse torsional force within the torsion spring, the torsion spring expanding to facilitate free bi-directional rotation of the cord spool about the elongate bushing.