Patent ID: 7862008

Claim:
A manually driven winch system for use to rotate a shaft that is rotatably mounted on a frame and that is adapted for attachment to an elongated flexible member so that the elongated flexible member can be wrapped around the shaft by rotating the shaft about its axis of rotation, the winch system comprising: a shaft adapted for attachment to an elongated flexible member; a drive system secured to the shaft to rotate the shaft about an axis of rotation and thereby tension an elongated flexible member attached to the shaft, the drive system including (a) a series of ratchet teeth that are spaced around the axis and that revolve around the axis as the drive system rotates and (b) a handle-engaging portion configured to transmit rotational force from a handle to the drive system to urge the drive system to rotate; a biasing member that connects the drive system to the shaft in such a manner that the shaft normally rotates with the drive system and such that the drive system rotates independently of the shaft when the bias of the biasing member is overcome; at least one indicum that, responsive to movement of the drive system relative to the shaft, signals if tension on the elongated flexible member has decreased to below a predetermined amount; and a pawl that is movable between an engaged position wherein the pawl engages the series of ratchet teeth such that the shaft can rotate in only one direction and a disengaged position wherein the pawl does not engage the series of ratchet teeth so the shaft can rotate in both directions.