Patent ID: 7258324

Claim:
A winch comprising, (a) frame, (b) a spindle rotatably mounted on the frame, the spindle containing a supply of wound wire, (c) a ratchet fixedly coupled to the spindle for rotable movement with said spindle, the ratchet including a ratchet wheel, (d) a pawl having a first pawl arm made of ferritic material; the pawl being rotably mounted on the frame and being positioned on the frame such that it can be rotated to a first position where the first pawl arm is in engagement with the ratchet wheel so as to limit rotation of the ratchet wheel in only one direction or to a second position where the first pawl arm is out of engagement with the ratchet wheel, (e) a first magnet mounted on the frame and being positioned on the frame for magnetically biasing the first pawl arm into the first position, and (f) a second magnet mounted on the frame and being positioned on the frame for magnetically biasing the first pawl arm into the second position.