Winch-Winding Assembly For Flatbed Winches

Abstract

A winch-winding assembly for use with a flatbed winch, for example. The winch-winding assembly can be used for winding tie-down straps. The winch-winding assembly can include a gear system, a drive shaft connected to the gear system in order to cause rotation of the gear system and an engagement arm being configured to engage with and rotate part of the flatbed winch. A drill-support mechanism can be further provided to guide or support a body of a hand-held drill during engagement and rotation of the drive shaft. The engagement arm can comprise a stem and a finger mounted to the stem and being displaceable between a retracted position disengaging the flatbed winch, and an extended position engaging the flatbed winch, to rotate the winch drum in response to rotation of the stem.

1 . A winch-winding assembly connectable to a flatbed winch for winding tie-down straps, the flatbed winch comprising a winch drum having an open end and a lateral opening, the winch-winding assembly comprising:
 a gear system;   a drive shaft connected to the gear system and being rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof in order to cause rotation of the gear system;   an engagement arm configured to engage with and rotate the winch drum, the engagement arm comprising:
 a stem rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof and comprising:
 a proximal portion attached to the gear system to be rotated thereby; and 
 a distal portion extending away from the gear system; and 
 
 a finger mounted to the stem and being moveable between:
 a retracted position where the finger is retracted sufficiently to allow the distal portion to be axially insertable with respect to the open end of the winch drum; and 
 an extended position where the finger extends through the lateral opening of the winch drum in order to engage and rotate the winch drum in response to rotation of the stem. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The winch-winding assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the gear system comprises a worm gear set comprising:
 a worm integrally connected to the drive shaft; and   a worm wheel connected to the proximal portion of the stem.   
     
     
         3 . The winch-winding assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the drive shaft is configured to be perpendicular with respect to the stem of the engagement arm. 
     
     
         4 . The winch-winding assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the drive shaft is configured to be engaged by a hand-held drill to effect the rotation thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The winch-winding assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the stem is a solid structure. 
     
     
         6 . The winch-winding assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the proximal portion of the stem is cylindrical and the distal portion of the stem is partial-cylindrical. 
     
     
         7 . The winch-winding assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the distal portion has a cross-section that is a segment of a circular cross-sectional of the proximal portion. 
     
     
         8 . The winch-winding assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the segment is spaced away from a cross-sectional center of the proximal portion. 
     
     
         9 . The winch-winding assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the finger comprises a finger opening through which a fastener is provided and fixed within the proximal portion of the stem. 
     
     
         10 . The winch-winding assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the fastener extends axially into the stem, and the finger is radially pivotable about the fastener. 
     
     
         11 . The winch-winding assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the fastener is offset with respect to a cross-sectional center of the proximal portion of the stem. 
     
     
         12 . The winch-winding assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the finger is a single one-piece structure. 
     
     
         13 . The winch-winding assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the finger has a shape such that an outer edge of the finger generally follows contours of the proximal portion of the stem. 
     
     
         14 . The winch-winding assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the finger has a generally quarter-stadium cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         15 . The winch-winding assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the finger is sized and configured such that in the retracted position the finger defines an outer perimeter that is fully within a cross-sectional area of the distal portion of the stem. 
     
     
         16 . The winch-winding assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the finger is pivotably mounted to the stem and is pivotable between the retracted position and the extended position. 
     
     
         17 . The winch-winding assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the engagement arm is configured such that the finger abuts on a first stop surface when pivoted in a first direction and abuts on a second stop surface when pivoted in a second direction. 
     
     
         18 . The winch-winding assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the first and second stop surfaces are defined by the distal portion of the stem. 
     
     
         19 . An assembly comprising:
 a gear system;   a drive shaft connected to the gear system and being rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof in order to cause rotation of the gear system;   the gear system comprising a worm gear set comprising:
 a worm integrally connected to the drive shaft; and 
 a worm wheel; 
   an engagement arm configured to engage with and rotate a rotatable component, the engagement arm comprising:
 a stem rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof and comprising:
 a proximal portion attached to the worm wheel to be rotated thereby; and 
 a distal portion extending away from the gear system; and 
 the stem of the engagement arm being configured to be perpendicular with respect to the drive shaft; 
 
 a finger mounted to the stem and being displaceable between:
 a retracted position where the finger is retracted and disengaged with respect to the rotatable component; and 
 an extended position where the finger extends and engages the rotatable component to permit rotation of the rotatable component in response to rotation of the stem. 
 
   
     
     
         20 . A winch-winding assembly connectable to a flatbed winch for winding tie-down straps, the flatbed winch comprising a winch drum having an open end and a lateral opening, the winch-winding assembly comprising:
 a gear system;   a drive shaft connected to the gear system and being rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof in order to cause rotation of the gear system;   an engagement arm configured to engage with and rotate the winch drum, the engagement arm comprising:
 a stem rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof and being configured to be perpendicular with respect to the drive shaft, the stem comprising:
 a proximal portion attached to the gear system to be rotated thereby; and 
 a distal portion extending away from the gear system; and 
 
 a finger mounted to the stem and being moveable perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal axis of the stem between:
 a retracted position where the finger is retracted sufficiently to allow the distal portion to be axially insertable with respect to the open end of the winch drum; and 
 an extended position where the finger extends through the lateral opening of the winch drum in order to engage and rotate the winch drum in response to rotation of the stem.