Portable Pulling Device and Method Thereof

Abstract

A portable pulling device and method therefore, the portable pulling device including a chassis frame, a power source, anchoring elements, a spool, a rope or cable attached thereon, and a centrifugal clutch with a chain or belt drive system allowing the ability to pull out the rope when the power source is at idle. The device further contains frame propulsion components such as wheels, skis, or tracks to facilitate movement of the pulling device into and through a confined area such as a forest or a barren area.

Claims

1. A portable pulling device, comprising: a frame having a front end, a rear end, and a plurality of side ends each having a first end and a second end; a power source mounted on the frame; an output shaft connected to the power source, said output shaft comprising a centrifugal clutch and a drive sprocket; a handle shaft connected to the rear end of the frame, said handle shaft extending vertically away from the frame; a front facing frame having a top edge, a bottom edge, a first side wall, and a second side wall, the front facing frame attached to the front end of the frame; an anchoring element having a top end and a bottom end, the anchoring element attached to the bottom edge of the front facing frame; a spool having distal ends, said spool positioned between the first side wall and the second side wall of the front facing frame, wherein said spool is capable of winding and unwinding a rope; a rear wheel sprocket attached to the spool; and propulsion components attached to the plurality of side ends of the frame.

2. The portable pulling device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of anchoring elements attached to the bottom edge of the front facing frame.

3. The portable pulling device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of anchoring elements further comprise triangular points on the bottom edges thereof.

4. The portable pulling device of claim 3, wherein an equilibrium guide bar is provided, the equilibrium guide bar attached to the top edge of the front facing frame and further attached to the bottom edge of the front frame.

5. The portable pulling device of claim 4, wherein a front shield wall is provided, said front shield wall attached to front facing frame.

6. The portable pulling device of claim 5, wherein the propulsion components are wheels.

7. The portable pulling device of claim 6, wherein a foot placement deck is provided at a position between the frame side ends.

8. The portable pulling device of claim 7, further comprising a rope attached to the spool, said rope having a rope attachment device thereon.

9. The portable pulling device of claim 8, wherein a roller chain is provided which contacts with the rear wheel sprocket and the drive sprocket.

10. A portable pulling device, comprising: a frame having a front end and a rear end; a plurality of vertically sloped side walls connecting the front end and the rear end of the frame; an engine mounted on the frame; a front facing frame having a front face, a rear face, a top edge, a bottom edge, a first side wall, and a second side wall, the front facing frame attached at the bottom edge to the front end of the frame; a first pillowblock attached to the rear face of the first side wall of the front facing frame, and a second pillowblock attached to the rear face of the second side wall of the front facing frame; a spool having distal ends, said spool coupled to the first pillowblock and the second pillowblock; a handle shaft having a top end and a bottom end, the handle shaft connected to the rear end of the frame at the bottom end thereof, said handle shaft extending vertically away from the frame; a horizontally extending handlebar attached to the top end of the handle shaft; a throttle cable having a first end and a second end, the throttle cable coupled at the first end to the engine; a throttle handle coupled to the second end of the throttle cable; an anchoring element having a top end a bottom end, the anchoring element attached to the front facing frame; an output shaft connected to the power source, said output shaft comprising a centrifugal clutch and a drive sprocket; a rear wheel sprocket attached to the spool; a roller chain coupled to the rear wheel sprocket and additionally coupled to the drive sprocket; and propulsion components attached to the plurality of side ends of the frame.

11. The portable pulling device of claim 10, further comprising a rope attached to the spool, said rope having a rope attachment device thereon.

12. The portable pulling device of claim 11, wherein the anchoring element further comprises a triangular point on the bottom end thereof.

13. The portable pulling device of claim 12, wherein the propulsion components are one of wheels, skis, and tracks.

14. The portable pulling device of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of anchoring elements.

15. The portable pulling device of claim 14, further comprising side walls connected to the front facing frame and extending directionally away from said front facing frame.

16. The portable pulling device of claim 15, wherein the engine is a combustible engine.

17. The portable pulling device of claim 16, further comprising a front facing shield wall attached to the front facing frame.

18. The portable pulling device of claim 17, further comprising a luminescent light.

19. A method for transporting an object from a first location to a second location, comprising the steps of: providing a portable pulling device having a frame chassis, and a front facing frame attached to the frame chassis; providing a power source mounted on said frame chassis; providing a throttle cable having a first end and a second end, the throttle cable attached to the power source on the first end; providing a throttle handle coupled to the throttle cable on the second end; providing a centrifugal clutch coupled to the power source, and a chain drive train coupled to the centrifugal clutch; providing a handle having a handlebar to the frame chassis; providing a spool with a rope for the alternate winding and dewinding of the rope; providing anchoring elements on the front facing frame; affixing the rope around an object to be pulled; releasing the clutch; applying downward force on the handlebar, releasing the anchoring elements from contact with the ground; moving the portable pulling device to a second position; deploying the anchoring elements into the ground as a counterweight; engaging the throttle handle and spool, retracting the rope towards the spool; releasing the throttle handle when the object is near the second position; and removing the rope from the object.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the power source is a combustible engine.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0029] One or more preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout and in which:

[0030] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the portable pulling device with the pulling device spool shown utilizing a synthetic rope;

[0031] FIG. 2 is a second perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the portable pulling device and the power source therefore;

[0032] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the portable pulling device showing a chain drivetrain;

[0033] FIG. 4 is a side-perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the portable pulling device;

[0034] FIG. 5 is a vertical perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the portable pulling device where the device utilizes a handle and a throttle thereon;

[0035] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the portable pulling device wherein a front shield wall and an oblique side wall is provided.

[0036] FIG. 7 illustrates a method to pull an object in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

[0037] Before explaining one or more embodiments of the disclosed invention in detail, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited in its application to the details or modes of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or previously disclosed illustrations. This invention is capable of multiple embodiments and modes, which can be practiced or carried out in many various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description, and should not be regarded as limiting, or used as an absolute.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0038] Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of a portable pulling device 10 in accordance with the present invention that is a chassis frame 20 having a generally rectangular shape, and a power source 30 attached thereon.

[0039] The device spool 120 as shown here is generally cylindrical, and a cable, or in this particular embodiment, a rope 60, is wound thereon. A rear wheel sprocket 140 is attached near a distal end of the pulling device spool 120, and both ends of the pulling device spool 120 are mated with a pillow block 220 (as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4).

[0040] The pillow blocks 220 are attached to a front-facing frame 40 by way of front-facing frame attachments 170 to provide stability. The front-facing frame 40 of the embodiment of the present invention shown here is a rectangular chassis with equilibrium guide bars 230, which assist in the winding of the rope 60 upon the spool 120, such that the rope 60 does not get wound cattywampus or otherwise improperly interact with the rear wheel sprocket 140.

[0041] The rope 60 on the spool 120 may additionally contain a rope attachment device 65, which is a device used to surround the object with the rope 60. The rope attachment device 65 as shown here is a carabiner, otherwise known as a d-clip, but may be any other type of attachment method or device as described above.

[0042] The front-facing frame 40 of the present invention further includes anchoring elements 50, attached to the front-facing frame front edge bottom 175, wherein said anchoring elements 50 are shown in this embodiment as generally vertical posts containing a triangular point 55 at a distal end. These triangular points 55 interact with the ground, so as to provide a counterweight to the pulling action of the device 10 on the object desired to be pulled.

[0043] The front facing frame 40 is attached to the chassis frame 20 by way of oblique support arms 240, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The front facing frame 40 may be positioned at a generally right-angle to the chassis frame 20, such as shown, though it may be positioned at an acute or obtuse angle, depending on the location and desired use of the pulling device 10.

[0044] Turning now to FIG. 2, the power source 30 of the portable pulling device 10 is shown. The power source 30 shown here is a small gasoline engine which is attached to the chassis frame 20 by way of power source frame attachments 160. While the power source 30 may be welded or otherwise formed into the chassis frame 20 itself, here the power source frame attachments 160 are bolts.

[0045] On the end of the chassis frame 20 opposite that of the front-facing frame 40, a carrying handle shaft 90 may be attached to the chassis frame 20 on a carrying handle connection point 95 located on the outer frame edge 105. This carrying handle shaft 90 helps to support the carrying handlebar 200 (shown in FIG. 5) and assists the user in moving the portable pulling device 10 itself, as will be described in detail below.

[0046] The power source 30 as shown in this embodiment is a gasoline engine which is coupled to a drivetrain 210 by way of an output shaft 150 (as shown in FIG. 2). The output shaft 150 is combined with a centrifugal clutch 70 which is connected to the drive sprocket 130 which interacts with a rear wheel sprocket 140 by way of a roller chain 80 to form a drivetrain 210.

[0047] The drivetrain 210 moves the spool 120 and retracts the rope 60 when the throttle handle 180 (shown in FIG. 5) is engaged. The centrifugal clutch 70 and the spool 120 are not activated until the power source 30 provides power to the output shaft 150, such that the rope 60 may be released from the spool 120 by pulling on the rope 60 itself in a direction away from said spool 120.

[0048] Once the throttle handle 180 (shown in FIG. 5) is activated, and provides power to the power source 30 by way of the throttle cable 190 coupled to the power source 30 at a throttle cable connection point 195, the power source 30 provides power to the output shaft 150, the centrifugal clutch 70 activates, and the drivetrain 210 provides rotational torque to the spool 120 such that the rope 60 is retracted back into position on the spool 120.

[0049] To move the portable pulling device 10, a user produces downward force on the carrying handlebar 200 (shown in FIG. 5), which induces the anchoring elements 50 and the triangular points 55, if any, to release contact with the ground, and the chassis frame 20 to be diagonal when juxtaposed with a flat ground, such that the outer frame edge 105 is nearer to the ground than the front-facing frame front edge bottom 175. When this is done, the user may produce a force on the carrying handlebar 200 (shown in FIG. 5), in a side direction or in a pushing or pulling motion so as to move the portable pulling device 10 by way of the frame propulsion components, such as skis, tracks, or wheels 110 in the direction of the horizontal force applied. Another optional provisional is the attachment of a foot placement deck 106 (shown in FIG. 6) attached to the outer frame-edge 105. A user may place their foot on the foot placement deck 106, to coincide with the downward force applied on the carrying handlebar 200 as described above.

[0050] The chassis frame 20 in this preferred embodiment of the present invention shows optional vertical slopes 100 which provide a height element to the chassis frame 20 of the portable pulling device 10 when viewed from the side as in this figure. The outer frame edge 105 can impact the ground when the user is moving the portable pulling device 10 as described above, and the vertical slopes 100 provide additional clearance for the outer frame edge 105 as to the ground when the portable pulling device 10 is being moved.

[0051] Moving now to FIGS. 3-4, a preferred embodiment of the portable pulling device 10 constructed in accordance with the present invention is shown from alternate side perspective views. As is made clear, the pulling device 10 is resting on the wheels 110 and the anchoring elements 50. The anchoring elements 50 may contain additional weight at the distal end contacting the ground, or it may have sharpened edges, such as the triangular points 55 as is shown in this embodiment. These anchoring elements 50 provide that the weight of the pulling device 10 itself is the counterweight that allows the portable pulling device 10 to not be required to strap down to a tree or vehicle while the rope 60 is being retracted and the pulling device 10 is in operation with a pulled object.

[0052] It is contemplated herein that the anchoring elements 50 may alternatively be connected to the front-facing frame edge bottom 175 as well as the front-facing frame front edge top 176 and thus be dual-purpose acting additionally as equilibrium guide bars 230.

[0053] The chassis frame 20 as shown is generally rectangular, but it is contemplated herein that the frame may be constructed in any general shape such as an oval, a triangle, a circle, or any quadrilateral while adhering to the spirit of the invention as disclosed herein. The power source 30 is located on top of the chassis frame 20 and between the carrying handle shaft 90 and the front-facing frame 40. As described above, the pillow blocks 220, which couple with the device spool 120 are attached to the front-facing frame 40 by way of front-facing frame attachments 170 as shown from alternative sides in FIGS. 3-4.

[0054] To provide supplemental stability to the front-facing frame 40, oblique support arms 240 may be utilized, which are generally support rods connected to the front-facing frame 40 on one end, and to the chassis frame 20 on the opposite end.

[0055] Additionally, a frame guide arm 250 may be provided and positioned as one optional method is shown in FIG. 4, whereupon parts of the power source 30 can be positioned, such as the throttle cable connection point 195. This frame guide arm 250 thus provides additional stability to the power source 30 components.

[0056] In FIG. 5 a vertical top-down perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the portable pulling device 10 is shown. The carrying handle shaft 90 is connected to a carrying handlebar 200. The carrying handlebar 200 as shown here is coupled with a throttle handle 180 which is coupled to a throttle cable 190. The throttle cable connects to the power source 30 by way of a throttle cable connection point 195, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.

[0057] Looking at FIG. 6, an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, wherein the portable pulling device 10 is shown where the equilibrium guide bars 230 are covered by an optional front shield wall 235, which is a cover around or approximately around the front-facing frame 40, so designed to prevent debris from ingressing the portable pulling device 10, or the rear wheel sprocket 140. Also shown are the anchoring elements 50 attached to or around the front-facing frame 40 or the front-facing frame front edge bottom 175 by way of optional front-facing frame attachments 170. In this embodiment shown here, the oblique support arms 240 are covered and shielded by way of an optional oblique side wall 245, which is a cover designed to prevent debris or obstructions from ingressing the portable pulling device 10.

[0058] A method for pulling an object 260 out of a confined or barren area is depicted in FIG. 7. Those with skill in the art will understand that this method for pulling an object 260 can be performed in various orders and arrangements, rearranging the steps as illustrated herein, and adding some additional actions, and further knowing that some steps are not necessary in particular circumstances.

[0059] This method for pulling an object 260 generally commences upon the action S1 of providing a portable pulling device 10. In currently preferred embodiments, the portable pulling device 10 has a frame chassis 20, anchoring elements 50, a power source 30, a centrifugal clutch 70, a rope 60 or cable attached to a spool 120, and frame propulsion components such as skis, tracks, or wheels 110.

[0060] The method for pulling an object 260 further includes the action S2 of attaching the rope 60 around the object desired to be pulled or moved, by way of tying the rope, or using a rope attachment device 65 as described above.

[0061] After attaching the rope 60 to the object, or surrounding the object with the rope 60, the carrying handlebar 200 is tilted toward the ground, causing the frame chassis 20 to be diagonal to the ground, whereupon the anchoring elements 50 are released, and the portable pulling device 10 is pushed or pulled and moved to a desired location S3.

[0062] Once in location, the anchoring elements 50 reengage the ground S4 as the frame chassis 20 is put back in a generally parallel to the ground position, whereupon the portable pulling device 10 provides a counterweight.

[0063] Once in position and with the portable pulling device 10 acting as a counterweight, the throttle handle 180 is engaged S5, and the power source 30 activates, which causes the centrifugal clutch 70 and drivetrain 210 to provide rotation torque on the spool 120, thereby retracting the rope 60, and thus the object, towards the portable pulling device 10.

[0064] After the object is brought towards the desired location, the user may repeat steps 3-5 if necessary, until the object is in the final desired location S6. At this point, remove the rope from the object S7.

[0065] Understandably, the present invention has been described above in terms of one or more preferred embodiments and methods. It is recognized that various alternatives and modifications may be made to these embodiments and methods that are within the scope of the present invention. It is also to be understood that, although the foregoing description and drawings describe and illustrate in detail one or more preferred embodiments of the present invention, to those skilled any art to which the present invention relates, the present disclosure will suggest many modifications and constructions, as well as widely differing embodiments, applications and methods without thereby departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.