CABLE BARRIER WINCH SYSTEM

Abstract

A winch system for tightening and tensioning barrier cables for cable barrier systems includes a fairlead vertically movable with respect to the winch assembly. The winch system is connected to a base frame that can be attached to a vehicle for moving and for providing power to the winch and movement of the fairlead. The vertically movable fairlead allows each barrier cable to be positioned and tensioned while supported by the post of the cable barrier system to avoid damage to the posts and negatively impacting the operational strength of the cable barrier system.

Claims

1. A winch system, comprising: a winch assembly adapted to connect to a cable; and a fairlead vertically movable with respect to the winch assembly.

2. The winch system of claim 1, further comprising: a fairlead frame assembly, comprising: a vertical trackway with a first end and a second end, comprising: a front track section; and a rear track section; and wherein the fairlead comprises: a bracket with a first end and a second end; and a first roller assembly mounted to the bracket; wherein the bracket is movable within the vertical trackway.

3. The winch system of claim 2, further comprising: wherein the fairlead frame assembly further comprises: a main guard forming a frame; an actuator, wherein the actuator is operably connected to the bracket for moving the bracket within the vertical trackway; and a barrier material connected to the main guard.

4. The winch system of claim 2, further comprising: a base frame connected to the fairlead frame assembly, the base frame extending from a front end to a rear end; wherein the rear end forms a flat main section and a recess proximate an upper end of the main section; and wherein the recess is adapted to receive a mating plate.

5. The winch system of claim 4, further comprising: a ground-engaging structure at the base frame front end.

6. The winch system of claim 2, further comprising: a first bearing at the bracket first end, wherein the first bearing travels within the vertical trackway; and a second bearing at the bracket second end, wherein the second bearing travels within the vertical trackway.

7. The winch system of claim 2, further comprising: wherein the first roller assembly comprises an upper roller spaced from a lower roller forming a vertical opening.

8. A winch system, comprising: a base frame extending from a front end to a rear end, wherein the rear end is adapted for attachment to power equipment; a winch assembly connected to the base frame; a fairlead frame assembly at the base frame front end, comprising: a vertical trackway with a first end and a second end: a fairlead, comprising: an upper roller spaced from a lower roller, with the rollers forming a vertical opening; a bracket extending between a first end and a second end, comprising: a first bearing at the bracket first end; a second bearing at the bracket second end; wherein the first bearing travels within the vertical trackway first end; wherein the second bearing travels within the vertical trackway second end; and wherein the bracket is connected to the fairlead.

9. The winch system of claim 8, further comprising: wherein the fairlead frame assembly further comprises: an actuator operably connected to the bracket for moving the bracket vertically within the vertical trackway.

10. The winch system of claim 9, further comprising: wherein the fairlead frame assembly further comprises: a main guard with a first side portion and an opposite second side portion; and a barrier material connecting the first side portion and second side portion.

11. The winch system of claim 8, further comprising: wherein the winch assembly comprises: a spool; and a motor operably connected to the spool for rotating the spool.

12. The winch system of claim 8, further comprising: wherein the base frame rear end is adapted to connect to power equipment.

13. The winch system of claim 8, further comprising: wherein the base frame front end forms a ground-engaging structure.

14. A winch system, comprising: a base frame extending from a front end to a rear end; a winch assembly connected to the base frame, comprising: a spool; and a cable attached to the spool; a fairlead frame assembly at the base frame front end, comprising: a vertical trackway with a first end and a second end, comprising: a front track section; and a rear track section; a barrier material connected to the fairlead frame assembly; a fairlead, comprising: an upper roller spaced from a lower roller; a first side roller spaced from a second side roller; and wherein the rollers form a rectangular opening through which the cable passes; a bracket extending between a first end and a second end, comprising: a pair of bearings at the first end; a pair of bearings at the second end; wherein the bearings travel within the vertical trackway; and wherein the bracket is connected to the fairlead; and an actuator operably connected to the bracket for moving the bracket vertically within the vertical trackway.

15. The winch system of claim 14, further comprising: a mount connected to the main guard and the vertical trackway; and wherein a first end of the actuator is connected to the mount, and a second end of the actuator is connected to the bracket.

16. The winch system of claim 14, further comprising: a motor operably connected to the spool for rotating the spool.

17. The winch system of claim 14, further comprising: wherein the base frame rear end is adapted to connect to power equipment.

18. The winch system of claim 17, further comprising: wherein the base frame rear end forms a flat main section and a recess proximate an upper end of the main section; and wherein the recess is adapted to receive a mating plate.

19. The winch system of claim 14, further comprising: wherein the base frame front end forms a ground-engaging structure.

20. The winch system of claim 14, further comprising: a cable tensioner operably connected to the base frame for tensioning the cable.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The present disclosed subject matter is described herein with reference to the following drawing figures, with greater emphasis being placed on clarity rather than scale:

[0007] FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view of a cable barrier winch system according to aspects of the disclosed subject matter.

[0008] FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the cable barrier winch system.

[0009] FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the cable barrier winch system.

[0010] FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the cable barrier winch system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] Referring to FIGS. 1-4, a cable barrier winch system 110 is shown embodying principles of the disclosed subject matter for tightening and tensioning cables of cable barrier systems adjacent to roadways. Although the system 110 is described for use with cable barrier systems, the system 110 has applicability to other applications where control of the pulling angle of installation of a cable is desired.

[0012] Cable barriers are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,568,679, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. Cable barrier systems use several cables supported above the ground by a series of posts, with the cables terminating at end terminals. The cables are typically steel wire rope, which are heavy, and are required to be stretched between the terminals and supported by the posts for the cable barrier system to operate properly to absorb the impact of vehicles. The barrier cables are often attached to the posts by passing through a cable connector connected to the post. The cables need to be tensioned while supported by the posts and without damaging the posts or connectors as damage can negatively impact the operational strength of the cable barrier system.

[0013] The cable barrier winch system 110 includes a frame assembly 102 with a winch assembly 122 that moves a cable 112 guided by a fairlead 124. The cable 112 is attached to the barrier cable of the cable barrier system. The frame assembly 102 generally includes a base frame 120 with a rear end adapted to attach to power equipment, and with the fairlead frame assembly 148 attached to the front end. The winch assembly 122 includes a spool 130 connected to the cable 112 for storing the cable and for tightening the barrier cable of a cable barrier system to the desired tension for optimal vehicle-catching performance. The cable 112 is connected to the spool 130 in the conventional manner, such as feeding the cable through the spool 130 and securing it with a wedge or bolt. The spool 130 has a width and a diameter to accommodate the diameter and length of cable 112 used. The spool 130 is rotated by a motor 132 powered by a power source. In an implementation, the motor is a hydraulic motor 132 powered by a hydraulic power source. The motor 132 may be directly connected to the spool 130, or may be connected to the spool 130 by a gear assembly 134.

[0014] The winch assembly 122 may also include a cable tensioner 136 operably mounted to the winch assembly 122. In an implementation, the cable tensioner 136 is pivotally mounted with respect to the spool 130 whereby the cable tensioner 136 remains in contact with the cable 112 as the cable is wound onto or off of the spool 130.

[0015] The fairlead 124 includes a first roller assembly 140 and a second roller assembly 141 mounted to a roller bracket 138, forming a rectangular opening 142 through which the cable 112 passes. The horizontal size of the opening 142 is determined by the distance between the lateral spacing between the adjacent first or upper and second or lower rollers of the first roller assembly 140, and the vertical size of the opening 142 is determined by the distance between the vertical spacing between adjacent first or left and second or right rollers of the second roller assembly 141. The size of the opening may be varied to accommodate the diameter of the cable 112 used.

[0016] The fairlead 124 is movably mounted to the fairlead frame assembly 148 by the bracket 138 enabling the cable 112 to be positioned at a desired height with respect to the cable barrier post to optimize the cable tensioning process. In an implementation, the bracket 138 is slidably mounted for vertical movement with respect to the frame assembly 148 by a track 150 and actuator 152. The track 150 forms a vertical trackway. In an implementation, the trackway is formed by track frame with a first end 156 and an opposing second end 158. In an implementation, the track frame is formed by a front track section 150a and a back or rear track section 150b connected at the top by a crossbar, and at the bottom to the base frame 120. The bracket 138 has a first end and a second end, and is disposed between the front track section 150a and the rear track section 150b. The front track section 150a can be removed to detach the fairlead 124 from the cable barrier winch system 110. One or more rollers 143 such as bearings on the sides of the bracket 138 aid in guiding vertical movement of the bracket 138 within the track 150. A first end of the actuator 152 is attached to the fairlead frame assembly 148, and a second end of the actuator 152 is attached to the bracket 138. In an implementation, the actuator 152 is a hydraulic cylinder. In an implementation, the second end of the actuator 152 is attached to the bracket 138 by a mount 154 extending from the main guard 160 at a first end and the track 150 at a second end.

[0017] The fairlead frame assembly 148 may include a main guard 160 providing protection for an operator of the cable barrier winch system 110, such as if the cable 112 breaks during the tightening or tension of cables of a cable barrier system. In an implementation the main guard 160 forms a frame, such as a rectangular frame, having an upper portion, a first side portion, and an opposite second side portion. In an implementation, a barrier material 161 (FIG. 3), such as a series of bars or a woven wire mesh partially occupies the area framed by the main guard 160 and is connected to the main guard 160 adding protection to the operator, for example, operating power equipment positioned at the rear end of the cable barrier system 100 opposite the cable barrier system the system 110 is connected to.

[0018] The cable barrier winch system 110 may also include a side guard 162 mounted to the base frame 120 providing further protection for an operator of the cable barrier winch system 110, such as if the cable 112 breaks during the tightening or tension of cables of a cable barrier system. The side guard 162 extends from the fairlead frame assembly 148 to the rear of the cable barrier winch system 110. The side guard 162 may have a variety of configurations. In an implementation, the side guard 162 is metal.

[0019] Referring to FIGS. 3-4, the fairlead 124 is shown in a first position at the top of the track 150 with cable 112a extending through the fairlead 124a, and the fairlead 124b is also shown in phantom lines in a second position at the bottom of the track 150 with cable 112b extending through the fairlead 124.

[0020] The front end of the cable barrier winch system 110 includes anchoring components that engage the ground when the system is in use. The anchoring components increase the stability of the system 110 during use. In an implementation, the anchoring component is a plate at the front of the base frame 120 extending from the base frame 120 forming a wedge 164 structure at the front of the frame assembly 102 that extends downward from the base frame 120, and across the front of the base frame 120.

[0021] The rear end of the cable barrier winch system 110 may form an attachment plate 170 adapted to enable the cable barrier winch system 110 to be quickly attached and detached from power equipment, such as a skid steer loader. In an implementation, referring to FIG. 2, the attachment plate 170 may include a flat main section 172 and a recess 174 proximate an upper end of the main section 172 where the recess 174 is adapted to receive a mating plate. When the cable barrier winch system 110 is connected to power equipment, a mating plate (not shown) on the power equipment is positioned adjacent the flat main section 172 so that an upper end of the mating plate extends into the recess 174, thereby connecting the two devices together. A locking mechanism (not shown) may be used to restrict movement of the cable barrier winch system 110 with respect to the power equipment. A person of skill in the art will appreciate that the locking mechanism may have a variety of configurations and may be manually or hydraulically operable.

[0022] The base frame 120 may also be equipped with loops 180 for attaching cables. If the cable barrier winch system 110 is attached to movable power equipment, such as a skid steer loader, the cable can be initially drawn tight by movement of the skid steer loader pulling on the cable.

[0023] In use, the cable barrier winch system 110 is attached to the power equipment. The power equipment positions the system 110 proximate to a location where the system 110 is desired to be used, such as adjacent a post in the cable barrier system, and may supply the necessary power, such as hydraulic power, to the hydraulic motor 132 and actuator 152. In an implementation, the hydraulic motor 132 and actuator 152 are connected to a hydraulic manifold of the power equipment, and the power equipment controls movement of the motor 132 and actuator 152. The wedge 164 is moved into the ground to avoid or limit movement of the cable barrier winch system 110 as the barrier cable is being tightened because movement of the cable barrier winch system 110 during barrier cable tightening could change the alignment of the barrier cable with the post, damaging components of the cable barrier system and negatively impacting the operational strength of the cable barrier system.

[0024] The actuator 152 is used to adjust the fairlead 124 to a desired height with respect to the adjacent post to align the barrier cable connected to the cable 112 with the cable connector attached to the post so as to not damage components of the cable barrier system. The hydraulic motor 132 is activated to rotate the spool 130 and tighten the barrier cable with respect to the post in the cable barrier system. The height of the fairlead 124 is adjusted to correspond with the height of the cable connector the barrier cable is passing through. The adjustable fairlead 124 allows an operator to minimize the pressure on the post and the cable connector during cable tensioning as undue forces or pressure could negatively impact the operational strength of the cable barrier system.