Pivoting Winch Support Bar for Tractor Roll Bar Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Farm vehicles, such as tractors, face difficulties in lifting and attaching heavy equipment due to the cumbersome and aesthetically unpleasing nature of existing solutions, which can pose safety risks and operational challenges for single users.
Innovation Solution
A power winch equipment crane system with a U-shaped winch support bar that pivots between a vertical and horizontal position, allowing the power winch to be positioned over the implement for easy attachment to the tractor, featuring hinge members for secure attachment to the tractor roll bar and stop members for bracing, along with a movable securing member for locking in the vertical position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a barn hoist is used to mechanically lift implements, then lifting capability is improved, but device complexity and operational limitations increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the lifting function from a fixed barn hoist system and relocates it to a portable crane that can be positioned anywhere near the implement. This removes the complexity of installing permanent barn infrastructure while maintaining the lifting capability through a self-contained mobile unit with its own power winch and positioning mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a portable crane as an intermediary device between the implement and the final mounting position. This mediator provides the lifting force while allowing flexible positioning, eliminating the need for direct barn hoist installation and reducing overall system complexity by using a standalone unit rather than integrated infrastructure.
2Productivity
If a quick hitch is installed on the tractor, then attachment speed is improved, but device complexity and aesthetic appearance worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the quick attachment function from a permanent tractor-mounted quick hitch and relocates it to a portable crane system. This allows rapid positioning and attachment operations without modifying the tractor itself, reducing device complexity by avoiding integration with the vehicle's existing systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a dynamic, movable crane that can be repositioned as needed rather than a fixed quick hitch installation. The crane's ability to move and pivot provides quick attachment capability while maintaining aesthetic appearance by not permanently altering the tractor's structure or adding obtrusive fixed components.
3Device complexity
If heavy equipment is lifted by hand, then no additional equipment is needed, but safety and operational efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The portable crane is designed to be self-contained with its own power winch, hinge members, and positioning mechanisms, requiring no external barn infrastructure or additional equipment. It provides mechanical lifting assistance that ensures user safety while maintaining operational simplicity through its integrated, standalone design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the lifting function into a separate, portable crane unit rather than integrating it into the tractor or barn structure. This segmentation allows the crane to provide safe mechanical assistance independently while keeping the overall system simple and requiring no complex installation or additional equipment.
4Ease of operation
If the winch support bar remains horizontal for storage, then accessibility is improved, but aesthetic appearance and space utilization worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The winch support bar is designed to be dynamic rather than fixed, capable of pivoting between horizontal and vertical positions. When not in use, it can be raised to a vertical position that improves aesthetic appearance and space utilization, while remaining easily accessible when needed by pivoting back to horizontal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the vertical dimension for storage positioning, allowing the winch support bar to be raised upward when not in use. This dimensional change from horizontal to vertical positioning improves aesthetic appearance and space utilization while maintaining easy accessibility through simple pivoting motion.
Data Source
AI summary
A power winch equipment crane system to be used with a tractor roll bar, the system including a winch support bar configured to be generally U-shaped having two side portions and a middle portion connecting the two side portions, a power winch attached to the winch support bar proximate a midpoint of the middle portion of the winch support bar, and hinge members provided respectively proximate each end of the winch support bar and configured to couple the winch support bar to the tractor roll bar in a pivoting arrangement, the hinge members configured such that the winch support bar is pivotable between a substantially vertical position when not in use, and a substantially horizontal position in which the power winch is positioned at a point spaced back from the tractor so as to be located over an implement that is attachable to the tractor.