Portable Winch-Bollard Rigging Plate for Controlled Load Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing winches are dangerous when releasing lines under extreme load, leading to uncontrolled free-fall of heavy loads, and current mountable rigging devices are cumbersome and heavy, making them difficult to transport and set up.
Innovation Solution
A portable self-tailing winch and rigging bollard device that includes a self-tailing winch, rigging bollard, and rigging plate, designed for structural toughness, reduced weight, and ease of use, with dual fairleads for independent operation of rigging lines to prevent entanglement and ensure safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a winch is used to tension lines and lift loads, then mechanical power and efficiency are improved, but safety deteriorates due to risk of uncontrolled free-fall when releasing lines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a winch and bollard into a single integrated device, allowing the winch to provide mechanical power for tensioning while the bollard provides friction-based control for safe release, thus resolving the safety issue without sacrificing power
Solution Approach 2:
The bollard acts as an intermediary between the winch and the load during release operations, providing controlled friction that prevents uncontrolled free-fall while allowing the winch to maintain its full power capability
2Strength
If traditional mountable rigging devices are used to provide structural toughness, then strength and reliability are improved, but portability deteriorates due to excessive weight and cumbersome setup
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the winch and bollard into a single portable unit with a common base plate, the device achieves the structural toughness of traditional mountable devices while reducing overall weight and simplifying setup
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated device performs multiple functions (tensioning, holding, and controlled release) in a single unit, eliminating the need for multiple separate heavy components while maintaining structural integrity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device allows for safe and efficient movement of heavy loads by balancing tension and release forces, preventing unexpected unspooling and entanglement, while being lightweight and easy to transport and set up.
Implementation Method 1
Bollards are successfully used to provide variable friction to ropes to hold and/or lower attached objects
Implementation Method 2
winches are used to tension ropes and lift attached objects
Data Source
AI summary
A portable self-tailing winch and rigging bollard device that contains a self-tailing winch and a rigging bollard that are permanently fixed on a rigging plate. Other options include fairleads for rigging lines and ports for additional rigging attachments. The rigging plate is portable and can be easily anchored to any suitable structure located either inside or outside of a building. The self-tailing winch and rigging bollard can be operated by a single individual to control the tension of rigging lines for safely re-positioning or holding a load. For optimal safety, both the self-tailing winch and rigging bollard are fastened to the load and synchronously operated with fairleads to maintain or alter position of the load to a desired location.