Forestry Winch Plate With Internal Reinforcements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Forestry winches with a transversely placed drum axis face issues due to external reinforcements on the plate, which can lead to damage and financial burdens when logs hit, as existing solutions either lack necessary protection or complicate log pulling.
Innovation Solution
A plate design with internal reinforcements, such as ribs or U-profiles, on the back side of the winch plate provides structural support while maintaining a smooth front side for easier log sliding, using materials like steel to optimize force distribution and prevent drum damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If reinforcements are added to the front side of the plate to protect the drum, then the protection capability improves, but logs hit into the reinforcements causing damage and work stoppages
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement structure is inverted from the conventional front-side placement to an internal configuration. The plate back side is bent at an angle of 45-90 degrees to create a reinforcement structure that faces inward, away from the log pulling direction. This inversion allows the reinforcement to protect the drum from rearward forces without protruding into the log path, eliminating the harmful impact effect while maintaining protection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcement structure transitions from a two-dimensional front-side attachment to a three-dimensional internal configuration. By bending the plate back side at an angle and extending it inward, the reinforcement operates in a different spatial dimension (the interior volume of the winch), allowing it to provide structural support without interfering with the external log pulling operation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a thick uniform reinforcement plate is used on the back side, then structural rigidity improves, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement structure is segmented into distinct functional zones: a base plate portion and a bent reinforcement portion extending inward at an angle. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently - the base plate provides overall support while the bent portion provides targeted reinforcement where needed, reducing material requirements and simplifying manufacturing compared to a uniformly thick plate.
Solution Approach 2:
The plate thickness and reinforcement geometry are optimized by changing key parameters: the bend angle (45-90 degrees), the extension length of the reinforcement portion, and the localized thickness distribution. These parameter changes enable achieving the required rigidity with thinner, easier-to-manufacture plates rather than requiring thick uniform reinforcement throughout.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention belongs to the field of forestry winches, more particularly to the field of constructional details for forestry winches. The invention relates to an improved winch with a transversely placed axis of the drum for winding rope with regards to the panel, in particular to the improved panel for the said winch. The essence of the invention is in that the said winch has a plate (1), which is smooth in its middle part (11) without any outer reinforcements, while the latter are mounted on the back side (fig. 3) facing the winch interior. The reinforcements (16a, 16b) may be ribs, tubes, U-profiles or any other profile, which can be installed in the approximate middle of the plate. The reinforcement may be longitudinal, vertical, diagonal, cross-shaped, shaped as a curve, shaped as a grid or any other geometric figure. The plate according to the invention enables easier sliding of the logs left-and-right during pulling, while the drum is suitable protected against forces created during hits of logs into the winch. Consequently, work is safer and faster and also logs cannot be damaged.