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A winch is powered by a motor mounted at one end of a drum through a three-stage planetary drive train disposed adjacent the opposite end of the drum. The motor includes a first drive shaft which extends axially into the interior of the drum. The drive train includes a second drive shaft which exten

A winch is powered by a motor mounted at one end of a drum through a three-stage planetary drive train disposed adjacent the opposite end of the drum. The motor includes a first drive shaft which extends axially into the interior of the drum. The drive train includes a second drive shaft which extends axially into the interior of the drum toward the motor. A brake-clutch assembly is disposed within the interior of the drum and operably interconnects the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft. The brake-clutch assembly operates automatically in response to the direction of the torque being transmitted between the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft. In operation, the brake-clutch assembly permits the second drive shaft to rotate relative to and power the drum to reel in the load on the cable and then frictionally locks the second drive shaft to the inside diameter of the drum to hold the load on the cable when the motor is stopped. When the motor is operating in the reverse direction to reel out the load attached to the cable, the brake-clutch assembly will frictionally bear against the inside diameter of the drum if needed to control the rotational speed of the drum to prevent it from overrunning the motor.

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1. A winch comprising: (a) a hollow cable winding drum rotatable about a longitudinal axis; (b) a reversible motor means disposed longitudinally of a first end of said drum, said motor means including a first drive shaft means extending axially within said hollow drum; (c) a power transmitting

1. A winch comprising: (a) a hollow cable winding drum rotatable about a longitudinal axis; (b) a reversible motor means disposed longitudinally of a first end of said drum, said motor means including a first drive shaft means extending axially within said hollow drum; (c) a power transmitting means operably connected to said drum and disposed longitudinally of an opposite, second end of said drum, said power transmitting means including a second drive shaft means extending axially within said hollow drum toward said first end of said drum; (d) brake-clutch means disposed within said drum for drivingly interconnecting said first drive shaft means with said second drive shaft means, said brake-clutch means comprising: (1) first brake means and second brake means for automatically frictionally engaging directly against the inside of said hollow drum when the direction of the torque load transmitted between said first drive shaft means and said second drive shaft means is in a first direction and automatically disengaging from the inside of said hollow drum when the direction of the torque load transmitted between said first drive shaft means and said second drive shaft means is in the opposite direction; (2) a first overrunning clutch means disposed between said first drive shaft means and said first brake means permitting relative rotation between said first drive shaft means and said first brake means in a first direction but preventing relative rotation between said first drive shaft means and said first brake means in the opposite direction; and (3) a second overrunning clutch means disposed between said second drive shaft means and said second brake means permitting relative rotation between said second drive shaft means and said second brake means in said first direction but preventing relative rotation between said second drive shaft means and said second brake means in said opposite direction; (e) said first brake means comprising a first friction ring assembly, said first friction ring assembly including a frustoconically-shaped mandrel coupled to said first overrunning clutch means, a first correspondingly-shaped frustoconical expandable friction ring antirotationally coupled to said first mandrel, and means for antirotationally coupling said first friction ring to said first mandrel to prohibit relative rotation while allowing relative longitudinal movement between said first friction ring and said first mandrel; (f) said second brake means comprising a second friction ring assembly, said second friction ring assembly including a second frustoconically-shaped mandrel coupled to said second overrunning clutch means, a second correspondingly-shaped frustoconical expandable friction ring antirotationally coupled to said second mandrel, and means for antirotationally coupling said second friction ring to said second mandrel to prohibit relative rotation while allowing relative longitudinal movement between said second friction ring and said second mandrel; (g) brake actuator means automatically responsive to the direction of the torque load transmitted between said first drive shaft means and said second drive shaft means to expand said first and second friction rings against the inside diameter of said hollow drum when the direction of the torque load transmitted between said first drive shaft means and said second drive shaft means is in a first direction and to contract said first and second friction rings away from the inside diameter of said hollow drum when the direction of the torque load transmitted between said first drive shaft means and said second drive shaft means is in the opposite direction; and (h) said brake actuator means comprising a first cam member antirotationally coupled with said first drive shaft means, said first cam member having an axially-facing cam surface, and a second cam member antirotationally coupled with said second drive shaft means, said second cam member having a corresponding axially-facing cam surface, said first cam member coacting with said second cam member as follows: (1) to move said first cam member axially toward said first-friction ring assembly and to move said second cam member axially toward said second friction ring assembly wnen th torque load being transmitted between said first and second drive shaft means is in said first direction to thereby urge said first and second friction rings against said first and second mandrels, respectively, to expand said friction rings against the inside diameter of said hollow drum; and (2) to move said first cam member axially away from said first friction ring assembly and to move said second cam member axially away from said second friction ring assembly when the torque load being transmitted between said first and second drive shaft means is in the opposite direction to allow said first and second friction rings to shift axially away from said first and second mandrels to thereby enable said friction rings to contract away from the inside diameter of said hollow drum. 2. The winch according to claim 1, wherein: each of said friction rings includes a plurality of axially disposed grooves spaced apart around the inside diameter of each of said rings; and said means for antirotationally coupling said friction rings to said mandrels comprises lug means projecting radially outwardly from said mandrels to engage in one of said grooves of each of said friction rings thereby to antirotationally couple said mandrels with said friction rings while permitting said mandrels and said friction rings to slide longitudinally relative to each other, with the engagement of said lug means within a particular friction ring groove varying the ability of said friction rings to expand automatically against the inside diameter of said hollow drum. 3. The winch according to claim 2, wherein said friction rings are composed of nylon and fiberglass materials. 4. The winch according to claim 3, wherein approximately 40% by weight of the rings is fiberglass. 5. A winch comprising: (a) a hollow cable winding drum rotatable about a longitudinal axis; (b) reversible motor means disposed longitudinally of a first end of said drum, said motor means including a first drive shaft means extending axially within said hollow drum; (c) power transmission means operably connected to said drum and disposed longitudinally of an opposite, second end of said drum, said power transmission means including a second drive shaft means extending axially within said hollow drum toward said first end of said hollow drum; (d) brake-clutch means disposed within said hollow drum for drivingly interconnecting said first drive shaft means with said second drive shaft means, said brake-clutch means comprising: (1) first brake means and second brake means for automatically frictionally engaging directly against the inside diameter of said hollow drum when the direction of the torque load transmitted between said first drive shaft means and said second drive shaft means is in a first direction and automatically disengaging from the inside of said hollow drum when the direction of the torque load transmitted between said first drive shaft means and said second drive shaft means is in the opposite direction; (2) a first overrunning clutch means disposed between said first drive shaft means and said first brake means permitting relative rotation between said first drive shaft means and said first brake means in a first direction and preventing relative rotation between said first drive shaft means and said first brake means in the opposite direction; and (3) a second overrunning clutch means disposed between said second drive shaft means and said second brake means permitting relative rotation between said second drive shaft means and said second brake means in said first direction and preventing relative rotation between said second drive shaft means and said second brake means in said opposite direction; (e) said first brake means comprising a first friction ring assembly, said first friction ring assembly including a first frustoconically-shaped mandrel coupled to said first overrunning clutch means, a first correspondingly-shaped frustoconical expandable friction ring antirotationally coupled to said first mandrel, and means for antirotationally coupling said first friction ring to said first mandrel to prohibit relative rotation while allowing relative longitudinal movement between said first friction ring and said first mandrel; (f) said second brake means comprising a second friction ring assembly, said second friction ring assembly including a second frustoconically-shaped mandrel coupled to said second overrunning clutch means, a second correspondingly-shaped frustoconical expandable friction ring antirotationally coupled to said second mandrel, and means for antirotationally coupling said second friction ring to said second mandrel to prohibit relative rotation while allowing relative longitudinal movement between said second friction ring and said second mandrel; (g) brake actuator means automatically responsive to the direction of the torque load transmitted between said first drive shaft means and said second drive shaft means to expand said first and second friction rings against the inside diameter of said hollow drum and for contracting said friction rings away from the inside diameter of said hollow drum when the direction of the torque load transmitted between said first drive shaft means and said second drive shaft means is in the opposite direction; (h) said brake actuator means comprising a first cam member antirotationally coupled with said first drive shaft means, said first cam member having an axially-facing cam surface, and a second cam member antirotationally coupled with said second drive shaft means, said second cam member having a corresponding axially-facing cam surface, said first cam member coacting with said second cam member as follows: (1) to move said first cam member axially toward said first friction ring assembly and to move said second cam member axially toward said second friction ring assembly when the torque load being transmitted between said first and second drive shaft means is in said first direction to thereby urge said first and second friction rings against said first and second mandrels, respectively, to expand said friction rings against the inside diameter of said hollow drum; and (2) to move said first cam member axially away from said first friction ring assembly and to move said second cam member axially away from said second friction ring assembly when the torque load being transmitted between said first and second drive shaft means is in the opposite direction to allow said first and second friction rings to shift axially away from said first and second mandrels to thereby enable said first and second friction rings, respectively, to contract away from the inside diameter of said hollow drum; (i) a first support structure rotatably supporting the first end portion of said drum, and a second support structure rotatably supporting the opposite, second end portion of said drum; (j) a housing mounted on said second support structure to encase portions of said power transmission means; and (k) wherein said power transmission means comprises: (1) at least one planetary drive means disposed within said housing, said planetary drive means including a clutch-ring gear; and (2) coupling means rotatable about an axis transverse to said first and second drive shaft means for selectively antirotationally coupling and rotationally decoupling said clutch-ring gear to said housing to interconnect said drum to said power transmission means and to disconnected said drum from said power transmission means, respectively. 6. The winch according to claim 5, wherein said housing includes retaining means for preventing said ring gear from moving axially relative to said housing and said coupling means includes stud means for selectively engaging with and disengaging from peripheral notches in said ring gear. 7. The winch according to claim 5, wherein said power transmission means includes a first stage planetary drive means and a second stage planetary drive means coupled together in power transmission relationship and disposed together within said housing, said second stage planetary drive means including a ring gear selectively antirotationally coupleable with and rotationally decoupleable from said housing. 8. The winch according to claim 7, further including a third stage planetary drive means coupled between said second stage planetary drive means and said drum, said third stage planetary drive means including a ring gear disposed stationarily relative to said housing. 9. The winch according to claim 8, wherein said ring gear in said third stage planetary drive means forms a portion of said housing. 10. The winch according to claim 5, wherein said first and second drum support structures are substantially identical in shape.