Early tractor cable winching system circa 1964
Photograph courtesy of Forest Research Office, Newton.
The location and details of this machine are unknown. The Registration Number TXT546 and year 1964 may give some clue along with the fact that it is a Ford tractor – model unidentified.
The double drum winch assembly fitted to the back of the tractor appears to be driven by the tractor PTO. The heavy cable is loaded on to one drum and then taken out around to the top of the rack way through a couple of snatch blocks and returned to the second drum to form a loop. It is assumed that there is a clutch system to allow the drum to run freely or perhaps a reverse drive.
As can be seem in the attached PDF photographs, the logs are hitched to the cable at various points along its length and once hitched the cable is wound in on the one drum while the other drum pays out the cable on the other side of the loop.
Can anyone say what this winch was called and who manufactured it? It would be interesting to hear whether each drum was fitted with drive, clutch and brake and how it worked in practice.
The first picture in the attached PDF shows the cable being turned at the end of the rack way by two snatch blocks anchored back by chains to trees presumably. The tractor can just be identified at the other end of the rack. The timber produce lying on the rack appears to have come from the rack way only and is mostly in very short lengths similar to wood destined for ground pulp producers such as Weyrock or Bowater?
The second photograph in the PDF shows the small piles of short logs attached by choker chains to the cable with some sort of non slip metal clip attachment. One can see the problem of pulling short logs, the amount of erosion of the surface even on very short runs and the power required to overcome obstacles.
Any information on the winch and system would be very welcome.
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Groups: Other Vehicles and Machines