Cable equipped log skidding vehicles are designed for dragging logs with a cable and associated chokers. Such log skidding vehicles have winches for retracting the cable and attached logs toward the vehicle and for unwinding cable from the winch to facilitate choker setting and log attachment. The winch is typically controlled by a winch control lever which the operator moves in a suitable direction to either retract or unwind the cable.
When winching a log bunch to a skidding position (relative to the skidding vehicle), the vehicle operator simultaneously must turn in his seat to view the log bunch rearwardly of the vehicle, operate the winch control lever typically arranged alongside his seat, modulate engine speed to regulate winch speed and force with a governor control device and apply the service brakes of the vehicle to winch against subsequently to shifting the transmission into neutral. While service brake and governor control have each been historically provided by a modulating foot-operated pedal, simultaneous operation of such brake pedal, governor control pedal, and the winch control lever while viewing rearwardly from the vehicle can cause the operator to assume an uncomfortable, contorted position not conducive to any of the operations, but, instead, a compromise among the three. To avoid such discomfort and provide improved operator visibility of the skidded load, operators have sometimes utilized a vehicle parking brake to winch against since it normally locked and, thus, did not require continuous exertion by the operator on the brake pedal. Use of the locking parking brake permitted the operator to devote his entire attention to the skidded load, governor control, and winch control lever. However, the parking brake is normally designed to hold the static load of the vehicle rather than the relatively larger loads imposed on the vehicle by winching the log bunches to their skidding positions. As a result of such unintended use, the parking brake's life was often adversely affected.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds