Construction and transportation activities can require boom mounted winch capability for a number of reasons. In some cases, a winch is needed in a confined area which is accessible by a crane mounted winch. In other instances, the mobility of a mobile vehicle equipped with a boom and winch for moving and lifting is desirable.
One application for a boom mounted winch is in connection with utility infrastructure replacement and rehabilitation. The buried utility pipes present access problems. A premium is placed on using manholes and other existing access areas. If excavation can be avoided, a significant savings in both cost and time can be realized. Equipment that provides both mobility and flexibility for rehabilitation can be of significant practical benefit.
A winch that is mounted on a boom of a vehicle has the ability to make use of existing access areas. The host vehicle must provide a stable platform for extension of the boom and use of the winch. In such an apparatus, the boom is positioned so that the winch can pull equipment such as a cleaning bucket or a slip lining segment through the host pipe.
The inherent mobility of the host vehicle allows a great deal of flexibility. It can rapidly move from location to location with minimal set-up and take-down time. A further benefit of a boom mounted winch includes a variety of surface applications. The winch on the host vehicle can accomplish any task that is required of a regular winch such as pulling or lifting loads on the surface. As with the underground applications, the mobility of the host vehicle offers the flexibility of moving from location to location with great ease while providing a stable platform to operate the winch.