Capstan and system of capstans for use in spooling multiple conductors onto a single reel
AssigneeSouthwire Company
InventorsCharlie W. Reese, Donald E. Murphy, Albert Elder
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A capstan includes a lift motor, a flexible lifting member, and a tether assembly. The lift motor is operatively connected to a shaft. The flexible lifting member includes a first end and a second end. The first end is connected to the shaft. The flexible lifting member connects a lift assembly to the lift motor via the shaft. The tether assembly includes a switch arranged between a portion of the flexible lifting member and a portion of the capstan. The second end is connected to the tether assembly. The switch acts as a safety in case of a broken flexible lifting member and allows for an automated unloading cycle.
Claims5
A method for spooling multiple conductors onto a single reel associated with a take-up capstan, the method comprising:
- connecting a free end of a first conductor to the single reel associated with the take-up capstan, wherein a majority of the first conductor is wound around a first reel connected to a first capstan;
- connecting a free end of a second conductor to the single reel associated with the take-up capstan, wherein a majority of the second conductor is wound around a second reel connected to a second capstan, and wherein connecting the free end of the second conductor to the single reel occurs without rotating the first reel;
- and
- causing the single reel to be rotated by the take-up capstan, wherein rotation of the single reel by the take-up capstan causes the first reel and the second reel to rotate due to tension created within the first conductor and the second conductor, and wherein the take-up capstan halts rotation of the single reel in response to receiving, by a controller of the take-up capstan, a signal from a switch of the take-up capstan, the signal indicating that a load detected by the switch is below a predetermined load.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.