Back to results
US 10,294,087 B2Granted
Directional winch-cable wiper with sensor
AssigneeHall Labs LLC
InventorsDavid R. Hall, Daniel Madsen, Benjamin Taylor, Lloyd J. Wilson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A winch is described comprising a compressional wiper system activated by a sensor that detects which direction a cable is moving. When the cable is being pulled in, the compressional wiper system tightens a clamp or fastens a rotatable clamping device inside a fairlead. The tightened clamp or fastened clamping device act to decrease the likelihood that dirt, mud, debris, or other materials that adhere to the cable accumulate within the winch, by wiping or scraping off said materials from the cable.
Claims13
A winch, comprising:
- a cable guide for positioning a cable during winding and unwinding;
- the cable guide comprising a fairlead;
- the fairlead comprising a compressional wiper system;
- the compressional wiper system comprising:
- a directional sensor to detect cable movement direction;
- a clamp comprising a plurality of jaws;
- the jaws surrounding the cable;
- wherein the sensor sends an electrical signal to the clamp to tighten the jaws around the cable during winding and to widen the jaws when the cable is not being pulled in;
- and
- wherein the jaws comprise a surface material that permits the cable to move when the jaws are compressed around the cable.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.