Compact hoist system
AssigneeElectronic Theatre Controls, Inc.
InventorsDonald Aloysius Hoffend, Jr., Donald Aloysius Hoffend, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hoist system having a drum primarily self-contained within a batten, for raising and lowering lighting, sound equipment, curtains and the like in a performance environment. The hoist system may be adapted with safety mechanisms including an overload sensor and/or a slack line detector. The system may be provided in the form of a point hoist. The compact system is highly scalable to a variety of spaces and applications, including school and public theaters and concert halls, as well as some homes, private business, etc. Additional features include various cable management systems and trim adjustment mechanisms for use with the hoist system.
Claims20
A hoist system configured to be coupled to a support structure, the hoist system comprising:
- a batten including a first end, a second end, and a length extending from the first end to the second end, the batten configured to move relative to the support structure between a raised position and a lowered position;
- a motor;
- a drum rotatable relative to the batten about a rotational axis by the motor, the rotational axis of the drum extending in a direction along the length of the batten;
- and
- an elongate member wound about the drum, the elongate member configured to be coupled to the support structure,
- wherein the batten moves relative to the support structure from the lowered position to the raised position in response to the elongate member winding about the drum, and
- wherein both the motor and the drum are coupled to the batten and move from the lowered position to the raised position relative to the support structure along with the batten in response to the elongate member winding about the drum such that:
- the motor and the drum are situated at the lowered position with the batten when the batten is in the lowered position, and
- the motor and the drum are situated at the raised position with the batten when the batten is in the raised position.
A hoist system configured to be coupled to a support structure, the hoist system comprising:
- a mount configured to be selectively coupled to the support structure;
- a motor;
- a drum coupled to the mount, the drum rotatable relative to the mount about a rotational axis by the motor;
- an elongate member wound about the drum, the elongate member configured to move an article from a lowered position to a raised position in response to the elongate member winding about the drum;
- and
- an enclosure coupled to the mount, the enclosure at least partially enclosing the drum;
- wherein a portion of the drum extends beyond the enclosure when the drum is in a first position relative to the enclosure, and wherein the drum axially moves relative to the enclosure while the drum moves from the first position to a second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.