Cable drive unit

A cable drive unit for use with a free stall cleaning system, the cable drive unit comprising:

• a base frame;
• a support frame operatively mountable onto the base frame and being laterally displaceable with respect to said base frame via a corresponding displacement assembly;
• and
• a drum pivotably mountable about the support frame for receiving a cable to be wound about said drum, the drum comprising at least one toothed peripheral edge, and said at least one toothed peripheral edge being configured for driving by a corresponding driving assembly;
• wherein a spacing ranging between about 1/16 of an inch and about ⅛ of an inch is provided between cable segments wound about the drum;
• wherein the support frame comprises at least one wheel for traveling over at least one corresponding rail of the base frame;
• wherein said at least one corresponding rail comprises first and second corresponding rails on which the support frame is configured to travel;
• wherein said at least one wheel comprises a first pair of wheels for traveling over the first corresponding rail of the base frame, and the second pair of wheels for traveling over a second corresponding rail of the base frame;
• wherein the driving assembly is configured for driving the drum along a first direction of rotation, and along a second opposite direction of rotation, so as to wind and unwind the cable about the drum, and thus, so as to be able to operate the free stall cleaning system along two different directions;
• wherein a transmission assembly is operatively connectable between a shaft of the drum and the displacement assembly, the transmission assembly being configured for laterally displacing the support frame and corresponding drum with respect to the base frame by a certain lateral displacement for every rotational displacement of the drum;
• and
• wherein the transmission assembly comprises a worm gear pivotally mountable about the support frame within a given span, said worm gear being threadedly engageable within a fixed component of the base frame so that a rotation of the worm gear in turn drives a lateral displacement of the support frame with respect to the base frame.

A cable drive unit for use with a free stall cleaning system, the cable drive unit comprising:

• a base frame;
• a support frame being displaceable with respect to the base frame via a corresponding displacement assembly;
• and
• a drum being pivotably mountable about the support frame and being displaceable therewith for receiving a cable to be wound about said drum, the drum comprising at least one toothed peripheral edge, and said at least one toothed peripheral edge being configured for driving by a corresponding driving assembly;
• wherein a spacing ranging between about 1/16 of an inch and about ⅛ of an inch is provided between cable segments wound about the drum;
• wherein the support frame comprises at least one wheel for traveling over at least one corresponding rail of the base frame;
• wherein said at least one corresponding rail comprises first and second corresponding rails on which the support frame is configured to travel;
• wherein said at least one wheel comprises a first pair of wheels for traveling over a first corresponding rail of the base frame, and a second pair of wheels for traveling over a second corresponding rail of the base frame;
• wherein a transmission assembly is operatively connectable between a shaft of the drum and the displacement assembly, the transmission assembly being configured for laterally displacing the support frame and corresponding drum with respect to the base frame by a certain lateral displacement for every rotational displacement of the drum;
• wherein displacement of the support frame with respect to the base frame is synchronized with a rotational displacement of the drum;
• wherein displacement of the support frame with respect to the base frame is synchronized with a rotational displacement of the drum via a corresponding transmission ratio of the transmission assembly;
• wherein the transmission assembly comprises a worm gear pivotally mountable about the support frame within a given span, said worm gear being threadedly engageable within a fixed component of the base frame so that a rotation of the worm gear in turn drives a lateral displacement of the support frame with respect to the base frame;
• wherein the transmission assembly comprises a chain operatively linking the drum to the worm gear;
• and
• wherein a portion of the shaft of the drum is provided with a first gear, and wherein a portion of the worm gear is provided with a second gear, the chain being mounted onto said first and second gears of the transmission assembly, a given gear ratio being established between said first and second gears.