Motor-driven fairlead to aid in spooling or unspooling a line from a winch

A fairlead for use with a winch comprising:

• a first and second roller adapted to aid in spooling or unspooling a line, adapted to transmit a tensile load;
• a fairlead motor and gears for driving the first and second rollers;
• a sensor to measure the current drawn by the fairlead motor,
• a controller connected to the fairlead motor, and in communication with the sensor;
• wherein, the controller is configured to direct the fairlead motor to drive both the first roller and the second roller so that each of the first roller and the second roller are rotated by the fairlead motor to pull the line out when the line is being unspooled, and each of the first roller and the second roller are rotated by the fairlead motor to push the line in when the line is being spooled, and the line is pushed or pulled so that the fairlead motor maintains a target current draw.

A winch comprising:

• a winch motor;
• a winch drum for spooling and unspooling a line, adapted to transmit a tensile load;
• a fairlead comprising;
• a first and second roller adapted to aid in spooling or unspooling a line;
• a fairlead motor and gears for driving the first and second rollers;
• a sensor to measure the current drawn by the fairlead motor,
• a controller connected to the fairlead motor, and in communication with the sensor;
• wherein, the controller is configured to direct the fairlead motor to drive both the first roller and the second roller so that each of the first roller and the second roller are rotated by the fairlead motor to pull the line out when the line is being unspooled, and each of the first roller and the second roller are rotated by the fairlead motor to push the line in when the line is being spooled, and the line is pushed or pulled so that the fairlead motor maintains a target current draw.