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, the method comprising:
- connecting a free end of a first conductor to the single reel, wherein a majority of the first conductor is wound around a first reel connected to a first capstan;
- and
- connecting a free end of a second conductor to the single reel, wherein a majority of the second conductor is wound around a second reel connected to a second capstan, wherein connecting the free end of the second conductor to the single reel occurs without rotating the first reel;
- and
- causing the single reel, connected to a take-up capstan, to rotate, wherein rotation of the single reel causes the first reel and the second reel to rotate due to tension created within the first conductor and the second conductor, and wherein causing the single reel to rotate occurs in response to a flexible lifting member causing an indication that the single reel has been suspended within the air.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.