Counter-balanced sheave

A counter-balanced sheave for supporting a downward extending cable having a tension applied thereto with a substantial vertical component, comprising:

• a pulley having a periphery and an axis of rotation, said pulley constructed to lie in a plane having a substantial vertical component;
• a pair of support arms, each extending downward on either side of said pulley and having at one end means for rotatably mounting said pulley at said axis of rotation;
• hinge means including a pair of end portions defining a pair of arcuate sleeves which are coaxially aligned, a shaft portion extending through each of said arcuate sleeves and operable for pivotal movement about its longitudinal axis, and attachment means for connecting each of said end portions to said pair of support arms at an end of each said support arm which is opposite to the end having said means for mounting said pulley;
• suspension means pivotally secured to said shaft portion with its pivotal axis being substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said shaft portion;
• and
• counter-balancing means comprising a pair of substantially equal weighted members positioned to extend above said pulley and mounted to said end portions on opposite sides of said suspension means,
• whereby said pulley will lie in a plane passing through said cable being payed through said pulley at all times.