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US 7,607,643 B1Granted
Fairlead
AssigneeAnvil Attachments
InventorsGary Box, Jon Craft
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved fairlead for efficiently guiding a cable as it is wound on to or off of a drum. The improved fairlead reduces operation and labor concerns by decreasing cable wear and increasing cable life.
Claims9
An apparatus comprising:
- a. a housing;
- b. a drum mounted on the housing;
- c. a cable wound around the drum, whereby when the drum is actuated, the cable can be wound onto or wound off of the drum;
- d. a tool positioned forward of the drum, the tool being operable via the cable;
- and
- e. a fairlead positioned on the tool for guiding the cable when the cable is wound onto or wound off of the drum, wherein the fairlead comprises a frame and a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted on the frame, wherein each roller has an axis of rotation and at least one substantially concave face that is substantially parallel to the axis of rotation, and wherein the rollers are positioned adjacent to each other to form a substantially circular, corner-free aperture for the passage of the cable.
3 more elements
An excavating or material handling machine comprising:
- a. a housing;
- b. a drum mounted on the housing;
- c. a boom extending from the housing;
- d. an excavating or material handling tool suspended from the boom;
- e. a cable wound around the drum, whereby when the drum is actuated, the cable can be wound onto or wound off of the drum to move the excavating tool toward and away from the housing;
- and
- f. a guide assembly mounted on the excavating or material handling tool for guiding the cable when the cable is wound onto or wound off of the drum, wherein
- the guide assembly comprises a frame and plurality of rollers rotatably mounted in the frame,
- each of the rollers has an axis of rotation and at least one face that is substantially parallel to the axis of rotation,
- the at least one face is substantially concave, and
- the rollers are positioned adjacent to each other to form a substantially circular, corner-free aperture, for the passage of the cable.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.