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US 8,136,794 B2Granted
Tab winch for stage use
AssigneeVizio Inc.
InventorJames Kempf
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A winch with adjustable arms allowing the length to be adjusted. The winch can have a very thin drum to allow it to fit in confined spaces.
Claims17
A winch device comprising:
- a cable drum that releases and wraps first and second different supplies of cable simultaneously, said drum releasing and wrapping said first supply of cable in a first direction, and releasing and wrapping said second supply of cable in a second direction which is 180 degrees opposite from said first direction, where said first and second directions are both horizontal;
- a first support arm with a first idler end, said first support arm coupled relative to said cable drum and said first idler end separated from said cable drum in said first direction, and said first support arm adjustable to extend in a horizontal direction to adjust a horizontal distance between said cable drum and said idler end in said first direction and said first idler arm receiving said first supply of cable in said first direction, and coupling said first supply of cable into a third direction which is 90 degrees separated from said first direction and which is vertical;
- and
- a second support arm, with a second idler end coupled to said second support arm, and said second idler end separated from said cable drum in said second direction, said second idler end receiving said second supply of cable in said second direction, and coupling said second supply of cable into said third direction which is 90 degrees separated from said first direction and which is vertical but horizontally spaced from said first supply of cable from said first idler end.
1 more element
A winch device comprising:
- a cable drum that releases and wraps first and second different supplies of cable simultaneously;
- a first support arm with an idler end, said first support arm coupled relative to said cable drum and receiving said first supply of cable from said cable drum along a first axis;
- a first arm moving part, that moves said first support arm relative to said cable drum along said first axis, such that said first idler end is moved closer to and farther from said cable drum along said first axis, and said idler end is lockable into a number of different positions at different distances relative to said cable drum;
- a second support arm, with a second idler end coupled to said second support arm, said second idler end receiving said second supply of cable from said cable drum along said first axis;
- and
- a second arm moving part, that moves said second support arm relative to said cable drum along said first axis, such that said second idler end is moved closer to and farther from said cable drum along said first axis, and is lockable into a number of different positions at different distances relative to said cable drum.
3 more elements
A method of winching comprising:
- releasing a first different supply of cable simultaneously with releasing a second supply of cable, said first supply of cable being released in a first direction, said second supply of cable being released in a second direction which is 180 degrees opposite from said first direction, where said first and second directions are both horizontal;
- first receiving said first supply of cable on an idler device that is separated from said cable drum in said first direction, and coupling said first supply of cable into a third direction which is 90 degrees separated from said first direction and which is vertical;
- first extending a first support arm relative to a location of said releasing in a horizontal direction to adjust a horizontal distance between said cable drum and said idler device and said location of releasing;
- second receiving said first supply of cable on a second idler device that is separated from said cable drum in said second direction, and coupling said first supply of cable into a fourth direction which is 90 degrees separated from said second direction and which is vertical;
- second extending a second support arm relative to a location of said releasing in a horizontal direction to adjust a horizontal distance between said cable drum and said second idler device and said location of releasing.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.