A payload coupling apparatus is provided that includes a housing. The housing is adapted for attachment to a first end of a tether. The apparatus further includes a slot extending downwardly from an outer surface of the housing towards a center of the housing thereby forming a lower lip on the housing beneath the slot. The slot is adapted to receive a handle of a payload. The apparatus further includes a sensor configured to detect touchdown of the payload and a transmitter configured to send a touchdown confirmation signal to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based on a touchdown detection by the sensor.

A payload coupling apparatus is provided that includes a housing. The housing is adapted for attachment to a first end of a tether. The apparatus further includes a slot extending downwardly from an outer surface of the housing towards a center of the housing thereby forming a lower lip on the housing beneath the slot. The slot is adapted to receive a handle of a payload. The apparatus further includes a sensor configured to detect touchdown of the payload and a transmitter configured to send a touchdown confirmation signal to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based on a touchdown detection by the sensor.

It is described herein an apparatus for removing and installing a battery for an electrically driven vehicle, and a related method for removing and installing a battery into an electrically driven vehicle. The apparatus may comprise a guide system, a battery containment structure, and a linear motion device. The guide system may comprise a first track and a second track. The battery containment structure may comprise a first plurality of bearings and a second plurality of bearings, and may be configured to receive and hold the battery. When the battery containment structure is acted upon by a linear force applied by the linear motion device to lower and raise the battery containment structure, the first plurality of bearings moves linearly along the first track while the second plurality of bearings moves linearly along the second track,

It is described herein an apparatus for removing and installing a battery for an electrically driven vehicle, and a related method for removing and installing a battery into an electrically driven vehicle. The apparatus may comprise a guide system, a battery containment structure, and a linear motion device. The guide system may comprise a first track and a second track. The battery containment structure may comprise a first plurality of bearings and a second plurality of bearings, and may be configured to receive and hold the battery. When the battery containment structure is acted upon by a linear force applied by the linear motion device to lower and raise the battery containment structure, the first plurality of bearings moves linearly along the first track while the second plurality of bearings moves linearly along the second track,

A drum spooling system with a line protective material or wrap that can be wound and unwound with a load-bearing line, such as a wire rope, on a load drum to form a superposed arrangement of layers of the load-bearing line and protective material around the load drum, which advantageously reduces the pressure on the drum, radial space and/or drum size requirements, and damage to the wire rope resulting from the spooling and unspooling process, among other things.

A drum spooling system with a line protective material or wrap that can be wound and unwound with a load-bearing line, such as a wire rope, on a load drum to form a superposed arrangement of layers of the load-bearing line and protective material around the load drum, which advantageously reduces the pressure on the drum, radial space and/or drum size requirements, and damage to the wire rope resulting from the spooling and unspooling process, among other things.

An article-unloading apparatus comprising a bin assembly including a bag inside a bin. The bin assembly is raised and lowered by a lift and tilted, when raised, to dump articles onto a decline conveyor, such as a ramp. A winch attached to the bag moves the bottom of the bag through the bin to help push articles from the tilted bin assembly. A camera takes a video image of the articles entering the ramp to detect clumps. Stops on the ramp are selectively actuated to block the bottom-most articles in a clump to help separate articles.

An article-unloading apparatus comprising a bin assembly including a bag inside a bin. The bin assembly is raised and lowered by a lift and tilted, when raised, to dump articles onto a decline conveyor, such as a ramp. A winch attached to the bag moves the bottom of the bag through the bin to help push articles from the tilted bin assembly. A camera takes a video image of the articles entering the ramp to detect clumps. Stops on the ramp are selectively actuated to block the bottom-most articles in a clump to help separate articles.

In one implementation, a casket lowering system is configured to enable the lowering of a casket into a grave and includes: a casket support system configured to support the casket and temporarily suspend the casket above the grave; an electrically-actuated brake assembly coupled to the casket support system and configured to control the rate of descent of the casket support system into the grave; and a rechargeable power source electrically coupled to the electrically-actuated brake assembly and configured to provide electrical energy to the electrically-actuated brake assembly.

In one implementation, an electrically-actuated brake assembly is configured to control a rate of descent of an object to be lowered and includes: one or more rotatable surfaces coupled to the object to be lowered; one or more stationary surfaces configured to releasably engage the one or more rotatable surfaces; an electric actuator system configured to selectively disengage the one or more stationary surfaces from the one or more rotatable surfaces, thus allowing the one or more rotatable surfaces to rotate with respect to the one or more stationary surfaces and enable the object to be lowered; and a rechargeable power source electrically coupled to the electric actuator system and configured to provide electrical energy to the electric actuator system.