A winch assembly including a mount attachable to a vehicle, and a guide attached to the mount; including a winch having a drum for winding and unwinding a line, and a motor for driving the drum about a winding axis, wherein the drum has a helical groove for receiving the line as it is wound. A frame connects to the first and second end of the drum and is adapted to move relative to the guide so as to synchronize movement of the drum along the winding axis so that the line is aligned with the helical groove during winding and unwinding. A rod is attached to the frame and generally parallel to the winding axis, and passes through a hole in the guide, allowing the movement of the drum along the winding axis but preventing the frame from rotating about the winding axis is disclosed.

A cable guide device, including a cable with one end attached to an unwinding/rewinding device, another end having structure for accepting applied force, with cable therebetween guided by a cable guide, wherein as force is applied to the cable, the cable guide causes redirection of the applied force eliminating cable binding as cable is rewound. One embodiment is a trunnion-sheave winch-apparatus for object recovery, including: a trunnion-sheave of a pair of sheaves with cable inserted therebetween, one cable end attached to a winch drum with a hook attached to its other end for connection to an object being recovered, wherein as the object is recovered the force applied to the cable is redirected by the trunnion-sheave causing said cable to be maintained at a minimum of 90 contact with the pair of sheaves regardless of the angle of force being applied to the cable causing elimination of cable binding.

A cable guide device, including a cable with one end attached to an unwinding/rewinding device, another end having structure for accepting applied force, with cable therebetween guided by a cable guide, wherein as force is applied to the cable, the cable guide causes redirection of the applied force eliminating cable binding as cable is rewound. One embodiment is a trunnion-sheave winch-apparatus for object recovery, including: a trunnion-sheave of a pair of sheaves with cable inserted therebetween, one cable end attached to a winch drum with a hook attached to its other end for connection to an object being recovered, wherein as the object is recovered the force applied to the cable is redirected by the trunnion-sheave causing said cable to be maintained at a minimum of 90 contact with the pair of sheaves regardless of the angle of force being applied to the cable causing elimination of cable binding.

The invention is a kit for attaching to a truck cap to enable the cap to be lifted off of and lowered onto a truck by lines from above. The kit includes: a first rail and a second rail, each configured to attach to the truck cap; a first pair of sliding masts for releasably attaching to the first rail and a second pair of sliding masts for releasably attaching to the second rail. Each of the sliding mast includes: a sled which is captured by the rail, and is slidable along the rail, and is adapted to be secured at various points along the rail; and a brace with one end attached to the sled and the other end adapted to receive one of the lines. In another aspect, the kit includes multiple lifting devices.

A mortuary cargo loading system having a transport bed adjacent to a motorized winch, a cable engaged with and extending from the motorized winch, a cargo stopper comprising a first end, a second end, and a guide therebetween, and a cargo stopper support having at least one bore for receiving a cargo stopper. The mortuary cargo loading system further has the cargo stopper support and the motorized winch connected to a surface of a vehicle cargo space, the first end of the cargo stopper is engaged with the at least one bore, the cable is engaged with the guide, and the transport bed is connected to the cargo stopper support.

An apparatus and a method of extracting buried lead water supply pipe with minimal excavation and which allows removal and containment of the lead pipe. The extraction apparatus includes a frame having an upwardly extending mast, a guide pulley mounted on the frame, and a pulling apparatus. A take-up spool is mounted on the mast between the guide pulley and pulling apparatus and positioned to allow a pipe pulling cable to be wrapped therearound into a non-linear path between the guide pulley and the pulling apparatus. Extracted pipe is pulled into the non-linear path until the pipe is fully extracted from the ground. Multiple spiral loops around the take-up spool by the pulling cable may be necessary to fully contain the extracted pipe. Following extraction, the pipe may be unspooled from the take-up spool, the pulling cable removed for re-use, and the pipe may then be sent for disposal.

An apparatus and a method of extracting buried lead water supply pipe with minimal excavation and which allows removal and containment of the lead pipe. The extraction apparatus includes a frame having an upwardly extending mast, a guide pulley mounted on the frame, and a pulling apparatus. A take-up spool is mounted on the mast between the guide pulley and pulling apparatus and positioned to allow a pipe pulling cable to be wrapped therearound into a non-linear path between the guide pulley and the pulling apparatus. Extracted pipe is pulled into the non-linear path until the pipe is fully extracted from the ground. Multiple spiral loops around the take-up spool by the pulling cable may be necessary to fully contain the extracted pipe. Following extraction, the pipe may be unspooled from the take-up spool, the pulling cable removed for re-use, and the pipe may then be sent for disposal.

A UAV tether management system comprising: a tether-wound spool rotatably mounted on a base station, a free-pivoting angle arm, and an angle arm encoder, wherein the tether is configured to transfer power from the base station to the UAV while the UAV is in flight, and the angle arm comprises a tether guide mounted to a proximal end of the angle arm such that the tether passes through the tether guide as the tether pays out of, or is taken up by, the spool, wherein the angle arm further comprises a counter weight mounted to a distal end of the angle arm such that a center of mass of the angle arm is aligned with the spool's axis of rotation, and wherein the angle arm encoder is configured to measure an offset angle of the angle arm.

A UAV tether management system comprising: a tether-wound spool rotatably mounted on a base station, a free-pivoting angle arm, and an angle arm encoder, wherein the tether is configured to transfer power from the base station to the UAV while the UAV is in flight, and the angle arm comprises a tether guide mounted to a proximal end of the angle arm such that the tether passes through the tether guide as the tether pays out of, or is taken up by, the spool, wherein the angle arm further comprises a counter weight mounted to a distal end of the angle arm such that a center of mass of the angle arm is aligned with the spool's axis of rotation, and wherein the angle arm encoder is configured to measure an offset angle of the angle arm.

This invention relates to a forestry winch that has a rope drum driven by a drive motor and an ejector roller driven by an additional drive motor, wherein a rope runs from the rope drum to the ejector roller and is guided over the ejector roller. The rope is pressed against the ejector roller by means of a pressing device. The pressing device has at least three pressing elements which are distributed around the periphery of the ejector roller.