Methods and systems are provided for a winch including a motor and a contactor assembly coupled around the motor. In one example, the contactor assembly is coupled around and in face-sharing contact with a portion of an outer surface of the motor. Additionally, the contactor assembly may include two or more coils spaced apart from one another within the contactor assembly.

A balancer for tools includes a rotating winding and unwinding drum for a cable, configured with a free end for supporting a tool. The balancer also includes a spring, wound around the main axis of rotation of the drum and integral with a terminal portion with the drum, in order to generate an elastic reaction, as a consequence of the unwinding of the cable and of the consequent rotation of the drum, adapted to facilitate the rewinding of the cable. The balancer further includes an element for braking the drum, which is adapted to generate a resisting moment which acts even indirectly on the drum to contrast the rewinding stroke of the cable; a respective electronic unit is furthermore associated with the element and is provided with a module for the control and adjustment of the intensity of the resisting moment generated by the element.

A balancer for tools includes a rotating winding and unwinding drum for a cable, configured with a free end for supporting a tool. The balancer also includes a spring, wound around the main axis of rotation of the drum and integral with a terminal portion with the drum, in order to generate an elastic reaction, as a consequence of the unwinding of the cable and of the consequent rotation of the drum, adapted to facilitate the rewinding of the cable. The balancer further includes an element for braking the drum, which is adapted to generate a resisting moment which acts even indirectly on the drum to contrast the rewinding stroke of the cable; a respective electronic unit is furthermore associated with the element and is provided with a module for the control and adjustment of the intensity of the resisting moment generated by the element.

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.

A reel braking adjustment device includes a tensile force-related information acquisition unit and a braking parameter correction unit. The tensile force-related information acquisition unit is configured to acquire tensile force-related information. The tensile force-related information is information that is related to tensile force acting on a fishing line and detected during a fishing line discharge period in which the fishing line is released from a dual-bearing reel configured to brake rotation of a spool based on a braking parameter. The braking parameter correction unit is configured to correct braking parameters based on temporal changes in the tensile force-related information acquired by the tensile force-related information acquisition unit.

A reel braking adjustment device includes a tensile force-related information acquisition unit and a braking parameter correction unit. The tensile force-related information acquisition unit is configured to acquire tensile force-related information. The tensile force-related information is information that is related to tensile force acting on a fishing line and detected during a fishing line discharge period in which the fishing line is released from a dual-bearing reel configured to brake rotation of a spool based on a braking parameter. The braking parameter correction unit is configured to correct braking parameters based on temporal changes in the tensile force-related information acquired by the tensile force-related information acquisition unit.

An automatically opening and closing inflatable holiday ornament includes a box that has a base, a plurality of side panels hingedly connected to the base, and a top portion connected to each of the plurality of side panels. The ornament further includes a motor, a plurality of pull cables, such that each of the plurality of pull cables has a first end operatively connected to the motor and a second end connected to one of the plurality of side panels. The ornament also includes a first blower, an inflatable disposed in the box and surrounding the first blower such that operation of the first blower blows air into the inflatable to inflate the inflatable, and a controller operatively connected to the motor and to the first blower such that the controller controls operation of the motor and the blower.

A plurality of sensors measure rope depth at a plurality of locations along an axis of a winch drum for use by a control unit in determining rope defects.

A plurality of sensors measure rope depth at a plurality of locations along an axis of a winch drum for use by a control unit in determining rope defects.