A lift system comprises a drum that rotates about an axis, an elongate member that winds around the drum when the drum rotates in a first direction and that unwinds from the drum when the drum rotates in a second direction, a drive mechanism operable to rotate the drum, and a braking mechanism adapted to inhibit rotation of the drum. The braking mechanism includes a brake disk rotatable with the drum, a movable brake pad, and a ramp that guides movement of the movable brake pad. A method of operating the lift system comprises rotating the drum in a first direction to wind the elongate member onto the drum, rotating the drum in a second direction to unwind the elongate member from the drum, and moving the brake shoe along the ramp to thereby cause the movable brake pad to be compressed against the brake disk.

A retractable warping winch with a supporting housing, adapted to be stably fixed to a deck of a vessel at an opening thereof, and a bell, including a base and a drum integral to each other. The bell is movably supported by the housing so that it can vertically shift therein between an extracted working position and a retracted rest position. The winch also includes a driving mechanism to rotate the bell, including a motor and a transmission. The driving mechanism includes a drive hub mounted in the housing. The base of the bell is mounted in the drive hub to be rotatably integral therewith and free to axially shift with respect thereto. The drive hub is mounted in the housing to be rotatably free and axially constrained thereto. The motor is mounted on the housing, externally and laterally thereto.

A portable winch system includes a frame, a pair of wheels, a motor that is secured to the frame; and a capstan that is secured to the frame and that is rotatable via the motor. A rope is wound about the capstan in a manner that enables a user to grasp a tail end of the rope and induce friction between the capstan and the portion of the rope that is wound about the capstan. A tow end of the rope is attachable to an object to be pulled by the winch. An input guide attached to the frame is configured to receive the rope and direct the rope toward the capstan as the object is pulled toward the winch. An alignment guide attached to the frame is configured to contact the rope and align the rope about the capstan as the rope is wound about the capstan.

The method of providing a necessary preload for a rope or cable on a dual drum traction winch without reducing the capacity of the winch or requiring a second piece of capital equipment to provide the preload force by using a freely rotating wheel to load the rope or cable against at least one of the drums and cause a frictional traction on the winch drum.

A winching apparatus adapted for horizontal rotational mounting behind the chipping feed rollers on a chipping machine. It has a rotatable vertical stanchion, that is pivotally coupled to first end of a horizontal boom arm that may be vertically adjusted between its ends so as to raise or lower its second end. At the second end of the boom arm is a swivel mounted plate that houses a high speed continual line uptake winch that is thus adjustable for simultaneous alignment of the rope puller with the line in both the horizontal and vertical planes. The device is capable of compensating for a constantly changing directional pull as well as feeding the downed foliage directly into the chipper.

A winch assembly comprising a support structure, a drum revolving about an axis; a cable wound around the drum; an actuator assembly coupled to the drum to wind or unwind the cable and configured to receive a first control signal, indicative of a desired pressure of a pump of the actuator assembly, and/or a second control signal, indicative of a desired displacement of the pump; and a winch control device coupled to the actuator assembly to control the winding and unwinding of the cable and configured to determine the first control signal and/or the second control signal according to a measured speed of travel signal indicating the measured speed of travel of the tracked vehicle, a measured pulling force signal indicating the pulling force measured on the winch assembly, and one or more signals selected from the following group of signals: cable speed signal, wound cable length signal, desired pulling force signal set manually by an operator, signal from the measured angle of the arm of the winch assembly with respect to a direction of travel, and measured pressure signal indicative of a pressure measured in a high pressure branch of the hydraulic circuit of the actuator assembly.

Cable pullers are provided. A cable puller includes a frame, and a boom assembly rotatably connected to the frame. The boom assembly includes a drive assembly, a first arm extending in a first direction from the drive assembly, a second arm extending in a second opposite direction from the drive assembly, and a third arm rotatably connected to the second arm. Rotation of the boom assembly relative to the frame causes rotation of the third arm relative to the second arm to a position wherein a longitudinal axis of the third arm is parallel with a longitudinal axis of the second arm.

A descent assist device for powered ascenders is discussed herein. In one embodiment, the descent assist device can include a base plate having a first guide surface, a capstan peg, a second guide surface, and a retention loop extending from the first guide surface to the second guide surface configured to retain a rope on the descent assist device. Where the angle of wrapping of the rope around the first guide surface and the capstan peg is constant during use and the angle of wrapping of the rope around the second guide surface is adjustable by the user of the device to increase or decrease the frictional drag of the rope.

A rope drum for drawing and releasing a rope under tensile stress. Support segments are arranged to provide a number of grip sections for supporting the rope through the grip sections as a continuous spiral surrounding the rotated drum part by at least two rounds so that, when the drum part is rotated, a number of grip sections move due to the guidance of the support segments along the drum part depending on the rotation direction of the drum part towards the first end of the drum part or towards the second end. Prevention grooves or ridges together with the support segments restrict the movement of the grip sections supporting the rope on the drum part with regard to the drum part in the direction of the perimeter to a maximum that is defined by the mutual geometry of the prevention grooves or ridges and the support means.

A cable winch having a receiving unit for accommodating a cable drum that includes a cable wound about an axis of the cable drum. The receiving unit includes a quick mounting mechanism for attaching the cable drum in a manually detachable manner to the cable winch.