Devices, systems, and methods for varying rotational speeds is disclosed. A battery pack has a plurality of batteries and a switch. The battery pack has an overall voltage. The switch varies the overall voltage in discrete steps by combining the plurality of batteries in series, in parallel, or in a combination thereof. A motor drives a shaft at a rotational speed. The motor is powered by the battery pack. The rotational speed varies proportionally with the overall voltage.

A drone loading/unloading device includes an electric reel selectively movable for releasing/winding a cable adapted to be wound around the electric reel. A driver is operably connected to the electric reel to selectively drive the electric reel to reciprocally move from a locked position and an unlocked position and a buffer is mounted between the driver and the electric reel such that buffering effect is provided to the electric reel when moved from an unlocked position to a locked position.

A method for operating a towing winch and an electric drive for a towing winch, the towing winch including a rotatable winch drum for spooling a spoolable medium, and an electric motor operably coupled to the winch drum to rotate the winch drum, wherein the electric drive is configured to be operably coupled to the electric motor, and configured to control, during a towing of at least one object connected to the spoolable medium, a tension of the spoolable medium between the winch drum and the at least one object to be towed to be equal to or lower than a tension limit value; and monitor, during the towing, a roll angle of the tug, and in response to the monitored roll angle of the tug being outside of a predetermined range, lower the tension limit value providing roll compensation.

An apparatus for lowering a hitch onto a truck bed and raising the hitch off of a truck bed is disclosed. The apparatus includes: an upper carriage, a lower carriage, and a kingpin. The upper carriage is suspended from multiple lines, which lines are configured to lower and raise the upper carriage. The lower carriage is attachable to the upper carriage at various positions relative to the upper carriage to allow the load on the lines to be balanced in one direction. The kingpin is attached to the lower carriage, and kingpin is configured to be captured by the hitch. Allowing the hitch to be lowered onto the truck bed and raised off of the truck bed as the upper carriage and the lower carriage are lowered and raised by the lines. Another embodiment of the apparatus includes lifting devices attached to the lines for raising and lowering the hitch.

The present invention provides an automated removable frame system for transporting vehicles in a container. The frame system is be assembled in the container, the vehicles are loaded on the frame system, the container is shipped to the location, the vehicles are unloaded from the frame system, and the frame system is disassembled and returned to the manufacture or stored for later use.

The present disclosure discloses a vehicle, a winch for the vehicle, and a warning control device for the winch of the vehicle. The warning control device includes: a warning component; and a warning control board, including: a load detector, connected to the motor through a current sensor, and configured to detect load condition of the motor by collecting measured working current of the motor; a processor, connected to the load detector and the warning controller respectively, and configured to output a warning control signal to the warning controller according to the load condition of the motor; and a warning controller, connected to the warning component and the processor respectively, and configured to receive the warning control signal and to control the warning component to produce a warning based on the warning control signal.

Methods and systems are provided for a winch including a motor and a contactor assembly positioned within a same housing. In one example, the contactor assembly is positioned at an end of an armature of the motor and may include a controller configured to control winch component operation. The contactor assembly is electrically coupled to the armature via a plurality of electrically conductive brushes.

A fairlead for use with a winch is disclosed. The fairlead includes: a self-reversing screw; a motor for driving the self-reversing screw; and a guide comprising a guide nut and a first guide side and a second guide side. The guide is driven by the self-reversing screw. As a line is coiled onto a winch drum the guide directs the line onto the winch drum. The first guide side and second guide side are detachable from the guide nut and from each other.

A fairlead for use with a winch is disclosed. The fairlead includes: a device for detecting a speed at which a line is being spooled or unspooled from the winch, a first and second roller adapted to aid in spooling or unspooling a line, a fairlead motor for driving at least the first roller, and a controller connected to the fairlead motor. The controller is in communication with the device for detecting the speed. The controller is configured to direct the fairlead motor to drive at least the first roller at a speed that maintains tension on the line as it is unspooling or spooling. Alternatively, the device measures current drawn by the fairlead motor and the controller directs the fairlead motor to drive the rollers at a speed that maintains a target current draw.

A fairlead for use with a winch is disclosed. The fairlead includes: a self-reversing screw; a motor for driving the self-reversing screw; and a guide comprising a guide nut and a first guide side and a second guide side. The guide is driven by the self-reversing screw. As a line is coiled onto a winch drum the guide directs the line onto the winch drum. The first guide side and second guide side are detachable from the guide nut and from each other.