An apparatus to launch, retrieve, and store a recreational floating mat is described. The apparatus can provide the advantages of helping to ease the potential difficulties associated with launching, retrieving and storing recreational floating mats from dock side, pool side or from a floating vessel such as a boat or floating dock.

A method for operating a winch system, and an arrangement including at least two electric drives each configured to operate a respective winch including a winch drum to spool a spoolable medium, and an electric motor to rotate the winch drum, each of the winches having an active state, in which the winch drum is driven according to a predetermined tension set point value, and a passive state, in which the winch drum is prevented from rotating, wherein, during a mooring of a vessel, the arrangement is configured to operate the at least two winches such that, over a period of time, each of the at least two winches is operated in its active state for a portion of the period, and each of the at least two winches is operated in its passive state for a portion of the period.

A medium winder, includes: a winding roller that winds a medium discharged from an image formation apparatus into a roll shape; first and second rollers that guide the medium to the winding roller; a dancer roller provided between the first and second rollers in the medium conveyance direction and movable upwardly and downwardly while contacting from above the medium between the first and second rollers; a winding driver that rotates the winding roller; a detector that detects the dancer roller; a dancer roller position recognition portion that recognizes the position of the dancer roller based on a detection result by the detector; and a winding drive controller that controls the winding driver. In an operation of unwinding the medium, the winding drive controller moves the dancer roller up and down by reducing or increasing the unwinding velocity of the medium based on a position of the dancer roller.

A medium winder, includes: a winding roller that winds a medium discharged from an image formation apparatus into a roll shape; first and second rollers that guide the medium to the winding roller; a dancer roller provided between the first and second rollers in the medium conveyance direction and movable upwardly and downwardly while contacting from above the medium between the first and second rollers; a winding driver that rotates the winding roller; a detector that detects the dancer roller; a dancer roller position recognition portion that recognizes the position of the dancer roller based on a detection result by the detector; and a winding drive controller that controls the winding driver. In an operation of unwinding the medium, the winding drive controller moves the dancer roller up and down by reducing or increasing the unwinding velocity of the medium based on a position of the dancer roller.

An apparatus for winding an elongated element onto a collection reel with the interposition of a service fabric, includes a device for feeding the elongated element toward the collection reel, a device for feeding the service fabric toward the collection reel, a device for driving in rotation the collection reel, and a control device for controlling the rotation speed of the collection reel. The control device includes a device for detecting the actual winding diameter of the collection reel and a device for adjusting the rotation speed of the collection reel according to the actual winding diameter of the collection reel.

An apparatus for winding an elongated element onto a collection reel with the interposition of a service fabric, includes a device for feeding the elongated element toward the collection reel, a device for feeding the service fabric toward the collection reel, a device for driving in rotation the collection reel, and a control device for controlling the rotation speed of the collection reel. The control device includes a device for detecting the actual winding diameter of the collection reel and a device for adjusting the rotation speed of the collection reel according to the actual winding diameter of the collection reel.

In one example in accordance with the present disclosure a device to detect media being wound around a wheel is described. The device includes a reel that collects the media and a movable arm pivotally coupled to the reel to provide tension to the media being wound around the reel. The device also includes a controller that detects media is being wound around the reel by 1) determining an angular position of the movable arm and 2) calculating, based on the angular position of the movable arm, when an output of a motor that rotates the reel is non-zero.

In one example in accordance with the present disclosure a device to detect media being wound around a wheel is described. The device includes a reel that collects the media and a movable arm pivotally coupled to the reel to provide tension to the media being wound around the reel. The device also includes a controller that detects media is being wound around the reel by 1) determining an angular position of the movable arm and 2) calculating, based on the angular position of the movable arm, when an output of a motor that rotates the reel is non-zero.

An apparatus (un-interleaver) for unwinding a roll of material interleaved with another material, and for separating the materials, includes a first platform, a second platform, a tension-sensor, an edge-sensor, and a controller. The controller monitors signals generated by the tension sensor and the edge sensor, and in response to the signals: a) causes the speed at which the second platform rotates to change to maintain a predetermined tension in the second material as the second material travels from the first platform toward the second platform, and b) causes the second platform to move relative to the first platform to align the edge of the second material traveling toward the roll of second material with the edge of the second material in the roll.

An apparatus (un-interleaver) for unwinding a roll of material interleaved with another material, and for separating the materials, includes a first platform, a second platform, a tension-sensor, an edge-sensor, and a controller. The controller monitors signals generated by the tension sensor and the edge sensor, and in response to the signals: a) causes the speed at which the second platform rotates to change to maintain a predetermined tension in the second material as the second material travels from the first platform toward the second platform, and b) causes the second platform to move relative to the first platform to align the edge of the second material traveling toward the roll of second material with the edge of the second material in the roll.