The disclosure provides an electric winder and a method for controlling the same. The electric winder includes a winder body, a socket and a controller. When a plug is inserted into the contact assembly through the insertion hole, the strain sensor is configured to detect a deformation of the contact assembly caused by the plug, and send the deformation to the controller. The controller is configured to receive the deformation sent from the strain sensor. When the deformation is greater than a deformation threshold, the controller controls the drive mechanism to be in a stop state to prevent the reel from winding.

A flat cable reel device includes a housing, a rotary sleeve, an upper spiral spring and a lower spiral spring. The housing is provided with a board outlet. The reel device includes the upper spiral spring, the lower spiral spring, an upper central shaft and a lower central shaft, which form a symmetrical and balanced double-spring structure; when a flexible printed circuit board is reeled or unreeled, the force and the reaction force generated by the springs are evenly distributed over the upper portion and the lower portion of the rotary sleeve, such that the rotary sleeve can balance.

Apparatus to store a drogue hose on an aircraft are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes a drum to rotate in a first direction to coil a hose and a second direction to uncoil the hose, a carriage at least partially surrounding the drum, the carriage including rollers to guide the hose as the hose is coiled and uncoiled, the carriage having an outer surface covering the rollers and wheels coupled to the carriage, the wheels to facilitate movement of the carriage along a length of the drum as the drum rotates.

The spool for storing and distributing linear product has a drum and inner flanges defining the ends of the drum. The drum is configured to receive a linear product wound about the drum. The inner flanges have locking gears on the outside faces of the inner flanges. The spool has an axle supporting the inner flanges and a pair of outer flanges. The outer flanges each have an outer flange gear positioned in their inner face and corresponding to the inner flange gear. The inner and outer flange gears cooperate to allow the drum to rotate in a first direction but not a second direction when the spool is supported by the outer flanges. The outer flanges are slightly taller than the inner flanges such that the spool may be positioned on a flat surface (e.g., truck bed or ground) and unwound without any equipment.

A marine pipeline installation vessel and a method are provided for laying an offshore rigid pipeline in the sea, the vessel at least being adapted to carry out the rigid reel lay method. The vessel includes at least one vertical storage reel for the storage of a spooled rigid pipeline. A left and right reel support structure are provided to support the weight of the at least one storage reel. The left and right support structures are embodied to form a pivoting structure allowing an angular adjustment of the horizontal reel axis about a vertical axis to alter the angular position of the at least one storage reel.

The hose caddy for expandable hoses comprises a housing formed from a bottom surface and sidewalls to define an open interior. A top is hingedly coupled to the housing to control access to the interior of the housing. A flexible elongated body is coupled to the housing using a guidance rail assembly. The flexible elongated body can be extended or retracted along the guidance rail assembly, and includes a hook for attaching the hose caddy to a water faucet.

A wheel-balancing weight application apparatus comprising a supplying module including a first strip of wheel-balancing weights and a second strip of wheel-balancing weights, the first and the second strips of wheel-balancing weights including a different characteristic, and an application module for securing a portion of one of the first strip of wheel-balancing weights and the second strip of wheel-balancing weights to a wheel, wherein a selection of wheel-balancing weights from the first strip of wheel-balancing weights and the second strip of wheel-balancing weights is selected on a basis of a characteristic of the wheel to match the wheel-balancing weights characteristic with an identified characteristic of the wheel. A method of using the balancing weight application apparatus is also provided.

A pool vacuuming system is comprised generally of a control box, containing a reel motor, and a reel box comprised of a turnable reel and a vacuum hose. The reel motor is powered and operated independently of the pool pump. Separate powering of this system from the pool pump negates issues of reduced power when the pool filter goes uncleaned. Since the vacuum reel is powered and operated by the separate control unit, the vacuum hose is allowed to move in and out of the reel box every time the pool pump turns off or on with consistent power and efficiency, making the movement of the hose more reliable.

A footwear lacing apparatus can comprise a housing structure, a modular spool and a drive mechanism. The housing structure can comprising a first inlet, a second inlet, and a lacing channel extending between the first and second inlets. The modular spool can be disposed in the lacing channel and can comprise a lower plate including a shaft extending from the lower plate, and an upper plate including a drum portion. The upper plate can be releasably connected to the lower plate at a connection interface. The drive mechanism can couple with the modular spool and can be adapted to rotate the modular spool to wind or unwind a lace cable extending through the lacing channel and between the upper and lower plates of the modular spool.

A cord reel assembly including a single, continuous cord having stationary and retractable segments, with the stationary segment including multiple connectors and sheath covering such connectors where the connectors twist and untwist relative to the sheath in response to the retract and extension of the retractable segment.