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.

An embedded bionic winch for sampling and exploration of a polar sub-glacial lake, including an actuating chamber, a power chamber, a transition chamber, a sensor chamber, a cable arranging chamber and a slip ring chamber, where the actuating chamber, the power chamber, the transition chamber, the sensor chamber, the cable arranging chamber and the slip ring chamber are arranged in sequence, and are coaxially connected; the power chamber provides a power for the winch, and realizes sealing of motors located therein under water with a certain depth; the transition chamber realizes a power transmission between the power chamber and the cable arranging chamber; the sensor chamber is used for mounting of a tension sensor; the cable arranging chamber realizes retraction and release of a cable through the precise cooperation of a drum and a lead screw, and the slip ring chamber contains a slip ring.

A winch control system having a solid state winch contactor and a boost power supply for a vehicle equipped with an electric winch and especially for off-road vehicles, is disclosed. This invention automatically provides three winch speeds: a “slow start” (“creep”) speed for “parking” the hook and for “sneaking” up on a load, a normal speed for normal winch operation and a fast speed for taking less time to unwind and rewind the winch rope when there is no load on the winch. Protection features for the winch contactor and/or the winch include, but are not limited to, electronic winch motor braking, current limiting, over temperature, undervoltage and reverse battery. Winch current limiting is adjustable from 100 amps to 300 amps, chosen for the purpose of accommodating various winch sizes.

A double-drum linkage winding type hoisting system includes a first hoisting drum and a second hoisting drum. The first hoisting drum and the second hoisting drum are engaged and linked through engagement structures on outer circumferences of the first hoisting drum and the second hoisting drum or are linked through a linkage intermediate member. A first hoisting rope is wound around the first hoisting drum. A second hoisting rope is wound around the second hoisting drum. The first hoisting rope and the second hoisting rope are not connected with each other.

A lifting device includes a motor designed as a three-phase asynchronous motor via which the lifting device can be driven to lift and lower a load, and includes a brake resistor via which a power output resulting from a motor generator operation that is carried out when lowering the load at a lowering speed can be converted into heat. The brake resistor is designed for a rated power which is less than the power resulting with a nominal load and a nominal speed. A method for operating a lifting device includes lowering a load at a lowering speed while taking into consideration at least one load capacity characteristic value of the brake resistor for the lowering speed, a threshold is set such that while lowering the load at the lowering speed corresponding to the threshold, the resulting power output is limited to the at least one load capacity characteristic value.

A method and a system for controlling the winding/unwinding of a rope portion onto/from a rotary drum, comprises the step of making available a rope which is at least partially wound onto a rotary drum, wherein the rope is guided from the rotary drum along a defined path as far as a hauling point, wherein a traction force acts on the rope beyond the hauling point. The method comprises unwinding or winding the rope by executing a rotation of the rotary drum, such that a defined rope portion is moved along the defined path; and determining the length of the defined rope portion in the region of the defined path. The method comprises determining an angle difference corresponding to the rotation of the rotary drum; and controlling the rotary drum for further winding/unwinding taking into account the length and the angle difference. A calibration in the region of the defined path during the use of the rotary drum provides a control for the rotary drum.

A lifting device is provided, the lifting device providing a cable and a powered winch which winds and unwinds the cable. Each end of the cable provides a slack-adjustable point of attachment to a load. The points of attachment may each be attached to an opposing end of a load, such that each point of attachment provides a counterweight to the other point of attachment. Slack between the points of attachment may be tensed by a bridging connector. The lifting device may lift a load by two lateral points of attachment such that the load may be elevated off a floor with minimal vertical clearance, and may be laterally actuated by casters hanging on a suspended rail.

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.

An aircraft hoist system includes hoist equipment arranged in an aircraft, the hoist equipment including a motor, a cable, and a hook portion. The aircraft hoist system also includes at least one sensor configured to obtain measurements and a processor configured to analyze the measurements from the at least one sensor. The aircraft hoist system also includes the processor configured to determine motor control signals to control the motor based on an analysis of the measurements from the at least one sensor to reduce sway and/or oscillations of the cable while lifting a load. The aircraft hoist system also includes the processor configured to control the motor to lift the load with the cable based on the determined motor control signals.

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.