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 drilling machine having: a string of telescopic rods provided with an excavation tool; a winch having a drum associated with a motor; a flexible pulling element connected on the one hand to the drum and on the other hand to the string of telescopic rods; a manual control element of the winch that can assume a first position, a second position and a third position; a control system configured for controlling the motor, in a first operating mode, so as to unwind the flexible pulling element from the drum when the manual control element is in the first position, wind the flexible pulling element on the drum in order to raise the string of telescopic rods when the manual control element is in the second position, stop the drum when the manual control element is in the third position; wherein it comprises a first manual selector adapted to select a second operating mode, and in that the control system is configured for controlling the motor, in the second operating mode, so as to wind the flexible pulling element on the drum in order to tension the flexible pulling element without raising the string of telescopic rods when the manual control element assumes the third position.

A constant pulling force winch control system includes a sensor that senses a degree of winding of a winch cable around a winch drum, and a control system configured to control a winch motor to achieve a constant pulling force on the winch cable based on the degree of winding sensed by the sensor. The sensor may be a position sensor that measures a position of the winch cable relative to a centerline of the winch drum as the degree of winding. The position sensor may sense an angular position of a tension plate relative to a tensioner shaft to measure the degree of winding. The winch motor may be a hydraulic winch motor or an electric motor, and the control system is configured to control the power applied to the hydraulic winch motor to achieve the constant pulling force based on the degree of winding sensed by the sensor.

A constant pulling force winch control system includes a sensor that senses a degree of winding of a winch cable around a winch drum, and a control system configured to control a winch motor to achieve a constant pulling force on the winch cable based on the degree of winding sensed by the sensor. The sensor may be a position sensor that measures a position of the winch cable relative to a centerline of the winch drum as the degree of winding. The position sensor may sense an angular position of a tension plate relative to a tensioner shaft to measure the degree of winding. The winch motor may be a hydraulic winch motor or an electric motor, and the control system is configured to control the power applied to the hydraulic winch motor to achieve the constant pulling force based on the degree of winding sensed by the sensor.

In at least one illustrative embodiment, a winch may include first and second end frames, a drum coupled between the first and second end frames and configured to rotate to wind or unwind a cable, a brake configured to resist rotation of the drum when engaged, a switch configured to cause the brake to engage the drum when the switch is activated, a slack arm frame having a first end engaged with the cable and a second end pivotally coupled between the first and second end frames, where the slack arm frame is configured to pivot between a first position when the cable is taut and a second position when the cable is slack, and a cam coupled to the slack arm frame and configured to rotate with the slack arm frame to activate the switch when the slack arm frame is in the second position.

In at least one illustrative embodiment, a winch may include first and second end frames, a drum coupled between the first and second end frames and configured to rotate to wind or unwind a cable, a brake configured to resist rotation of the drum when engaged, a switch configured to cause the brake to engage the drum when the switch is activated, a slack arm frame having a first end engaged with the cable and a second end pivotally coupled between the first and second end frames, where the slack arm frame is configured to pivot between a first position when the cable is taut and a second position when the cable is slack, and a cam coupled to the slack arm frame and configured to rotate with the slack arm frame to activate the switch when the slack arm frame is in the second position.

A bell design crown block for a top mounted compensator includes a removable, tilting sheave block mounted within the outside perimeter of a crown block yoke. An actuator installed in the crown block actuates the tilt function. No hinge adaptor is required and the sheave block does not hang past or below the crown block yoke. When used in a floating platform application, idler sheaves are mounted on the crown block yoke and an optional interface beam may be provided for the active heave cylinder head.

A bell design crown block for a top mounted compensator includes a removable, tilting sheave block mounted within the outside perimeter of a crown block yoke. An actuator installed in the crown block actuates the tilt function. No hinge adaptor is required and the sheave block does not hang past or below the crown block yoke. When used in a floating platform application, idler sheaves are mounted on the crown block yoke and an optional interface beam may be provided for the active heave cylinder head.

The present disclosure presents a webbing take-up device, which comprises: a spool; a lock section that is restricted from rotating at a time of a vehicle emergency so as to limit rotation of the spool in the pull-out direction; a force limiter mechanism that permits rotation of the spool in the pull-out direction at a force limiter load or greater when rotation of the spool in the pull-out direction with respect to the lock section is being limited; a switching member that switches a load value of the force limiter load by switching between a rotation-restricted state and a rotation-enabled state; and a mounting member that includes a switching member mounting section at which the switching member is disposed, and a restriction section that is engaged with the switching member so as to restrict displacement of the switching member disposed at the switching member mounting section.

The present disclosure presents a webbing take-up device, which comprises: a spool; a lock section that is restricted from rotating at a time of a vehicle emergency so as to limit rotation of the spool in the pull-out direction; a force limiter mechanism that permits rotation of the spool in the pull-out direction at a force limiter load or greater when rotation of the spool in the pull-out direction with respect to the lock section is being limited; a switching member that switches a load value of the force limiter load by switching between a rotation-restricted state and a rotation-enabled state; and a mounting member that includes a switching member mounting section at which the switching member is disposed, and a restriction section that is engaged with the switching member so as to restrict displacement of the switching member disposed at the switching member mounting section.