Systems, devices, and assemblies for providing winch freewheel functionality and maintaining tension in a winch line of a winch system. An operator input is detected using at least one sensor. The operator input is associated with an operator pulling on the winch line and a pay-out function of a winch motor of the winch system is controlled based on the operator input.

A control system and method for tensioning an active tether for a multirotor unmanned aerial system is provided. The control system includes a tensioning pulley and a tensioning spring. The tensioning spring is arranged to generate a variable tension force on the active tether. A transducer is connected adjacent to the tensioning spring to sense a linear displacement position of the tensioning pulley and to transmit a position signal to a controller. The position signal is proportional to the linear displacement position. A servomotor in communication with the controller receives a control signal from the controller in response to the position signal. The servomotor drives a cable reel. The cable reel is rotatably mounted in the frame for spooling the tether in response to rotation of the servomotor. The cable reel is rotated by the servomotor to maintain a predetermined tension on the tensioning spring.

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 method of spooling a crane rope (2) onto a crane drum through a crane rope spooling system (1) from a reel (31) under a predetermined back tension is described and includes the steps of: unspooling the crane rope (2) from a reel (31) and passing the crane rope through a tensioning system (10) comprising a primary back tensioner (12) and a secondary back tensioner (16); gripping the crane rope (2) within the secondary back tensioner (16) and thereby preloading the crane rope (2) with tension prior to the crane rope (2) passing through the primary back tensioner (12); and applying a predetermined back tension to the crane rope (2) with the primary back tensioner (12) as the crane rope (2) is being spooled onto the crane drum under the predetermined back tension. A crane rope spooling system (1) for spooling crane rope (2) onto a crane drum under a predetermined back tension is also described, said system (10) comprising a tensioning system (10) comprising at least a primary back tensioner (12) and a secondary back tensioner (16) and a reel (31).

The lifting device includes a first drum around which a wire is wound, a first motor that rotates the first drum, a second drum around which the wire fed from the first drum is wound, and a second motor that rotates the second drum. The first motor is driven to rotate the first drum so as to lift the wire, and the second motor is driven to rotate the second drum to lift the wire fed from the first drum.

When a holding unit is lowered, a control unit gradually increases the lowering velocity of the holding unit toward a target lowering velocity, performs a constant velocity lowering operation of maintaining the lowering velocity of the holding unit at the target lowering velocity, and then gradually decreases the lowering velocity of the holding unit from the target lowering velocity to stop the holding unit. The control unit controls the drive unit to gradually increase the rotational velocity of the pulleys in response to a gradual decrease in the diameter of the outer surface of the belt wound-up around the pulley by unwinding in the constant velocity lowering operation.

A cable winch (100) for deploying and retracting a cable (50) during the installation of powerline cables on transmission towers. The cable winch (100) includes a base frame (102), a spool (110), a drive system (120), a sensor system (200), and a control system (300). The spool (110) is mounted for rotation on the base frame (102) and the cable (50) is releasably securable to the spool (110). The drive system (120) is able to drive rotation of the spool (110) to either pay out or wind in the cable (50) along a cable path. The cable path passes through the sensor system (200), which has a first sensor (244) able to detect and output tension data in relation to the tension in the cable (50) passing through the sensor system (200). The control system (300) is adapted to receive the tension data output by the sensor system (200) and modulate the speed and torque of the drive system (120) in order to maintain a predetermined tension in the cable (50).

Towing winch system 1 for controlling a render and recovery of a towline during a towing operation. The towing winch system has a control unit 6 for controlling a drive 4 and a brake 5 for respectively driving and braking the winding drum. The drive 4 comprises a plurality of brushless alternating current motors 40 which each engages in one stage by a motor gear wheel 71 to a gear wheel 70 mounted to the winding drum 3. The brake 5 comprises a plurality of brake calipers 51 which each are engageable to a brake disc 50 mounted to the winding drum 3. The drivetrain of the plurality of brushless AC motors 40, one stage gear 7 and the plurality of brake calipers 51 form a powerful and robust structure to operate the towing winch system 1 under severe conditions which may occur in a towing operation.

A system for controlling operation of a winch assembly having an electric motor, a drum, and a cable. A controller is configured to access a winch load threshold, with the winch load threshold defining a hold zone and a reel zone, and one of the hold zone and the reel zone including loads greater than the winch load threshold and another of the hold zone and the reel zone including loads less than the winch load threshold. The controller is further configured to determine whether the drum is rotating, determine whether the winch assembly is operating within the hold zone or the reel zone, generate a hold current while the winch assembly is operating within the hold zone preventing rotation of the electric motor, and generate a reel current while the drum is operating within the reel zone permitting rotation of the electric motor.

Systems and methods for measuring and regulating winch line pull for winches are disclosed. A tension measuring system may be mounted to a winch mounting bracket for measuring tension in the winch line during use. The tension measuring system may comprise at least one load cell for measuring the tension in the winch line. A control system may receive a measured tension value for the winch line, compare the measured tension value to a target tension value, and consequently adjust the motor. The control system may be configured to hold the winch line at a substantially constant tension. The measured tension values may be logged and graphically displayed.