Provided is an electric winch apparatus capable of preventing irregular winding of a wire rope caused by landing of a hoisted-down suspended load. The electric winch apparatus includes a winch drum (5) around which a wire rope (2) is wound, an electric motor (8) which rotates the winch drum (5), an operation lever (13a), a measurement unit (18) which measures a tension index value corresponding to a tension in the wire rope (2), and a controller (12) which controls motion of the electric motor (8). The controller (12) stops motion of the electric motor (8) when an operation in a lowering operation direction is applied the operation lever (13a) and a tension average value as an average value of a tension in the wire rope (2) becomes less than or equal to a predetermined tension reference value, the average value of the tension corresponding to an average value of the tension index value in a predetermined period.

A load-relieving apparatus includes a wire cable 36 with a free end and a fixed end opposite to the free end, a locking part 361 being attached to the free end, a winding part 334 configured to wind the wire cable 36 from a fixed-end side thereof, a pulley 335 interposed between the winding part 334 and the locking part 361, and configured to stretch the wire cable therebetween, and a cover 336 with a through hole 338H formed therein through which the wire cable 36 is inserted, the cover 336 being interposed between the locking part 361 and the pulley 335, and formed so as to cover at least a part of the pulley 335. Further, the through hole 338H is configured so that a relative position of the through hole 338H with respect to a rotation axis of the pulley 335 changes.

A winch (100, 200) includes a rope (105), an overwinding sensor (106) coupled to the rope (105) where the overwinding sensor (106) is moveable between a first position and a second position upon winding and/or unwinding of the rope (105). The overwinding sensor (106) includes a first electrically conducting member, a contact member (104) having a second electrically conducting member which is contactable by the first electrically conducting member when the overwinding sensor (106) is in the second position. The second electrically conducting member is not contactable by the first electrically conducting member when the overwinding sensor (106) is in the first position. The winch (100, 200) is configured to stop and/or prevent and/or hamper winding of the rope (105) upon establishment of an electrical contact between the first electrically conducting member and the second electrically conducting member when the overwinding sensor (106) is in the second position.

The invention relates to a free fall winch comprising a drum, which can be rotationally driven by a winch drive, wherein a free fall brake is provided for braking the drum in free fall operation. According to the invention, a torque acting on the free fall winch, which depends on the free fall braking torque, is detected by means of a detection device, and a brake actuation force with which the free fall brake is actuated is controlled or adjusted by a control device according to the detected torque.

A wire pulling windier apparatus attachable to a tractor, loader or other mobile transport device capable of receiving attachments has a pass through frame attachable to the mobile device, a vertical support member on the frame for supporting a first winch with cable for attaching and pulling a fence wire to be tensioned, a second winch for raising and lowering a slide block assembly through which the first winch cable is guided to allow pulling the first winch cable at different vertical heights, and has winch tension limiting apparatus.

In one embodiment the disclosure provides a portable and mountable apparatus and method capable of powering and deploying an illuminable tether to an unmanned robotic device (flying drone, ROV, terrestrial robot, to be referred to as a URD) that not only can provide power and command control to the robotic device, but also receive telemetry back from said robotic device's sensor(s) and data gathering instrumentation transferable to an operator's interface.

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.

A control device that controls an electric hoisting machine includes: a tension sensor that detects tension of a pulling member; a mode input unit that inputs a mode switch signal to switch between a winding mode and an unwinding mode; and a control unit that controls the operation of a electric motor. The control unit, when set in the unwinding mode, controls the electric motor in accordance with a detection signal from the tension sensor to cause the rotating body to be inversely rotated when the tension of the pulling member is not less than a predetermined threshold value, and to prevent the rotating body from being inversely rotated when the tension of the pulling member is lower than the predetermined threshold value.

A method for operating a towing winch and an electric drive for a towing winch, the towing winch including a rotatable winch drum for spooling a spoolable medium, and an electric motor operably coupled to the winch drum to rotate the winch drum, wherein the electric drive is configured to be operably coupled to the electric motor, and configured to control, during a towing of at least one object connected to the spoolable medium, a tension of the spoolable medium between the winch drum and the at least one object to be towed to be equal to or lower than a tension limit value; and monitor, during the towing, a roll angle of the tug, and in response to the monitored roll angle of the tug being outside of a predetermined range, lower the tension limit value providing roll compensation.

An indicator for use with a winch is disclosed. It includes; a sensor for determining the load on a winch, a controller in communication with the sensor, and a load indicator comprising multiple lights in an array. Each of the lights in the array can be changed by the controller from one appearance to another. The controller is configured to change the appearance of each of the lights in the array, with the number of lights with a changed appearance being proportional to the load sensed by the sensor. Preferably, the indicator is incorporated into a fairlead for use with a winch.