A reduction drive assembly includes a planetary gear assembly. The planetary gear assembly includes a first gear carrier that includes a first plate and projections extending therefrom. The first plate defines first support openings. The planetary gear assembly includes a second gear carrier that defines second support openings and joint openings. The joint openings receive the projections to couple the first and second gear carriers. The planetary gear assembly includes a sun gear coupled to an output shaft and disposed between the first and second gear carriers. The planetary gear assembly includes planet gears disposed around the sun gear between the first and second gear carriers. Each of the planet gears has a carrier pin. Each carrier pin is received by one of the first support openings and one of the second support openings to retain the planet gears between the first and second gear carriers.

An end effector device includes a housing, a cable, and a winding mechanism. The cable includes at least one of lines that include a power supply line and a signal line. The winding mechanism is located inside the housing and configured to wind the cable. The winding mechanism includes a case, a reel, and a spiral spring. The reel is supported in the case and allowed to rotate and wind the cable. The spiral spring urges the reel in a retrieval direction of the cable pulled out of the reel.

Cable storage drum-reel and cable guide apparatus, methods, and systems are provided for deploying and retracting at least one push-cable with a distally mounted camera into and out of a pipe or cavity for applications such as plumbing and underground utility location. In an exemplary embodiment, a cable guide assembly may include a bracket, and one or more wear guides positioned with openings in the bracket. The one or more wear guides may include two spaced-apart wear guides each having an opening defining an inner diameter. In one embodiment, the spacing between the two wear guides may be a distance of three or more times the inner diameter of the wear guides.

An end effector device includes a housing, a cable, and a winding mechanism. The cable includes at least one of lines that include a power supply line and a signal line. The winding mechanism is located inside the housing and configured to wind the cable. The winding mechanism includes a case, a reel, and a spiral spring. The reel is supported in the case and allowed to rotate and wind the cable. The spiral spring urges the reel in a retrieval direction of the cable pulled out of the reel.

The invention involves an improved wire spool guide including a frame that comprises adjacent legs for coupling with a support rod that typically traverses the center of a wire spool hub. Each leg includes a terminal end comprising a spring arm and rod-registering area configured to capture a portion of the rod while allowing the rod to rotate therein. In exemplary embodiments, each leg extends from an anterior support of the frame that is roughly perpendicular to both legs. A wire-guiding element extends substantially form a center portion of the anterior support. The wire-guiding element may be defined by a helical structure configured for allowing a portion of the wire to be weaved into the helical structure rather than having to be threaded through. The helical structure may include an incongruous element, which prevents the wire from tangling at an exit point of the wire-guiding element.

The invention involves an improved wire spool guide including a frame that comprises adjacent legs for coupling with a support rod that typically traverses the center of a wire spool hub. Each leg includes a terminal end comprising a spring arm and rod-registering area configured to capture a portion of the rod while allowing the rod to rotate therein. In exemplary embodiments, each leg extends from an anterior support of the frame that is roughly perpendicular to both legs. A wire-guiding element extends substantially form a center portion of the anterior support. The wire-guiding element may be defined by a helical structure configured for allowing a portion of the wire to be weaved into the helical structure rather than having to be threaded through. The helical structure may include an incongruous element, which prevents the wire from tangling at an exit point of the wire-guiding element.

The invention involves an improved wire spool guide including a frame that comprises adjacent legs for coupling with a support rod that typically traverses the center of a wire spool hub. Each leg includes a terminal end comprising a spring arm and rod-registering area configured to capture a portion of the rod while allowing the rod to rotate therein. In exemplary embodiments, each leg extends from an anterior support of the frame that is roughly perpendicular to both legs. A wire-guiding element extends substantially form a center portion of the anterior support. The wire-guiding element may be defined by a helical structure configured for allowing a portion of the wire to be weaved into the helical structure rather than having to be threaded through. The helical structure may include an incongruous element, which prevents the wire from tangling at an exit point of the wire-guiding element.

The invention involves an improved wire spool guide including a frame that comprises adjacent legs for coupling with a support rod that typically traverses the center of a wire spool hub. Each leg includes a terminal end comprising a spring arm and rod-registering area configured to capture a portion of the rod while allowing the rod to rotate therein. In exemplary embodiments, each leg extends from an anterior support of the frame that is roughly perpendicular to both legs. A wire-guiding element extends substantially form a center portion of the anterior support. The wire-guiding element may be defined by a helical structure configured for allowing a portion of the wire to be weaved into the helical structure rather than having to be threaded through. The helical structure may include an incongruous element, which prevents the wire from tangling at an exit point of the wire-guiding element.

A method of operating a filter rod making machine comprising disposing a plurality of stations laterally of the filter making machine, placing a bale of tow at each of the laterally disposed plurality of stations, drawing tow from above each of the placed plurality of bales into the filter rod making machine in succession, and upon depletion of tow from the placed plurality of bales, replacing the depleted plurality of bales as a set. The drawing of tow may include, for each bale, drawing tow from above the respective bale with a station guide operative at the respective, laterally disposed station and drawing the tow transversely from the respective station guide to a machine-based guide adjacent the filter rod making machine. The disclosure also provides associated apparatus, including a system for making a filter rod and a boom assembly of a tow conditioning section of a system for making a filter rod.

A method of operating a filter rod making machine comprising disposing a plurality of stations laterally of the filter making machine, placing a bale of tow at each of the laterally disposed plurality of stations, drawing tow from above each of the placed plurality of bales into the filter rod making machine in succession, and upon depletion of tow from the placed plurality of bales, replacing the depleted plurality of bales as a set. The drawing of tow may include, for each bale, drawing tow from above the respective bale with a station guide operative at the respective, laterally disposed station and drawing the tow transversely from the respective station guide to a machine-based guide adjacent the filter rod making machine. The disclosure also provides associated apparatus, including a system for making a filter rod and a boom assembly of a tow conditioning section of a system for making a filter rod.